Concordia adding on-campus football/soccer field
Published 8:35 pm Thursday, June 27, 2013
A Concordia player runs past a defender during the team’s spring football game in 2012 at Memorial Stadiium. The Hornets are scheduled to begin playing on a new, on-campus field beginning this fall. –file photo
By Daniel Evans
The Selma Times-Journal
Concordia College is putting in a new on-campus football/soccer field that should be completed in time for this fall’s football season.
Hornets’ head coach Don Lee is excited about the new stadium, because it could help the college with recruiting and potentially moving into a conference.
“I know we got some money to do some things to it and the next thing I know they are out there,” Lee said. “They said it was going to be a soccer/football field and it should be done by September.”
Lee, who became the head coach after the second game last season, said the field is going to be very nice.
“They are moving along and they are putting a sprinkler system in and it is going to be natural grass,” Lee said. “It is going to be really nice. They are going to [build] it in phases.“
Concordia usually plays games at Memorial Stadium. Elton Reece, Selma’s Parks & Recreation director, confirmed the school has not signed a contract to play at Memorial Stadium in the fall. Concordia also has not made Reece aware that it will play games at the new, on-campus stadium in the fall.
A recent school newsletter referenced the new building of a new football/soccer field: “Ground preparations are being made for a new soccer and football field. And, these preparations serve a dual purpose as they are also a critical step in dealing with issues of flood prevention and drainage. You might remember that CCAL experienced damaging flooding last year. The soccer/football field is scheduled to be completed in September. It is the size of a World Cup FIFA field.”
Lee sees the new field as a way for the football program to grow.
“We are excited about what we are teaching the kids that are coming in — integrity and character,” Lee said. “The school is showing us that we are building. We can go towards the future of us going into a conference or into Division II or NAIA. These are the things that can have us in a conference by next year.”
According to the Concordia website, the Hornets first game on their new field is scheduled for Oct. 5 against Ave Maria.
