Administrators, donors, coaches and players broke ground Monday after BYU Director of Athletics Tom Holmoe announced the construction of a new soccer stadium at South Field.

Construction on the stadium is scheduled to begin March 17 and the project should be finished at the beginning of July. It will include the building of a grandstand as well as improvements in lighting and a new entrance on West Campus Drive.

The 20-row permanent grandstand will have 2,140 seats, an increase of more than 200 seats from the current facility. The grandstand will be 26 feet high and 216 feet wide. There will be 816 chair-back seats and the other 1,324 will be bench-back seats.

"The men's and women's soccer teams at BYU have had great success over the last number of years," Holmoe said, "and because of their championships and the way that they have created such a following at their games and broken all kinds of attendance records, it is only appropriate that we build a stadium grandstand that would be able to accommodate the many fans of all ages, shapes, and sizes that come out to watch BYU soccer."

The women's team has been ranked No. 3 nationally for women's soccer attendance the last three seasons. The team averages over 2,000 fans for each home game.

"We have been fortunate to have tremendous fans on this field," women's head coach Jennifer Rockwood said. "We look so forward to filling those stands."

The men's team draws an impressive home crowd of its own, ranking in the top 10 in Premier Development League home attendance.

The project also includes six new light poles, which will double the lighting in the current stadium. Holmoe said this will help make night soccer games better candidates for broadcasting and increase the possibility of hosting televised tournaments.

The project, which Holmoe said will cost a little under $1 million, was funded through a combination of private donors and university resources. It will be considered a shared facility, being used by not only the soccer teams, but also students in the College of Health and Human Performance and extramural sports such as lacrosse.

"I'm thrilled that we have the interest on campus and from our private donors to facilitate something like this," men's head coach Chris Watkins said. "I'm overwhelmed."

Holmoe said construction of the stadium will improve the program in many ways and elevate its overall appearance.

"It's an investment in the future of the program," Holmoe said, "and the future is now."

The men's team will play its season at Haws Field, west of the Indoor Practice Facility, during the construction of the new stadium, but the women's team is slated to begin play at the new facility in the fall.

Fred Skousen, advancement vice president, said the university does everything it can to support the student athletes, but the project will bless the lives of many other BYU students.

"South Field has had a tradition for lots of years...of excellence among the students who have competed here and this will be a fitting addition," Skousen said. "The Stadium at South Field will be something we can all be proud of."

Copyright Brigham Young University 11 Mar 2008