“You’re about to burst wide open,” Williams said. “We’re proud and we’re happy.”
Talk of a new on-campus athletic facility began in 2005 but took years of fundraising and planning. In September, the Raleigh City Council voted 7-0 to allow St. Aug’s to install 2,500 bleacher-style seats after hearing testimony from school officials and residents from the historic Oakwood neighborhood.
The school – which scaled back its plans for a 5,000-seat capacity – met some resistance from neighbors who objected to potential noise and traffic problems related to on-campus games.
Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker urged St. Aug’s and its neighbors to work together to solve problems.
St. Aug’s vice president Marc Newman, who has spearheaded the athletics facility effort for the school, said the administration is thankful to the city council and is committed to working with its neighbors.
Newman said that this weekend’s event will showcase the need for the new facility as the school expects nearly 3,500 people to attend homecoming events, starting with a parade on Saturday at 10 a.m.
There are nearly 1,500 students currently enrolled at St. Aug’s.
“It’s going to be exciting, but it’s also going to be eye-opening,” Newman said. “The number of people is going to be eye-opening. It’s a new chapter in the evolution of St. Augustine’s College. It is a big part of what we are and what we are becoming.”
The Falcons will play just one football game at home this season. They anticipate playing a full schedule next season.
Temporary bleachers
Construction of the nine-lane track and artificial-turf field was completed this summer. Temporary bleachers were installed for Saturday’s game. Permanent seating is expected to be installed next summer.
Before St. Aug’s disbanded its football program in 1965, the team played home games at Chavis Park. After bringing the football team back in 2002, the Falcons – who are members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – played games at Broughton High School and Durham County Stadium.
Neither of those facilities, Newman said, served the needs of the school. Essentially, students and alumni had to leave campus to participate, carrying them away from other activities associated with games.
Williams, a former U.S. Olympic track and field coach, has guided his programs to 31 NCAA Division II championships. For years, his athletes trained on a busted track and were forced to compete away from campus.
Those days are over.
“It means so much for any institution to brag about their own,” Williams said. “Our students have something they can call their own. The alumni, friends have a place they can call their own. … It’s so important to us.”
Pioneer Bowl season
Last season, the football team had one of its best seasons, finishing 9-2 and earning a berth in the Pioneer Bowl. Fans supported the team despite its off-site home games.
They will feel more at home on Saturday.
Unlike football fields at rented facilities, St. Aug’s new field features the team’s logo emblazoned at the 50-yard line and the word “Falcons” stenciled in blue in both end zones.
“That’s home,” St. Aug’s sports information director Anthony Jefferies said.
The Falcons enter Saturday’s game 2-5 overall and 1-3 in conference play, and are more than midway through a season that hasn’t gone as planned for coach Michael Costa and his squad.
Sophomore quarterback Teddy Bacote and senior receiver Jamian Smith have been bright spots for the Falcons. Last week, Smith caught a school-record 17 receptions for 142 yards in a 23-21 loss to West Georgia.
Lifted spirits
Players say performing before a home-crowd has been the talk of the locker room.
“It lifts our spirits,” St. Aug’s senior cornerback Jamil Berry said. “Don’t nobody want to lose in front of their home crowd.”
It’s taken 144 years, but the moment has arrived.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” Costa said. “We appreciate the opportunity to showcase our talents to our fans and our alumni and finally have that home field advantage.”
