Houck Stadium is set for a 40,000-square-foot building expansion.
The expansion is in the second phase of a major overhaul of the facility that dates back several years. The next phase is intended to increase the functionality of the stadium.
“We don't have a place for working media. We don't have a place for a lot of our game day functions that we need to have. We don't even have a game day locker room for our football program right now, so we're trying to incorporate all of those things into this next phase,” vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics Brady Barke said.
“The next phase is going to be around 40,000 square feet,” Barke added. “A six-story building is to be built. It will include all of our sports operation spaces: locker rooms, coaches’ office, meeting rooms, and a new sports medicine facility will be housed here. All of our athletic administration offices will be relocated. On the top level, we are going to have a premium space for fans on game days.”
Built in 1930, the stadium hadn’t seen many revisions until 2021, when Southeast Missouri State University launched the Houck Project, a plan to modernize and expand the historic stadium.
Barke said the plans for Houck have evolved as they’ve started the process.
“When we started this renovation with the first phase, we referred to it as the ‘Houck Project’, because we were renovating the field and the surrounding areas,” Barke said.
Since then, the Houck Project’s plans have been updated, and the name of the project has changed to ‘Stadium Phase 2.’
“As we think about this as a more inclusive stadium, and not just the field, ‘Stadium Phase 2’ is what you’ll hear this project referred to as,” Barke said.
Funding for the project began in 2021, when SEMO and its foundation committed about $12 million to launch the first phase. The following summer, the State of Missouri added another $11 million to support the complex, with approval from Gov. Mike Parson.
Assistant director of athletics Kent Phillips said they are excited to be able to have the funds to work on this project.
“The thing I’m most excited to see is us actually having the resources we need to put our best foot forward,” Phillips said.
In fall 2021, SEMO’s Board of Governors approved the first phase. This included tearing down and rebuilding the south side of the stadium. The old bleachers were replaced with new seating and designated season-ticket sections.
Phillips said Phase 1 also brought a new turf field, updated restrooms, and improved concession stands. Work on Phase 1 ended in 2023.
“We didn’t have enough restrooms. We didn’t have enough concession stands. We didn’t have enough of anything really,” Phillips said.
Barke said Houck Stadium is moving through the next stages. The estimated time of completion is unclear as the university continues to raise funds to finance the project.
“It’s one of the most transformational projects the university has ever taken on,” said Barke.
The most recent upgrade came in 2024, when SEMO added a press box to Houck Stadium. While this isn’t the final version of the press box, it became an essential addition when the Redhawks hosted the Illinois State Redbirds during the 2024 FCS Playoffs.
With these projects combined, SEMO is not only upgrading athletics but also expanding academic opportunities in health and STEM fields.
Former SEMO President Carlos Vargas said in a news release on July 14, 2022, that this project encompasses more than just the stadium.
“When we talk about the Houck Project, we aren’t just talking about the stadium,” Vargas said in the news release.
Houck isn’t the only place on campus seeing change. Dearmont Hall, one of SEMO’s oldest dorms, is set to be demolished this fall. In its place will be the Roy Blunt Health Professions Hall, which is expected to open by 2027.
Barke said the project will change the first view people get of campus.
“It will be a truly game-changing space for us once completed. As you drive up Broadway, that is really going to be your first interaction with the university,” said Barke.
This story was originally published by the Southeast Arrow—a student-run publication from Southeast Missouri State University. The Southeast Arrow is a news partner with KRCU Public Radio.