SE HOPES TO UPGRADE STADIUM, TEAM; KAVERMAN SAYS HOURCK FACELIFT NEEDED

If you improve it, they will come.

That, in a nutshell, is what Southeast Missouri State Director of Athletics Donald Kaverman believes when it comes to the proposed improvements of Houck Stadium and the ability to draw better football recruits.

"I think the improvements are absolutely necessary if we have any chance to be successful in the long term," Kaverman said. "We're not up to OVC standards. I was very glad to see the Board of Regents endorse this proposal."

The proposal Kaverman referred to is a $5.2 million dollar improvement plan of the 69-year old structure.

Planned improvements include: laying down synthetic turf; building a new press box on the opposite side of the field and tearing down the existing one; creating much more parking space; building a new home locker facility; renovating the visitors' locker rooms; putting new stone and stucco finishes on the exterior walls of Houck Stadium and Houck Field House and creating a plaza and entrance to the stadium area at the intersection of Henderson and Broadway.

The project has barely gotten off the ground at this point, but Kaverman hopes -- after a fund-raising campaign -- the project will be complete in five years. The project will more than likely be completed in phases and the improvements could begin after the upcoming football season.

"All of the primary ingredients (of the proposal) are necessary," Kaverman said. "I think we will have a nice facility, certainly one we'd be proud to bring recruits to."

Recruiting is one of the main reasons an improvement is needed for the football program, Kaverman said.

"When you're attempting to recruit, young people are very impressionable and you're trying to create a positive (first impression)," he said. "You try to make physical evidence of a commitment to the program.

"Our stadium has to send a message: that Southeast Missouri State is committed to the program. And the upgrades will do just that. And it's critical that they happen. We have to make sure and follow through."

The improvements, Kaverman said, would put Houck Stadium up there with any other facility in the OVC.

One of the upgrades that is sure to spur debate is the installation of artificial turf.

Artificial turf, because it does not give like natural grass, is generally thought to cause injuries. But Kaverman said the relationship between synthetic turf and injuries has not been proven, or even documented. He also said that technology has improved synthetic turfs now so they no longer cause rug burns.

Moreover, Kaverman added that the introduction of artificial turf makes sense with the current various uses of Houck Stadium.

"I'm not married to the concept (of artificial turf)," he said. "But I will say that in a stadium such as ours -- Southeast and Cape Central play home games there and all the other uses -- I think it's the way to go. If Southeast Missouri State was the only team using it and football was the only purpose, natural turf would be great."

Kaverman added: "Putting in an artificial surface in an old stadium is the one single thing you can do to brighten it up. It makes a dramatic difference."

Some may wonder if putting more than $5 million dollars into a 69-year old building is a wise investment.

Kaverman believes the proposed plan is the right one unless a colossal donation comes to the forefront.

"It's a more realistic solution to our needs than coming up with 25 million for a new stadium," he said. "I see this as preserving this building that is a cradle to Southeast football history. I think we'll be married to this building for a long time. We'll have a very fine facility that will represent our school very well."