HAMILTON (CIS) — McMaster University’s New Alumni Field began serving the McMaster and Hamilton community this past weekend.
The new artificial soft surface is playing host to the Canadian Football League (CFL) Hamilton Tiger-Cats training camp from May 24 to June 2.
The development of the field was made possible through a generous donation from the McMaster Alumni Association. The McMaster Alumni Association has over 125,000 alumni and has the mission of supporting McMaster University, involving alumni, recognizing alumni achievements, providing services and benefits for alumni, communicating with alumni and involving current students.
Gary Collins ’90, president of the McMaster Alumni Association commented that “the McMaster Alumni Association is proud to support this project. The new Alumni Field will serve the needs of thousands of McMaster students each year.”
Alumni Field, formally know as the Intramural Field, is located behind the Smith Gymnasium in the Ivor Wynne Centre on the McMaster University Main Campus. The field will be the competitive venue for McMaster lacrosse and field hockey, intramural and club programs and in 2006 the practice venue for McMaster football.
The venue will also be available for rent to community partners, and will provide another venue to support the City of Hamilton sport tourism strategy.
Therese Quigley, director of athletics and recreation was quoted as saying “Alumni Field will be available for programming a minimum of nine months of the year. Regardless of weather it will provide ideal conditions for training and competition for our McMaster and community sport programs.”
Quigley also commented that “McMaster would like to thank all who worked to meet this agressive timeline despite the challenges of wet weather conditions.”
Alumni Field will be landscaped and fenced later summer. A wireless score clock will be affixed to the north Ivor Wynne Centre wall before the start of the fall term.
McMaster will begin construction on the $13 million Ronald V. Joyce Stadium in June. The stadium is scheduled to open in the fall of 2007. McMaster football will play all home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium in 2006 as announced in February of 2005.
