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Lyons Update on Capital Improvement Projects
August 24, 2015 04:37 PM | General
It’s great to see the students back on campus for the start of another fall semester! The WVU Coliseum is once again bustling with activity as many of our athletic teams continue preparation for their respective seasons.
As we begin another year, I believe it’s important to keep Mountaineer fans everywhere up to date on our capital improvement projects either underway, about to get underway or in advanced planning stages.
These include:
Milan Puskar Stadium Turf Renovation - At the conclusion of this season, we will be removing the crown from Mountaineer Field and installing a new artificial turf surface – a substantial undertaking that will require a significant amount of work to be done once the season is completed. This project will extend beyond spring football practice, meaning our existing practice field must be in working order by then.
Practice Field Renovations – In addition to renovations going on in and around the stadium, we are planning to refurbish the current grass practice fields and replace fencing surrounding it to make the practice area more aesthetically pleasing to prospective student-athletes. A part of our practice field renovations will be the installation of a new artificial surface to maximize its usage during the poor weather months.
Monongalia County Ballpark – Our new Monongalia County Ballpark was recently recognized by the website BaseballParks.com as its “Ballpark of the Year,” an honor of which we’re extremely proud, but our work is by no means finished there. Our to-do list includes completing the baseball indoor practice facility, as well as the construction of offices for our coaches and staff and a strength and conditioning center for our student-athletes.
WVU Coliseum Academic Center Renovation – The current WVU Coliseum student-athlete performance center is several years old now and is in need of modernization to keep West Virginia University in line with our peer institutions in the Big 12. Work on this will coincide with the Coliseum renovation project, now in the planning stages, and will benefit all WVU student-athletes, with the exception of football.
Olympic Sports Weight Room Addition – Our Olympic sports are in dire need of a new strength and conditioning center for year-round training. This new facility will be an addition to our 32-year-old Shell Building, which is located beside the WVU Coliseum. Improvements are also planned for the Shell Building to create more space for our Olympic sports, most notably the installation of a new indoor track surface and new overhead lighting, and extensive renovations to the existing athletic training room.
Men’s Golf Practice Facility – Our new men’s golf team is seeking a practice venue that will include indoor hitting bays, indoor chipping areas, putting greens, offices, player lockers and a players’ lounge, along with outdoor putting greens and a multiple-tee outdoor driving range to ensure the team is adequately prepared during the winter months as we begin competition in one of the best intercollegiate golf conferences in the country.
WVU Coliseum Men’s and Women’s Basketball Locker Room Renovation – Our men’s and women’s locker rooms and team meeting areas in the WVU Coliseum need renovating and modernizing to make them more appealing to prospective student-athletes.
In addition to these projects, work has also started on concourse renovations to Milan Puskar Stadium aimed at dramatically improving the fan experience at our 35-year-old facility. We are also well into the planning stages to upgrade restrooms, concessions and concourses at the WVU Coliseum.
As you can see, we have an ambitious list of projects we would like to see completed in the near future to help continue our tradition of fielding outstanding, nationally recognized athletic teams that all Mountaineer fans and supporters want and deserve.
In order to complete these vital projects in a timely fashion, we need the support of ALL loyal Mountaineers. I encourage you to join the Mountaineer Athletic Club today and become a part of our winning team.
I also invite you to watch the video above to learn more about the Mountaineer Athletic Club and how it supports our more than 500 student-athletes on a daily basis. Together, we can all make a difference!
In the meantime, I look forward to another great year of Mountaineer athletics.
Let’s Go Mountaineers!
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