With the assistance of architect consultant HOK, we interviewed every sport’s coaching staff and all department support units to determine our most pressing facility needs. After thorough design workshops with HOK and our senior athletics staff, we developed the plan you see today.
Since the launch of the master plan in the fall of 2018, we have studied our facility needs and visited with potential leadership donors to determine their interest in supporting individual projects within this plan. In doing so, we identified a significant need to upgrade the south end of Bill Snyder Family Stadium and north end of Bramlage Coliseum, build new football practice facilities, provide our volleyball program a new arena and supply our Olympic sport teams first-class training and wellness space.
The first project, the Shamrock Zone, was completed in August 2021. The football practice facility is anticipated to begin construction in January 2022 and be completed in 2023. The volleyball arena and Olympic training center is scheduled to begin construction in January 2022 and be completed prior to the 2023 season.
A key component to our strategic goal as a department is to manage our resources responsibly and operate with sound fiscal judgement. Funding will be generated primarily through philanthropic gifts from the K-State Family, with the potential to supplement funding plans through operating revenues depending on the annual financial performance of the department. With the additional debt, K-State Athletics will still have one of the lowest debt services in the Big 12 conference.
Remaining competitive in these sports in Big 12 play is a significant priority. We explored throughout the planning process the feasibility of improving our teams’ conditions by renovating Ahearn Field House. To provide our student-athletes in Volleyball and Track and Field the best possible competitive environment, and to do so in a fiscally responsible manner, we have determined it is in our long-term best interest to provide athletic spaces within the rest of the K-State Athletics campus.
We are proud to have some of the best parking options in college athletics. When we make progress on detailed architectural design for the Football Indoor facility, we will determine exactly how many parking spaces would be affected. Our Ahearn Fund, Facilities, Fan Experience staffs along with University personnel are currently evaluating the full existing parking plan and exploring all options to minimize the impact on individual donors and families on gamedays. When a plan is in place, we will communicate parking adjustments in a timely and transparent manner, allowing fans sufficient time to assess their gameday parking options.
K-State Athletics staff will identify adequate spaces to continue providing our traditional pre-game group hospitality tents once detailed design work on the Volleyball Arena and Olympic Performance Training Center begins.
We do not intend to add seating capacity to Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The South End Zone renovation project includes installation of two additional video boards which will remove the temporary bleachers behind sections 10, 11, 18 and 19. A similar amount of seating will be added as part of a premium seating area attached to an expanded Legends Room club space.
K-State fans interested in securing premium seats in the new south end zone space should contact Katie Larson at 785.532.7882 or klarson@kstatesports.com. Those interested will be put on a request list and be accommodated according to their priority point ranking if seating is available. Fans interested in South End Zone seating will be contacted in the fall of 2020 in time for the 2021 K-State Football season.
When the new Legends room is finished it will be open in some capacity for basketball games. We are currently in the process of evaluating how to best utilize this new premium space for Men’s and Women’s Basketball and what donor priority level will have access. When those details are finalized, they will be communicated to our fans. During the 2020-21 Men’s and Women’s Basketball season the Legends room will be closed due to construction and renovation.
Football season tickets holders in the lower south end zone will enjoy a shaded concourse, new permanent concession stands and men’s and women’s restrooms located conveniently on the concourse behind their seats, upgraded WIFI and an improved sound system.
Men's Basketball: The Shamrock Zone will be open for all men's basketball games throughout the season. Men's basketball season ticket holders who are Ahearn Fund members at the Champions Club level ($5,000) and above will have access to this area with a $100 pass. This space will open two hours prior to tipoff and remain open throughout the duration of the game. A full-service cash bar and food buffet will be available. Fans interested in purchasing these tickets can call 1-800-221-CATS or click here.
Women's Basketball: For select games throughout the season, the Shamrock Zone club will be open to all fans with a game ticket to utilize as a social and eating space from one hour prior to tipoff through the end of the third quarter. Fans can bring in food and drinks from the main concourse concession stands.
Construction is anticipated to begin in January 2022, with an expected completion in 2023.
We are proud to have some of the best parking options in college athletics. When we make progress on detailed architectural design for the Football Indoor facility, we will determine exactly how many parking spaces would be affected. Our Ahearn Fund, Facilities, Fan Experience staffs along with University personnel are currently evaluating the full existing parking plan and exploring all options to minimize the impact on individual donors and families on gamedays. When a plan is in place, we will communicate parking adjustments in a timely and transparent manner, allowing fans sufficient time to assess their gameday parking options.
Upon completion of the new football practice facility the current indoor football practice facility will be renovated as a practice and competition facility for indoor track and field, including a new track surface, enhanced lobby and team spaces. The new indoor track will be completed as funding allows and after the new football practice facility, volleyball arena and Olympic Training Center are constructed.
Details for these gameday experiences will be released upon the facility’s completion.
Construction is anticipated to begin in January 2022, with an expected completion prior to the 2023 season.
Remaining competitive in these sports in Big 12 play is a significant priority. We explored throughout the planning process the feasibility of improving our teams’ conditions by renovating Ahearn Field House. To provide our student-athletes in Volleyball and Track the best possible competitive environment, and to do so in a fiscally responsible manner, we have determined it is in our long-term best interest to provide athletic spaces within the rest of the K-State Athletics campus.
Once we have a construction timeline and estimated opening date for the new volleyball arena, we will communicate ticket information in a timely, transparent manner.
The new Volleyball Arena will hold an estimated 3,100 fans.
K-State Athletics staff will identify adequate spaces to continue providing our traditional pre-game group hospitality tents once detailed design work on the Volleyball Arena and Olympic Performance Facility begins.
Construction is anticipated to begin in January 2022, with an expected completion in 2023.
The new Olympic Training Center will serve Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Rowing, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Tennis, Men’s and Women’s Track & Field and Volleyball. With the construction of this facility all of our Men’s and Women’s athletic teams will have state-of-the-art weight facilities, performance centers and medical treatment. This facility will allow us to recruit the best student-athletes to these sports and provide unparalleled physical and mental wellness to Wildcat student-athletes. Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, and Baseball all have had newly constructed weight rooms and sports medicine space within their respective facilities that are all less than ten-years old.
K-State Athletics staff will identify adequate spaces to continue providing our traditional pre-game group hospitality tents once detailed design work on the Volleyball Arena and Olympic Performance Facility begins.