New construction to provide practice and competition spaces for soccer, track and field
When completed, a construction project underway at the University of West Alabama will instantly transform the day-to-day operations for several of the Tigers’ athletics programs.
Built on the site of UWA’s former football practice field on University Drive, the $4.9 million facility will give the men’s and women’s soccer and track-and-field teams a new home on campus.
Construction on the complex’s natural grass playing surface is expected to be finished in August, with locker rooms, concession areas, scoreboards, bathrooms and light towers completed shortly after, according to UWA Athletic Director Kent Partridge, who expects the entire project to be completed in October.
The complex follows two recent major improvements of athletic facilities. In February, renovations were completed on Pruitt Hall Gymnasium, which hosts the Tigers’ men’s and women’s basketball teams and volleyball team. In March, the newly constructed Campora Athletic Complex was unveiled at Tiger Stadium, home to UWA’s football team.
“We expect this major construction project to have an immediate positive impact on enrollment,” said UWA President Ken Tucker. “With a dedicated practice and competition site, we will be able to expand the number of track and field student athletes by double or even triple. Having a regulation-size soccer field will enable us to host playoff events and championship matches, thereby positively influencing recruitment and retention, as well as the local economy.”
The UWA campus has seen more major renovations and new construction over the last couple of years than ever in memorable history.
“Facilities like this greatly enhance the student experience both for student athletes and for fans and supporters,” Tucker said. “This adds an exciting element of school pride for our campus for many years to come.”
The new multi-use facility is being funded by Alabama Public School and College Authority (APSCA) money received from a state bond issue for public-school capital projects and infrastructure upgrades.
The facility will be especially transformative for UWA’s track teams, as this will be their first permanent home on campus, Partridge said. When working out on campus, the Tigers have practiced at Tiger Stadium or on the former football practice field. Partridge’s expectation is that the track teams’ new home will represent something far more substantive than manicured grass and locker rooms.
“This is the next step into growing our program into a competitive program and expanding our offerings to student-athletes,” Partridge said. “Having competitive facilities like this will allow us to grow the program with a dedicated field to practice and compete on,” he said.
The Tigers’ soccer teams have been playing games and practicing on Tiger Stadium’s artificial turf. Because of soccer players’ preference for playing on natural grass, the Tigers’ departure from the football stadium is a welcomed change, Partridge said.
“I’ve never talked to a soccer player that wanted to play on turf,” he said. “They do so much when they hit the ground, and soccer players are not padded and completely covered like football players. Those (turf) burns can pop up on your elbows and knees and shins a little bit greater.”
To protect the grass surface for soccer, the complex’s areas for field events — long jump, high jump, javelin throw, discus throw, hammer throw, pole vault, shot put — will be built outside the track. Additionally, the playing surface will be regulation-sized for soccer, an improvement that will allow UWA to host postseason events, Partridge said.