SPORTS
City bond funds, private charter money and leftover Super Bowl turf paid for the new field at the former Behrman Stadium, which hosted its first game Friday.
By Kim M. Braud | September 5, 2026
City and community leaders held a ribbon-cutting and press conference in Algiers on September 1 to mark the reopening of Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Stadium, the former Behrman Stadium, according to the City of New Orleans.
The event showcased a renovated playing field that the city said replaced hazardous conditions with a modern turf surface. Councilmember Freddie King III was joined by Mayor Helena Moreno, Council President JP Morrell, InspireNOLA Charter Schools CEO Jamar McKneely and Algiers Charter CEO Dr. Tammi Griffin-Major, the council office said.
The stadium, home field for Edna Karr and L.B. Landry high schools, hosted its first game on the new surface Friday, September 4, when the Edna Karr Cougars opened their season.
"This is not about me. It's about the children of New Orleans, the children of Algiers." - Councilmember Freddie King III, in a statement
King framed the project as a partnership in the release. "This is about showing what can be done when you have public partnerships and private partnerships working together toward one goal," he said. He added that the field was for young people who "deserve a safe, quality place where they can compete, grow, and thrive."
How the field was paid for
The city announced the campaign in May, when Moreno, King and Congressman Troy Carter launched it alongside InspireNOLA. According to the city, the work was seeded with $100,000 from King's District C bond funds, with Friends of InspireNOLA supplying an additional $500,000 in private money. The city also contributed perimeter turf left over from Super Bowl LIX, which New Orleans hosted in 2025.
At that May launch, the city estimated the field would be finished by August 1. It opened for play about a month later.
A stadium with a long history
The Algiers facility opened in 1938 and is among the oldest prep sports venues in New Orleans. The park and stadium, long known as Behrman, were renamed for Morris F.X. Jeff Sr., a pioneer of the city's recreation programs. The field has served generations of athletes through the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, the public agency known as NORD.
Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Stadium in Algiers, the former Behrman Stadium, on the afternoon of September 1, 2026, showing the renovated field and the tent still standing from the day's ribbon-cutting. Aerial photograph: CreoleSky Aerial.
Kim M. Braud is the Founder & Editor of Evans Cutchmore Press, an independent newsroom covering Louisiana and the Gulf South. Her reporting focuses on government accountability, infrastructure, business, culture, and the public policies that shape communities.
© 2026 Evans Cutchmore Press. All rights reserved.
