The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser.
The Long Beach Jordan football program has a lot to be excited about.
After hosting the Moore League’s first-ever Media Day in the Jordan community room, the Panthers are ready to unveil the completion of Phase 5A of the renovation project funded by Measure K.
The project includes a brand new synthetic blue turf field, a new track, new bleachers, a video scoreboard, and much more as new Jordan coach Alfred Rowe prepares to lead the Panthers into a new era.
“Nobody in the city has ever won state since the modern state championship era,” Rowe said. “Our goal’s to be the first team in the league to win state. That’s what we’re going to do, and that’s what we plan to do.”
Jordan will host their first game in the new stadium on August 16, two weeks before they open the season at home against Crenshaw.
The stadium is just one part of a larger transformation happening on the North Side.
Jordan has been undergoing a full-scale reconstruction since 2014. The $228 million renovation is expected to be fully complete by 2027.
“I’m very excited,” Panthers corner Trejon Spears said. “It’s a new field, new stadium. It’s just a good place to be so I’m very excited.”
“I’ve been here the past three years so it’s going to be a new feeling,” Deanthione Price said.
The project has already delivered new classroom buildings, science labs, a renovated library, a new administration office and upgraded infrastructure. Earlier phases also included improvements to the arts, media, and manufacturing academies that serve the school’s specialized programs.
The next part of the project, Phase 6, will bring a new 65,000-square-foot gymnasium and an outdoor aquatic center featuring a pool, bleachers, and locker facilities. That portion of the project is expected to break ground later this year and be ready by August 2027.
