Medaille College is moving ahead with an expansion of its outdoor athletic facilities in South Buffalo, using a new state grant.
Medaille's indoor sports teams play in buildings on the college's North Buffalo campus. However, the Mavericks outdoor sports teams have wandered from playing field to playing field for years because Agassiz Circle really has no room for outdoor sports.
The college cut a deal with Jon Williams' South Buffalo Development for space on the old Buffalo Color site in South Buffalo, giving Medaille fac
"It is a big deal for us. It's a game changer. So the existing soccer field out there is not only a game changer for Medaille and our student athletes, it's really a game changer for the community," College Relations Vice President John Crawford told WBFO.ilities the college never had.
Crawford said there is room for an array of college teams.
"Currently, we have a soccer and lacrosse field. So our men's and women's soccer teams and men's and women's lacrosse teams play out there, as well," said Crawford. "And then there's a athletic administration building. So that's got locker rooms, home and away locker rooms, officials locker rooms, a strength and conditioning room, classrooms, office space and storage space out there and, of course, some parking spots."
Medaille has been granted a $1 million Higher Education Capital Matching Grant. Crawford said the money will go for baseball and softball fields, with an additional soccer field. They would be turf not grass, right for the city's weather.
"So we rent the facility when we're not using it to different sports leagues and we're talking to not-for-profits in the area," Crawford said. "So we want to be able to make the facilities available to the community at large."
The college rents the fields to other organizations like the Buffalo & District Soccer League.
