Athletics seeing upgrades, but more changes are necessary
Front rendering of a new “Lacrosse Center” (left in photo) attached to the Steele Center (right) in response to the addition to two new programs. The building’s construction is dependent on funding and the plans may change. Photo credit: HPU Athletics.
By Nick Sturdivant
Within the past seven years the campus of High Point University has seen major upgrades. I would probably guess that even Joan Rivers would be impressed by the face-lift that the university has gotten.
Even though HPU has made extreme efforts to make the campus extraordinary, it didn’t neglect the athletic facilities.
Since 2007, every athletic facility has seen some type of significant upgrade. The Steele Sports Center was opened in 2007, which includes locker rooms, study areas, offices, and a weight room. It has benefitted all teams on campus.
Rob Aycock, Associate Athletic Director for External Relations, specifically mentioned that the school added on to Steele, a women’s lacrosse locker room, along with a wing in Steele for the men’s soccer team.
The biggest changes were the rededication of the Vert Stadium in which the athletic department added turf to the field, and over 1,000 purple stadium seats. Additional, major renovations were done to Willard Stadium, formally known as Erath field. The stadium now models a minor league baseball stadium.
Growing up in High Point all of my life, it was hard picturing these upgrades ever happening. Vert Stadium was nothing but a reminisces of a football stadium from when William Penn High School played its home games. The track was torn to pieces, half of it was there and the other half – well it wasn’t.
Athletic facilities here at HPU have come a long way, but there is still some work to be done.
First, the Millis Center’s seating capacity seems to be too small for the type of games the school wants to host. For instance, the Dec. 7 men’s basketball game against Wake Forest was a challenge for HPU to host. Seating was first come, first serve. From a fan perspective it was not ideal. Not only was seating a struggle for the Wake game, but for any other big time conference game.
Second, with the recent addition to two new lacrosse programs, there needs to be a home for the teams.
“Obviously we need to have a lacrosse building – if you look around campus men’s lacrosse needs a home, the women already have a locker room, but the men will need one when they compete,” Aycock said.
Only time will tell if these eventual upgrades will come into fruition, but the changes are not that far off to continue the unprecedented growth at HPU.