Tennessee Tech broke ground this week on a new $5.4 million track and field facility, a project meant to give the university's runners and jumpers a dedicated home after their old track was bulldozed to make way for a renovated football stadium. The complex will include a competition track, a multipurpose artificial-turf field, lighting, spectator seating, concessions and restrooms once finished.
According to The UC Now, the project will provide a dedicated facility for track and field activities following the removal of the former running track at Tucker Stadium. That removal was part of a broader redesign of the stadium, which the outlet reports allowed football spectators to be closer to the playing field and improved the overall fan experience. Tennessee Tech had previously announced plans to relocate the track near its athletic training center, and the new complex is being described as part of the university's broader effort to modernize its athletic facilities while adapting to changes at the football stadium.
Timeline Still Murky on When Athletes Can Compete
The date when Tennessee Tech athletes will be able to use the new track remains uncertain. A September report from The UC Now said the facility was scheduled for completion in June 2027. In its November groundbreaking report, the outlet cited senior vice president for planning and finance Claire Stinson saying, “My guess is it's going to be closer to October to December of '27,”
Before any official collegiate meet can be held there, the facility must clear two separate hurdles: NCAA construction inspections and certification from the American Sports Builders Association. Neither of those steps has a reported completion status yet, so the track's actual opening for competition will hinge on how quickly the university can satisfy both requirements once construction wraps.
A Trustee's Personal Tie to the Project
The project has drawn financial backing from Tom Jones, a Cookeville native and Tennessee Tech trustee who competed in track at Cookeville High School and later used the university's former track facility himself. Jones pledged $500,000 toward establishing the new running track, a commitment the university highlighted in its own announcement of trustee gifts to athletics.
Tennessee Tech has said its existing running track was removed as part of construction on the university’s new west-side football stadium, tying the track project to the stadium’s transformation.
The stadium project has its own timeline
In a July 2023 update, Tennessee Tech said construction on Tucker Stadium’s west side was expected to take approximately 18 to 20 months. The university’s campus construction page says demolition of the existing West Stadium facility began in August 2024 and is scheduled to finish in September 2026. Those dates describe the stadium work, not the new track’s construction or approval schedule.
One of Several Projects Reshaping Campus
The UC Now also reported on other construction underway at Tennessee Tech. Work began this past summer on the Advanced Construction and Manufacturing Engineering Building, and the university is preparing to open its new J.J. Oakley residence hall and innovation center in fall 2027.
The outlet reported that Johnson Hall, home to the College of Business, is undergoing renovations and a small expansion, with the university expecting to occupy the building by the spring semester of 2028. Renovation work has also begun at the Bryan Fine Arts Building auditorium, though Stinson said no anticipated completion date was known. Separately, the university is moving forward with a privately funded tower planned for the circle in front of Volpe Library.
Tennessee Tech also has a tennis complex approaching the bidding stage. In the outlet’s report, Stinson said the 12-court project had been designed and, to her knowledge, construction had not started.
