Construction Update: Old College Field

The next phase of construction at Old College Field is gearing up, this time affecting the softball field. While the new baseball stadium opened for this season, renovations throughout the complex are still ongoing, such as at the concessions and restroom building. Now work is getting ready to begin to upgrade the stands and press box for the softball field.

Plans were presented for the new Drayton McLane, Jr. Stadium at this month's Construction Junction in Wells Hall. These plans will go before the MSU Board of Trustees in September before any work will begin, but the plans are part of an already approved overall development plan for the Old College Field project, so don't expect there to be many changes to these.

The complete presentation may be found online here.






Images courtesy of Michigan State University.

Construction Update: Old College Field

During our extended Memorial Day break there was another construction junction, and this was a busy one! It was so busy in fact, that we will be splitting the update over two posts. Today's update will discuss more improvements to Old College Field, and then over the weekend there will be an update on campus traffic and parking issues for the fall.

The big presentation related to athletics at the last construction junction was presenting plans for the Concessions and Restrooms Building at the field, which will serve the new McLane Baseball Stadium as well as softball and soccer. MSU's design of that area is very efficient, with shared common areas for all three fields.

Here are the online notes for the presentation:

• New soccer and softball fields complete

  • New baseball field was complete on May 2
• Project scope
  • Add concessions and restrooms to the baseball facilities
  • Added to electrical top the building
  • It will be located at the west end of the field
  • Will look like the batting/pitching facility
  • The building materials enable the building to be “floodable.” Should flooding occur, all doors can be opened.

Note the last bullet point, that the building will be "floodable." This is important because this entire area is located within the Red Cedar's flood plain, and it is very likely that a flood will occur here within the lifespan of this stadium complex.

Images here were taken from the presentation, located online here.

Swine Flu Shuttering Stadiums

The effects of the H1N1 influenza virus, commonly known as swine flu, have already been felt at athletics events across North America, with Mexican soccer teams playing to empty stadiums, and high schools in Texas and Alabama postponing sports games.

Now that some schools have begun closing in Michigan, it's fair to wonder what might be in store for MSU athletics.

Certainly this would be a terrible weekend for events to get canceled, given that baseball's McLane Stadium is to be officially dedicated. Two thousand five hundred seats, 400 of them with chair backs, all could be empty.

I think it's worth noting, however, that there have been precisely two instances of swine flu found in Michigan so far. Yet folks are shutting down entire school districts after even one student shows signs of flu-like symptoms.

It's an abundance of caution, and it's hard to say at this point whether or not that's justified. But the odds are good that if this continues MSU might take a long hard look at postponing some athletic events.

What a Game at McLane!

What a way to open a new stadium!

In the opening game at the new McLane Baseball Stadium last Saturday, Spartans Pitcher Nolan Moody threw a no-hitter to defeat Northwestern 2-0. He had a perfect game going into the 8th inning, when he gave up a walk. Mr. Moody was honored as Pitcher of the Week by the Big Ten for his efforts. It was MSU's first no-hitter since 1993.

The Spartans held their home opener at Oldsmobile Park earlier in the spring. So far, the Spartans are undefeated in their new stadium, with a 3-0 record. The Spartans play this weekend at Ohio State, with their next game back on campus Wednesday, April 15th vs. Western Michigan at 3:05 p.m.

2020 Plan: The Plan Basics

In what I hope becomes a semi-regular feature of this blog, we will begin to take a look at university's 2020 Master Plan, and specifically how it relates to athletics and construction projects on campus. The plan was developed and released first in 2000-2001, for the purposes of "identifying a comprehensive approach to future campus improvements." While the plan is not specifically for athletics, the athletic facilities are incorporated as part of the greater campus community. Therefore, the plan can give us a glimpse of where MSU's leaders anticipate the program to be, facilities wise, in the year 2020.

While I am starting this overview with the original plan, it is important to note that an update to the plan was released in 2007 showing completed work and reflecting changes in several areas specific to athletics. Links to both the original plan and the 2007 update are located in the sidebar to the right.

The plan was developed with the input of over 50 MSU officials. Specifically from the athletic department was Gregory P. Ianni, Associate Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. Many other university officials who work with the athletic department were also involved.

The first mention of the future of the athletic facilities in the plan occurs in Section IV: Facilities Program. Here, the plan proposes specific additions of space to the university. Over 20 years, the plan calls for an additional 3.6 million gross square feet (GSF) of space to be built, at approximately 180,000 - 200,000 GSF per year. Only a small amount of this will be athletic space. According to the plan,

The facilities program has been organized into two time frames. The first is made up of projects currently in planning that would likely be implemented in a near-term period of up to five years. The second time frame consists of future projects that have been identified as long-term needs or goals over the next 20 years and beyond.

The details of the program will surely change over time for both the near-term and long-term elements, due to internal and external considerations that cannot be foreseen.

Athletic projects that were listed in the near term plan (which would have been through 2006):

• Breslin Center Addition, 31,000 GSF (Berkowitz Center, completed 2002)
• Jenison Field House Addition, 3,000 GSF (Renovation completed 2001)
• An additional project on the short term plan that affected athletics was the Shaw Parking and Transit Ramp Addition, 70,000 GSF (Completed 2002)

Athletic projects that were listed in the long term plan:

• Varsity Baseball, Softball and Soccer Game/Practice Fields, 10-12 acres (DeMartin Soccer Complex, 2008; McLane Baseball Stadium, 2009)
• Stadium Expansion, 100,000 GSF (Expansion completed 2005)
• Stadium Parking Ramp, 260,000 GSF

The plan then discusses proposed renovation projects. These projects were not grouped near and long term, but rather suggests a goal to have the projects completed within 20 years. Athletic projects on this list include:

• Demonstration Hall, 86,627 GSF
• IM Sports Circle, 179,956 GSF
• IM Sports West, 233,049 GSF
• Jenison Fieldhouse, 201,207 GSF

The plan finally proposes buildings to be demolished. Like the renovations, these are projects that may be completed within 20 years. There are no athletic buildings on this list, but there are buildings that would affect athletics include:

• Central Services (Building just east of Spartan Stadium, where commuter lot buses operate on football gamedays.)
• Shaw Lane Power Plant (including the famous MSC smokestack visible from inside Spartan Stadium.)

A later section proposes over 20 campus road projects, many of which are major redesigns. Many of these projects affect the athletic experience (driving, busing, parking and tailgating). Many of the major projects on the list are already complete or are currently underway, and include the redesign of the "Sparty" intersection, the Trowbridge extension onto campus, the removal of many traffic roundabouts, and the Farm Lane railroad underpasses.


Parking spaces are also discussed in this section, and the most relevant part of this to athletics is the location of two possible parking ramps. As discussed earlier, there is a proposal for a Stadium Parking Ramp as well as a proposal to demolish Central Services. As you may have inferred, the current location of Central Services is the proposed location of a Stadium Parking Ramp (as well as an additional Spartan Stadium expansion, similar to the west side expansion). The second proposed ramp location is south of Spartan Stadium, on the south side of Shaw Lane where a surface lot now exists. Both of these proposals could significantly affect the gameday tailgating experience.

A final note from the plan that concerns athletics is its protection of open space. In the plan, current open spaces around the athletic complexes are maintained and protected. This includes the areas around the new baseball and soccer complex, and Munn Field. Additionally, the plan mentions the creation of new intramural fields to the west of campus as part of the University Village redevelopment (completed last year).


I hope that this provides a good framework for a continuing discussion of the 2020 plan. Part II of this series will look at the 2007 master plan update, specifically changes between the two plans that affect athletics.

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Maps from 2020 Plan.