The Waukee Brief
On a fall Friday night in Waukee, the lights come on and the town splits into two colors. Here is how high school football works in a city big enough for two programs: who the Warriors and the Wolves are, where each one plays (they do not share a stadium), and where to find this week's schedule and tickets.
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Waukee has two high schools, and both field varsity football teams in the CIML (Central Iowa Metro League): the Waukee High Warriors (purple and gold) and the Waukee Northwest Wolves (royal blue and silver), whose school opened in 2021. Each has its own home stadium: Waukee High plays at Waukee Stadium and Northwest at Northwest Stadium. The Iowa regular season runs from late August into October, with playoffs in November, and most varsity games are Friday nights.
When Waukee outgrew a single high school, the district opened Waukee Northwest High School in 2021, splitting the fast-growing city into two large programs that now play in the same conference. The original Waukee High School is home of the Warriors (purple and gold); Waukee Northwest is home of the Wolves (royal blue and silver). Here is the part that trips up newcomers, though, and it is different from some metro districts: the two teams do not share a stadium. Each school has its own. More on that just below.
Two strong programs in one district set up a natural crosstown storyline, Warriors and Wolves from the same town, and both compete in the top class of the CIML. Because schedules and conference alignment change year to year, we do not print a head-to-head date or a past score we cannot stand behind. If a Waukee vs. Waukee Northwest football game is on the calendar this season, it will be one of the better tickets in the metro, so check each school's posted schedule for this year's matchups.
This is the big one to get right, because the two schools have separate stadiums:
Northwest Stadium sits at the Waukee Northwest athletic complex at 655 NW 10th Street, Waukee, a modern facility with a sunken-bowl design and roughly 6,000 seats, and it also hosts soccer and track. The Waukee High Warriors play their home games at Waukee Stadium, a separate site. So before you leave the house, confirm which stadium your game is at, since a Warriors home game and a Wolves home game are in two different places. Put the right address in your phone, and give yourself extra time for homecoming and big games when the lots fill.
Iowa high school football kicks off in late August and runs a regular season through early October, with the state playoffs following in November. Most varsity games are Friday nights, with sophomore and freshman games earlier in the week. Homecoming for each school lands in September or early October and turns the whole night into an event. Kickoff times move, so confirm on the schedule rather than assuming.
Schedules change year to year, so go to the source. Each school posts its schedule, roster, and tickets on its activities site, linked from the district at waukeeschools.org; the Wolves' activities site is wolves.waukeeschools.org. For live Iowa results, brackets, and playoff pairings, use Bound (gobound.com), and Waukee athletics tickets are also sold through Vanco Events. We flag the marquee games each week in the free Brief.
Tickets are digital. Waukee sells through Bound and Vanco Events, so buy on your phone before you go. As a recent reference, Waukee Northwest varsity football admission ran about $10 for adults and K-12 students, but prices change year to year, so confirm the current amount on the ticketing page.
Bag policy: most Iowa high school venues use a clear-bag policy, with small clear bags and medical or diaper bags allowed and larger bags subject to search or not permitted. Waukee's policy can differ by venue, so check the current policy posted on each school's activities site before you head out. Remember there are two stadiums, so double-check the location for your game.
Waukee's dining has grown right alongside the town, with plenty of pre-game options around Kettlestone, downtown Waukee, and the Hickman and University corridors. Rather than send you to a spot that may have changed hands, we keep the current lineup in one place: see our best restaurants in Waukee guide, or let the dinner picker choose for you.
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Two: Waukee High School (the Warriors) and Waukee Northwest High School (the Wolves). Waukee Northwest opened in 2021, and both play football in the CIML.
Waukee High is the Warriors (purple and gold) and Waukee Northwest is the Wolves (royal blue and silver). Both play in the CIML, and each has its own home stadium.
They do not share a stadium. The Warriors play home games at Waukee Stadium, and the Wolves play at Northwest Stadium (655 NW 10th Street, Waukee). Double-check which stadium your game is at before you leave.
Late August through early October for the regular season, with playoffs in November. Most varsity games are Friday nights.
Each school posts its schedule and tickets on its activities site via waukeeschools.org; the Wolves' is wolves.waukeeschools.org. Use Bound (gobound.com) for results and Vanco Events for tickets. Check the official sites, since schedules change yearly.
Digital tickets through Bound and Vanco Events. Recently Waukee Northwest varsity football ran about $10 for adults and K-12 students, but confirm the current price on the ticketing page.
Most Iowa venues use a clear-bag policy, with small clear bags and medical or diaper bags allowed. Waukee's policy can differ by venue, so check the current policy posted on each school's activities site.