08/26/11 ks

HAYS, Kan. -- The combined efforts of involved citizens, city and county governments, and Fort Hays State University will become reality with the official opening on Saturday, Sept. 3, of the FHSU Soccer Stadium in the community's new sports complex.

The Tiger men's team will play its first-ever official intercollegiate soccer game at 4:30 p.m. against Adams State College. A dedication ceremony for the stadium will follow at 6 p.m. The busy day will conclude when the Tiger women's team plays its first-ever official intercollegiate soccer game at 7 p.m. against Newman University.

The city of Hays will dedicate the entire Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex a week later, at 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9. The sports complex, including the FHSU Soccer Stadium, is located southwest of 8th Street and the U.S. 183 Bypass.

"We could not have done it without each other," said Dr. Edward H. Hammond, FHSU president. "I hope to see a great turnout for what will be a very exciting day and a historic day for our university and the community."

The short dedication ceremony will include remarks by President Hammond; Craig Shaw, head coach of the women's soccer team; and Travis Patzner, a player on the men's soccer team. There will also be a ribbon cutting and music by members of the FHSU Band.

One of the first challenges in creating the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex was finding the right location. FHSU offered 120 acres of pastureland on the University Farm, which the city of Hays purchased at the appraised value plus one dollar.

The project was put on the ballot, and more than 60 percent of Hays voters approved a half-cent sales tax to fund the sports complex. The project could not have been completed as proposed without the generous support of individuals and private businesses. Those contributions included $500,000 from the Bickle and Schmidt families, $160,000 from Nex-Tech Wireless, $25,000 from Nex-Tech, and an in-kind contribution of road paving, worth $11,000, from the J Corp construction company. The Ellis County government also played a huge role by donating many hours of dirt moving to prepare the site.

FHSU invested about $2.6 million in the project, which included cooperative costs for the university's share in developing the infrastructure of the entire complex. The completed FHSU Soccer Stadium is a first-class venue in every way, both for the competitors and for the fans. It is designed to meet all NCAA standards for soccer and will be eligible to host post-season tournaments.

Admission to the soccer games and the dedication ceremony on Sept. 3 will be $5 for adults. Youth, which includes those high school age and younger, will be admitted free. FHSU students will be admitted with their student identification card. All-sports season ticket holders will be admitted with their orange card. No pets are allowed in the soccer stadium.