GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines Athletics has a number of facility improvements in the works this summer to prepare for the 2022-23 school year.

Two of the most visible projects are turf replacements at Stermole Soccer Stadium and Marv Kay Stadium. Soccer will receive an AstroTurf LigaTurf surface and football an AstroTurf RootZone 3D field, and each field will feature Blaster the Burro in the middle. Stermole Stadium's original turf was installed in 2008, and Marv Kay Stadium's Campbell Field was installed in 2010, and both fields had reached the end of their 10-12 year lifespans.

The Stermole Stadium replacement began in early June and is nearing completion, while preparation work at Marv Kay Stadium is underway with full turf replacement projected to be complete in late July. AstroTurf will repurpose the old turf for use in other projects such as youth fields and indoor facilities. Visitors to campus should find minimal or no disruptions, but each field will be off-line and closed for use during construction. 

Mines Athletics is also participating in a campus-wide project to install a significant amount of solar power generation capacity. New solar panels will be installed atop the Student Recreation Center, Steinhauer Fieldhouse, and the Korell Athletic Center, along with new solar parking canopies built in Lot K next to Stermole Soccer Stadium. With additional installations on other campus buildings, Mines will have the ability to generate 1.5 megawatts of solar power - nearly 20 percent of the campus' peak demand. Work has already commenced and will continue throughout the summer, and visitors to campus may find temporary road detours related to the project, as well as the closure of portions of Lot K at times. 

Read more about the campus-wide solar panel project at minesnewsroom.com.