Southeastern unveils plans for new state-of-the-art home for SLU Athletic Training Program and Lion Athletics
Monday, October 24, 2022
by: Tonya Lowentritt
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| Athletic Training Building | Baseball Entranceway | Baseball Clubhouse |
HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana University announced plans for new state-
of-the-art facilities that will elevate both academics and athletics at the University.
The facilities improvements will encompass over 50,000 square feet and are made possible
through a combination of public and private funds.
The multi-phase, multi-year project will begin with an update and enhancement
for the home of Lion Baseball - Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, where a new entrance
way, ticket booth and additional concessions area will be constructed for the upcoming
baseball season. In addition, along the left-field line, a newly constructed baseball
fieldhouse facility will include locker rooms, offices, meeting and storage space,
as well as improved athletic training facilities. This new home for Southeastern Baseball
is expected to be completed in late 2023.
In conjunction with private funds made available through the Lion Athletic Association
and Southeastern Foundation, Southeastern was approved for a capital outlay project
during the 2022 Legislative Session that will provide significant renovations and
enhancements for the academic athletic training program as well as intercollegiate
athletics.
The new and upgraded facilities will serve as home for the University’s Master
of Science Program in Athletic Training along with Southeastern Intercollegiate Athletics.
In addition to classrooms and laboratory facilities for the Athletic Training program,
expanded space for sports medicine, new locker rooms and offices for Southeastern
football and soccer programs will be part of the project.
Southeastern is one of only three universities in the state of Louisiana that
offers the degree in athletic training. The new facilities confirm Southeastern’s
ongoing commitment to the athletic training academic program and greatly assist in
helping ensure athletic training students become “real-world” ready as part of their
academic experiences.
“We’re excited to announce this historic addition for Southeastern Athletics
and our athletic training program,” Southeastern Director of Athletics Jay Artigues
said. “This project is a game changer as the facility enhancements will not only be beneficial
to our department, but the university and community as a whole. Our student-athletes
continually embody our mission statement of excellence in the classroom, community,
and competition, and this project will give the Lions and Lady Lions the opportunity
to build on that success and elevate our programs to the next level.”
“Athletic trainers are highly trained health care professionals that support
the sports medicine team,” College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean Ann Carruth
said. “As such, a strong partnership with athletics to provide real world experiences
is integral to the success of the program. We are very fortunate to have these new
resources that will
benefit the academic program and our students.”
The athletic training and intercollegiate athletics facilities project is currently
in design, with construction anticipated to begin in early 2024 and completion expected
by the fall of 2025.
“We are excited that donors, athletic boosters, and corporate sponsors are stepping
up to provide private support to match state funds for these facility enhancements.
For example, all of the baseball program enhancements are being made entirely through
private funds. Significant private matching funds are also being raised to support
the other facility enhancements,” said Southeastern President John Crain.
