After a 76-year hiatus, Texas Wesleyan University’s football team held their returning season to college football in 2017. Since then, the team has practiced and competed on local school district fields without a home stadium or practice field of their own. As the only school in its conference without an on-campus football practice facility, Texas Wesleyan knew a stadium would not only address this challenge, but positively affect the entire campus and community. As of 2024, the Rams now have their own football stadium and track facility on campus, Karen Cramer Stadium. Selected for product safety, performance, and service life expectancy & longevity, Fort Worth based sports construction firm Paragon Sports Constructors fulfilled Texas Wesleyan’s dreams, constructing a stadium on campus for TWU’s student-athletes and the Polytechnic district community.
PSC’S PROJECT SCOPE
- Demo and excavation of two city streets
- 10′ moisture conditioning with 6″ flex base cap
- Construction of retaining walls in three sections, ranging from 13′ tall and spanning 1,100 linear feet
- Construction of storm water detention system below the field with controlled outflow into city storm water runoff
- Insider and outside concrete curb installation along track
- Running track sandwich system installation on track oval, long jump, pole vault, and high jump areas
- Installation of elastic layer and Shaw Sports Turf Legion NXT synthetic turf system
“Paragon Sports delivered the best value while committing to a collaborative approach to addressing the many unknown conditions associated with redeveloping a major site.”
Brian Franks, Texas Wesleyan Chief Facilities & Operations Officer
SOLUTIONS FOR A TIGHT PROJECT SITE
Texas Wesleyan wanted their stadium on campus, a challenge for an inner-city university in an exceptionally tight space with unstable soil and large elevation changes. To accommodate their wishes, two perimeter city streets were demolished, and large retaining walls installed to ensure optimal project space.
STABILIZATION & DRAINAGE CHALLENGES
Once the project commenced, a substantial amount of buried concrete spread footers, beams, and concrete debris were discovered under the surface. PSC excavated and hauled off over 300 loads of debris and replaced it with clean fill, followed by ten feet of moisture conditioning to obtain a stable, even surface. To ensure proper drainage, city requirements mandated minimal drainage run-off to reduce any impact to the existing storm drainage system. The field met the requirements through a large capacity drainage detention system incorporated into the field’s drainage plan, featuring 18-inch perforated pipes connected to the city collector system.
COMPETITION CALIBER TRACK & FIELD FACILITIES
Even with the expanded project site, the field events did not have an exclusive place to live, resulting in creativity of their location within the track oval. The installation of the shot-put throwing area lives in one D-area with a concrete subbase in lieu of drain stone, and a portable discus cage system was provided to throw the discus across the football field. The track includes steeple chase, high jump areas, and two separate areas to run long jump, triple jump, and pole vaulting, one in the D-area and the other off the end of the northwest track chute. The PSC project team maintained all NCAA track and field requirements, providing Texas Wesleyan the ability to host future high school and collegiate track meets.
“Superintendent Juan Godinez and his team took on this massive project including the challenges to build the underground detention system and met all NCAA track and field layout and elevation requirements. Juan exceeded all expectations on quality, precision, budget, and schedule.”
Joe Martin, PSC Senior Project Manager
COMMUNITY & UNIVERSITY IMPACT
Karen Cramer Stadium serves men’s football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s track and field events, off season athletic conditioning for all programs, multiple intramural sports & activities, plus the university can consider the possibility of expansion in student athlete opportunities. The facilities can also be utilized for numerous Fort Worth ISD athletic events, ranging from football games to track meets. The overall project improved the Polytechnic district landscape of Fort Worth and provides opportunity for further economic development in the area.
PROJECT DETAILS
Football: Turf Shaw Sports Turf Legion NXT / Pad Elayer / Infill Sand & Rubber
Track: Paragon Track Surfaces 4000 Sandwich System
ABOUT PARAGON SPORTS CONSTRUCTORS
Paragon Sports Constructors is a turn-key contractor of natural and synthetic turf sports fields, running tracks and tennis courts based in Fort Worth, Texas. With over 40 years of sports construction experience they are one of the premier sports field and running track contractors in the South-Central United States. Paragon Sports Constructors is a member of the American Sports Builders Association who remains focused on quality construction practices, choosing to partner with top brand name manufacturers of synthetic turf and track surfacing to provide clients a consistently high-quality project from planning to first use. For more information on Paragon Sports Constructors please visit www.paragon-sports.com, or follow them on social media at LinkedIN, Twitter, and Facebook.
