Saxon Hill Sports Complex remains on target for December 2025 completion

Mark Zupan, Alfred University president, tries his hand at running a bulldozer at the construction site for the Saxon Hill Sports Center. Site work began recently on the $30 million project on land atop Jericho Hill in the town of Alfred.

Construction of the Saxon Hill Sports Complex, Alfred University's $30 million sports and recreation facility atop Jericho Hill in the town of Alfred, is underway and on schedule to be completed in December 2025 and ready to host practices and athletics competition in the spring of 2026.

"We're still on target for finishing as scheduled. We have worked hard on all aspects of this project to be able to stay on track," Deb Steward, associate vice president for Student Experience, Athletics and Recreation, said Thursday morning at the 200-acre site located approximately three miles south of campus.

LeChase Construction of Rochester is serving as construction project manager, while the Olean, NY-based architectural firm of Clark, Patterson & Lee (CPL) performed design services. Workers from LG Evans Construction of Avon, NY, the subcontractor for site construction, have begun moving dirt and removing trees to make way for roadways and utility lines and, ultimately, for the installation of athletic fields, an outdoor track, and several accompanying buildings.

"We have a really great team, between CPL, LeChase and Alfred University. We're very excited to see this project put in motion," added Steward, who along with Mark Zupan, Alfred University president, took turns on a bulldozer moving earth near where the new baseball field will be located. Watch video of President Zupan at the dozer's controls here.

Deb Steward, associate vice president for Student Experience, Athletics and Recreation, operates a bulldozer at the construction site for the Saxon Hill Sports Center. Workers recently began site preparation for the $30 million project on land atop Jericho Hill in the town of Alfred.

Last fall, the Alfred University Board of Trustees gave its approval for the construction of the Saxon Hill Sports Complex, a project that is expected to significantly enhance the university's student recruitment and retention efforts. Once completed, it will have facilitated the addition of four new intercollegiate varsity athletics teams: baseball, men's and women's rugby, and field hockey. The baseball team began competing last spring and will begin playing at its home field at Saxon Hill in spring 2026; women's rugby began competing as an intercollegiate varsity sport this fall. Men's rugby, formerly housed under student clubs, is now an official intercollegiate athletic team. Field hockey will begin competition in the fall of 2025. The Complex will also positively impact the men's and women's track and field teams as the facility will provide a home practice and competition venue.

In addition, Saxon Hill will provide valuable practice space for existing teams that currently practice and compete at Yunevich Stadium on the AU campus. An existing cross country course-which has been used primarily for training but has hosted competitive meets-will be retained and used for practices and competitions.

Once completed, the complex will include:

• Saxon Sports Center: locker rooms; athletic training room; offices; assembly space where alumni, parents/families can gather for tailgate functions; officials' locker room; media room.
• Baseball field: lighted, synthetic turf field with scoreboard; bullpens and dugouts. A two-tier building will house restrooms, a concession stand, team room, public address and game operations space.
• Track and field facility/Multi-purpose turf field: lighted 400-meter eight-lane track with jump and throw areas; video scoreboard. The infield of the track will be a multi-purpose synthetic turf field which will be home to the future intercollegiate field hockey team and as a practice and competition facility for other outdoor field sport teams.
• Rugby field: lighted, natural grass field with scoreboard. The women's and men's teams began play as intercollegiate teams this fall.
• Grandstands and Press Box: One set of grandstands will face the track and multi-purpose field, the other will face the rugby field. A dual-sided press box will feature public address and game operations booths for each competition venue and will include spectator restrooms and visitors' team rooms.

Subcontractors have been chosen for the installation of turf for the fields (Chenango Contracting of Johnson City, NY); the outdoor track surface (Detroit-based Crafco Inc); lighting (Musco Lighting of Oskaloosa, IA); and scoreboards/sound (Toth's Sports of Victor, NY). Bids for the construction of the Saxon Hill Sports Center, press boxes, and grandstand are being prepared for release in the coming months, with construction expected to begin next spring.

It is anticipated that site development-utilities, parking lots, roadways-will be completed by November 2025. The baseball field will be completed by October 2025, while the track and multi-purpose field, throws area, and rugby field will be finished by December 2025. Construction of the various buildings begins in March and is expected to be completed by December 2025.

The $30 million project will be funded by a combination of bonds and philanthropic gifts; to date, more than $10 million has been raised through philanthropy.

The project is expected to be a boon for student-athlete recruitment and student retention, with the University estimating it will increase enrollment by approximately 170 students over the first six years of its opening. Saxon Hill will complement nearby existing sports, recreational, and academic facilities located in the area atop Jericho Hill. These include the Bromeley-Daggett Equestrian Center at Maris Cuneo Equine Park, home to Alfred University's world-class equestrian program, and Foster Lake, which provides the campus community with numerous recreational and co-curricular opportunities.