In a year that saw two new buildings break ground, with the new Jim Crow Museum and the new residence hall, Ferris has announced plans for a brand-new indoor athletics complex for the university.
The proposed $61.7 million multi-phase complex will sit on the south end of the field. With the complex spanning 134,000 square feet, it will include a new indoor track, cheer and STUNT competition space and an indoor practice field.
During phase two, we will see improvements to Top Taggart Field, including building new locker rooms, suites, new stadium lighting and east side bleacher replacements.
Ferris has needed an athletic complex, especially as many of their GLIAC rivals, along with Grand Valley, Saginaw Valley and Northern Michigan have their own indoor football complexes, with Wayne State announcing construction of their own in 2022 and set to open in the fall of this year.
But football is not the only sport that will benefit, as almost every sport here at Ferris will be set to benefit from the complex, such as soccer, softball, track and field and the new STUNT team.
Junior forward Katherine Welch believes that the complex will benefit Ferris women’s soccer for a lifetime to come.
“This complex means the world to our soccer team,” Welch said. “Being able to have this kind of resource would help the team continue to compete at the highest level possible. As we all know, Michigan weather can be incredibly unpredictable, and having a fall season means that a few of our months have a chance of snow and extremely cold temperatures. This complex would give us a huge advantage to have a second option to play.”
The team that this will arguably benefit the most from this complex would be the track and field team. As of right now they are unable to compete in the indoor track season, as the track wraps around Top Taggart Field.
An indoor track would mean the world to the track and field team, and Junior Chase Carter backs that up, knowing that the harsh Michigan winters prevent the track and field team from competing in the indoor track and field season.
“It’s everything for the track team to be able to practice on an indoor track throughout the entire season,” Carter said. “We start getting snow before the indoor season, and we have to work around the cold or snowy weather well into the outdoor season. So having an indoor track to run on during that time will help our team run faster and more consistently.”
Top Taggart has been in need of new facilities for awhile, where the latest upgrade to the stadium was in 2015. The biggest need has been on-site locker rooms for the football team, as their locker rooms are situated in Ewigleben Sports Arena, which is almost a mile away and across State Street. So most players either have to walk or drive to the student rec center to dress before practices or games.
Former player and current assistant running backs coach Noah Kindle knows this is a step in the right direction for the future of Ferris athletics.
“This new complex is a huge step for Ferris State athletics,” Kindle said. “It’s going to give future student-athletes state of the art resources to develop both on and off the field. For recruits, it shows that the university is invested in their success and is committed to staying at the top of Division II football. Even though I know I won’t be here when it’s finished, I know it’s going to help attract top talent and keep building on the legacy we’ve worked so hard to create.
The university believes that phase one of this project will break ground in 2026 after the new residence hall is completed, with phase two projected to begin in 2028.