This August not only marked the beginning of the 2014 fall athletic season for the Colgate Raiders, but it also brought the grand opening of the new John W. Beyer-Barry J. Small ‘76 Field. This new facility is home to a FIFA two-star certified FieldTurf playing surface that is equipped with seating to accommodate 1,300 fans. This project took just over a year to plan and complete, and it is only the start of Colgate’s athletic upgrades. In the coming years, there are also plans to construct a new hockey rink. 

Women’s soccer Head Coach Kathy Brawn is thrilled with the project’s success. 

“Approval from President Herbst, and planning, implementation and oversight by [Director of Athletics] Vicky Chun and [Senior Associate Athletics Director/Internal Operations/SWA] Ann-Marie Guglieri helped ensure the project’s success. The construction moved along quickly, and work was done in a thorough and professional manner. As promised, the field was ready for us on August 6 for the first day of preseason,” Brawn said.

Both the men and women’s soccer teams are excited to have a new state of the art stadium to call their own. John W. Beyer Head Coach of men’s soccer Erik Ronning believes that the new facility is a great addition to the program.

“It is a tremendous new facility that is one of the best around. It is a symbol of excellence at Colgate to compete at and it will give us a tremendous home field advantage. I couldn’t be more pleased with the overall set up and quality,” Ronning said.

The unique FieldTurf provides a consistent surface that is not affected by severe weather conditions such as snow and rain. The elimination of the effects of the elements allows for uninterrupted practice time. This advantage will give the teams a better

opportunity to work and prepare for games.

Brawn also believes that this new facility has made a huge impact on the soccer program. 

“The Beyer-Small ’76 Field is a fantastic addition to our campus. Having a true stadium feel to go along with an outstanding playing surface makes Beyer-Small ’76 one of the premier soccer facilities in the country,” Brawn said. “This will definitely assist with recruiting. In a general sense, it also shows everyone that Colgate is truly committed to excellence in all facets of the collegiate experience.” 

The field is not only receiving positive feedback from Colgate players and coaches, but from visiting teams and

personnel as well.

“The teams that we have played have all complimented the quality of the field and the entire set up of the field including the branding, professionalism and team rooms,” Ronning said. 

Celebrations for the new facility were held during the home openers for both the men and women’s soccer teams. Each game featured a ribbon cutting ceremony, free t-shirts, giveaways and post-game fireworks displays.