On Jan. 22, it was announced that the turf of the new Karen Cramer Stadium was down by Paragon Sports Constructors via Facebook.
Although the stadium building is still in progress, the football, track, soccer, band, cheerleaders , and the dance team will begin to practice there this Spring season.
“We’re proud to build for Texas Wesleyan University,” Paragon Sports Construction said in the Facebook post. “Thanks for trusting us with your facilities.”
First-year mass communication major Josh Williams is a track athlete who feels the turf being down is going to be more convenient for student-athletes.
“I’m excited to see how many people will show up to games and events now that it’s closer to the school and also community events we can hold at the stadium,” Williams said.
Director of Athletics Ricky Dotson is pleased with the field despite it not being completed. He shares his excitement for having student athletes on campus be able to easily come to practice.
“Being able to have those events allows people to come to our campus, such as alumni and people from the community,” Dotson said. “I think it’s going to open up a lot of things we haven’t seen.”
The stadium is located on the western edge of campus, behind Theatre Wesleyan and the Nenetta Burton Carter Building. The $16.5 million facility was named in honor of Karen Cramer, who gifted $5 million towards the stadium.
Darion Ramos, a junior physical education major and basketball player, looks forward to doing on-field workouts and attending football games.
“It’s a nice addition to the school,” Ramos said. “The colors are nice and stand out.”
Additional features to be added to the stadium will include seating, concessions stands, a press box, a fieldhouse, and other fan amenities.
