Wednesday, January 28, 1998
Right on track
RENOVATION Drake Stadium will undergo renovations
to create a multi-purpose, world-class venue
By Vytas Mazeika
Daily Bruin Staff
Plans are now underway to renovate Drake Stadium and add a
soccer field in the middle of the track.
The Cultural and Recreational Affairs office recently approved a
proposal by the athletic department to make the track in Drake more
circular in order to fit a soccer field. The plan would turn Drake
into a multipurpose stadium where the soccer team will play in the
fall, and the track and field team would occupy Drake in the winter
and spring quarters.
"Something we’ve wanted for a long time is a place on campus
that we could play that is a soccer-type facility," UCLA men’s
soccer head coach Sigi Schmid said. "All over the world you see
track and soccer facilities … and the conversion of Drake is
something that has been talked about on and off for the past
decade."
Ken Weiner, UCLA associate athletic director, points out that
although the idea has been approved, there are still a couple more
stages to go before the renovations can become a reality.
"The timeline we are working on right now includes understanding
the fundraising efforts since this is totally a fund-raised
project," Weiner said. "And once we get those efforts out of the
way we will try to understand what kind of programming exists on
Drake Stadium and try to work a construction schedule around
that."
The athletic department will begin a fundraising campaign for
the project as soon as both the plan and the budget become
attainable.
Weiner is quick to point out that no student money and no
existing campus funding is going to be used in the renovation of
Drake. But all parties involved are optimistic that with the
approval to go forward, the money will come.
"They’re still not there with the money yet," UCLA track and
field head coach Bob Larsen said. "But hopefully now that they’ve
gotten the preliminary approval, that could stimulate some interest
in donations."
If everything goes as hoped, construction could begin sometime
in 1999.
Problems may arise in the construction schedule, considering the
fact that Drake hosts events such as the Special Olympics, the
Revlon run-walk, track and field events during the winter and
spring quarters, and the Infiniti Open.
Also, construction will be divided into two phases. The first
phase will concentrate on improving the track from the current
American configuration to the European/Olympic configuration with
the flatter turns.
The upgrade for the track is what will allow the athletic
department to plan programs and events like soccer at Drake.
Another renovation planned for the first phase is a multi-purpose
scoreboard.
The second phase is of the most importance to Larsen. Track and
field has long asked for improved facilities in Drake.
Larsen hopes that along with the changes to the track and
infield renovation, the athletic department should upgrade the rest
of the facilities in the stadium.
Weiner is hesitant to guarantee any upgrades outside of the
first phase due to possible monetary restrictions.
"If phase two should happen to come to forintion and we have
enough money, we are looking at a services building at the south
end of the stadium that may include locker rooms, public restrooms
and a press facility," Weiner explained.
Even if phase two is not reached, though, the improvements on
the track and the infield will be noticed. Drake will now be up to
par with about 80 percent of the tracks in the United States and
most European tracks.
The field events will benefit from having aprons at both ends
for shot put and discus. This ability to move around events will
allow Larsen to make better use of the wind factor.
Aesthetically, the addition of the soccer field and the
rearranging to the track and infield will make Drake comparable to
world-wide facilities like those in Tokyo, Seoul and Munich,
therefore making UCLA more impressive for future student
athletes.
"We would like a facility that obviously when you bring a
recruit in, they’ll feel like this is second to none," Larsen said.
"It’ll take some work to do that, but it seems that the intent is
there."
Until construction is done, the men’s and women’s soccer teams
will continue to practice on the Intramural field and play most
home games at Spaulding Field.
If construction on the North Athletic Field is completed before
Drake is renovated, soccer games will be played there except for
night games. Construction for an underground parking structure is
currently underway at the spot where the North Field used to
exist.
When the Drake renovations are finished, the North Field will
become the practice facility for soccer while Drake will be used
only for games. This way, the infield at Drake will be kept in
top-notch condition.