Vanier Football Complex Project at K-State Breaks Ground
December 1, 2014
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MANHATTAN, Kan. – Thanks to the generosity and leadership of K-Staters world-wide, Kansas State officially broke ground Saturday on the Vanier Football Complex project at Bill Snyder Family Stadium during halftime of the Wildcats’ football game with KU.
The ceremonial turning of dirt, featuring President Kirk Schulz, Athletics Director John Currie, and other special guests, was held in the north end zone of the stadium during an extended halftime ceremony.
Fundraising momentum for the Vanier Football Complex, which is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2015 football season, continues to move forward at an encouraging pace. Wildcat fans have demonstrated their enthusiasm for the project by committing more than $48 million in funding toward the $69 million estimated full project cost.
“The excitement and passion of the Wildcat Nation regarding the Vanier Football Complex has been phenomenal, and we appreciate the support of K-Staters world-wide in the fundraising aspect of this project,” said Currie. “We have made tremendous progress and are excited to officially break ground and move forward with this project, wh
ich will not only enhance the World-Class Student-Athlete Experience for our students-athletes but also further impact on our goal of providing the Best Fan Experience in the Big 12.”
The new Vanier Football Complex not only will serve as home for K-State Football but will also better serve the needs and enhance the experience for all 450-plus Wildcat student-athletes.
Among the improvements in the facility will be a new Academic Learning Center, which will be more than twice the size of the current facility, and an 18,000-square-foot Olympic-quality Strength and Conditioning Center which will include multi-story ceilings with natural light, and a nutrition center or “fueling station” for all student-athletes. In addition, a new sports medicine and recovery facility will house state-of-the-art hydrotherapy and recovery pools in addition to the latest examination, recovery and physical therapy spaces and tools.
The football program will benefit from a new 140-seat team theater, individual position meeting rooms and new offices for the coaching staff that will overlook Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The team will also welcome an impressive new football-shaped locker room which will be more than twice the size of the current space.
The new north seating bowl will include enhanced sightlines, new ADA seating and will be connected to the current west-side stadium concourse for access to entrance gates and stadium concessions and restrooms. Perhaps most importantly, fans will continue to maintain a visible connection to the team tunnel to carry on this tradition between the team and our grass-roots fan base.
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