ENMU: July finish possible for stadium

There are now 98 days until the new Greyhound Stadium opens, with the Greyhounds hosting Western New Mexico.

While the stadium is still being built, donors of the new stadium were given a sneak peak on Saturday as to what the stadium will hold.

The basic structure of the stadium is complete, but all of the rooms themselves are still barren. Still, the stadium is ahead of schedule, and a July completion date looks feasible.

Ted Fares, the director of facilities, spoke about the final touches the stadium needs before it’s completed.

“Everything is ordered,” Fares said. “We have most of (the materials) on hand, we just haven’t put it in, we’re waiting for a few things. The project will be done way ahead of the first game. Probably the end of July.”

The big components currently not up at the stadium are a video board, which will be placed on the south side of the stadium, and the two scoreboards.

link Staff photo: Matthew Asher

A view of the northern end zone of the new Greyhound Stadium. Community members who had donated to the construction fund were given a sneak peak of the stadium Saturday afternoon and were free to inspect the field as well as the buildings that have been erected in the last year.

“The video board will be installed by July 15 and that’s the last thing we have to do,” Fares said. “The track is done. We just need to let it breathe a little before we paint the lines on it. We started last August. We should be done the end of July.”

Adam Lucero, an ENMU quarterback, was one of the tour guides for the event and is looking forward to playing in the new stadium this season.

“We’re excited about it,” Lucero said. “We love the Draw (the former stadium at Blackwater Draw). We thought it was awesome to bring them out into the middle of nowhere, cut them on the grass and beat the crap out of them.

“But we’re excited to bring a new tradition here. We think we’re going to have a bigger crowd being closer to campus. We’re really proud of our student body passing the bill and getting us this stadium. Hopefully we’ll make them proud this season.”

As far as his favorite part of the stadium, Lucero cited the two-toned grass layout.

“I like the different colored sections of grass,” he said. “I have a feeling that’s going to help us out. We’re the only team in the conference that has grass like that.”

Newly appointed athletic director Greg Waggoner was able to tour the stadium and was very happy with what he saw.

“Wonderful. It was a great experience,” Waggoner said. “You can tell a lot of planning has gone into it. Maybe some of it wasn’t noticed by everyone but aesthetically it’s quite a statement. We’re excited.”

Although it wasn’t completed, Waggoner said his favorite part of the stadium was the concept of the “Spirit Rock.” A piece of the old Blackwater Draw stadium — nobody knows what piece yet — will be encased on a small pole outside the ENMU locker room so when the football team heads to the field, they can all touch the rock before hitting the grass.

“Our tour guide was describing the spirit rock and those things are important,” Waggoner said. “To bring a piece of Blackwater in and make it a new tradition, that’s great. This is a great opportunity to keep the old traditions but enhance and make some new traditions. It’s a little thing on the face, but it’s huge because of the nuances for these traditions.”

ENMU President Steve Gamble said he was looking forward to the track being completed because it’s been more than a decade since ENMU hosted a track competition.

“I think it’s been longer than 2003,” Gamble said of the last time ENMU hosted a track meet. “But I’m looking forward to seeing it completed. This will be great for both the university and Portales High School.”