The rumors are true: the stadium will not be finished by its predicted completion date, but it will be fully completed at the end of the school year, in time for football season.
“We hoped it would be finished by the spring sports season. I believe it will be finished in late May or early June,” principal Josh Almy said.
There were issues with the building of the new stadium and there are still factors that need to be completed such as the fire permitting and electrical work. Once everything is finished, the stands will be open to all liberty students and faculty members.
“As with most construction projects, unforeseen problems occur.  My understanding is that there are some structural issues with the roof that need to be addressed which then causes a delay in the official inspection.  No one can be in the new grandstands until the inspection is completed and passed,” athletic director Loren Krogstad said.
With the completion of the Stadium next year, Liberty will additionally receive other new sports equipment.
“As soon as this track season is done, the track is going to get scraped up and a new track is starting in late June. New black fencing all around that track will be put in and obviously new locker rooms around the horseshoe. I hope all this is started and completed this summer,” Almy said.
Krogstad understands why some may be upset over the timeline of the rebuild, but he would rather have a safe finished stadium than an unstable one.
“I certainly would have loved to have everything available this year, but I understand that construction projects are complicated and sometimes unpredictable.  The main thing is to be sure it is all done correctly before we begin using it,” Krogstad said.