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Fresh on the heels on the new strategic plan for the Kansas State Athletics Department, K-State Ahtletics Director Gene Taylor has unveiled the new facilities masterplan that includes $210 million of new construction and enhancements that will benefit all 16 Wildcat athletic programs.
The single largest part of the new proposal is $85 million worth of additions and updates to Bramlage Coliseum that include new expanded entry way, seating changes, offices, and more. The changes to Bramlage also connect to planned changes south end of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, $29 million worth of additions that include expanded Legends Room Event Space (currently part of Bramlage), club/suite premium seating, and new video boards and sound system among other enhancements.
Several new facilities are also proposed in the new plan. In an effort to put all K-State sports activities in the same general area, K-State Volleyball will receive a new, $17.5 million facility with retractable seating up to 4,000 people, locker rooms, offices, and practice and training spaces. Also included would be a new, $24.5 million indoor practice football facility immediately east of BSFS (yes, it takes up parking, more on that later), which allows the conversion of the current indoor facility to an indoor track facility.
Moving volleyball and indoor track means that Ahearn Fieldhouse will no longer be utilized for K-State athletics events. According to the FAQ, renovating Ahearn was discussed, but it was decided that it was made the most fiscal, long-term sense to move to new facilities. The department did not say what would happen to Ahearn once competition ends in the fieldhouse. Also, with the building of a new practice facility, Athletics expects to lose approximately 400 parking spaces from the east parking lot, but no official plan has yet been created to replace those parking locations.
Some of the listed projects in the new masterplan are already underway, including the construction of the new, permanent soccer stadium with locker rooms and offices, as well as major upgrades to Tointon Family Stadium and the R.V. Christian Track Complex.
Be sure and check out the release, above, for full project details and pictures.
As with the last round of facility construction and enhancements, the new masterplan calls for all projects to be completed via fundraising efforts as well as extra operating revenues when available, to operate the upgrade process with “sound fiscal judgement”.