With the help of financial support from alumni, fans and friends, Central College has announced that more upgrades are underway to the college’s A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex.

Workers recently removed the football turf from Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium and are installing new FieldTurf artificial turf. New goalposts are also being installed to the football-only field. A new, expanded Daktronics video screen is also being installed at Schipper Stadium, replacing the original stadium videoboard. Installation of the new video screen will begin in July, with completion expected ahead of the football opener for the Dutch on September 7th against Illinois Wesleyan University.

Also included in the comprehensive upgrade plan is the reconstruction of Central’s tennis courts. This is the first time the courts have been completely replaced since the facility was built over 40 years ago. The six tennis courts will be surrounded by new fencing, which will be shorter on the west sides to allow for improved viewing for competitors, teammates, and coaches. The tennis courts can also be converted to 12 pickleball courts as local interest in that sport continues to rise.

Total cost for the projects exceeds $2 million, and Vice President for Athletics Eric Van Kley said that additional support is needed to complete the upgrades. Gifts can be made online by selecting “athletics” at the link here.