Photo courtesy of Iowa Central: an aerial view of the new turfed practice facility on the campus of Iowa Central Community College.

There is both a practical and philosophical purpose to the new Iowa Central Community College practice facility at the south entrance of the school’s campus.

From a functionality standpoint, the low-maintenance turfed field will be used by Triton student-athletes from sunup to well past sundown. The hustle and bustle of practices and activity will be constant for “upwards of 15, 16 hours a day,” according to ICCC athletic director Kevin Twait. Triton football, soccer, rugby, track and field and intramural programs will all benefit from the upgraded space and what it has to offer.

Twait also knows what the field represents as a new visible anchor to the growing campus and its future as a Fort Dodge community staple.

“This is a mark of excellence for Triton athletics and Iowa Central in general,” Twait said. “It’s a game-changer for us. There isn’t another community college practice facility like this in the entire country. It’s huge for our current students. It’s huge for prospective students.

“We needed to upgrade that area to serve hundreds of our current student-athletes in a more efficient manner. And if we’re being honest, branding matters in this day and age. When you are recruiting and the first thing you see as you turn (north off of Kenyon Road onto Triton Plaza) is that big, beautiful blue IC logo and ‘Tritons’ in both endzones…this is unrivaled and unmatched. We did it the right way. It’s a credit to (Iowa Central President) Dr. (Jesse) Ulrich, (Vice President of Student Services) Tom Beneke, the entire administration and the board of directors.”

Twait first approached Ulrich and fellow school leaders with this vision in 2022. The school’s long-time football coach knew the renovation would not only benefit the grid program, but a number of others in the process.

A plan was in place by spring of last year, and the $2.5 million project was under way. Jensen Builders Ltd., of Fort Dodge, served as the construction manager for the project. Mid America Sports Construction — of Lee’s Summit, Missouri — installed the turf.

Rasch Construction Inc., Midwest Fence and Gate Co. and Baker Electric, all of Fort Dodge, were the subcontractors.

“I thought to myself (after initial planning) that if we could pull this off, it would set a new standard,” Twait said. “Knowing first-hand what it was like to navigate that practice area for over 20 years, especially in bad weather, we saw it as an upgrade that would allow for more use, more sports and more activities.

“We’ll have men’s and women’s soccer practice and games there. Rugby practice. Track and field will be able to utilize the space. We’re just really excited about the doors this opens for so many more of our kids. We have 1,100 student-athletes and 33 (athletic) programs, and over 5,000 students total. This is another upgrade to the general Triton experience.”

Ulrich was on board with Twait’s bigger picture for a multitude of reasons.

“This will allow a safer and more effective environment for our football, soccer and rugby programs, but it also opens up facilities to increase student engagement through intramurals and extracurricular activities for our general education students,” Ulrich said. “Iowa Central takes great pride in the high-quality experience that our students receive on campus. The addition of this facility will raise the bar for both students and athletes, who have always represented our school and community with a sense of integrity.”

Bleachers will be available for soccer matches. The football program will continue to use Dodger Stadium for its home games.

The turfed field was installed with plenty of extra room for position breakdowns and flexibility to meet the needs of any given sport or activity involved.

“It’s an exciting time to be a Triton,” Twait said. “This is beautiful. State of the art. And it serves a purpose.

“It’s the best of both worlds.”