Newcastle United are set to leave St James’ Park after 133 years and build a new 65,000-capacity stadium at Leazes Park, Daily Mail’s Craig Hope reported on Thursday.
The club is preparing to present its plans to the Government for approval, with the expectation that Downing Street will assist in cutting through any bureaucratic hurdles.
According to Hope, Newcastle’s Saudi owners were presented with the plans during a board summit last month, and chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is fully backing the project. The club had considered expanding St James’ Park to 60,300 seats but has now shelved that idea in favor of a new build, which is expected to generate higher revenue and help navigate Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules.
The proposed stadium will have a bubble-wrap-style exterior similar to Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena and will feature a parkland-style approach akin to Wembley Way. London architects KSS and Tyneside-based Ryder have contributed to the initial designs, which are described as “stunning.” [SB Nation]
Mount Mercy University has announced a $2.1 million lead gift from the Lavern T. and Audrey Busse Foundation, including a $1.5 million matching challenge, to support the construction of the Busse Football Center, a new state-of-the-art facility that will serve Mount Mercy’s new football program.
The Busse Football Center will feature essential amenities, including locker rooms, a weight room, team meeting spaces, coaches’ offices and a training room, with naming opportunities available. [Corridore Business Journal]
FB | Introducing the new Busse Football Center, the newest addition to the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex! #MMUfootball pic.twitter.com/YbI7ti2iOc
— Mount Mercy Mustangs (@Go_Mustangs) March 6, 2025
Whispers around Simpson College’s campus became louder recently about the possible development of a new athletic facility that may be coming sooner than the Storm thought.Director of Athletics Marty Bell is excited about what is in store for future athletic facility expansions.
“The first facility project we are evaluating would be a new training facility for men’s and women’s gymnastics with additional training space for cheer, dance, track and field, cross country, and swim and dive, depending on how we plan to construct this facility,” Bell said.
He explained that the department’s ability to evaluate a potential site, costs, funding and timeline has been given the go-ahead.“We are in the midst of that [approval] process right now with the hopes of securing all four of those elements for a final board approval this spring, with construction immediately following. The projected time for completion and usage would be for fall 2025,” Bell said. [The Simpsonian]
To subscribe to the free daily e-newsletter offering the latest industry news, products and insights from — and written for — the athletics, fitness and recreation industries, see below on this page, or click here
