USD to Break Ground on Gassen Family Fieldhouse
The event is open to the public. The fieldhouse is named in honor of Bill Gassen, J.D. ’08, ’04, and Jill Gassen, ’06, ’04, both alumni of USD who were members of the track and field team.
The fieldhouse will be the home of track and field, cross country and triathlon. These teams having their own space will allow the DakotaDome to be converted to a year-round turf-down facility, creating more opportunities for USD’s other sports teams and visitors to use the space.
The fieldhouse, set to be completed in the summer of 2028, will include a 200-meter banked track, a pair of perimeter warm-up lanes, a 60-meter straightaway, a pair of long jump/triple jump pits, two pole vaulting stations, two high jumps over straightaways and a pair of throwing cages. There will also be spaces for offices, student-athlete lounges, a hydrotherapy room and more. There will be seating for over 2,000 spectators at each event.
USD Athletic Director Jon Schemmel said, “The fieldhouse is such a critical component for us to be able to take steps to make Vermillion a year-round destination. We hope to host regional and national events as soon as it opens, and already have events scheduled throughout its first year. This elite facility will be unmatched in the region and be on parr with any in the country.”
The groundbreaking will be one of the concluding events of the 112th annual Dakota Days. As USD celebrates its traditions and memories, it thanks its local community and state. The construction of the Gassen Family Fieldhouse would not be possible without the support of the South Dakota Legislature, the late T. Denny Sanford, Bill and Jill Gassen, and USD friends and donors.
The Gassen Family Fieldhouse is one component of a larger master facility plan for South Dakota Athletics. This roadmap positions USD to build and enhance practice, competition and recovery environments that will serve Coyote student-athletes, fans and the broader community for decades to come.
“The groundbreaking of the Gassen Family Fieldhouse is a fitting celebration within this year’s Dakota Days,” said USD President Sheila K. Gestring. “We are delighted to break ground on the new facility and look forward to the events and opportunities the fieldhouse will bring to our university and the Vermillion community.”
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