How construction at Cessna Stadium will alter May’s Kansas high school state track meet

Wichita State and the Kansas High School State Activities Association held a joint press conference on Tuesday to provide an update on this May’s state track and field meet with the ongoing construction at Cessna Stadium.

Here are the three main takeaways fans need to know:

What is the update on the Cessna Stadium renovation project?

In Sept. 2022, the Wichita State Board of Trustees approved $11.8 million of funding for Phases 1A and 1B. But WSU announced this January that it only received one bid for the project, which Saal said was turned down to “facilitate a more competitively bid project.”

On Tuesday, Saal updated the situation by announcing WSU had hired local construction firm, Crossland Construction, from five candidates as the construction manager for the project. Saal said there will be “dozens” of bid packages within the project, which Crossland has ensured will be competitive, that will be rolled out later this year.

Phase 1A has been underway since last summer, most notably with the demolition of the east-side bleachers.

Phase 1B is still on schedule to begin immediately following the conclusion of the Kansas high school state track and field meet on May 25, which includes widening the field to accommodate a regulation-size soccer field and installing a nine-lane track around the field.

But where the venture really becomes expensive is Phases 2A and 2B, which essentially wipes out the current west side of the stadium to build an entirely new structure. That part of the project can begin as early as June 2026 and is anticipated to cost around $40 million, which Saal said will be sourced through university funds, private gifts and local funding.

All phases are scheduled around the state track and field meet to ensure WSU will continue to be able to host the event throughout the construction process.

What will change for the 2024 Kansas high school state track meet?

Fans who make the annual trek to Cessna Stadium for the Kansas high school state track and field meet will be in for quite the different visual with the east-side bleachers completely gone.

Kyle Doperalski, the KSHSAA track and field administrator, said there’s no denying the 2024 state meet will have a “different look and a different feel” but promised the format will remain the same. The state meet will still feature all six classes for boys and girls teams and a two-day schedule with an 8 a.m. start both days.

“Our staff and (Wichita State) have been working on different thoughts, different plans and different contingencies for what’s going to be the best for our students and our state for this great event,” Doperalski said. “The structure of the meet is going to be like it always has and we’ll run through the events as quickly and efficiently as we can, but it will look different and feel different on the east side for sure.”

Brad Pittman, a WSU senior associate athletic director in charge of facilities, said WSU plans to install a 1,500-seat portable bleacher on top of the crushed concrete on the east side with a large tent in place to provide shade for athletes and fans alike. There will also be space for around 60 team camps who bring their own tents, while the enclosure will include concessions and restrooms.

WSU athletic director Kevin Saal said WSU will prepare a virtual presentation, as well as in-person tours, that the KSHSAA can distribute to its athletic directors and coaches to showcase the changes and what to expect at the state meet this year.

“This is a coordinated effort and we’re going to communicate really, really well on the front end of state track so there will be no surprises come May this year,” Saal said. “We want to make sure we are clear and transparent on what it will look like.”

What will Wichita State’s University Stadium look like when finished?

The stadium holds decades of history on campus, opening in 1946 as Veterans Field and then renamed Cessna Stadium in 1969 when it was expanded.

A sponsorship opportunity remains for what the next iteration of the stadium will be called, but for now WSU has settled on “University” Stadium.

The $51 million project will not only give WSU a state-of-the-art track and field facility, but also a home to launch a women’s soccer program that could begin as early as 2026.

“This has been an overarching project that has kind of been put off for decades,” Saal said. “We’d be remiss today if we didn’t at least recognize president (Rick) Muma for taking on this massive project. It’s a $51.4 million facility that will truly be a community facility.”

Saal said he has already begun applying for future NCAA track and field postseason bids and has even been encouraged to apply to host the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships down the road.

WSU track and field coach Steve Rainbolt said the facility will be a game-changer for not only his program, but also for the state track and field meet.

“This is really looking like it’s going to be a remarkable track and field facility,” Rainbolt said. “I am super impressed with the work that Brad (Pittman), Kevin (Saal) and the president (Rick Muma) have done every single step of the way. It has been first class.

“Obviously we’re going to have some growing pains here, like this year having to do some fancy footwork to get ready for state track, but it sounds like Brad and Kevin have terrific plans for that. Ultimately, the final result is going to be a world-class facility and I’m really excited about it.”

Other aspirations for the facility, according to Saal, include premier tournaments for all levels in soccer, premier meets at all levels in track and field and top high school football games.

“We think it will be an absolutely premier community facility,” Saal said. “There will be some short-term inconveniences as we get to it, but we are envisioning a day where we can host premier events within a premier facility and accommodate fans in a first-class way.”