Major Gift Catalyzes Construction of Stanley H. Durwood Stadium
 
                                               View footage from press announcement

On April 9, Athletics Director Tim Hall announced that the Stanley H. Durwood Foundation and its trustees, Raymond F. Beagle Jr. and Chares J. Egan, have pledged a $5 million gift to the UMKC Athletics Department for the construction of a new soccer stadium in the heart of UMKC's Volker campus.  The foundation's leadership gift represents the largest single commitment to UMKC Athletics.

The competition venue of the Stanley H. Durwood Stadium is anticipated to be completed for the new UMKC Women's Soccer Program's first game in 2009.  The entire complex is slated to open in the spring of 2010.

“The gift from The Durwood Foundation illustrates the community’s commitment to UMKC and is an excellent opportunity for our Athletics Department to move forward with the Women’s Soccer Program,” said Guy Bailey, UMKC Chancellor. “This is another step in line with our goal to make UMKC a more residential campus and the kind of university our students and the community deserve.”

The facility will provide the Kangaroos with one of the top soccer facilities in the Summit League and the Midwest.  It feature seating for 850 as well as locker rooms and offices to benefit the UMKC men’s and women’s soccer, softball and men’s and women’s track and field programs.  Additional project components include a premier four-lane track and a concession area.

This multipurpose facility will serve a variety of patrons, including student-athletes, students who participate in intramural sports and approved community partners.  The signature complex honors the investment legacy of one of the University’s and the Athletics Department’s most ardent supporters. 

The late Stan Durwood began his affiliation with UMKC when NCAA Division I participation was a pipedream.  His enthusiasm for UMKC Athletics continued through admission into the Mid-Continent Conference.  In 1994, he was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest nonacademic honor the University can bestow  upon a community member.

Like its namesake, the Durwood Foundation and its trustees strongly support a variety of UMKC units and programs, ranging from the Athletics Department to the Creative Writing Program, to the Conservatory of Music and Dance to the School of Dentistry.  Since 2005, the foundation has pledged more than $1.3 million in grants to several UMKC  initiatives.

Because the timeframe for the stadium’s completion is concurrent with those of other campus capital projects, the momentum generated by its construction will invigorate comprehensive support for UMKC. Projects that will join with the stadium to change the face of the Volker campus include: the Conservatory of Music and Dance’s Performing Arts Center expansion , the Miller Nichols Library expansion, Oak Street West, and the Student Center.

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