Ceremonial bulldozers and campus community mark the start of site work for the new fieldhouse west of Wolf Pack Park.
West of Wolf Pack Park (university campus), August 21, 2025
Final financing closed and a groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of site work for a new 72,000‑square‑foot fieldhouse west of Wolf Pack Park. Ceremonial bulldozers, students, athletes and campus leaders attended as organizers said fences will be installed and dirt‑moving will begin shortly. The facility is a pre‑engineered metal building with roughly 70‑yard indoor turf plus end zones, rolling garage doors for indoor‑outdoor use, and 70‑foot apex/60‑foot clear height. Funded through a public‑private partnership and a per‑credit student fee, the fieldhouse will serve all varsity programs, intramurals and student life with a flexible layout and fast construction timeline.
Final financing closed early Tuesday, and site work is scheduled to begin next week for a new 72,000-square-foot fieldhouse west of Wolf Pack Park. Fences will be erected at the site on Monday, with initial digging and major dirt work set to follow. The project uses a public-private partnership model and aims for completion in summer 2026.
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Tuesday afternoon at the parking lot site, with large bulldozers staged for photos and ceremony only. The final financial close happened earlier the same day at 7 a.m., clearing the last major hurdle before physical work begins. Representatives from the developer and university confirmed the close and the immediate start of site preparation.
The site is a roughly 200-space parking lot located west of Wolf Pack Park, the current practice area for the football team. Fences that will affect football and soccer are scheduled to go up on Sept. 2. Contractors plan to remove the parking blacktop and then raise the site’s footprint, because the parking lot sits several feet below the base of Wolf Pack Park. That elevation work will bring the site even with the existing park surface. The fence that now separates the parking area and the park will be removed during the project.
The facility is a pre-engineered metal building being manufactured off site. Steel components will be delivered and assembled on site like an erector-set, and once the steel begins arriving the structure is expected to take visible shape within a few short weeks. The building will be about 70 feet tall at its apex with a 60-foot clear interior. The indoor field will stretch roughly 70 yards plus end zones and will include large rolling garage doors to create connected indoor/outdoor practice space.
Site fences go up Monday and digging will start the following week. There will be substantial dirt work before the metal building components arrive; after grading and site prep, the job pauses while waiting for the factory-built structure. The exact moment the building begins to be raised depends on when those parts are pieced together off site. University staff estimated the raising of the building might occur in the spring, though that projection is contingent on delivery timing. The full project is expected to finish in summer 2026, which is roughly 18 months after a student fee approval that will fund most of the cost.
The project uses a non-conventional funding model: a public-private partnership in which a private developer assumes most of the cost and development risk, then leases the facility back to the university. The bulk of the funding comes from a per-credit student fee approved by the campus governing board, set at $3.50 per credit to support the project.
The finished facility will serve all university sports programs and is being designed with flexibility in mind so it can adapt to future needs. It will be used by all seventeen varsity programs, intramural and club sports, and marching band. The interior will be largely open and configurable, with turf, sport-specific equipment, netting, and a lobby area. The facility should also aid recruiting by allowing indoor practice regardless of weather and creating modern practice spaces.
Because construction sits next to Wolf Pack Park, regular practice routines for football and soccer will be affected. Expect a packed schedule at the primary indoor surface this fall and increased use of Mackay Stadium for contact work. The university hopes to use the John Sala Intramural Field as an alternative for some activities, but final practice plans will be worked out as construction progresses. Staff noted that the turf at Wolf Pack Park is used daily for sled drills and other workouts, so adjustments will be necessary during the build.
Developer representatives called the project unusually fast for this type of building. While similar buildings often take four to five years from concept to opening, the main erection phase for this metal structure is expected to take about 12 months once parts are on site. The developer team acknowledges this is a relatively large clear-span building for them and expects the work to be the first of several projects if stakeholders stay involved.
Students, athletes, alumni, and faculty attended Tuesday’s ceremony. Several football players were on hand. Fences go up Monday, site work begins next week, major dirt work follows, and the campus and developer will confirm the metal building delivery date so vertical construction can begin.
Fences are scheduled for Monday and site work is planned to begin the following week. Major dirt work will start immediately after fences are installed.
The project is expected to be completed in summer 2026, about 18 months after the student fee approval that funds most of the project.
The building will be approximately 72,000 square feet, with an indoor field close to 70 yards plus end zones, a 70-foot apex, and 60-foot clear interior height.
Practice schedules will be tightened this fall, with more use of Mackay Stadium and potential use of the John Sala Intramural Field. The athletic department will coordinate schedules as construction affects Wolf Pack Park.
The build is funded primarily by a per-credit student fee approved by the university board and through a public-private partnership in which a private developer covers most upfront costs and leases the facility back to the school.
All varsity sports, intramural and club programs, and marching band will have access. The interior is designed as a flexible space to meet a range of athletic and student-life needs.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Site location | 200-space parking lot west of Wolf Pack Park |
| Building size | 72,000 square feet |
| Building type | Pre-engineered metal building (off-site manufactured) |
| Interior clear height | 60 feet clear |
| Apex height | 70 feet |
| Indoor field length | About 70 yards plus end zones |
| Construction start | Site fences Sept. 2; site work next week after fences |
| Estimated completion | Summer 2026 |
| Funding model | Public-private partnership; majority funded by $3.50 per-credit student fee |
| Primary users | All 17 varsity sports, intramurals, club sports, marching band |
| Notable features | Rolling garage doors for indoor-outdoor operability; flexible interior layout |
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