Written by Elliott Coombes // Photo by Briley Kemper
Harding began building a new facility on the west end of First Security Stadium on Dec. 11. The 10,000-square-foot building will house new bathrooms, a new concession stand and an updated weight room for Harding’s athletes. This project will be a continuation of stadium renovations that began with the renovation of both the track and football field in 2023, along with the addition of the new JumboTron.
The last major improvements to the stadium were made during the summer of 2018. Since then, plans to continue improving have been made and now have the funding for the next phase.
The weight room, located in the south side of the building, will service 250 or more student athletes, director of athletics Jeff Morgan said.
“We started this year with about 454 student athletes this year,” Morgan said. “This will help 250-plus of those.”
The previous weight room, dubbed “the dungeon” by student athletes, has been in use at Harding since the early 60s.
“This is something that we’ve been looking into for years, because of the condition of this older building that floods quite frequently because of where it sits,” Morgan said. “It sits pretty low to the ground over here.”
With windows on three sides of the building, athletes will have a bright view of the open field and the surrounding area. In a video on the Harding University YouTube channel, head strength and conditioning coach Michael Gragg spoke on the difference.
“Currently, about 30 student athletes can train at one time, and a new building will double that number while also providing space for the next team to warm up,” Cragg said.
The list of athletic programs receiving the upgrade include baseball, softball, tennis, golf, and track and field. The weight room will also be an asset to academics, as Harding offers several programs in strength and conditioning; those students will find the new facilities useful.
The concession stand will have additional room for its patrons and new bathrooms. Payment for the project has been provided through private donations, and the construction is being undertaken by Silk Cavassa Marchetti Architects.
Scott Leonard, a principal architect, said the restrooms will “nearly quadruple the size of our current facilities to create a better experience for the visitors and guests at Bison athletic events.”
