PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The outdoor event facility for Portage Central High School has been known as McCamley Field since the original facility opened in 1958. And now the Portage Public Schools committee that has been considering it’s policies around the naming and renaming of school facilities is recommending that Portage Central High School’s McCamley Field be renamed McCamely-Knight Field.
Stuart McCamely, for whom the field was named after, was born in 1877 and lived until 1961. He served as Portage Township Supervisor twice and served as Board President of the newly formed Portage Township Schools from 1946 to 1954. It’s first football team was fielded during his tenure and the high school dedicated it’s yearbook to McCamely in 1952, who is also referred to as the “father of Portage” who changed the city from a rural to a suburban community.
And now a group of people are recommending that another name be put on the sign of McCamely Field in honor of another huge contributor, Bob Knight.
Knight became the head football coach for Portage Central High School in 1971 and served the football program for 34 years, compiling a 217-108 win-loss record, earning 14 conference championships, 10 playoff runs, and a trip to the state championship in 1977. Coach Knight was inducted into the Portage Central Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 before his passing in 2021.
But it order to make a name change, it’ll take a bit more than making a recommendation and then voting on it.
Portage Public Schools Community Relations Manager Michelle Karpinski said the school board then got to work on developing a specific policy.
Karpinski said one of the policies developed during the work sessions would be that the board moving forward would not name facilities after people, but however, with one exception.
In addition, the committee is recommending that a scholarship fund be established in cooperation with the Portage Education Foundation in honor of Coach Knight.
The next meeting for board discussion is scheduled for Monday, November 21.
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