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.
The project to build a new fieldhouse west of Wolf Pack Park moved from planning to action after final financing closed early Tuesday morning. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held that afternoon, with large bulldozers present for the event but used only as props. Site preparation is scheduled to begin next week once temporary fencing is installed to secure the work area.
Financial close was completed at 7 a.m. Tuesday, removing the last major barrier to starting earthwork. With financing finalized, crews will put up perimeter fencing and begin initial excavation and grading next week. Early fencing will protect the active construction zone; a separate fence that will affect daily practice access for football and soccer is slated for installation on September 2.
The fieldhouse will sit on a roughly 200-space parking lot immediately west of the university’s current practice area. The lot is several feet lower than the adjacent park, so the first major construction task will be to raise the site so the new pad matches the elevation of Wolf Pack Park. That fill and grading work will require significant dirt movement before any steel arrives.
The structure is a pre-engineered metal building that will be shipped to the site in pieces and assembled on location. Steel components will be delivered and built up much like an erector set, and once the steel is on site the structure is expected to take visible shape within a matter of weeks. The roof peak will reach about 70 feet, with a clear interior height of 60 feet, and the indoor field will measure roughly 70 yards long plus end zones. Rolling garage doors will allow the indoor space to open directly to outdoor practice areas for flexible use.
The facility will contain about 72,000 square feet and is planned to serve all university sports programs while remaining adaptable for future needs. Interior space will be largely open, outfitted with turf, netting and sport-specific equipment, plus a lobby and support areas. The venue is intended for football, soccer and many other teams, as well as intramurals, marching band practice and general student life activities.
The project is being delivered through a public-private partnership model in which a private developer assumes primary development costs and risks and leases the completed facility back to the university. The bulk of funding will come from a per-credit student fee of $3.50 approved by the university’s governing board. The fieldhouse is targeted for completion in summer 2026, a timeline described as roughly 18 months after the fee approval. From the point the metal structure is erected, developers expect about 12 months of work to finish the building, though the exact on-site erection date depends on the off-site fabrication schedule.
Developers noted the schedule is faster than many large buildings because of the pre-fabricated approach. A period of heavy dirt work will come first; once the prefabricated steel arrives, the vertical build should progress quickly. A firm date for raising the structure has not been set and will depend on when the metal components are completed and shipped. Internal planning estimates expect visible building-raising possibly in the spring months, contingent on delivery.
Because the work sits next to the active practice park, football and soccer routines will be disrupted. The athletics program anticipates a busier practice schedule at the stadium and has been working with recreation staff to share available turf fields. The intramural field east of the park is being considered as an alternative practice space. Coordinating daily practice times and space sharing will be an evolving task throughout the build.
Students, athletes, alumni and faculty attended the ceremonial event. Several players were present, and campus mascots appeared at the site. The developer team leading the effort includes in-house project leads who said the program fills a gap for the university among peer institutions and could be the first of multiple projects under the same development approach.
Fencing and initial mobilization are the immediate next steps, followed by large-scale earthmoving to raise the pad. Fabrication of the pre-engineered metal building will continue off-site, and once delivered the steel should allow rapid assembly. If milestones fall into place, the athletics program aims to use the new indoor space for fall-camp practices at the start of the next season.
Photo note: Alphie, Wolfie Jr., and Luna were pictured at the groundbreaking site with attendees.
Final financing closed early Tuesday morning. That financial close cleared the last major hurdle to start site work.
Initial site fencing and mobilization are planned immediately, with dirt work expected to begin next week. A separate fence that will affect day-to-day practice access is scheduled for September 2.
The building will be placed on a roughly 200-space parking lot just west of the current practice area known as Wolf Pack Park.
The facility is about 72,000 square feet, containing an indoor turf field roughly 70 yards long plus end zones, rolling garage doors for indoor-outdoor flow, a lobby, and sport-specific amenities for multiple teams and student groups.
Funding combines a per-credit student fee of $3.50 approved by the university’s governing board with a public-private partnership where a private developer finances and builds the facility and leases it back to the university.
The target completion is summer 2026. The exact schedule depends on off-site fabrication and delivery of the pre-engineered metal building components.
Construction adjacent to the practice park will limit some daily activities there. Athletics plans to use available stadium turf and coordinate with recreational staff to share other fields during the build.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Site location | Approximately 200-space parking lot west of Wolf Pack Park |
| Building type | Pre-engineered metal building, delivered and assembled on site |
| Size | About 72,000 square feet |
| Interior field | Approximately 70 yards long plus end zones; turf surface |
| Clear height | 60-foot clear interior; apex about 70 feet |
| Construction start | Site fencing and dirt work beginning next week; practice-impact fencing on Sept. 2 |
| Projected completion | Summer 2026 (target) |
| Funding model | Public-private partnership with a $3.50 per-credit student fee covering the majority of costs |
| Primary uses | All university sports programs, intramurals, marching band, and student life activities |
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