South Marion High School is set to begin its first academic school year in Florida on Monday. However, the high school football team will have to play all of its games on the road during its inaugural regular season because the brand-new turf field sits on top of a potential sinkhole.
It must already be replaced before it was even used for competition.
Although these are not ideal circumstances for a first-year high school football program, there are plenty of local campuses that are willing to tag in. Most of the home games will still be played within the county.
South Marion High School is new to Florida.
If you have not heard of South Marion High School, it is probably because it did not exist. It will open for the 2026-27 school year and enroll more than 2,000 students. The 115-acre campus features a three-story building that cost $165 million to build. There are 61 classrooms, 20 state-of-the-art science and computer labs, an 858-seat cafeteria, an 800-seat auditorium for performing arts, a 1,332-seat gymnasium, 2,000-seat athletic stadium, and dedicated spaces for baseball, softball, soccer, tennis and beach volleyball.
Here is the first look:
South Marion High School is located in Florida. Zoned residents include the southwest Ocala area and Marion Oaks. Most of the students are coming from Belleview, Dunnellon, Forest, North Marion, Lake Weir and West Port to relieve overcrowding.
Class begins on Monday. The high school football season is set to begin on August 14 but the Bears won’t be able to play at home.
The high school football field sits on top of a sinkhole waiting to happen.
South Marion High School will compete in Class 5A, District 3 under the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) alignment for the 2026–2027 school year. Its inaugural football team will have to play the entire season away from home.
Geotechnical engineers recently discovered a series of hidden underground cavities, formally known as “subsurface voids,” under the brand-new turf field at South Marion. Six of the voids were found directly underneath the field. A seventh was found just south of the athletic facilities. The big concern with a subsurface void is that it will eventually turn into a sinkhole if neglected.
As a result of the geotechnical engineers’ findings, the brand-new turf field must be removed. The voids will then be filled through a process known as injection grouting. Construction crews are pumping liquid grout into the cavities to strengthen the ground and reduce future risk of a cave-in. The entire project, which includes excavation, grout installation and turf restoration, will cost $672,000 in capital funds.
Construction is scheduled to be completed by October 29, approximately 115 days after it began. The high school football field will be unplayable until the last week of the regular season when the Bears are already on the road anyway.
Therefore, South Marion will be unable to play home games until the postseason. In the meantime, it will play at nearby high school fields while those teams are away. For example, the season-opener against Lake Bueva Vista will take place at Dunnellon. The practice field is fine.