VERMILLION, S.D. ­— The University of South Dakota broke ground on the Gassen Family Fieldhouse Friday morning, marking the first physical step towards building one of the premier indoor track and field facilities in the country.
 
Friday's ceremony was open to the public. Bill Gassen, J.D. '08, '04 and Jill Gassen, '06, '04, both alumni of USD and members of the track and field team, and who the fieldhouse is named in honor of, were in attendance. The podium for Friday's speaking engagement was set on the future starting line of the fieldhouse, signifying the start of a new era at USD.
 
"We've always had world-class students-athletes here," Bill Gassen said to the crowd gathered Friday morning. "It's time that now we have facilities that are befitting the incredible talent that comes through this school, that has come through this school for generations, and will continue into the future."
 
The fieldhouse will be the home of South Dakota Track and Field, Cross Country, and Triathlon. The construction is set to be completed in the summer of 2028, and once completed, will allow for the DakotaDome to be converted to a year-yound turf-down facility. These projects create more opportunities for other USD's athletic programs and visitors to use the space.
 
The Gassen Family Fieldhouse will include a 200-meter banked track, a pair of perimeter warm-up lanes, a 60-meter straightaway, a pair of long/triple jump pits, two pole vault stations, two high jump areas over straightaways and a pair of throwing cages. Outside of the competition area, there will be spaces for offices, student-athlete lounges, a hydrotherapy room, and more. Total seating for the fieldhouse will be over 2,000.
 
"The University of South Dakota is going to have one of the best track facilities in the country," Huber told the people in attendance Friday. "We've gone to all these track meets and brought a tape measure…. We've taken all those great ideas and put them into this facility, and all of the mistake they made, we've learned from and put into this facility, and that's why I'm so proud of it."
 
The groundbreaking Friday morning was a part of the week-long 112^th annual Dakota Days celebration. As USD continues to celebrate its traditions and memories, the speakers at the groundbreaking thanked the community and state for the support. The construction of the Gassen Family Fieldhouse would not be possible without the support of the South Dakota Legislature, the late T. Denny Sanford, Bill and Jill Gassen, and USD friends and donors.
 
The Gassen Family Fieldhouse is one component of a larger master facility plan for South Dakota Athletics. This roadmap positions USD to build and enhance practice, competition and recovery environments that will serve Coyote student-athletes, fans and the broader community for decades to come.
 
"This is just the start for us," Schemmel said. "Today, we're on the start line of this facility, and we're on the start line of this campaign too. This is step one."

 
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