At a time when many cities are trying to attract sports teams by building them stadiums, the City of Whiting, Indiana, is going to opposite route by evicting the Northwest Indiana Oilmen from its Oil City Stadium.
The Oilmen are part of the summer collegiate Northern League, and the team has called the 1,100-seat ballpark its home since 2011. According to Stadium Journey, the team received a letter from city officials that they are no longer welcome at the venue.
“I was surprised to find out that we weren’t playing at the stadium this year,” said team president Don Popravak. “I told the city that my crew of 30 staff members would take care of it except for the utilities.”
Popravak offered to lease the stadium for $40,000 to $60,000 a year, but Whiting Mayor Steve Spebar evicted the team ahead of another team’s arrival.
“We will have an expansion franchise in the Crestwood Collegiate League that will play at the stadium,” said Spebar. “We have been approached by other entities the past two years but put it off in deference to the Oilmen.”
The Oilmen are among six teams in the Northern League, which also includes the Griffith Generals, Indiana Panthers, Southside Vikings, Minutemen, and the Elkhart County Miracle. The Oilmen won five league championships, and the team said it sent 40 players to play organized baseball.
With the 2026 season less than four months away, Popravak said that he is “scrambling to find a place for his team for the summer.” However, he remained optimistic about the team’s future.
“We have a strong brand and will continue to impact the region,” he said. “We will remain committed to building a thriving, economically vibrant community. The excursion from Oil City Stadium will not deter us; it will only strengthen our resolve.”
Photo courtesy of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen
