The Colorado State football team will not be the only program with a new home this fall as the women’s soccer team now has a permanent home on campus.
The Rams have taken over the space where the football team used to practice, on Elizabeth Street next to Moby Arena. They will be playing on a natural grass surface that is already in place on the fields instead of the turf surface that also accompanies the space.
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“Our soccer program will now benefit greatly with a space we can call home,” head coach Bill Hempen said in a statement. “Our new facilities and so many people…will only enhance what we all know is a wonderful and engaging university.”
Some construction was still required this summer in order to turn this football field into a fútbol pitch. The first step was to remove surrounding lights from the perimeter of the natural grass playing field in order for the field to expand to regulation size.
Once the lights were removed, 2,000 pounds of grass seed was spread onto the entire field in order to improve the thickness and leveling of the grass. This will allow for better drainage when adverse conditions more than likely occur in fall weather.
These improvements along with the location of the facility is better than anything the program has had in its first four years of existence. The Rams played their inaugural season in 2013 at the Fort Collins Soccer Complex off of I-25 until an October snow storm ruined the field and pushed the Rams to play on campus.
This on campus match sparked the idea of playing permanently on campus. For the last three season, the Rams have hosted their home games at The Lagoon. They went 7-17-4 at The Lagoon over the past three years as the young Rams program looks to open the new field with even more success.
Coming over from The Lagoon will be a similar seat set up as the Rams still encourage fans to bring lawn chairs and blankets to use for the games. And much like the new on campus football stadium, the name of the new facility is still up in the air.
CSU will open the new field when they host the rival Colorado Buffaloes on August 18 at 5 p.m. in their second match of the season.
Collegian sports reporter Austin White can be reached by email at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @ajwrules44.
