BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) — The University of Mary Monday shared its vision for bringing football, baseball, soccer and outdoor track and field competition back to the campus under a new athletics complex that will span the length of the campus.

A visual representation of the planned U-Mary athletic complex. (Image: U-Mary)

“We’re excited to share our plans for the new University of Mary Athletics Complex, facilities we hope to not only take our level of competition to the next level, but provide a venue for the cultivation of friendship and the strengthening of character” said University of Mary President Monsignor James Shea. “We’re extremely grateful to our donors, alumni, University of Mary community, and the Bismarck-Mandan community for supporting this endeavor and allowing our scholar-athletes to use their God-given talents to again compete right here on campus. We look forward to having the Bismarck-Mandan community back out here for gamedays at Mary.”

Under the plan, a Game Day Plaza is at the center of the new athletics complex, a place for gathering before entering the ticketing area, football stadium, baseball field and softball field. It will be adjacent to a parking lot that serves as the main tailgating area.

Fans enter the plaza from the west along a lighted commemorative walk linked to the Lumen Vitae University Center (LVUC), and it will be generously scaled to accommodate tents and food trucks or vendors for festivals and sporting events.

This hub links the new football Stadium and Research Pavilion to the north, with the new baseball and softball complex fanning out to the south and east, respectively. Next to the diamonds to the south is a new gameday soccer field enclosed by an eight-lane track and field.

Nestled between the soccer and track and field complex and south entrance to the campus are intramural tennis courts and multi-use practice field.

All the playing fields will have artificial turf surfaces, while the multi-use practice field will have natural grass.

A seasonal air dome will enclose the football field once the season is over so all sports teams can practice inside the dome during the offseason.

Another representation of the planned U-Mary athletic complex. (Image: U-Mary)

The athletics complex is under Phase II of the University of Mary’s broader three-phased Vision 2030 Capital Campaign, totaling $272-million worth of new campus facilities, renovations, infrastructure, roads, parking and landscaping.

U-Mary Executive Vice-President Jerome Richter said the university would love to start work on the new athletics complex by fall of 2023, but it will depend on fundraising.  

For more details about the University of Mary’s athletics complex and the artist’s renderings, go to goumary.com/athleticscomplex.