As we near the conclusion of our 19 From 19 series, it is time to take a quick glimpse ahead to just a few of the exciting projects on the horizon for Razorback Athletics. Soon things will be transforming on the University of Arkansas campus for the further enhancement of the intercollegiate athletics experience for our more than 465 student-athletes.

While Baum-Walker Stadium, the Randal Tyson Track Center and John McDonnell Field still rank among some of the best competition venues in the nation, many of the spaces used each day by our baseball and track and field student-athletes are no longer sufficient to support the needs of these highly successful programs.

A new baseball development center, track high performance center and renovations to the Randal Tyson Track Center will soon get underway to address those needs. Construction on the baseball development center and the track high performance center is tentatively scheduled to begin in late 2019 or early 2020 with a targeted completion set for spring of 2021.

An initial stage of renovations to the Randal Tyson Track Center is tentatively set to begin in the spring of 2020 and will be completed in advance of the University of Arkansas hosting the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. All three facilities will be funded entirely by athletic revenues, gifts and bond proceeds from the bond issue. No university funds, state funds or student fees will be required to complete these projects.

The Baseball Development Center, an approximately 45,000 square foot baseball performance facility will provide student-athletes with an improved and expanded locker room, team room, weight room, training room, meeting rooms, nutrition space, player and pitching development spaces and in-venue batting cages.

The Baseball Development Center will be constructed in the right field corner of Baum-Walker Stadium, connecting it with the current west concourse and providing new premium viewing areas for games. The estimated project cost of the Baseball Development Center is $27 million.

The addition of a Baseball Development Center will be the latest in a series of renovations and additions to Baum-Walker Stadium which first opened in 1996. In April 2018, Baum-Walker Stadium was ranked as the best collegiate ballpark in the nation by Baseball America.

The track and field high performance center will be constructed just south of the track at John McDonnell Field. While John McDonnell Field was renovated into one of the top outdoor track and field competition venues in the nation in 2006, the facility does not currently provide ample space to house daily training for the more than 100 student-athletes competing in the men’s and women’s programs. A recent study identified the most immediate needs of the facility were improved and expanded team locker rooms, expanded training room, weight room, team room and an equipment storage space.

A new approximately 22,000 square foot Track Operations Center will combine many of the program’s day-to-day operations to create an efficient space to serve both the men’s and women’s track and field programs. The total project cost of the facility is estimated to be $15 million.

The Randal Tyson Track Center, one of the top indoor track and field venues in the world, will receive aesthetic and event enhancing upgrades. The phase one improvements to the facility will include replacement of the track surface, new graphics along with AV upgrades and additional building enhancements. The total project cost of phase one is estimated at $5 million.

Back to Grass
Frank Broyles Field at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium will soon have a new natural grass surface. Later this month through a partnership with J.B. Hunt, the new grass featuring Tahoma 31 will be transported from Winstead Turf Farms in Arlington, Tenn. to campus. The installation of the new playing surface takes Razorback Stadium to natural grass for the first time since 2009 and to its original playing surface beginning in 1938.

The Tahoma 31 derives its name from the Native American word, Tahoma, which means frozen water. In test after test, Tahoma 31 shows its exceptional winter hardiness, tested up to 75% more cold tolerant than other bermuda grass varieties. With the additional characteristics of both improved wear tolerance and drought resistance, Tahoma 31 is ideal for sports turf, golf courses and high-quality lawns in the Mid-Atlantic & Transition Zone. The approximately 1800-pound rolls of Matrix turf rolls feature an interwoven mesh support layer that provides strength and stability to the sod without compromise to drainage.

Want to learn more about the process?

Visit our Back to Grass Microsite or check in on the progress with our live camera at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Removal of the Artificial Turf Timelapse