The Board of Governors at Missouri Western State University has approved construction of a pavilion on the west end of Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium. The pavilion will be built and donated by Steve Craig, the benefactor for whom Craig Field and the Craig School of Business are named.
“The pavilion will provide the finishing piece to the recent improvements to Spratt Stadium, adding to the aesthetics of the stadium, providing symmetry to create a bowl effect and, for some fans, providing a unique game-day experience,” Craig said.
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The pavilion will be built into the hillside that housed the original Spratt Stadium scoreboard before the new 2,500 square-foot video scoreboard was installed on the east end of the field last year, which was made possible by Craig. Among other features, the pavilion will include an 80-foot tall flagpole, a barbecue area, two covered pavilions, and a large gathering area for groups and organizations.
Craig will lease the construction site from Missouri Western for up to one year. He will hire a contractor and pay all of the costs of construction. When construction is finished, Craig will donate all of the improvements back to the university through the Missouri Western State University Foundation. The contractor hired by Craig will be required to pay prevailing wage and be properly bonded and insured.
“Once again, we have an opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to Steve Craig for his continued support of Missouri Western,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “Thanks to his generosity and that of some other private donors, Spratt Stadium will offer a phenomenal game-day experience. The proposed project will greatly enhance our great atmosphere.”
The lease also gives Craig the right to name the pavilion for the person of his choice, subject to approval by the Board of Governors. It is Craig’s intention to identify a past or present resident of St. Joseph to honor with the pavilion’s name.
“The university has raised the bar, realized significant accomplishments, and truly transformed itself over the past decade,” Craig said. “It’s been an honor and a rewarding time for me to have been involved with those efforts through my volunteer activities with the University’s administration. I predict that when people reflect ten years from now on the progress of the University, the past decade will come to be known as the University’s renaissance period.”
Spratt Memorial Stadium was built in 1979, and underwent extensive reconstruction in 2015-2016. The first football game was played on the field Sept. 8, 1979, a 44-0 victory over Dana College. Lights were added six years later, and the Griffons won the first night game over Missouri-Rolla 24-15 on Sept. 4, 1985. Griffon soccer played its first match at Spratt Stadium on Sept. 3, 2006, a 3-2 win over Concordia-St. Paul.
In addition to Griffon football and soccer, Spratt Stadium hosts the St. Joseph High School Football Jamboree and the Missouri Western Department of Music’s annual Tournament of Champions High School Marching Band Competition, and was previously home of the Missouri State High School Eight-Man Football Championship Game. It hosted Missouri Western’s Spring Commencement ceremonies from 1979 to 1981, a tradition that was revived in May 2014.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.