Ithaca College Plans to Build New Outdoor Track and Field Facility

By Dave Maley, February 3, 2025

Venue will serve both intercollegiate athletics and recreational needs.

Rendering of planned new track facility at Ithaca College.

Ithaca College plans to build a new outdoor track and field venue.

A significant gift from an alumni couple will help fund construction of a planned new outdoor track and field facility at Ithaca College for use both by intercollegiate athletics teams and the wider campus and local communities.

The eight lane, 400-meter running track will be built on the west side of campus, on a field that has most recently been used for sports practices and recreation. There will be adjacent runways for jumping events, while the infield of the track will remain natural grass. A small nearby recreational field behind Emerson Hall will be repurposed for throwing events.

The total project cost is about $4 million, with most of the financing for it coming from the donors and the rest from institutional capital funds.

“This is an important capital investment to improve the quality of campus facilities for both intercollegiate competition and recreation,” said Ithaca College President La Jerne Terry Cornish. “We are so grateful to our donors for recognizing the value this provides to our IC community, serving as a significant recruitment tool to attract the most gifted student-athletes and helping maintain the championship caliber of our track and field program.”

Laura Suppa ’25 placed 13th in the 100m hurdles at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. (photo by D3photography.com)

The running track at Butterfield Stadium was removed in 2023 to allow for the construction of Bertino Field. Because of that track’s outdated surface and non-standard turning radius, the college has not hosted a home track and field meet for nearly a decade. The new track will meet current NCAA specifications, incorporating optimal technology for track surface and construction materials.

This is an important capital investment to improve the quality of campus facilities for both intercollegiate competition and recreation.

Ithaca College President La Jerne Terry Cornish

Susan Bassett '79, associate vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics and campus recreation, said she is overjoyed that IC student-athletes will have the opportunity to train and compete on a state-of-the-art track.

“Current and future student-athletes will thrive in their pursuit of excellence because of this project,” said Bassett. “This facility will beautify the lower end of our campus while providing athletic and recreational activity space for everyone. Alumni support means the world to us. From the bottom of our collective hearts, we thank the donors who stepped up for this amazing project and to every donor who supports IC in our quest to remain on the cutting edge of academic excellence and performance.”

Male student-athlete running on a track.

Runners like Aiden Loughlin ’26 will benefit from being able to train and compete on a home track. (photo by Darl Zehr)

The installation of the track is being managed by Clark Companies, a specialized contractor with a sole focus on the design and construction of outdoor athletic facilities. Clark was also responsible for the Bertino Field project and has demonstrated its ability to provide a superior product that meets the needs of the college while adhering to the highest safety and sustainability standards.

Pending approvals from the Town of Ithaca, construction is planned to begin in early April, with a projected completion date of early September 2025. This schedule will allow the facility to be ready for use by the campus community early in the fall semester and allow for intercollegiate competitions to occur in Spring 2026.

“We are deeply grateful to the donors whose generosity has made it possible to build a venue that will not only enhance the experience of our student-athletes but also continue to uphold the strong tradition of excellence that defines our program,” said Jennifer Potter, head women’s track and field coach. “It will allow us to attract more 5-star prospective student-athletes, showcase their talents on campus, and match the level of excellence of our current campus facilities.”

We are deeply grateful to the donors whose generosity has made it possible to build a venue that will not only enhance the experience of our student-athletes but also continue to uphold the strong tradition of excellence that defines our program.

Jennifer Potter, head women’s track and field coach

“We are very blessed to already have the premier indoor track and field venue in the region with the Athletics and Events Center, and to add this outdoor track to our facilities is a testament to the commitment the college makes to our student-athletes and our program as a whole,” said Stargell Williams, head men’s track and field coach. “We are grateful and can’t thank our supporters enough. Go Bombers!”