During this summer, Monmouth College remodeled the April Zorn Memorial Stadium with $1.6 million.
The field's subsurface has a life span of fifteen to twenty years. Before the 2024 remodeling, the stadium hadn't been completely renovated since the 80s, making it outdated.
A big design change to the stadium is the midfield logo will no longer say "Fighting Scots" but instead is changed to a red letter 'M' as well as adding red end zones to the field. This is to help prevent carpet burns and give the players better footing.
The college received a grant through the State of Illinois Independent Colleges Investment Grant Program. The grant completely funded the makeover as well as redoing roofs of other buildings on campus.
Director of Athletics Roger Haynes says how happy he is to see the renovation take place. “As with everything else, those things have a life span, and they were beyond their life span. So, it was time to update the subsurface and top surface of the track system and it was time to put a new rug on the football field.”
The new stadium shows Monmouth’s commitment to student-athletes. The new stadium is for more than just the track and football teams use. Intramurals, softball, and baseball teams can make use of the space. The school has shown its dedication to other programs, such as creating a nursing program and creating a new theater space.
The project began in mid-May. The football field is now completed and already in use. The track is still being renovated, with being close to completion in just over a week.