Wichita State University has received approval on a proposal to tear down 74-year-old Cessna Stadium and build a new, smaller multipurpose stadium in its place.
The Kansas Board of Regents gave the nod on the $1.4 million razing of the facility.
WSU president Jay Golden envisions a smaller facility that will host soccer, lacrosse, and track and field.
“This is just the first step in a long process we would have to go through should the funding source come available,” athletic director Boatright told The Hays Daily News. “There’s no timetable for this project. This just lets us know what the thoughts of the regents are and if we have their support."
Boatright said the approval is just that and that the university still needs to approve the project and find the funds to make it happen.
The 30,000-seat Cessna Stadium is currently home to the Wichita State track and field team and also the nation’s largest high school track and field meet. The school has spent $100,000 on emergency repairs to fix safety issues at the facility. WSU will still try to work around the Kansas high school state track and field meet, which has been held at Cessna for 12 simultaneous state championship meets.
“It’s important to know that if this were to happen, then it would happen in phases and it would be our intention not to displace the state track and field meet,” Boatright said. “It would be our intentions to continue to host the state meet and find a way to work around where we can host the state track meet uninterrupted.”
The Daily News suggest that the decision to downsize the seating capacity at the stadium would seemingly end any speculation of WSU’s football program returning.
