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The bulk of Colorado’s Olympic sports will soon experience a significant upgrade in their facilities.
Behind a sizeable donation from the CU Foundation, Colorado athletic director Rick George told BuffZone this week that significant renovations are on the way for Prentup Field, Kittredge Field, Potts Field, and the ski team headquarters adjacent to Potts and Prentup.
Among the extensive renovations and upgrades to all those facilities will be the addition of long-sought lights at Prentup, home of the women’s soccer team.
“Our regents and President (Todd) Saliman and the foundation are going to help us fund a new upgrade to our track and our ski building and soccer lights, a new lacrosse field over there (at Kittredge),” George said. “So we’re pretty excited about that.”
George said the university still is negotiating the final price tag for the multi-faceted project, but he expects it to be “in the $10 to $11 million range.” In addition to lights at Prentup, the project will include resurfacing the track at Potts, a new surface at Kittredge, and improving fan amenities like bathrooms, concessions and the bleachers at Kittredge (home for women’s lacrosse) and Prentup.
The improved facilities will allow CU to expand its reach in hosting marquee postseason events, such as evening NCAA soccer games at Prentup in November when daylight becomes scarce. CU also is scheduled to host the 2024 Pac-12 Conference outdoor track and field championships at Potts.
“I was pleased to work with the CU Foundation to direct $11 million to support Chancellor (Phil) DiStefano’s request to elevate not only the CU Boulder Athletic Department’s efforts in Title IX compliance, but also to fund some much-needed upgrades to the women’s soccer and outdoor track and field facilities, among others,” Saliman said in a statement released to BuffZone. “This collaborative effort will make a substantial difference for our student-athletes and our programs.”
George said all the projects are expected to be completed by the start of 2023-24 academic year, and that none of facilities will be off-limits, within the season, for CU’s teams. He also noted the improvements, which mostly will help women’s teams, will be a timely endeavor during a year celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX.
“Potts Field is really important,” George said. “I think it ties really well into Title IX and for our regents and the foundation and the president to acknowledge the importance of Title IX and where that is in the 50th anniversary of that, I think it’s pretty cool that we’re going to be able to do those projects and get those done for the next calendar year. It’s going to be very impactful for our soccer program to have lights and to be able to play under lights and for us to be able to host the Pac-12 championships (in track). It’ll be ready for that which is really important and it will allow us to upgrade the amenities over there with a permanent concession stand, bathrooms and all that kind of stuff. So we’re pretty pumped.
“We’re addressing the Title IX needs of our athletic department. These are things that we feel like we need to do to meet Title IX standards to make sure our women’s soccer program has lights that they can play competitively and to have a track and field area that allows them to compete at the highest level and all those things are important. It’s really lacrosse, women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s cross country and track that are going to be beneficiaries of this, which is really important in the Title IX 50th anniversary year.”
The CU Foundation is the wing of the university dedicated to collecting and distributing private donations.
BuffZone staff writer Brian Howell contributed to this report.
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