Mac College plans expansion, renovation of stadium

McPherson College is preparing to start new construction projects around its athletic facilities even as it prepares to lay new turf at McPherson Stadium.

Doug Quint, athletic director at McPherson College, said the school plans to start building new practice fields east of McPherson Stadium in March. Quint said the project is a much-needed step toward reducing the demand of both college and high school teams to use the stadium.

“The overall goal is to alleviate some of the scheduling issues with the stadium’s field,” Quint said. “Now you’ve got it being used from six in the morning until midnight, and there is no consistency for practices.”

McPherson College plans to build both a practice football and soccer field in the space, both of which would be grass covered and fenced from the adjacent stadium. Quint said construction on the new facilities should be complete by fall.

By installing the new practice fields alongside the turf replacement, the college hopes to reduce scheduling issues with the high school while providing much-needed improvements to the playing surface.

“Our goal is to provide our college athletes a place to practice and train at a consistent and scheduled time,” Quint said.

While scheduled projects pose significant improvements to the college’s athletic facilities, Michael Schneider, college president, said the new stadium surface and practice fields are only the first step in a series of future renovations to the venue.

“There are two pieces to what’s going on now,” Schneider said. “Planned maintenance, which is what’s going on now, and the second piece, which is in progress, as the high school has completed their first lease.”

That second piece would include cooperation between the college and USD 418, similar to that which occurred during renovations in 2003, to further improve McPherson Stadium. At that time, the high school entered into a lease, which will end this summer, with the college to help cover the cost of facility improvements.

While work on a new lease began only recently, McPherson High School Activities Director Shane Backhus said the school district shares the college’s desire to resolve scheduling issues.

“When you have as many teams between the high school and the college as the stadium does, there’s always going to be scheduling issues you have to work around,” Backhus said. “Any renovations we can make to make that better is something we would be interested in.”

Renovations likely also would include aesthetic improvements. Schneider said providing adequate locker room and concession space would go hand in hand with wider renovations. Changes in seating would affect the spectator’s experience.



Our thanks to Ken Ward and the McPherson Sentinel for the use of this story