Gifts to Marquette
Kick-start
 Marquette soon will add to the number of bulldozers dotting the Menomonee River Valley as it prepares to build a new soccer stadium at Valley Fields.
In June the soccer program received a generous lead gift toward the project. KBS Construction Inc. and chairman Dennis Klein donated
$1 million to the project. Klein and his wife, Barbara, are graduates of Marquette’s College of Business Administration, classes of ’73 and ’72, respectively. The stadium will be named for the Klein family and feature a natural-grass pitch, partially covered spectator seating, team locker and meeting rooms, concessions and restrooms.
“The Klein family’s gift provides significant momentum toward the construction of a first-class soccer facility and further demonstrates Marquette’s commitment to excellence in soccer,” says Steve Cottingham, interim director of intercollegiate athletics.
Momentum is important: The total cost of the stadium is approximately
$5 million. Recognizing the need, men’s basketball head coach Tom Crean and his wife, Joani, committed $100,000 toward the project.
“Tom is meticulous about details, but he also sees the big picture,” says men’s soccer coach Louis Bennett of Crean. “He grasps what a facility like this can do for our soccer programs. We have little control over the visibility of this sport until we have a facility that’s specific to soccer. This stadium will give spectators a feel for what a good soccer experience is.
Women’s soccer coach Markus Roeders agrees: “We’re creating the best environment for our student-athletes, fans, alumni and the university.
The goal is to complete fund raising this year and begin construction after the soccer season. The stadium is scheduled to open in September 2008. — CS
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