New practice field part of $4 million investment in Panther football
New practice field part of $4 million investment in Panther football
For the 40 years Mark Farley has been involved with UNI, both as a football player and now the head coach, one thing has presented the same set of challenges - the grass football practice field to the northwest of the UNI-Dome.
The uneven grass surface has been less-than-ideal for player safety and the lack of lighting renders football practice in the dark days of December, when a playoff victory is on the line, virtually impossible.
But all that is about to change, thanks to a generous donation by Doug and Ann Goschke that will lead to the construction of the The Doug and Ann Goschke Outdoor Practice Facility - In Memory of Junean Goschke. The modernized field will include an oversized turf field, lights and fencing and is part of more than $4 million in investments in UNI football that are currently in progress and are scheduled to be complete in the fall of 2021.
“For the past 40 years, this is where we’ve done our work,” Farley said, gesturing to the practice field during a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday. “And I hope we can show the Goschkes just what a difference-making gift this is for us, and not just for the football team, but for the whole athletics department and, I believe, the whole university.”
The ceremony featured several speakers, including Doug, who fought back tears while remembering his late sister.
“This is an emotional day for me,” Doug said. “I miss (Junean) greatly, and she would be so proud of what we’re doing here.”
The Goschkes, residents of Florida, are Iowa natives and business leaders. The field is named in honor of Doug's older sister Junean who was a UNI grad and longtime teacher in Cedar Falls. Junean was also a supervisor for students in UNI's Camp Adventure.
Junean was committed to UNI, serving on the Alumni Board of Directors, the Athletic Policy Board, Athletic Advisory Board, the Panther Scholarship Club Board and the founding committee for the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center.
David Harris, UNI athletics director, also spoke at the event, thanking the Goschkes and highlighting the impact the new practice field will have on the students.
“When you come into this profession, you want to be able to do things that make the experience of your student athletes better,” Harris said. “And today gets to be one of those days.”
The facility will relieve pressure on the busy schedule of the UNI-Dome and allow Panther football to practice outside on a reliable surface throughout the year, including in inclement weather, without damaging the surface. The new lighting will also allow practices to continue after dark.
“Once we hit daylight savings time in October, we always used to have shut practice down,” Farley said. “And now with the lights, we can continue to practice outside and continue to improve and build our football team.”
Harris said the new field will also impact recruitment.
“I hope the young men who are looking at the University of Northern will understand the type of investment that we're making in our football program,” Harris said. “We're serious about going to another level, about being even more competitive and having a championship-caliber program. And this is another step that will help us to do that.”
