Steve Craig, founder and CEO of Craig Realty Group and benefactor of the Craig School of Business at Missouri Western State University, has pledged to give Spratt Memorial Stadium a high-definition LED video scoreboard. The board, which will be larger than the screens at many Division I stadiums, is the largest individual gift in the history of Missouri Western athletics. In recognition of the gift, the playing surface will now be known as Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium. The gift and field name were announced at a press conference Friday, Aug. 7.
“Once again, Steve Craig has made a transformational gift to Missouri Western,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “Thousands of people visit the Spratt Stadium complex every year for football and soccer games, the summer training camp of the Kansas City Chiefs, our spring commencement ceremony, marching band competitions and other special events. Steve’s gift will create an atmosphere for those events that will be second to none.”
The video board will stand at the south end of the stadium, near the Baker Family Fitness Center. At a little more than 65 feet wide and 38 feet tall, or approximately 2,500 square feet, it is believed that the video display will be the largest in NCAA Division II. It will be larger by area than many Division I schools, including the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas.
The brick structure built to house the scoreboard will be approximately 72 feet tall, with storage rooms inside, static signs and displays, and a rooftop fireworks launchpad. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the Spring Commencement Ceremony in May 2016.
Craig said he hopes his gift encourages others to support greatness.
“When you look at things like the St. Joseph Parkway system, St. Joseph City Hall, and many of the other great buildings around town, it’s clear that excellence was one of the values that built St. Joseph,” Craig said. “I believe there’s been a revival in doing things in a great way in St. Joseph, and this is another example. I hope people take a look at what’s going on at Missouri Western and support the things that will allow the university to compete on the national level.”
Video boards remain relatively rare for Division II schools, but are becoming increasingly common in the MIAA, according to Kurt McGuffin, Missouri Western’s director athletics.
“Right now more than half of the football-playing schools in the conference have video boards,” McGuffin said. “When you combine the video board with our current renovations and the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex, our facilities will be among the best in the MIAA, which makes them among the best in the country.”
Craig will contribute $1.1 million of the estimated $2.6 million project. Private donors have pledged the rest of the cost through the Missouri Western State University Foundation’s Centennial Capital Campaign.
Craig has now donated a total of $8.9 million to Missouri Western, but his contributions are not just financial. He has worked countless hours in conceiving and executing Missouri Western’s applied entrepreneurship program, which gives graduating seniors and alumni the chance to own and operate their own business. He is currently serving as honorary co-chair of the Centennial Capital Campaign, and helped organize a benefit concert by Grammy-winning artist Melissa Manchester to raise money for Missouri Western’s arts program in June.
“Even before this latest gift, Steve’s donation to establish the Craig School of Business was the largest in Missouri Western’s history,” said Jerry Pickman, vice president for university advancement and executive director of the Missouri Western State University Foundation. “Naming the new playing surface ‘Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium’ is a fitting tribute to someone who has been so generous with both his financial resources and his time.”
In addition to the video board, the current Spratt Stadium renovation includes corporate suites, additional chair-back seating for fans, elevator and other accessibility improvements, additional restrooms, expanded concessions area, new ticket office, a team store to sell Griffon merchandise, new press box and fencing.
The Spratt Stadium project, including video board, is part of the Centennial Capital Campaign, designed to raise the resources needed to enable Missouri Western to continue to grow and transform its students, the region and the world. The MWSU Foundation hopes to reach the initial celebration goal of $20 million before the end of 2015, Missouri Western’s centennial year.