OWENSBORO, Ky. - Kentucky Wesleyan College's athletic facilities landscape changed significantly over the past six months. It was the first major athletic facility projects completed under the direction of Rob Mallory, who joined the campus community as Athletics Director in 2015. Now, the on-campus facilities can serve as the home venue for our athletic programs, in addition to various intramural/campus recreation activities.

Fast forward to 2017 and the landscape continues to change as the athletic facilities on campus are among the best in their conference. Since 2016, the college has raised a significant amount of donations in athletic-facility enhancements and additions.

The facility enhancement projects have come full circle as Panther Field (Soccer), Panther Park (Baseball), Foster Field (Softball), Jones Gym (Volleyball) and Steele Stadium (Football) are nearing completion of renovations.

Panther Field – Lights, Team Dugouts, Scoreboard, Concessions upgrades, fence with windscreen.

Panther Park – Brick wall down the first/third baselines; new scoreboard, barrier netting on outfield wall.

Foster Field – New Scoreboard, batting cage, stadium lights.

Jones Gym – new scoreboard, scorer's table, locker room upgrades.

Steele Stadium – New digital scoreboard display, field goal netting.

Woodward Health & Recreation Center – office enhancements/additions for new athletic programs.

Lights at Softball and Soccer Facilities has Impact in the Classroom
With lights at the softball and soccer facilities, the teams will be able to practice at night, making it less likely athletes will miss practice time for classes. Lights also mean the Panthers could begin the possibility of midweek doubleheaders later in the day, Moore said, which also will help avoid conflicts with classes.

Lights also helps preserve the facility usage of Steele Stadium, where soccer used to host their weeknight games and practices.  With lights at Panther Field, it now allows football players avoid class conflicts and flexible with practice times.

Scoreboard Aids in College's Branding Efforts
"The new state-of-the-art digital video board is a great enhancement to Steele Stadium," Associate AD for External Operations Brad Moore said. "Kentucky Wesleyan is committed to giving its great fans along with our scholar-athletes the best game-day experience possible.  With the installation of the new digital scoreboard, we are thrilled with the results."

The Fair-Play video display technology, installed by Time Technologies in Roanoke, Virginia, brings quality visibility to appeal to every seat in the stadium. The industry-leading environmental protection to ensure consistent performance in the outdoor elements.  The display is capable of variable content opportunities, allowing it to show any combination of live video, instant replays, graphics and animations, along with sponsorship messages.

The scoreboard was made possible through a donation from Independence Bank as a proud partner with Owensboro Catholic High School and Kentucky Wesleyan College.

In addition to the football video display, the college was able to upgrade its scoreboards at Panther Field (Soccer), Panther Park (Baseball), Foster Field (Softball) and Jones Gym at the Woodward Health & Recreation Center (Volleyball/Basketball). Installed this fall, the scoreboards provides fans with all the critical stat information for every event.

Installed by Griffin Sports in Cincinnati, Ohio, the scoreboards are state-of-the-art technology with a truss sign with the branded"W" that lights up at night.  It has been a well-received feature that brightens up the college's facilities with great brand visibility.

Locker Room upgrades benefit programs for Kentucky Wesleyan Athletics
After recent upgrades, several athletic programs have benefited from locker room enhancements over the past year.  It now has more of a home feel for our scholar-athletes to congregate on campus.

The sports who have enjoyed the upgrades are: men's and women's basketball, volleyball, men's soccer, baseball and football.  Each sport embarked on their own fundraising efforts to make this a reality. 

Each Kentucky Wesleyan scholar-athlete in each respective sport listed above has their own individualized wooden locker with their own name plate. They also have their own personalized bench.

"I think the basic concept among all of our coaches was to make the locker room a home place for their scholar-athletes," said Associate AD for External Operations, Brad Moore.  "Our coaching staff have made this particular initiative a priority, which go a long way in recruitment and retention to enhance the overall scholar-athlete experience."

The facility upgrades have influenced hundreds of student-athletes at Kentucky Wesleyan College as the athletic department strives to be one of the most respected in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, while maintaining a high graduation rate and programs that compete for championships at the conference and national level.

"There are many great things that Kentucky Wesleyan College has to offer, but none greater than the people who make it the truly special place it is," Associate AD for External Operations Brad Moore stated.  "Through the leadership of President Bart Darrell, Athletic Director Rob Mallory, our coaching staff and administration, our athletic facilities are truly a home that all Panthers (past, present and future) can be proud of.  On behalf of our entire athletic department, I can't thank the Owensboro community and our proud alumni enough for their support and commitment."

Additional upgrades to the facilities that are upcoming needs include a replacement of the existing turf surface at Steele Stadium, new turf surface and lights at baseball and locker room space for our men's and women's soccer programs.

The renovations are coming at the perfect time, as the G-MAC has expanded six institutions this summer.  Having improvements to the athletic facilities will aid in the recruitment of top-notch talent in the area to remain competitive.

If you would like to make a difference in the scholar-athlete experience at Kentucky Wesleyan, we encourage you to give to the Panther Athletic Fund.  For more information, please contact Associate AD for External Operations, Brad Moore at bmoore@kwc.edu or 270-852-3195.