RSU to Dedicate New and Expanded Athletic Facilities Thursday

CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State University invites the campus and community to the dedication of the Hillcat Athletic Complex (HAC) and the expanded athletic facilities at the Diamond Sports Complex (DSC) on Thursday, October 25 at 9 a.m.

The dedication will be held at the DSC, home of the RSU baseball and softball teams, located at 2901 W. Blue Starr Drive. The ceremony will include remarks from the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, RSU President Dr. Larry Rice, Director of Athletics Ryan Bradley and student representatives. Following a ribbon cutting, campus and community members are invited to tour both facilities. The tours will be open to the public until 11 a.m.

“These new and expanded campus facilities play an important role in strengthening our student life, while also opening up new possibilities for bringing games and tournaments to northeastern Oklahoma that would not previously had been possible,” Dr. Rice said. “We invite our campus and the community to come see for themselves these wonderful new additions to campus.”

The projects were funded through a student facility fee along with private donations and benefit six of the Hillcats’ 10 athletic programs as well as campus intramural programs. Enhancements included a new multi-purpose building at the DSC, which services both the baseball and softball programs, construction of the HAC – featuring a new fieldhouse for the soccer, cross country and the RSU intramural programs - and the installation of artificial turf at Soldier Field.

The multi-purpose building at the Diamond Sports Complex is a 7,790-square-foot, two-story building positioned between the playing fields. The first floor includes concessions and restrooms for patrons as well as two dressing rooms for umpires and multiple storage areas. The second floor features separate press boxes for baseball and softball, coaches’ offices, and a donors’ suite with indoor and outdoor seating. New grandstands with stadium seating, a ticket booth, and a paved entry plaza were also included in the project.

The HAC is a 9,000-square-foot building located in the north end zone of Soldier Field, adjacent to Blue Starr Drive. The facility features spacious locker rooms for the men’s and women’s soccer teams as well as the men’s and women’s cross country teams. Coaches’ offices, an athletic training room, and storage areas for athletics and intramurals is located in the central area of the building. The facility also includes permanent concessions and restrooms for patrons and a paved concourse area with sightlines to the field.

The final component of the facility improvements was the installation of synthetic turf at Soldier Field. The synthetic turf surface allows RSU to maximize the availability and functionality of historic Soldier Field. The durability of artificial turf permits the university to utilize Soldier Field for athletic training and competition, intramural sports, student activities and community events.

“The Diamond Sports Complex (DSC) and the Hillcat Athletics Center (HAC) will soon be regarded as two of the top small-college athletic facilities in the country.” Bradley said. “These venues will certainly enhance the image of our institution as well as the quality of the student-athlete experience we provide. We are extremely proud of these facilities and excited to have the opportunity to share them with our community.”

For more information about the dedication, call RSU Athletics at 918-343-7782