Dak Dillon-USA TODAY Sports
Back in February, the University of Missouri Board of Curators approved a cool $16 million for a new softball stadium. This is incredible news if you’re a softball fan, but now it becomes far more interesting to the common sports fan and Mizzou traditionalists when you see the pictures and the chosen location.
First of all, bravo by the decision to upgrade facilities for the softball team. The group of ladies that go out and represent the University and the state of Missouri needed to have a better place to perfect their craft and showcase their skill, and they will now have that with this new venue.
Here's another look at the proposed new @MizzouSoftball stadium! pic.twitter.com/oHkT8pXIm5
— Mizzou (@Mizzou) June 25, 2015
Amazing design, increased capacity and a brand new parking lot are all just basic improvements. But here’s the fun part for those of you who are familiar with going to Mizzou basketball games, especially when the games were at the Hearnes Center…because the stadium is planned to sit right outside of its east doorstep. Check out this picture from the Board of Curators Twitter account. You’ll notice the large building sitting immediately to the left of the field is the Hearnes.
Here's a look at the @MizzouSoftball stadium project design pic.twitter.com/y2OLES0zkw
— UM Curators (@umcurators) June 25, 2015
For those that love the old basketball arena, this may be a sad sign that the old building could be on the way out soon. Putting the softball project close to the arena could be a signal that the Mizzou Department of Athletics is ready to recycle that area for the evolving needs in the sports park. With the addition of this new softball stadium, the facilities at Mizzou have clearly received an overall boost that adds a new design and sleek look to an otherwise empty area that is slowly aging into the background of Stadium Boulevard.
The cost-effectiveness of the Hearnes Center isn’t there. Simple utilities are outrageous and eating into an operating budget that could be paying for Memorial Stadium expansions and upgrades. We think we have the neutral fans’ attention now if we didn’t already.
But this move isn’t about the past, it’s about the future, and the future of Missouri softball looks bright. Upgraded facilities will have an impact on recruiting and the atmosphere for games. With the work that the University is putting into making the softball program better, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this squad competing on a national level, year in and year out.
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