Police suspend Detroit high school football game due to crowd concerns

High school football game suspended Friday night after crowds get rowdy

The game was finished without fans on Saturday, as Detroit Cass Tech hung on for a 27-22 victory over Detroit King. The game was originally hosted at Wayne State University on Friday night, but was suspended as the crowds got rowdy and fights broke out.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A high school football game between Cass Tech and Detroit King was suspended Friday night during the third quarter after crowd concerns at Wayne State University’s Tom Adams Field, officials said.

What we know:

The game was stopped with 5:58 left in the third quarter, with Cass Tech leading 20-0.

What they're saying:

Jay Alexander, executive director of the Detroit Public School League, said the game was forced to shut down by police after a large number of people entered the stadium without tickets by jumping perimeter fences.

"This created significant safety and crowd control concerns, making it difficult for the police to maintain a secure environment," Alexander said in a statement to FOX 2.

Detroit police confirmed they were on scene to assist. FOX 2 also reached out to Wayne State University police for comment.

Alexander said the game was not oversold and no tickets were sold at the gate. Tom Adams Field has a capacity of 6,439. A total of 5,095 tickets were sold in advance, and with complimentary staff tickets included, the attendance was 5,546, Alexander said.

"We deeply regret the disruption and appreciate the understanding, patience, and continued support from our community. Our priority remains the safety of everyone involved and preserving the integrity of the student-athlete experience," he said.

What's next:

The game will resume Saturday afternoon at a different location under restricted attendance. Only parents of football players and cheerleaders will be allowed in.