Rockhurst University Athletics is excited to announce the successful completion of the past year's campaign to refresh Bourke Field.

"Words cannot express how grateful I am to all of our outstanding alumni and families who generously supported this important project. It will have a positive impact on so many student-athletes, our programs, and the entire university community," said Kristy Bayer, Director of Athletics.

The campaign for Bourke Field kicked off in fall 2024 at the 60 Years of Men's Soccer Celebration weekend. Since then, alumni and families from across the university have come together and contributed over $750,000 to support the refresh, which includes new field turf, LED stadium lights, and fencing.

Ray Sonnenberg, '69, was a member of one of the first Hawks soccer teams nearly 60 years ago and was part of the group that helped launch this campaign.

"Rockhurst enjoys a great athletic tradition, and we were confident that we could do this and provide our current student-athletes with a facility to match their success," said Sonnenberg.

Bourke Field serves as the home to the men's and women's soccer programs as well as the men's and women's lacrosse programs. In addition, the facility provides secondary practice space for other teams and recreational space for all students on campus.

Leading the renovation efforts was Tarkett Sports, a world leader in sports construction and surfacing. Tarkett has completed over 140 projects in Kansas and Missouri since 2020.

"The completion of this project is just the latest stride we have made in our continued efforts to provide our student-athletes with a championship-level experience at Rockhurst University," said Bayer. "We are so fortunate to have donors who believe in the value that participating in college athletics has on a young person's life, and we appreciate their willingness to invest in their success."

While preseason practices have officially started, the first scheduled game on Bourke Field will take place on Thursday, September 4 at 4 p.m., when men's soccer hosts Fort Hays State in their season opener. Women's soccer will host Fort Hays State on Friday, September 5 at 2 p.m.