Students taking advantage of new Evansdale Rec Fields

West Virginia University students are starting to take advantage of the new recreation facilities on the Evansdale campus.

The $8.4 million project includes an artificial turf soccer field and a naturally irrigated grass soccer field, both of which will double as flag football fields.

In addition to the fields is a walking and jogging trail and five new tennis courts.

The natural turf field is expected to be playable in Spring 2012.

Many students have already taken to some of the facilities.

"The fields are for everyone," said Bruce Brubaker, program manager of intramurals and club sports. "We want people playing soccer, Frisbee, lacrosse – anything. We want anyone who could enjoy these fields to use them."

Jared Fabian, president of the WVU Club Sports Federation, said that the fields have been busy on a daily basis.

"Every time I go by the fields, students have been filling the fields whether it's for recreation or intramurals," he said. "I'm very happy to see it. People worked so hard to get it done."

Club and intramural teams secure the fields from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day.

Different teams can reserve and be approved for field space online, Fabian said.

The men's club soccer team has been using the fields regularly. Intramural tennis is also held at the five new courts.

The fields will host the intramural flag football games and championship games, in addition to the Men's Invitational Lacrosse Tournament.

While the actual construction of the fields only took about four months, the Evansdale Recreation Fields is a project that has been in the making for years and was recently finalized by WVU President James P. Clements.

At a Board of Governors meeting Friday, Clements expressed his excitement about the facilities nearing completion.

"The new outdoor recreation space is already filled with students," he said. "I went for a jog on a Sunday afternoon and passed the new soccer field and tennis courts, and they were packed – every single one of them."

Jon Bond, a graduate assistant for intramurals and a public health student, said those frequently using the facilities are already dedicated to maintaining them.

"You can build a field, but you have to make sure it's well-kept," Bond said. "You have to keep it clean and keep it usable for everyone."