Palomar College building new football, softball stadiums

Erickson-Hall Construction has broken ground of new football stadium and softball fields of Palomar College at San Marcos, California.

The $22.8 million facilities were designed by HMC Architects and funded by the $694 million Proposition M (Maintain & Modernize Palomar College) which was approved by voters in Nov. 2006. The proposition was passed for $694 million to be given to Palomar College in a series of bonds to keep the college maintained and modernized. The Athletics and Kinesiology projects are part of the C and D series of bonds with a budget of $50 million for the facilities being built.

Construction of the football and softball stadiums is expected to take one year, with completion expected in October 2023.

“These new stadiums are destined to be projects that will continue the great legacy of our Palomar athletics,” said President Rivera-Lacey at the groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 18, 2022. “The second phase of the project will consist of a new field house, of locker rooms, equipment rooms, weight rooms, athletic training rooms, and fitness testing labs.”

Palomar College athletic director Daniel A. Lynds said: “The new playing surfaces will greatly reduce the risk of injury and help to prolong their athletic careers. Additionally, the high-tech video equipment housed in each facility will provide a platform from which the student athletes can evaluate their progress and more importantly be seen and recruited by four-year institutions.”

Lynds added: “We are ecstatic that we have a partner in Erickson-Hall Construction that realises the immense impact that these stadiums and their accompanying facilities will have on our students, the institution, and the community. It is obvious that Erickson-Hall shares our commitment to excellence and determination to build amazing athletic facilities at Palomar College.”

These two stadiums are to be part of the first phase in Palomar College Athletics improvement projects. The softball stadium will be built to be four stories high and will even have a press box on the fourth story. The inclusion of a football stadium will now allow the Palomar College football team to host its own home games. Palomar College’s football team currently holds its home games at Escondido High School’s football stadium.

Since its establishment in 1946, Palomar College has never had a football stadium. The new football stadium will be able to host up to 3,600 fans. It will feature a new synthetic turf field, scoreboard, and a three-story press box with elevator.

The stadium also will act as a venue for large-scale events on campus, including commencement ceremonies, which were earlier conducted in an open field adjacent to the campus.

Palomar softball is one of the leading programs in the state, having won eight consecutive Pacific Coast Athletic Conference titles. The new softball field will offer the Palomar softball team a home for it practice.

The new 207-seat softball stadium will feature batting cages, bullpens, masonry dugouts, a scoreboard, a press box, and a single-story fieldhouse.

Erickson-Hall president Mat Gates said: “The anticipation from the community and student body for Palomar College’s new athletic facilities makes it such a rewarding project. We can’t wait to celebrate with Palomar College when they can finally host their first home football game, and see their stellar softball team thrive in their new home.”

Erickson-Hall is a contractor for both K-12 and higher education programs.