Remembering Houck’s history, celebrating its future

This fall, Houck Field opens with a new south grandstand and an exciting vision for its future. It’s a good time to be a Redhawks fan.

The road to a new Houck, though, has been a longtime coming.

Just days before the Sept. 2, 2021, SEMO home opener against rival Southern Illinois University, a site visit by structural engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti Inc. confirmed the concerns from two other rounds of stadium inspections that the stadium’s south grandstand presented “an unsafe and imminently hazardous condition for occupancy.”

This news triggered a series of plans for how the university would handle stadium operations with half of Houck Field condemned.

In addition to the immediate issue of shifting all seating to the north grandstand for the next two seasons, among other changes to operations, the news also meant the university would need to find a path forward to rebuild the south grandstand, re-imagine what the future of the stadium and surrounding facilities could look like, and determine how to fund that vision with rising material costs and tight budgets.

Two years later, Houck Field has new grandstand seating on the south entrance, including new all-inclusive areas. There is an improved fan experience for concessions and additional restrooms, along with new field turf. SEMO is moving forward with future phases, which will not only serve the athletes on campus but also benefit students academically.

Southeast has secured state funding, support from the City of Cape Girardeau, and private donations for the Houck project. And more support will be needed to fulfill the full vision. But this is an exciting endeavor, one that should assist in the recruitment of students to campus and encourage economic activity in Cape Girardeau’s downtown area on game days.

This commemorative magazine serves as an opportunity to celebrate the history of SEMO football and soccer, which goes hand-in-hand with Houck Field. Many of the area’s top athletes have played at Houck.

Additionally, there’s a special connection between Cape Girardeau and Houck. It’s a gateway to downtown Cape Girardeau.

We’ve witnessed more than a few future NFL players develop their talents on this field. You’ll read about several in this magazine.

There are the coaches who have led the Indians and Redhawks on the gridiron — some during lean years and others to national prominence. We take a look at the leaders of the SEMO football program over the years.

And, of course, there’s a nod to the future. Coach Tom Matukewicz, hired in December 2013, has led the Redhawks back to national prominence during his tenure in Cape Girardeau. And his message and coaching around leadership transcend the gridiron.

The Redhawks were ranked in several Top-25 polls during the 2023 pre-season coming off last year’s campaign where they won a share of the Ohio Valley Conference championship to advance to the FCS playoffs.

This year, Southeast will have an improved stadium experience to go along with its playoff caliber performance on the field.

The 2023 season is a milestone one for Southeast Missouri State University and Houck Field. This fall launches a new era for the stadium, the players who will compete and the memories that will be made.

We join students, alums and fans in celebrating this historic occasion.

Jon K. Rust is the president of Rust Communications and publisher of the Southeast Missourian. Lucas Presson is assistant publisher and general manager of the Southeast Missourian.