By: Alexis Stallard, Editor-In-Chief
Possible changes are coming to Newman’s sports facilities if the Board of Trustees approves plans during meetings set to take place over the next several weeks.
A new plan was proposed for softball, baseball and soccer fields, athletic director Joanna Pryor said. It includes turf fields, new lights, and a new indoor facility for outdoor sports. What exactly the new building will be used for has not been finalized, but Pryor said that the hope is to provide more space for athletes at Newman, particularly another weight room. Additionally, there would be restrooms in the building for all three fields to use.
Changes won’t be immediate, though, even if the campaign is approved by the board, Pryor said.
The board’s coming discussions are the result of a feasibility study conducted throughout last fall to determine previous or possible future donor’s interest in donating to athletics.
“We don’t have the results from that yet,” Pryor said. “We’re pretty sure we won’t have them by the board meeting on the 24th.”
Most likely, the results will be presented to the board during a special meeting in March, Pryor said. From there, the board will decide what parts of the campaign it supports and will allow Newman to fundraise. The campaign does not include just athletics, so other projects on campus would also likely also get started if it is approved. Plans for the other possible projects have not been announced yet.
If it is, Pryor said, fundraising would get started immediately.
While some athletes may be excited about the prospect of these new facilities, Pryor said there is no definitive timeline on when they’d be completed.
“It depends on how long it takes to raise the money,” Pryor said. “Now, once you have the money raised, the rest of it goes pretty quickly.”
A large portion of the money could possibly come from outside grants, which the athletic department is looking into, Pryor said.
PHOTO: Courtesy Photo, Newman Athletics
