Jesuit High School Sacramento has reached a key milestone in its endeavor to install stadium lights on the football field. At a hearing on Wednesday, June 4, 2024, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the installation of the lights, giving the go-ahead for a proposal that has existed since the fall of 2021. Jesuit has been working over the summer to fundraise for the construction of the four stadium lights, and as the school year begins, those permanent stadium lights are closer than ever to becoming a reality.

In the fall of 2021, Jesuit submitted Use Permit PLNP2021-00262, which marked the start of the school’s quest to acquire stadium lights. Over the next few years, the proposal went through a long county approval process filled with planning, analyzing, and communicating with neighbors. The proposal was finally set to be approved last March this year, but on the last day of public comment an appeal was filed and accepted by the county. So, a hearing was scheduled on June 4, which resulted in the long-awaited approval of the installation of stadium lights on the football field.

While the process ended up taking longer than expected, the delays were necessary to ensure that the surrounding neighborhood wouldn’t unduly be impacted by the newly installed lights. For President Mr. Chris Alling and the rest of the school administration, meeting the needs of Jesuit’s neighbors was imperative.

“The delay was caused by a mix of factors that I’d describe as due diligence and also Sacramento Country Planning Commissions protocols,” Mr. Alling said. “Both of these things are part of getting a project as important as this as right as we possibly could. We wanted to continue to listen to and understand the concerns of our immediate neighbors, and we wanted to be sure that we’d done our very best to plan for and mitigate the impacts that would be unavoidable with the addition of permanent lights on our field.” 

With the lights finally being approved, Jesuit has started constructing the lights on the football field. In order to fund the construction of the stadium lights, Jesuit created the #TurnOnTheLights fundraising campaign, which has raised $1,673,242 as of Aug. 22. 

The video that plays whenever you open the campaign page stars Varsity Baseball Head Coach Joe Potulny ‘76, a longtime member of the Jesuit community. When asked about the impact that the lights will have on the Jesuit community, he points to the ability to have football games on Friday nights.

“I think a lot of colleagues will be more likely to take a walk down and catch the game [on Friday] than to come back on a Saturday when they’re with family,” Coach Potulny said. “The same goes for students too. It’s a Friday. I’m already here. If I’m a student, I’ll go on down and catch some of the game as opposed to a Saturday I’ve got to make.”

While having Friday Nights Lights is a major benefit of the new lights, there are a variety of other positive effects that they will bring to Jesuit. Principal Dr. Michael Wood ‘99 believes that the lights will improve the everyday experience of athletes who practice or compete on Loyola Field after school.

“The first impact that I’m excited about is the safety of students,” Dr. Wood said. “They will have, especially in the hotter months, the ability to practice in a cooler environment. It’s healthier for them and more enjoyable for them to experience that. The next piece is the academic impact. So many of our sports have to get out early so we can play our games in the winter before we lose daylight, and so being able to delay the start of games and practices so that they can play under the lights and not miss as much class time is another important benefit.”

With the lights currently undergoing construction and the first Friday Night Lights game rapidly approaching (Jesuit vs. Rio Americano High School on Aug. 30), this three year journey is quickly coming to an end. Through the combined efforts of a multitude of people, inside and outside of Jesuit, four stadium lights will soon be shining down on the football field, enhancing every game that is played under them. 

“[I have] gratitude for the Board of Trustees, the lighting subcommittee, Mr. Alling and his staff [and] all the work that they’ve done with the neighborhood, with the lawyers, with the county, with the construction workers, with everyone who’s been involved, with the parents,” Dr. Wood said. “Gratitude for everyone who’s made this possible. No one person made this happen.”