Large donation will help spur renovations to the UofG athletic facilities forward

A recent anonymous donation of $1.5 million dollars has been made to the University of Guelph’s athletic program. The money will go towards renovations to Alumni Stadium; namely the installation of a synthetic field and track.

University of Guelph Athletic Director Tom Kendall suggests the field will not only benefit Gryphon athletes, but the entire student body as well.

“It’s a place that we can use for intramural finals and as a place that we can use when all of the other fields are in use. It’s a university stadium … that can be used for all kinds of events,” said Kendall.

Due to the nature of natural turf, it was often used only for football games during the fall season. The installation of a synthetic surface will allow for more flexibility in the stadium’s use.

“I’m sure it will be a better place to have the orientation pep rally as well as some of the major gatherings on campus,” said Kendall.

The decision to focus the funds on Alumni Stadium coincide with the university’s multi-year plan that will include massive renovations to the W.F. Mitchell Athletic Center and other buildings designated for athletic use.

The renovation of the playing surface at Alumni Stadium will also see the installation of the physical infrastructure (electrical power and cabling) required to further expand the facility in the near future. Currently, the lights at the stadium do not work well enough for their intended purpose. The renovations to the electrical systems will pave the way for the future installation of a superior lighting system.

However, Alumni Stadium isn’t the only facility on campus undergoing a serious overhaul.

The dome behind the Athletic Center was condemned two years ago after a similar structure collapsed in Dallas, Texas. Fans of the Cowboys will recall this well. After being torn down over the past year, construction on a new dome is moving along steadily.

The new dome will be completed in May of this year, and will feature a similar synthetic field to the one being installed at Alumni Stadium, as well as a 200m track; a notable improvement to the Track and Field team’s current training facilities off-campus.

Kendall explains that the cost of having teams train off-campus is a large expense to the university, and the development of world-class facilities on campus can only lead to bigger and better things for Guelph Athletics moving forward.

This spring will also see the replacement of a 25 year-old ice making system in the arena. The $1.8 million dollar project will refurbish the year-round arenas with better equipment and resultantly, a better playing surface.

The recent developments in the facilities are largely the result of a growing student population at the university. It is after all, an institution of higher learning, and outfitting sufficient classroom and study areas has been a bigger priority of the university than the creation of world-class athletic faculties. Ask anyone who’s been in the weight and aerobic rooms in the Athletic Center: the student population has simply outgrown its current athletic and recreation facilities and as a result, the time has arrived for significant renovation in those areas.

“It’s an exciting project for us all to work on,” said Kendall.

While the complete extent of the renovations may not be completed for a few more years, the lasting impact of these new facilities will be felt moving forward as the Gryphons look to place themselves among Canada’s elite university athletics programs. In the case of this university, it all starts with the home-field advantage, something these new facilities will look to solidify as a defining element of this educational institution.

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