LISTEN: The 32-acre facility is owned by the Atlanta suburb and will be used for football, concerts and other major events. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports.

An older man in a green shirt and a black hat with the Buford High School wolf mascot on it.

Director of Athletic Facilities Tony Wolfe gave a tour of the Phillip Beard Stadium on July 30, 2025.

Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News

Buford High School held the grand opening for its new $62 million football stadium. The new Phillip Beard Stadium will be owned by the city of Buford, northeast of Atlanta, and leased to the school each year for games.

The facility is named after the chairman of the Buford City Board of Commissioners and chairman of the Buford City Schools Board of Education, Phillip Beard. He said it’s an honor to have this facility named after him.

“More than anything, I am proud that it represents Buford’s commitment to our students and the community,” Beard said. “Our goal has always been to provide the very best — whether in the classroom, on the field, or throughout our facilities. This stadium stands as a symbol of excellence, tradition, and the future we are building together for generations to come.”

The stadium holds 10,000 visitors and features 15 suites. This will be the fourth place Buford High School has used for football games since the 1930s.

Tony Wolfe is the director of Buford’s athletic facilities. He said the stadium’s size matches the school’s growth over the last few decades.

“My first year, in ‘96, we had 400 students," he said. "We were a Class A school, and we had 28 football players. Today, we're over 2,000 students, and there's about 140 football players to give you an idea about the growth.”

Buford is now a 6A school and has won 13 high school state championship titles since 2001.

The new stadium will also host concerts and other events run by the city. Wolfe says the stands were designed to make fans feel close to the action.

“We wanted the stands to be a little closer — safe, but a little closer so that the fan gets the best experience from hearing the field, you know, the impact of the collisions,” he said. “You should be able to hear the calls the quarterbacks are making or the defense and things like that.”

The old stadium, next to Buford Middle School, is also being renovated to improve the track. It will be used for junior varsity football, flag football and various middle school sports.

Buford will play its first game at Phillip Beard Stadium against Mill Creek High School on Aug. 14.

Tags: high school football  Buford  Georgia  sports  stadiums