Wichita State gets the OK to tear down Cessna Stadium

Many Stockton Tiger athletes, coaches and spectators have spent a number of hours in the stands of Cessna Stadium in Wichita, through some very, very hot days, attending the KSHSAA State Track & Field Championship Meet held the weekend before Memorial Day each year.

However, those tall steel structures on the east and west sides will be just a memory after the Kansas Board of Regents gave Wichita State University permission, by a 9-0 vote, to tear down the stadium and build in its place a new, smaller multi-purpose stadium.

“Seeking permission from the Kansas Board of Regents is the first step in any process as a state institution,” said Darron Boatright, Wichita State Athletics Director, in a statement.

Constructed in 1969, the 30,000-seat stadium has been on the campus for 74 years and was built over the site of the Shockers’ former home, Veterans Field. It was also the home for the Shocker football program until football ended in 1986.

Modernizing the facility to match the surrounding facilities has become a priority for new WSU president Dr. Jay Golden, who envisions the multi-purpose stadium also attracting high school and club events for soccer, lacrosse and track and field. The proposal estimates it will cost $1.4 million to raze the stands at Cessna Stadium.

In its request to the regents, WSU said the stadium is in poor condition and has outlasted the typical lifespan of exposed steel structures.

The school spent more than $100,000 on repairs after a 2017 study found significant steel repair was needed for immediate safety.

WSU told the Regents the building would continue to need repairs and is a continuing public safety concern. The school says the stadium is also not ADA compliant.

And for you wondering about the future of the Kansas State Track & Field Championship Meet held each year, “We look forward to continuing our relationship with KSHSAA and hosting the state track meet as well as track and field meets for our program,” Boatright said.

Boatright said WSU will try to work around the Kansas high school state track and field meet, as Cessna Stadium has hosted around 3,500 athletes for 12 simultaneous state championship meets for the last four decades.

“It’s important to know that if this were to happen, then it would happen in phases and it would be our intention not to displace the state track and field meet,” Boatright said. “It would be our intentions to continue to host the state meet and find a way to work around where we can host the state track meet uninterrupted.”

Bill Faflick, executive director for the Kansas State High School Activities Association, said it will be a wait-and-see approach.

“It’s way too early for us to know, but we hope to be able to continue in that capacity,” Faflick said. “Wichita has been a great host, Cessna has been a great venue and Wichita State has been a great partner in hosting the event.”

For many in the track and field world, not just in Wichita but all over Kansas, Cessna Stadium has become a cherished place over the years. It is synonymous with the Kansas high school state track meet where championships are won every May.

Phase 1 of the demolition of Cessna Stadium would focus on the east stands. Phase 2 would be demolition of the west stands and the press box. There is no start date for the project as WSU will still have to raise the money from private funds, something it has not yet done.