ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. – ULM has scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Friday, April 13 at 10 a.m. to celebrate the reopening of Groseclose Track, which marks completion of the first phase of a $5 million renovation at historic Brown Stadium.

This weekend, ULM plays host to its first track and field competition (ULM Warhawk Classic) in five years.

ULM Facilities, Inc., is managing the construction the project for Groseclose Track and Brown Stadium renovation, with Architecture Plus, from Monroe, providing architectural services.

The first phase included the installation of Rekortan M99 Synthetic Surface System by Geo-Surfaces, from Baton Rouge. The Rekortan M99, an International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) approved system, is a 15mm, impermeable, full-pour system, with three specialized layers. Phase 1 also featured the installation of a 20x12-foot Daktronics LED scoreboard.

The second phase of the Brown Stadium renovation includes new locker rooms and offices for ULM's women's and men's track and field teams and soccer program as well as the construction of new weight and training rooms. Phase 2 is a 180-day project, scheduled for completion by the end of July 2018. By the conclusion of the second phase, Groseclose Track/Brown Stadium will serve as the primary training, practice and competitive facility for nearly 90 ULM student-athletes.

The third and final phase of the project is the resurfacing of the Brown Stadium parking lot, with completion expected by the end of July 2018.

The Monroe/West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau made a very sizable and generous contribution to the Groseclose Track/Brown Stadium renovation project.

Originally erected as a Works Progress Administration project for $45,000 in 1938, Brown Stadium stood across the bayou as home to the football team for nearly three decades. As the campus expanded, the university relocated the steel-frame structure to its current location in 1967.

The football program continued to utilize Brown until Malone Stadium opened in 1978. Although the men's and women's track teams have called the facility home for 50 years, this three-phase project marks the first major renovations to the building since its relocation. 

The women's soccer program made its debut at Brown Stadium in 1999 and played seven seasons there. In 2006, the team moved to the ULM Soccer Complex, located next to The Grove. With its scheduled return to Brown Stadium in the fall of 2019, the women's soccer program will regain a lighted field, benefitting the student-athletes by providing flexibility in scheduling.