WINTER 2001 / VOL. 19, NO. 2
CARDINAL PARK OPENS WITH FANFARE
This aerial view of Cardinal Park also includes a computer-generated natatorium image (upper right), one of the facilities planned for the complex's future.
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U of L athletics director Tom Jurich called Cardinal Park "spectacular." President John Shumaker said it was "a dream." Mayor David Armstrong proclaimed it "the best sports complex in America, without question."
These officials joined several hundred spectators and U of L athletes Aug. 30 for the dedication of the new sports complex on Belknap campus. Designed for many of U of L's non- revenue and women's sports programs, the park will be a community asset, Shumaker said. The public can use the cushioned fitness trail that winds through the park, outdoor basketball and sand volleyball courts, a pavilion/picnic area and a playground with equipment to accommodate all children, including the disabled.
An 800-seat softball stadium, a track oval and soccer field with seating for more than 3,000, an artificial turf field for the field hockey team and a sportsplex that includes training and locker rooms, concession areas, restrooms and a store are also part of the package.
The track and fields are available for intramural sports and, occasionally will be open to the public.
The facility is already drawing national attention. A group trying to bring the Olympics to Cincinnati is looking at the complex as a possible site for some events, Shumaker noted, while Jurich said that it could serve as the host site for district, regional and state high school championships.