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Youth football organizers ask Hagerstown to allow Hub City Classic at Fairgrounds Park; council signals conditional support
Summary
Organizers of the Hub City Classic asked to use all three Fairgrounds Park fields for a two-day youth tournament July 25-26, 2026, citing ~30 teams (~600 participants) and proposing insurance, security, pre/post field inspections, and a refundable $2,500 deposit; council members expressed conditional support pending written field-protection standards and logistics.
HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Organizers of a proposed two-day youth football tournament asked the Mayor and Council on June 9 for permission to use all three grass fields at Fairgrounds Park, prompting a lengthy exchange about field damage risks, fairness across sports, and event-day logistics.
Matthew Rempy, speaking for the Hub City Classic and the Hagerstown Hitters Youth Football Organization, said the tournament would bring roughly 30 teams and about 600 athletes and family members to Hagerstown on July 25-26. He described the event as professionally managed, offering insurance up to $1 million, security, portable restrooms, referees, cleanup crews and a field protection plan that includes pre- and post-event inspections.
"We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for equal treatment," Rempy told the council, arguing that soccer and other field sports cause similar turf wear and that an objective, sport-neutral field-inspection process should determine approval.
Parks staff and council members pressed organizers on turf conditions, seasonal timing (mid-July dryness), restroom and traffic logistics, and prior denials by school athletic directors for other venues. Parks staff noted prior field damage and recommended conditions to protect city property; staff earlier suggested a $2,500 condition or deposit as a potential restoration fund tied to documented damage.
Council members repeatedly emphasized written conditions. One council member summarized the council's approach as contingent: allow the tournament to proceed with firm, documented field-protection language (pre- and post-event inspections, restoration obligations, liability insurance) and require staff to coordinate logistics with the organizer. Staff said they would work with the organizer on a documented agreement and standard conditions.
Organizers said they were willing to submit a deposit, provide sod or seed for restoration, and accept a weather-contingency clause and other conditions. Several council members expressed support for allowing the event this year under those conditions while reserving the right to revisit policy for future seasons based on outcomes.
Next steps: Parks staff will coordinate with the organizer to draft a written agreement that sets objective field standards, inspection procedures, insurance requirements, and restoration obligations for council review.
