For the first time in more than a decade, MidAmerica Nazarene University athletes finally have a place to call home.
More importantly, for the first time in more than a decade, the MNU football players won’t be dragging their equipment out of their trunks on gameday.
The grand opening of the new Copeland Athletic Complex right in the heart of the MNU campus isn’t just about football, though, it’s about community, legacy and the long-awaited return of gameday to campus.
There will be a special dedication ceremony tomorrow, Oct. 3, for the complex named in memory of former mayor and MNU graduate, Michael Copeland. The gorgeous new stadium will host its first game on Saturday, Oct. 4.
For the MNU community, this project has been years in the making. The football team has been without a home stadium since 2012, practicing on campus but playing games across town. The complex is more than just football, though. Track and field has gone without a practice facility for more than 15 years.
In addition to the state-of-the-art football stadium with locker room facilities, concessions stands and outdoor seating, the project features a gorgeous new eight-lane track where the old stadium once sat, on the south side of the complex.
“Our track team has won numerous indoor and outdoor conference championships in the last 10-plus years and we haven’t had a facility to train them,” said Todd Garrett, MNU’s Vice President for University Advancement & Athletics. “They’ve been training at middle schools, high schools, ODAC and CBAC. This gives our athletes a place to call home.”
Home is what designers had in mind when building the new complex. In addition to the permanent seating, there are plenty of spots for fans to throw down a blanket or set up a lawn chair to watch the game, just like many did at the old MNU stadium.
“You can access the hill in the north endzone from inside the stadium. We believe that’ll be another place for families to grab blankets and lawn chairs,” Garrett said. “At the old stadium, the whole endzone was just packed with chairs. So, we kind of feel like we’ve transplanted that concept of family environment.”
More than just athletics, it’s about the heartbeat of campus life, according to Garrett. “Having an on-campus stadium is how you establish community. It’s the music, the sound, the energy, the relationships and camaraderie. Without that, you’re in some ways losing that community feel,” he said.
Reimagining Recruitment and Experience
MNU Athletic Director Ryan Thompson believes the Copeland Athletic Complex will mark a turning point not only with current athletes but also in how prospective students view MNU.
“It’s amazing what they’ve done without this complex,” Thompson said. “Now that we have this, I think it’s going to improve our visit days for football and track. It’s not only athletic improvement — I think it’s going to help recruitment for the school overall.”
Thompson emphasized the power of gameday spirit as part of MNU’s identity. “Just getting recruits on campus and seeing the energy — I can’t imagine that’s not going to make a significant difference.”
Alumni and City Legacy
The sense of homecoming extends beyond current athletes. For alumni, the stadium represents a piece of MNU history restored.
“When you come home, as an alum, this is a big part of being home,” said Eric Bryant, MNU Director of Development. “There is a passion in our community here with our alums and friends. MidAmerica has been a big part of this city’s history, and I think Olathe is really excited for us.”
Copeland, a beloved alumnus, became a central part of the project’s story.
“To know that the late Mike Copeland still has his fingerprints on this institution and our community is tremendous,” Garrett said. “We had a Copeland Task Force as part of our Bright Futures campaign committee. This isn’t just an MNU thing — this is an Olathe thing.”
The MNU Bright Futures Campaign – which raised $85 million, $6.5 million over their goal – began nearly a decade ago to help secure funds for improvements on the MNU campus such as the beautiful new Cunningham Student Center and the Mabee Learning Commons, during the first two phases of the campaign and improvements to the old Land Gymnasium building and the Copeland Athletic Complex.
It wasn’t just for capital projects, either. In addition to the goals for capital projects, university support and scholarships, campaign leadership expanded the goal for academic programs to enrich students’ scholarly opportunities, funding the following projects:
- Faculty Development Projects
- The Center for Academic and Professional Services
- Expanding Student and Academic Support Services
- Establishing the Center for Career & Life Calling
Building an Intimate Stadium
Creating the Copeland Athletic Complex required the work of committed partners. PGAV Architects, Olsen Engineers and A.L. Huber Construction helped translate MNU’s dreams into reality.
“What we envisioned was a very intimate environment that fed into our community and relationships,” Garrett said. “I feel like they nailed it.”
Despite challenges with utilities, easements and rock removal, the result is a stadium that seats up to 3,000 but feels close-knit. “You may get that many people here, but it still feels intimate,” Garrett said.
Beyond Football
The benefits of the stadium extend to multiple sports and student-athlete life. Baseball, softball, soccer, and track programs now have access to locker rooms for the first time.
“This complex is going to benefit a lot of student-athletes,” Garrett said. “We’ve got locker rooms that are going to meet all of our fall and spring sports. They’ve never had that. What a gift.”
From the new vantage points, visitors can see the stadium from multiple points on campus and even from the corner of 143rd and Mur-Len.
“This gives our institution a completely different footprint,” Garrett said. “It’s going to be more difficult for people to ask, ‘MidAmerica Who?’”
A Dream Decades in the Making
Conversations about a new stadium began as far back as 2001, before the old stadium was torn down. Nearly 20 years of dreaming, planning and determination have now culminated in a complex that suddenly redefines MNU’s campus.
“What we’ve done here is phenomenal,” Garrett said. “We’re very, very thankful.”
Thankful, indeed. For everything, but especially for not having to haul the Pioneer gameday experience across town.