Facility upgrades slated for Simpson College Athletics

INDIANOLA, Iowa — Simpson College announced plans today for several athletic facility improvements designed to enhance safety, strengthen competitive experiences and maximize usage flexibility. The upgrades are part of the College's strategic vision for distinctive excellence in serving the needs of today's students.

The improvements will address a range of priority indoor and outdoor venue needs. Cowles Fieldhouse and Hopper Gymnasium comprise one project component while outdoor venues Buxton Stadium, McBride Baseball Field and Simpson Softball Complex make up the other component.

"These strategic initiatives will be game-changers for Simpson College Athletics, especially our student-athletes," Director of Athletics Marty Bell said. "We are extremely grateful for the generosity of our loyal supporters and benefactors who continue to rally us forward. There is no better time to become part of the Simpson experience and join the ONESimpson family."

Cowles Fieldhouse will soon feature a new HVAC system, allowing for a 12-month, climate-controlled environment essential to long-term facility sustainability and safety. This upgrade paves the way for future enhancements in Cowles. Moreover, the HVAC system will create greater flexibility and usage opportunities for the whole campus, as well as the Indianola and surrounding community.

Simpson's Hopper Gymnasium, meanwhile, will soon be home to the Luther Hill Wrestling Center. Relocating the wrestling center offers the abundance of space necessary to effectively manage the Simpson women's and men's varsity wrestling programs. The College announced the addition of women's wrestling earlier this week, with NCAA Division III competition set to begin in 2022-23.

The second component of facility improvements focuses on outdoor venues. Buxton Stadium will receive new sports turf with improved safety features for concussion prevention. Additionally, the entire Buxton Stadium track will be resurfaced. Sport turf will also be installed on the infields of both the baseball and softball facilities to enhance the experience for student-athletes and to greatly reduce weather impacts. Projects are expected to begin in May 2022 and be completed by July 2022.

"These projects will open up so many new possibilities for us," Bell said. "We will be much better positioned to serve a wide variety of constituencies. Addressing all these needs greatly increases our ability to host summer camps, clinics and tournaments that will bring hundreds of prospective student-athletes to campus while generating new revenue streams for the College and its athletic programs."