Horizon League = New Facilities?

[valpotentate]

First, let me extend my congratulations to you for being part of this important move for Valparaiso. Well done!

That said, with our move to the Horizon League in 07-08, are there any accelerated plans to improve the ARC, baseball diamond, etc.? Were any planned facility upgrades mandated or suggested by the Horizon League as part of our inclusion?

[ml]

Thank you for your kind words regarding the change to the Horizon League. Our student-athletes, coaches, and the entire staff are very excited about the combination of reduced travel and increased opportunity to play in front of many more Valpo supporters.

First the answer to the second part of your question. The Horizon League has not mandated or suggested any facilities upgrades as part of the invitation.

Our #1 priority in the area of facilities is the completion of the FITT initiative. This spring we completed the first phase, the construction of 12 new tennis courts and an outdoor basketball court. We now must raise the funds to complete the second phase the 8 lane track/synthetic turf football field. This is a critical step. We currently have no on-campus facility for our track & field program and our football facility is behind many high schools here in Northwest Indiana. This facility is critical not only for the track and football teams but for all of our teams. Pre-season, off-season, and summer conditioning is a critical part of all successful D-I programs. We have no quality facilities for this type of training. We also have a critical need for additional recreational facilities for all of our students. We need to raise an additional $1.6 million to finish FITT.

Additionally, we are looking to improve our softball and baseball facilities and the ARC. We need to raise $200k to $250k that we can use to finish the softball field and improve the baseball field. The softball field needs a pressbox and permanent seats. The baseball facility needs aesthetic improvements. This would include a redone entrance and parking area, a new outfield fence, better seating, and an upgraded visitors dugout.

The ARC is a much bigger project. The basketball areas need to be expanded and improved, the lockerooms need to be expanded to accommodate all of the teams, the main area floor needs to be replaced, the support areas need to be updated, and the scoreboard should be replaced.

We have a wonderful foundation of on-campus facilities for our student-athletes. We now need to bring them up to the quality of the Christopher Center and Kallay-Christopher Hall. Our opportunities to succeed in the Horizon League will increase greatly with these facility upgrades.