Throughout the spring and summer, The College of Idaho has embarked on an almost all-encompassing overhaul to its athletic facilities. It is replacing the turf at Simplot Stadium, Wolfe Field and Symms Field. It is resurfacing the pool in its Aquatic Center and replacing the court and bleachers in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center (JAAC). And, last but not least, it formally opened the new Christensen-Buffington Hitting Facility, which sits next to the baseball field and features a baseball locker room and five batting cages.
With this new addition and renovations come a renewed emphasis on two things.
First, the College is doubling down on purple. The turf upon Wolfe Field and Symms Field are receiving a generous splash of purple.
“We’re often referred to by our alumni as the best-kept secret in Idaho,” said Reagan Rossi, Vice President of Athletics for the College. “We’re done with that. I want people to know who we are and know what we are about. We’re a great academic institution. We’re a great athletic institution. When people see purple, we want them to think of The College of Idaho.”
Second, the College is focusing on community impact and collaboration.
“Anytime you can do these kinds of upgrades, it’s going to have dividends for the entire institution,” said Rossi. “While these facilities impact our ability to play, practice and compete, what they do for this campus community and the Caldwell community are so much greater.”
Most notably, the JAAC is having its court and bleachers replaced for the first time since it opened its doors in 1991. And as these pieces of history are removed and auctioned off, the College yields a reverent goodbye to an era defined by conferences and national championships.
“From ’91 on, everything has happened on that floor,” said Rossi. “That’s special. And what’s more special is we have people who have been here for every single one of those games. They’ve been season ticket holders since we opened this building.”
Student-athletes make up roughly 50 percent of the College’s student population. So, these facility upgrades will have an immediate impact across campus. But, because any facility renovation or addition generally requires a significant investment, you might be wondering about how such an investment is impacting the rest of the campus.
“None of these projects are coming at the expense of something else within the institution,” said Rossi. “We didn’t cut another project or program on campus so that we could replace the turf or the floor. In Athletics, the bulk of what we do is fundraised. Without generous donors, these things don’t happen.”
These facility improvements were made possible, in large part, by the City of Caldwell and Lurre Construction and the generosity of the Christensen and Buffington families and many other College alumni and donors.
Dorene Christensen ’72 said her husband Carl, who put the first shovel into the ground for the new hitting facility before passing away in 2021, would have been delighted with how the project turned out. Both Carl Christensen ’70 and Dean Buffington ’63 were student-athletes at the College and their families remain strong supporters of their alma mater.
“As Carl said, we never dreamed that we would have the money to give to something like this, so we’re thankful and happy to give back.”
To see more images of the new, updated athletic facilities, visit the College's Flickr page.
The College of Idaho has a 133-year-old legacy of excellence. The College is known for its outstanding academic programs, winning athletics tradition, and history of producing successful graduates, including eight Rhodes Scholars, three governors, and countless business leaders and innovators. Its distinctive PEAK Curriculum challenges students to attain competency in the four knowledge peaks of humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and a professional field—empowering them to earn a major and three minors in four years. The College’s close-knit, residential campus is located in Caldwell, where its proximity both to Boise and to the world-class outdoor activities of southwest Idaho’s mountains and rivers offers unique opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. For more information, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.