Adam Hunsucker

ahunsucker@thenewsstar.com

The process that led to ULM unveiling its long-awaited end zone football field house didn’t happen overnight.

This was an undertaking that dates back to November 2013 during a conversation between ULM athletic director Brian Wickstrom and longtime university supporter Harold Turner.

It wasn’t like the need for a new football facility at ULM was any kind of revelation. That particular problem had been a sore subject for some time, but previous fundraising efforts proved unsuccessful.

Wickstrom and a collective of eager donors led by Turner changed that in December of that year during a dinner at ULM President Nick Bruno’s house on campus. Bruno gave the project his blessing after an enthusiastic pitch from the group.

The subsequent 32 months of planning, preparation and construction came to fruition when ULM cut the ribbon on the new facility located in the north end zone of JPS Field at Malone Stadium on Tuesday morning in front of a crowd of over 250 people.

“This is a great day for our university and a significant step forward not just for football, but our entire athletics program,” Wickstrom said. “If this investment would have been made back in 1994 (when ULM jumped from FCS to FBS), I think we would be further ahead than we are today.

“Right now our goal is closing that gap and continuing to provide a great student-athlete experience for our players.”

Field(house) of Dreams: ULM to open football facility

Wickstrom, Bruno, ULM football coach Matt Viator, Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo and 2016 Miss Louisiana winner Justine Ker watched as senior running back Tyler Cain did the honors with the big gold scissors.

Cain was joined at the ribbon cutting by teammates Ajalen Holley, Tre’ Hunter, Alec Osborne and Caleb Tucker.

“I’m just very excited. The new facilities are amazing,” Cain said. “We’ve been talking about this for about four years now and I’m just happy to be in it and finally come out with a bang for the Warhawks.”

The 11,750-square foot, $4.1 million dollar field house is the first new athletic building on campus since 1983 and features a new locker room, coaches offices and a “Hall of History” area commemorating the 1987 FCS national championship team, hall of fame coach Pat Collins and hall of fame players Joe Profit and Stan Humphries.

“The importance of this facility is two-fold,” Viator said. “It gives our players here with us a better quality of life plus the kids we’re going to recruit here. To walk recruits in here during the process and let them take pictures and do all those great things you see on social media is a tremendous help in what we’re doing moving forward with this football program.”

Wickstrom said the opening of the new facility represents the latest commitment to the athletic department from Bruno and ULM’s administration.

ULM is paying Viator’s $400,045 salary and the salaries of his assistant coaches through the university’s general fund. Their salaries are also higher than what ULM was paying former coach Todd Berry and his staff.

The university is also working to increase ULM’s overall athletic budget to compete with its peers in the Sun Belt Conference.

“It’s my job now to move this program forward to keep us moving up, keep us doing great things and keep up with the rest of the bayou,” Wickstrom said.

“The next 12-18 months are a critical time for this athletics program and I think that if everyone bands together and helps us generate our fundraising dollars, we can continue with more facility upgrades and close the gap with other conference schools.”

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