Stadium Renovations

Football Stadium

How many thrilling football games have been played on Reeves Field?  The stands echo with the cheers of fans throughout the century.  Safety and accessibility, however, have become a concern.  Originally built in the 1920s, the crumbling brick wall running along Route 18 is in dire need of repair.

With Geneva’s new entry into the NCAA Division III, soon the favorite clashes against Westminster, Waynesburg, Grove City and other local rivals will be back on the Golden Tornadoes’ schedules. But athletic scholarships have had to be discontinued, and recruiting top student-athletes demands impressive facilities.

The old brick wall of the Stadium will soon be a memory.  In this redesign the stadium wall is pushed out into the old Route 18, giving an expanded walkway and making room for a new press box. Fans appreciate the updated and handicapped accessible restrooms, scoreboard ticket booths, and concession stands, which are now under cover from the elements. 

In place of the old Route 18, there is a secondary roadway facing a new stadium wall that “sports” an attractive iron fence, providing an open ambiance. Bricks are still an important design element in the supporting pillars of the fencing, which recall the familiar old brick wall.

A bricked courtyard atop the northern end of the stadium is adorned with flags and emblems of the armed forces, surrounding the names of Geneva alumni who are memorialized and honored for their service and sacrifice in the defense of our nation.

Artificial turf provides a more stable playing and practice field for both the Golden Tornadoes and the marching band.  Field maintenance is less rigorous than with the current natural grass and also reduces player injury.  Because the wall is pushed back, the degree of incline in the stands can be reduced.  Fans find it easier to climb and everyone is thrilled with the new seating. 

Imagine Beyond the Bend . . . the roar of a filled stadium cheering the Golden Tornadoes on to victory!

The new turf allows the GT’s to practice at Reeves, freeing up the current practice field for relocation of the women’s softball field from Koppel to the main campus.  The new turf also benefits other student groups with expanded usage, including intramural sports and outdoor concerts.

The renovated stadium provides safety and comfort not only for the Geneva’s Golden Tornado fans, but also for the Beaver Falls High School fans and their Tigers.  The stadium is a resource that is available to the greater Beaver Falls community; the City of Beaver Falls uses it for its annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration.  The stadium also hosts the county high school marching band festival for a number of years.

If the college were unable to make any changes once the new Route 18 is complete, the old roadway and side streets would remain, torn up and abandoned in the middle of campus, leaving no discernable entrance or exit. The very project that we have planned on, prayed for, and dreamed of could be our worst nightmare…if nothing else happens.