New athletic center will enable year-round training for Bobcats

Weather worries will soon be a thing of the past for MSU athletes as a brand-new indoor athletic hub will allow for year-round training, rain or shine. 

The Kennedy-Stark Athletic Center — named after two legendary MSU track coaches, Dale Kennedy and Rob Stark — will provide local athletic teams with an indoor space year-round. 

“Living in Montana, being outside all the time is not possible,” said Director of Athletics Leon Costello. “The center will provide a space that is climate-controlled and safe for [sports teams] to be able to get inside and continue their training and development.”

Construction of the center began in June of 2024 and is projected to wrap up by late May or early June of this year, Costello said. The project will cost $25.5 million in total and is entirely donor-funded. 

The initial plans for the center included only a turf field, but after a donor with deep ties to the track program became involved, the project expanded to include more track and field implements. “It’s pretty special when you have donors that believe in a vision,” Costello said. “To watch these projects come to life because of the support we get from our fan base is pretty special. I know our student athletes don’t take that for granted.” 

The center will house a 100-yard turf field, a 300-meter track, a long jump pit, a pole vault pit and throwing rings. The new location might also host track and field meets, according to Costello. “[The center] has all the essential spaces for all of the field events, so we can run a full track meet in that space,” he said, explaining that the layout would allow for better sightlines and closer seating during meets.

According to Costello, the center will also be a space for different sports-related events. “We’ll look at hosting other events there as they come about. We will utilize that space on game days — like football game days — and do some special activities there,” he said. “We haven’t confirmed or dialed in what that’s going to look like yet.” 

In addition, Costello said that the center will help reduce traffic in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. This will allow different teams — such as basketball and track and field — to practice simultaneously without competing for space. “It’s better for all of the programs to have their own space,” Costello said.

In July of last year — around the time of the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new center — Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Lyle Weese spoke optimistically about the project. 

“I appreciate the University's commitment to providing our student-athletes with the resources to compete for championships at the national and conference levels,” he said. “I experienced those opportunities as both an athlete and a coach, and I look forward to current and future Bobcats reaching new heights.” 

To learn more about the center, visit https://msubobcats.com/facilities/kennedy-stark-athletic-center/97.