A field grows in Brooklyn: Bulldogs open re-renovated $4.5 million on-campus athletic complex

September 6, 2012 By John Torenli, Sports Editor

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At an estimated cost of $4.5 million, the brand new state-of-the-art athletic complex at Brooklyn College should prove priceless to the athletes who represent the Bulldogs for the forseeable future.

“This new field, built in record time, is a terrific addition to our campus,” BC President Karen L. Gould said after emceeing the official ribbon cutting at the complex, adjacent to the practially new West Quad Center, opened in 2009, which houses the Department of Physical Education and Exercise Science, and the Office of Recreation, Intramurals and Intercollegiate Athletics.

“It will be wonderful for our softball and soccer teams, including our brand new women’s soccer team, to practice and compete on their home turf,” added Gould, who was joined by numerous city officials, including Senator Martin Golden, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Assemblymember’s Rhoda Jacobs and Nick Perry and Councilmember Mathieu Eugene.

Originally built in 1937 and overhauled in 1975, the new and improved complex meets NCAA regulations for soccer and softball, and will provide a home for the college’s soccer and softball teams, which had been practicing and playing off campus for several years.

The new field has also enabled the college to add a women’s soccer team, which will compete for the first time this fall.

The field will be officially christened on Tuesday, Sept. 11, when the women’s soccer team hosts CUNYAC rival Lehman College at 4 p.m. The men’s soccer squad will play its home opener next Thursday night at 7 p.m. against borough rival St. Joseph’s College. The Bulldogs softballers will have to wait until the spring to test out their new digs.

Construction of the athletic field began in August 2011 and was completed just last month with a total area of 105,500 square feet, the field is 355 feet long and 250 feet wide.