Earl "Skip" Bute Alumni Stadium
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NDSCS celebrates completion of Earl “Skip” Bute Alumni Stadium reconstruction
Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Alumni Foundation and Athletics department, Wahpeton Public Schools and NDSCS Student Senate support, the Stadium renovation is now complete and student athletes, coaches and fans alike are all enjoying a fully functional Athletic complex.
Capital for the Stadium reconstruction was collected through several private donations from alumni and friends, fundraising efforts and the Locker Room Campaign as well as from the Wahpeton High School. Discussions for the reconstruction and pre-design began in Fall of 2010, while the actual renovation itself started in the Summer of 2014 and wrapped up during the Summer of 2015.
The $1.5 million Stadium renovation resulted in a new retail outlet for the NDSCS Bookstore, an updated concession area, revamped locker rooms, a new training room and equipment storage area, a larger and more functional Catbacker room, renovated public restrooms, new cement, an updated water and sewer system, and a new ticket booth resembling the iconic Old Main steeple.
History
- Originally built in 1971 for $181,655, the Earl “Skip” Bute Alumni Stadium was named in recognition of over 50,000 alumni as well as for Earl “Skip” Bute, the College’s first football coach, basketball coach and director of athletics.
- In 1967, the State Board of Higher Education authorized the development of a football stadium with funding to come from alumni, friends and others interested in supporting the project.
- The first football game was played on Frank Vertin Field at the Earl "Skip" Bute Alumni Stadium in September of 1971. It boasted a modern press box, a well-lighted field, a complete scoreboard, an Olympic-size all-weather track, a concession stand, dressing rooms and a large parking lot.
- Unfortunatley, the Alumni Stadium experienced a fire on August 23, 1975. Luckily, the stadium was found to still be structurally sound.
