Impact 50: Soccer/Softball Complex A Major Step Forward
Facility upgrades will benefit teams, fan experience
As was the case with a myriad of activities, the global pandemic put a pause on a crucial project for the Colorado State Athletic Department.
Now, two years after being so close to beginning construction, Thursday’s groundbreaking for the Soccer/Softball complex signifies the project is once again moving forward, bringing necessary upgrades to two women’s programs during the 50th anniversary of Title IX.
“We have patiently waited to get back to this moment where we could move forward with the construction of the Soccer/Softball Complex which was delayed by the pandemic,” Director of Athletics Joe Parker said. “The pause did provide us with the ideal opportunity to break ground during the 50th anniversary celebration of Title IX, and this is a project which has remained vitally important to us.
“We can make important renovations to a softball field which has remained unchanged for decades, it allows us to give our soccer program a permanent space they will be proud to call home and we will bridge the two facilities with a fan pavilion and added amenities. This project is a step forward to keeping our women’s teams competitive in the Mountain West as we seek to become the preeminent athletic program among our conference peers.”
Since Parker’s first season at Colorado State, the women’s programs have excelled, claiming 15 conference championships, more than any other Mountain West school. Softball owns one of those titles, winning the league in 2019. However, Ram Field, where the team plays, has remained virtually unchanged since its construction in the mid 1990s, and the soccer program has never had a permanent home since its debut in 2013.
The timing of Thursday’s groundbreaking, which was attended by athletic department administration and guests, was fitting to softball coach Jen Fisher.
“There’s excitement around Title IX and the anniversary and our history at this university,” Fisher said. “I think this is another example of that. We are going to be able to put our best foot forward for our female athletes.
“I’m a Title IX baby, so to speak, as I was born the year it passed. I feel very fortunate to have a lot of opportunities my mom didn’t have, and I think our team is very appreciative. This is going to show them the university cares about your experience.”
It’s exciting for everybody. It’s not just what we’ve done. I’m a product of Title IX and I’ve been fortunate to be in programs where it’s worked. For our current players, especially the history of our program, they’re part of building this. It culminates everybody, which is exciting.”Keeley Hagen
Due to the delay, the $6.3 million project has incurred some obstacles, most notable the rise in construction costs. The Student-Fee Board helped make this possible by extending an existing fee which will help generate upwards of $300,000 per year.
As final plans are being ironed out, designers have to keep in mind the area sits in a flood plain, so storm-water management will influence some of the design features being discussed.
Both facilities will include lights for night contests, and there will be permanent seating for both sites. A fan pavilion, with concessions, restroom and storage facilities, will help link the two.
In both cases, it will start to feel more like home, something soccer coach Keeley Hagen feels in imperative as she builds the programs and creates history.
“I think the best part is one, for our student-athletes, they get to have something to be proud of. Two is recruiting,” Hagen said. “Recruiting is the lifeblood of our program. When we show them our facilities now, there’s nothing to show. This brings excitement, and our 2023’s will be the first class to experience that, so there’s excitement and momentum from this which is positive.
“Building tradition, a program, where it’s going and where it started, you want to see forward motion. You can say, here’s step one of our progress and we want to continue to build.”
For Fisher, it’s not just about enhanced facilities for her squad. She said it will not only benefit them on game days but in preparation, giving the team more opportunity to hone their games.
More so for her, it is what the new facilities will provide for the fan base.
“The biggest thing I’m excited about, and our players get excited about this, is the fan experience. It’s going to be so much better,” Fisher said. “We have a lot of support for our women’s programs at Colorado State, and I think trying to provide our fans – be it the community or local softball teams – a better facility to view the games from.”
As much as the project is a step forward, Hagen notes it is also a tip of the cap to those who came before the current crop of Rams. Not just the soccer players who took a chance on a program in its infancy, but the softball players who battled in court to keep their dreams alive.
Title IX legislation set out to create opportunities, and the Soccer/Softball Complex most definitely will supply them.
“It’s exciting for everybody. It’s not just what we’ve done. I’m a product of Title IX and I’ve been fortunate to be in programs where it’s worked,” Hagen said. “For our current players, especially the history of our program, they’re part of building this. It culminates everybody, which is exciting.”