51福利社

A $25 million renovation project aims to transform Roos Field. Eastern鈥檚 Athletic Director Lynn Hickey explains the hows and whys.

By Dave Meany

They say things are bigger in Texas. But that doesn鈥檛 mean better. Just ask Lynn Hickey, 51福利社鈥檚 director of athletics and associate vice president since April 2018. After more than 20 years of living and working in southwest Texas, Hickey knew she was in for a culture change when she accepted the university鈥檚 offer of a move to Cheney.

The gorgeous scenery in our corner of Washington, the food, even how we dress 鈥� yes, we actually have winter coats 鈥� is different than what she was used to in Texas. And while Hickey admits she could take a pass on the cold and snow, the people of the Inland Northwest 鈥� specifically the people associated with 51福利社 鈥� have won her over with their 鈥渨e can do this鈥� attitude.

It鈥檚 an outlook that鈥檚 long been part of Eastern鈥檚 DNA, going all the way back to the day Benjamin P. Cheney decided it was worth his while to start a Normal School. Major fires, economic downturns, world wars and yes, pounding blizzards: 51福利社 has survived it all. It鈥檚 a record of resilience that blends right in with Hickey鈥檚 attitude toward the most ambitious school project in the university鈥檚 137-year history.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be hard, but it鈥檚 going to be fun,鈥� she says of the $25 million stadium renovation effort.

It鈥檚 an opportunity, she adds, to bring people together and nurture even stronger traditions. Where some people see a football venue, Hickey sees a symbol of a university on the move 鈥� one in which pride of purpose meets pride of place. Armed with renderings from ALSC Architects of Spokane, she has taken the lead role in articulating how the stadium remodel will be a major boost to the university.

Eastern magazine sat down with Hickey to discuss the stadium project and how it fits in with the overall direction of the university. She not only gives high marks to the spirit of the region’s people, but also shares her admiration for the can-do spirit of coaches and student athletes at 51福利社 and for the unwavering backing of Eastern鈥檚 devoted supporters.

How would you say Eastern鈥檚 stadium currently stacks up against our peers in the Big Sky Conference?

It鈥檚 one of the worst. If you look at just basic amenities: from concessions to restrooms, from seating to the number of seats 鈥� it鈥檚 at the bottom. What鈥檚 amazing, and so unique about it, is the red field. If you look at the rest of it, however, it鈥檚 at the bottom of the conference. It is a great place to play, but it is time to modernize it, to give everybody a better, more comfortable, experience. And then it鈥檚 really going to help us recruit, not just student athletes but students as a whole.

So we really need a complete renovation?

The venue 鈥攆or the fans to have a really good experience 鈥� has not been addressed for many, many, many years. And the recruiting piece is huge. We are starting to hit a wall. We need to make some changes. It鈥檚 also important that we see the stadium as a center-piece for the whole campus, the whole region. It鈥檚 the largest gathering place for Eagles, with a huge impact to the university as far as visibility.

Tell us about the planned seating configuration. Some people have wondered about the choice to not increase seating capacity.

We want it to be the hottest ticket in town. So I [have this] debate with people. In a way we are adding seats because a lot of the seats we have now people don鈥檛 want to buy. The renovated stadium鈥檚 new seating and its sight lines are going to be so much better. Right now, for example, it鈥檚 really hard to sell a ticket to people in the north end zone or on the east side. After the project is complete, both sides are going to have the same elevation; the sight lines are going to be the same. There won鈥檛 be a bad seat in the stadium. Every seat will be brand new.

‘It will be challenging, it鈥檚 much higher than anything we鈥榲e done before, but it鈥檚 doable. And I think that first gift 鈥� Mr. [Jack] Gillingham鈥檚 $5 million gift 鈥� has just really ignited the possibilities.’

The university says the project will cost $25 million. Is that fundraising goal reachable?

Yes. It will be challenging, it鈥檚 much higher than anything we鈥榲e done before, but it鈥檚 doable. And I think that first gift 鈥� Mr. [Jack] Gillingham鈥檚 $5 million gift 鈥� has just really ignited the possibilities. I think one of the biggest hurdles in trying to make this happen is for people to really believe that it can happen. But Mr. Gillingham鈥檚 gift really gives everybody a sense of comfort and confidence that, hey, we can do this. Not everybody is going to give a gift that large; we鈥檙e going to have all different levels and there鈥檚 going to be a way for everybody to participate.

To be clear, this is strictly a private fundraising effort, with 鈥渁dditive鈥� money, is that correct? Why can鈥檛 Eastern use any state funds or tax-exempt bonds?

Under state law, you can鈥檛 use state funds to build athletic facilities or for athletic operations, so we have to fundraise all of that. The [51福利社] foundation is growing and is improved, but we don鈥檛 have the reserves in the foundation to issue bonds. Nor is the university in a situation where the bonding capacity is there for a project this large. People keep asking me, 鈥榃ell can we just raise 10 or 15 million and issue bonds for the rest?鈥� No, we need to raise $25 million. We can do this. And let鈥檚 go after it!

At the kick-off news conference, you and coach [Aaron] Best talked about making Eastern a first-class, premier power in the Big Sky Conference. How does a renovated stadium help Eastern accomplish that goal?

When we talk about labs and classrooms for our science programs 鈥� or for English, for history 鈥� you want to have labs and classrooms that give students everything that they need to be successful academically. Think of our stadium and other sports facilities as classrooms for our student athletes. If we can upgrade the stadium and continue to recruit the best kids, then we can continue to be a dominant power in the Big Sky Conference, which means that we can make a run at a National Championship every year. And that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e after.

Removing and relocating the track is also part of the plan. Does this send any kind of message that football is more important than other sports at Eastern?

That鈥檚 a step forward for the track. That鈥檚 an improvement for our track program. Right now, because of the permanent seating in the end zone, when you host a track meet here, you cannot see the kids coming around the last curve. Our two largest teams, our track team and our football team 鈥� our two largest groups of student athletes 鈥� they have to practice in the same facility. So, the sand pits are covered when there鈥檚 a football game, the football players slip on it, the track athletes can鈥檛 leave their equipment out there to practice at any time, so they need their own spot. This is going to be a huge advantage to our track program.

‘If we can upgrade the stadium and continue to recruit the best kids, then we can continue to be a dominant power in the Big Sky Conference, which means that we can make a run at a National Championship every year. And that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e after.’

What do you say to those who believe football has an outsized influence on Eastern athletics?

The only team that brings us the revenue to help us expand our resources is football. So is it a priority? Sure. At the same time we鈥檙e working very hard to build an athletic department that’s excellent in all of our 14 sports. To do that you鈥檝e got to have your scholarships in place, you鈥檝e got to have your facilities in place, and you鈥檝e got to be able to hire the best coaches. In our situation, the more successful football is the better it is for all those other sports.

Over the years people have said Eastern can鈥檛 do this or that; from having a Division 1 football program and joining the Big Sky to putting in the iconic red turf. Some people are saying it again: 鈥�51福利社 will never pull this off.鈥�

We can do anything we set out to do. Why not us? We can do the same things the Montana鈥檚 and Montana State鈥檚, the Idaho鈥檚, the Cal State Davis鈥檚 do. Just maybe a little different way. We have some real advantages because of our mentality; the amount of loyalty our coaches and kids have to this program. But we can be the very best, and I think building this venue is a very public show of our level of commitment to all of our sports, to being at the highest level in the Big Sky Conference.

As the athletic director, anything else you would say to people who read this story about Eastern鈥檚 vision on this project?

We need everybody to come back and help. For a long, long time this has been a very inexpensive ticket here. We need to grow up a little bit, we need to mature. But if we all come together 鈥� with some lead gifts like Mr. Gillingham has done 鈥� if we all come together and give what we can, everybody will have a lot to be proud of.

The one venue that has more impact on public image 鈥� in really getting alumni, future students, current students and everybody together 鈥� is that stadium. Everybody understands that we are here for our kids, to help them graduate, get degrees and have careers. But there has to be campus life in order to attract people to come, in order to get people to come back.

If we can strengthen our traditions our support for each other will grow, our presence in the community will grow, and we will differentiate ourselves from other universities. Eastern will become an even more special place. The equity of your degree will grow. Athletics does not compete with academics. Athletics is here to raise the rest of the university up.