WKU News

Western Kentucky University unveiled plans today (Oct. 20) for a new state-of-the-art fieldhouse and press box.

The 120,000-square-foot Hilltopper Fieldhouse will be home to the WKU Forensics and E-Sports programs, as well as provide practice and training space for the Big Red Marching Band and Hilltopper Athletics. The facility will be built upon the land that currently is home to the football practice field, in between Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium and Nick Denes Field.

The 15,300-square-foot press box will serve as a first-class home for media coverage of Hilltopper Football games. Situated above the existing Harbaugh Club, the press box will house the television broadcast, radio booths, coaches' booths, working press and game operations. Premium suites will also be in the new facility.

"The Hilltopper Fieldhouse will position our student-athletes for additional success," President Timothy C. Caboni said. "But more than an athletics facility, the Fieldhouse also will provide unparalleled, technology-rich, indoor practice spaces for our Big Red Marching Band, our E-Sports teams, and our Forensics team."

The renderings were revealed this morning (Oct. 20) during the Board of Regents committee meetings.

"The Hilltopper Fieldhouse will be an incredible complex for our student-athletes to utilize, as well as serving as the home to our Hilltopper Baseball program," Athletic Director Todd Stewart said. "Situated between Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium and Nick Denes Field, this state-of-the-art facility will enhance every one of our sport programs. The indoor space will allow for year-round, climate-controlled training for all 16 of our programs and puts us in the best position, from a facilities standpoint, we have ever been in the history of WKU Athletics once it is completed!"

WKU selected K. Norman Berry Associates Architects in association with HKS Architects for the project.

"The KNBA/HKS team is excited to be involved with the Hilltopper Fieldhouse and Press Box project," KNBA Principal Architect Tim Doelling said. "The Fieldhouse will be a tremendous resource for WKU and the greater Bowling Green community. It will help to bring students, with a wide variety of talents and interests, to the University and give them more reasons to stay on The Hill for their educational journey. The innovative mix of programs, staff and students that will call the building home will create a dynamic facility with unique opportunities for collaboration and growth. Ultimately the Fieldhouse will be yet another tool the University provides to help students achieve success during their time at WKU and beyond."

"HKS and KNBA are proud of our partnership and focused collaboration with WKU to further reinforce the University's Strategic Plan," said Fred Ortiz, HKS Global Practice Director, Sports & Entertainment. "As a continuation of the momentum from the top of The Hill, these impactful projects will transform the quality of the WKU community experience on many levels and strengthen the Avenue of Champions as a memorable campus asset."

A groundbreaking celebration will take place on Friday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m. Construction on Hilltopper Fieldhouse is expected to officially begin later this fall with project completion late in 2025. The press box construction will begin in December and is expected to be ready for kickoff in 2024.

• More: Renderings; Hilltopper Fieldhouse & Press Box

Hilltopper Fieldhouse and Press Box

The new Hilltopper Fieldhouse will:

• Serve as the permanent home to the WKU Forensics program and provide the program with modern classroom, practice, office, and competition space to allow it to continue its run of excellence as the most dominant collegiate speech and debate organization in the country. 
• House the WKU E-Sports programs and teams and equip them with state-of-the-art competition space, practice pods and offices. 
• Become the new base for the Big Red Marching Band program with dedicated storage/support space for the band as well as a venue for year-round, all-weather practice.
• Include a new Baseball Clubhouse with Locker Room, Weight Room, Team Room and Coaches' Offices.
• House a new baseball hitting facility with four batting cages and flexible multi-purpose space.
• Incorporate an 87,000 square foot indoor training facility for use by the WKU Marching Band, WKU Athletics, Intramurals and the greater WKU community.
• Serve to better equip WKU students for their endeavors in the classroom and in their competitions.
• Serve as a place of learning and collaboration for the various programs that will call it home.
• Celebrate the great success of the programs that will continue to grow and succeed from within this new facility.
• Encourage and provide the tools for innovation, learning, collaboration and success.

The new Press Box will:

• Be constructed within the existing Smith West stadium, as a new floor level built above the existing Harbaugh Club.
• Include modern media and press facilities to enable the media to better broadcast the continued success of the WKU programs.
• Provide state-of-the-art coaches facilities to better equip coaches and staff to guide the student-athletes of the University.
• House several suites for additional premium seating and viewing options.

A Steering Committee comprised of WKU faculty and staff worked with KNBA Architects & HKS Architects to design the new facilities.