Houck Stadium renovations update, construction to begin in matter of weeks

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Since 1930, Southeast Missouri State’s Houck Stadium has been home to so many memories made on the field and in the stands. 

It is that history which SEMO Director of Athletics Brady Barke said played a pivotal role in deciding to renovate the Redhawks’ existing home as opposed to moving elsewhere. 

“We just felt like it was a very important place for it to be, and it just says so much about the interconnection between the university and the community to be able to keep something like that here,” he said. “With that in mind, we really tried to work and find a way to maintain this as home.” 

The renovations on the south end of the stadium will include a new grandstand, which will seat about 4,000 people. Phase One of the project will also include new fan facilities, concession areas and restrooms.

With construction set to begin in September, the football and soccer teams will still play their home games at Houck this season. 

“We’re going to work through that in this one year of interruption and progress,” Barke said. “I hope people will be excited for what comes out on the other end of it, and next year be able to welcome people in with a state-of-the-art seating area, too.” 

A separate project to replace the turf will also be combined into the project timeline. These projects are scheduled to be completed prior to the 2023 football and soccer seasons. 

“It’s important for so many reasons beyond the competitive piece of it from an athletics standpoint,” Barke said. “It sends so many other messages and provides so many other deliverables for the university that it really is an important project for us.”

There are also plans for laboratories to be incorporated into the facility. These include an allied health laboratory, a biology lab, a virtual anatomy lab, and a life science lab.