Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

On Track: Athletic Field Improvements for MSU

  • 10/01/14
Athletic Field Improvements

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY

Missouri State University (MSU) in Springfield, home of the Bears, is launching its 2014-2015 academic year with the debut of several new athletic and recreation facilities in the school’s largest athletics and recreational improvement project to date. It includes a new track and three synthetic turf fields, all installed by St. Louis-based Byrne & Jones Sports. The work is part of $24 million in new construction and improvements to the campus.

“Wet weather challenged the project in the spring and early summer, but Byrne & Jones was able to ramp up manpower quickly and optimize its productivity to take full advantage of dryer weather and deliver the project on time,” says Kyle Moats, MSU director of athletics. “The entire building team pulled together to ensure the students’ commitment to fund the project was rewarded with outstanding athletic facilities.”

MSU students approved of a fee of $50 per semester to help pay for the improvements. The fee will generate approximately $1.6 million annually. The university also gained financial support from Betty and Bobby Allison, for whom two new stadiums are named.

Athletic Field Improvements

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY

The improvements included relocating the school’s track and building a new artificial turf football field closer to the west bleachers to improve the fan experience. A new NCAAregulation, eight-lane track was also built as part of the new synthetic turf soccer field. The new track incudes steeplechase, long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault and a warm-up running area. Meanwhile, Byrne& Jones installed a shock pad to improve safety, play and the durability for a new field hockey
surface installed by SportsTurf.

To create a stable sub-base that sheds water efficiently, 15,000 tons of rock were imported and delivered in 750 truckloads for the three fields. “We essentially created a huge French drain that directed water flow efficiently into the storm water system,” said Ben Traetow, project manager, Byrne & Jones Sports.

Overall improvements included renovations to MSU’s Plaster Sports Complex to provide better seating and new concessions, restrooms, ticket windows and team facilities. Other improvements were made to the soccer stadium and recreational amenities on campus. Hastings + Chivetta Architects, Inc. was the architect for the improvements. Springfield-based general contractor DeWitt and Associates, Inc. managed the overall improvements.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.