The field, which debuted in the fall of 2023, is not far from the intersection of Kenyon Road and Triton Plaza.

“This is a mark of excellence for Triton athletics and Iowa Central in general,” Athletic Director Kevin Twait said. “It’s a game-changer for us. There isn’t another community college practice facility like this in the entire country. It’s huge for our current students. It’s huge for prospective students.

“We needed to upgrade that area to serve hundreds of our current student-athletes in a more efficient manner,” he added. “And if we’re being honest, branding matters in this day and age. When you are recruiting and the first thing you see as you turn (north off of Kenyon Road onto Triton Plaza) is that big, beautiful blue IC logo and ‘Tritons’ in both end zones … this is unrivaled and unmatched. We did it the right way. It’s a credit to (Iowa Central President) Dr. (Jesse) Ulrich, (Vice President of Student Services) Tom Beneke, the entire administration and the board of directors.”

“It’s the most exciting thing for athletics that I’ve seen on our campus in all the years I’ve been here,” Twait said.

Lights will eventually be put up around the field, enabling it to be used after dark.

“That baby will probably be used from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.,” Twait said.

He predicted it will be “used upwards of 15, 16 hours a day.”

The practice field project cost about $2.5 million, according to Ryan Gruenberg, the college’s vice president of operations.

Jensen Builders Ltd., of Fort Dodge, was the construction manager for the project.

Mid America Sports Construction, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, installed the turf.

Rasch Construction Inc., Midwest Fence and Gate Co. and Baker Electric, all of Fort Dodge, were the subcontractors.

The field is larger than a football field. Twait envisions offensive and defensive linemen having one end of the field just for their practices, while the running backs and other players use the rest of it.

The football team will not be the only Triton squad to use the facility. Twait said the men’s and women’s soccer teams will practice and play their home games there. The rugby team will also use the field. Additionally, the field will be used for intramural sports.

“It’s really going to benefit all our sports,” Twait said.

“We’ll have men’s and women’s soccer practice and games there,” he added. “Rugby practice. Track and field will be able to utilize the space. We’re just really excited about the doors this opens for so many more of our kids. We have 1,100 student-athletes and 33 (athletic) programs, and over 5,000 students total. This is another upgrade to the general Triton experience.”