Kansas State University Athletics
SE: Dirt Turns as K-State Begins Latest Projects
Dec 09, 2021 | Football, Volleyball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Under the backdrop of the east side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, plumes of purple smoke rose as freshly turned soil settled near the feet of Kansas State dignitaries, donors, and special guests at the groundbreaking of the new K-State Football Indoor Practice Facility, capping a joyous Wednesday in which the athletic department broke ground on three major projects.
Along with the football indoor facility, K-State also broke ground on the Morgan Family Arena and Olympic Training Center, part of the $125 million Building Champions campaign initiated in 2019, which includes a total of $97.5 million of raised money that consists of more than 140 gifts and features two eight-figure gifts, 18 seven-figure gifts, and $13.75 million from first-time donors.
"You think about 2019 and the fact that this facility, the volleyball/Olympic training facility, we just cut the ribbon on the Shamrock Zone last August, how quickly that comes together and the amount of money that it takes to build those quality facilities, it's pretty phenomenal when you think that this started in 2019, and all of these projects will be completed in 2023," K-State Athletics Director Gene Taylor said, standing behind a podium in ceremonial vest and hardhat at the public event. "Progress is a good thing and everything that is taking place is in the best interest of our student-athletes. These projects that we complete in 2023 will literally have a positive impact on all our student-athletes.
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
The new K-State Football Indoor Practice Facility will be located on the northeast side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium and be directly accessible to the Vanier Family Football Complex and the football stadium, thus allowing enhanced convenience and year-long operational efficiency. The facility will include an accompanying outdoor practice field and provide recruiting and operational advantages with its full outdoor turf practice field and a 130-yard indoor turf practice field. The limestone exterior will match stadium and campus architecture.
"Growing up in Kansas, I came to K-State games all the time and being a part of K-State has been a true honor," said sophomore First Team All-Big 12 offensive lineman Cooper Beebe, a native of Kansas City, Kansas. "When I heard about the new indoor practice facility, I couldn't have been more ecstatic. It's going to give us a real competitive advantage across the Big 12 Conference and across the country. Thank you to the donors and everyone who made this possible. It's going to be a huge step for K-State football."
Taylor and Beebe joined 10 others in turning soil on the project. The ceremonious groundbreaking also included K-State President Richard Myers, Gus Drosos of HOK Group, Inc., leadership donors Carl and Mary Ice, leadership donors Martin and Deb Ryan, Scott Miller of GE Johnson Construction Company, Dennis Mullin of Steel and Pipe Supply, K-State director of football administration Hank Jacobs, and K-State director of football recruiting Taylor Braet.
"We've had a great day of groundbreaking and this one is very, very special," Myers said. "A special thank you to all of the donors that supported this effort. This doesn't happen at every place. We have world-class facilities because we have world-class passionate donors who want to see our student-athletes and coaches at K-State succeed. This is not just about athletics. I think virtually every donor that donates to athletics donates to the academic side of the house, too. We're the full-meal deal here at K-State. I couldn't be prouder."
Earlier, K-State broke ground on the Morgan Family Arena, which will be located near the existing Cat Town and Bill Snyder Family Stadium. It will include two practice courts with retractable seating, two video boards, team meeting rooms, a locker room, a team theater room, and coaching offices. The arena will feature a seating capacity of approximately 3,100. The project was initiated through a generous philanthropic gift from Ward and Brenda Morgan of Manhattan.
"I'm eternally grateful to so many people," an emotional K-State head volleyball coach Suzie Fritz said in the ceremony. "This is something we've tried to get off the ground since 1997 and I have loved every moment in Ahearn Field House, but to have people who love K-State Athletics, love our volleyball program, love our student-athletes and what they do to have this kind of impact on their lives is extraordinary. I don't think words could probably fully express our gratitude.
"When the conversation started, the thing I was maybe most excited about – and please don't get me wrong – I'm pretty excited about the volleyball arena, but the thing that I was most excited about was the impact it was going to have on our Olympic sport athletes, and in particular our women athletes here — the work and time that they devote to their craft and to academics are amazing."
The Olympic Training Center will be attached to the new volleyball arena and facilitate a wide array of features to enhance the student-athlete experience, training and strength and conditioning opportunities for multiple K-State teams. The facility will feature a 14,000-square foot strength and conditioning center, an 8,000-square foot second-level multi-use turf area, plyometric ramp, sports medicine rehabilitation area, hydrotherapy recovery area, a nutrition and refueling station, and office space for athletic training and strength staff personnel.
The facility will feature 12 lifting platform, each equipped with state-of-the art equipment in lifting and conditioning, which will allow strength staff to provide specific training for each sport as well as student-athletes' individual needs.
Additionally, the facility will feature a state-of-the-art Mental Health and Wellness area, which will house all the necessary tools for overall wellness and performance enhancement. The project is expected to be completed prior to the 2023 season.
Myers, Taylor, Fritz, Cavender and Drosos were joined by leadership donors Ward and Brenda Morgan, leadership donors Ron and Penny Goldsmith, leadership donors Carl and Mary Ice, and Randy Bredar of J.E. Dunn Construction Company to turn the soil on the pair of projects.
The construction will mean much to hundreds of student-athletes. Current members of the volleyball, soccer and rowing teams cheered as Danny Cavender, head Olympic strength and conditioning coach, took the podium in his vest and hardhat and delivered an impassioned testimony about the far-reaching impact the training facility will have in enhancing the student-athlete experience.
"This is pretty amazing and I'm really excited," Cavender said. "I've had the privilege to be the strength coach at Kansas State University for the last 14 years. It's been a long road. I'm so grateful to be here. On behalf of the strength and conditioning department, I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this monumental facility. This is an extremely exciting day for the students at Kansas State University. The Olympic training facility will affect our student-athletes on a day-to-day basis. From the first day that this facility opens, our student-athletes will experience a facility that has the most advanced equipment and technology to help them compete at the highest level on the court and on the field.
"I want to thank everyone for this historic event."
Under the backdrop of the east side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, plumes of purple smoke rose as freshly turned soil settled near the feet of Kansas State dignitaries, donors, and special guests at the groundbreaking of the new K-State Football Indoor Practice Facility, capping a joyous Wednesday in which the athletic department broke ground on three major projects.
Along with the football indoor facility, K-State also broke ground on the Morgan Family Arena and Olympic Training Center, part of the $125 million Building Champions campaign initiated in 2019, which includes a total of $97.5 million of raised money that consists of more than 140 gifts and features two eight-figure gifts, 18 seven-figure gifts, and $13.75 million from first-time donors.
"You think about 2019 and the fact that this facility, the volleyball/Olympic training facility, we just cut the ribbon on the Shamrock Zone last August, how quickly that comes together and the amount of money that it takes to build those quality facilities, it's pretty phenomenal when you think that this started in 2019, and all of these projects will be completed in 2023," K-State Athletics Director Gene Taylor said, standing behind a podium in ceremonial vest and hardhat at the public event. "Progress is a good thing and everything that is taking place is in the best interest of our student-athletes. These projects that we complete in 2023 will literally have a positive impact on all our student-athletes.
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
The new K-State Football Indoor Practice Facility will be located on the northeast side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium and be directly accessible to the Vanier Family Football Complex and the football stadium, thus allowing enhanced convenience and year-long operational efficiency. The facility will include an accompanying outdoor practice field and provide recruiting and operational advantages with its full outdoor turf practice field and a 130-yard indoor turf practice field. The limestone exterior will match stadium and campus architecture.
"Growing up in Kansas, I came to K-State games all the time and being a part of K-State has been a true honor," said sophomore First Team All-Big 12 offensive lineman Cooper Beebe, a native of Kansas City, Kansas. "When I heard about the new indoor practice facility, I couldn't have been more ecstatic. It's going to give us a real competitive advantage across the Big 12 Conference and across the country. Thank you to the donors and everyone who made this possible. It's going to be a huge step for K-State football."
Building for the future
— K-State Athletics (@kstatesports) December 8, 2021
📍 #KStateFB Indoor Practice Facility
Thank you to our Building Champions donors for their endless support
🔗 https://t.co/tpTp41as8M pic.twitter.com/1srgtetZM0
Taylor and Beebe joined 10 others in turning soil on the project. The ceremonious groundbreaking also included K-State President Richard Myers, Gus Drosos of HOK Group, Inc., leadership donors Carl and Mary Ice, leadership donors Martin and Deb Ryan, Scott Miller of GE Johnson Construction Company, Dennis Mullin of Steel and Pipe Supply, K-State director of football administration Hank Jacobs, and K-State director of football recruiting Taylor Braet.
"We've had a great day of groundbreaking and this one is very, very special," Myers said. "A special thank you to all of the donors that supported this effort. This doesn't happen at every place. We have world-class facilities because we have world-class passionate donors who want to see our student-athletes and coaches at K-State succeed. This is not just about athletics. I think virtually every donor that donates to athletics donates to the academic side of the house, too. We're the full-meal deal here at K-State. I couldn't be prouder."
Earlier, K-State broke ground on the Morgan Family Arena, which will be located near the existing Cat Town and Bill Snyder Family Stadium. It will include two practice courts with retractable seating, two video boards, team meeting rooms, a locker room, a team theater room, and coaching offices. The arena will feature a seating capacity of approximately 3,100. The project was initiated through a generous philanthropic gift from Ward and Brenda Morgan of Manhattan.
"I'm eternally grateful to so many people," an emotional K-State head volleyball coach Suzie Fritz said in the ceremony. "This is something we've tried to get off the ground since 1997 and I have loved every moment in Ahearn Field House, but to have people who love K-State Athletics, love our volleyball program, love our student-athletes and what they do to have this kind of impact on their lives is extraordinary. I don't think words could probably fully express our gratitude.
"When the conversation started, the thing I was maybe most excited about – and please don't get me wrong – I'm pretty excited about the volleyball arena, but the thing that I was most excited about was the impact it was going to have on our Olympic sport athletes, and in particular our women athletes here — the work and time that they devote to their craft and to academics are amazing."
Thank you to all of our Building Champions donors, administration, and Wildcat teams…
— K-State Athletics (@kstatesports) December 8, 2021
We are honored to break ground on Morgan Family Arena and Olympic Training Center
🔗 https://t.co/tpTp41as8M pic.twitter.com/fDcyw9Jh4i
The Olympic Training Center will be attached to the new volleyball arena and facilitate a wide array of features to enhance the student-athlete experience, training and strength and conditioning opportunities for multiple K-State teams. The facility will feature a 14,000-square foot strength and conditioning center, an 8,000-square foot second-level multi-use turf area, plyometric ramp, sports medicine rehabilitation area, hydrotherapy recovery area, a nutrition and refueling station, and office space for athletic training and strength staff personnel.
The facility will feature 12 lifting platform, each equipped with state-of-the art equipment in lifting and conditioning, which will allow strength staff to provide specific training for each sport as well as student-athletes' individual needs.
Additionally, the facility will feature a state-of-the-art Mental Health and Wellness area, which will house all the necessary tools for overall wellness and performance enhancement. The project is expected to be completed prior to the 2023 season.
Myers, Taylor, Fritz, Cavender and Drosos were joined by leadership donors Ward and Brenda Morgan, leadership donors Ron and Penny Goldsmith, leadership donors Carl and Mary Ice, and Randy Bredar of J.E. Dunn Construction Company to turn the soil on the pair of projects.
The construction will mean much to hundreds of student-athletes. Current members of the volleyball, soccer and rowing teams cheered as Danny Cavender, head Olympic strength and conditioning coach, took the podium in his vest and hardhat and delivered an impassioned testimony about the far-reaching impact the training facility will have in enhancing the student-athlete experience.
"This is pretty amazing and I'm really excited," Cavender said. "I've had the privilege to be the strength coach at Kansas State University for the last 14 years. It's been a long road. I'm so grateful to be here. On behalf of the strength and conditioning department, I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this monumental facility. This is an extremely exciting day for the students at Kansas State University. The Olympic training facility will affect our student-athletes on a day-to-day basis. From the first day that this facility opens, our student-athletes will experience a facility that has the most advanced equipment and technology to help them compete at the highest level on the court and on the field.
"I want to thank everyone for this historic event."
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