Three new athletic practice and recreation fields–two artificial turfs and one grass–will open to all students and faculty Dec. 13.
The fields, located along Frank Bassett Drive behind Wallace Wade Stadium, are the athletic department’s first project financed by the Duke Forward capital campaign. The athletics segment of Duke Forward, centered on the theme "Building Champions," aims to raise $250 million to support operating costs and the athletics endowment, as well as transform athletic facilities over the next three years.
“This is the first step in creating more and better playing surfaces for our students at Duke and also fulfilling our master plan,” wrote Mike Cragg, deputy director of athletics and operations, in an email Monday.
The next steps of the athletics plan include breaking ground for a track and field stadium and installing new bleachers and lighting for Koskinen Stadium. Duke Athletics also plans to upgrade Olympic sports facilities and Wallace Wade and Cameron Indoor stadiums. Eventually, there are plans to create a plaza connecting Wallace Wade, Cameron and other sports venues that will put the multipurpose William David Murray Building in a more prominent location.
"We have to do the construction strategically,” said Senior Associate Director of Athletics Tom Coffman. “As we move around, upgrading facilities, we just have to be smart about what will be needed to be used when."
Coffman cited poor gameday experiences for student athletes, coaches, fans and alumni as the catalyst behind the construction.
"It’s important that athletics, as one of the front porches of campus, is attractive,” Coffman said. “Our venues are not fan-friendly at present, so our goal is make that better.”
The slated athletic renovation and construction projects, including the new athletic fields opening soon, are estimated to cost $100 million, Cragg noted.
“It's not as if we're going out there and just being spendthrifts,” Coffman said. “We're impacting the entire athletics campus with a sum of money that most schools are spending just on their football games alone."
Project manager Audrey Frasca, among others, noted that the artificial turf will allow the fields to be used all year without having to worry about overuse.
“Playing on fields year-round would actually be really nice,” freshman Matt Gherman said. “The fields will be located pretty conveniently from dorms on West.”
Coffman said that providing accessible space for students to exercise is a high priority for the athletic department.
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