JC Smith kicks grass as part of a new era in athletics

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Johnson C. Smith started construction last week on a FieldTurf playing surface at McGirt Field, the first step in a major upgrade to the school’s athletics complex. JCSU will start construction on a new weight training facility, locker rooms and study area/meeting rooms are expected to start by month’s end.

The transformation of Johnson C. Smith athletics is underway.

Installation of FieldTurf at McGirt Field is the first step in a modernization campaign that proponents will pull the Golden Bulls closer to the top among CIAA programs. The McGirt upgrade will take JCSU off home grass for the first time in school history.

“Anything that we can do facility-wise to help attract more student athletes is exciting to us,” athletics director Steve Joyner said. “We can’t wait to get that field in so that we can continue to build better facilities for our student athletes, getting our track back up and running, and things of that nature. We’re very excited about the facilities that are coming online now.”

The FieldTurf surface, which is expected to be finished by June, is one of three major projects for JCSU. Construction of new weight training facilities near the coaches’ office,  locker rooms and study area/meeting rooms are expected to start in the next month. The upgrades are financed through private donations.

“I couldn’t be more proud to see it,” said second-year football coach Maurice Flowers, a Golden Bulls quarterback from 1987-91 when Memorial Stadium hosted JCSU home games. “I’m a JCSU guy. I’m a Golden Bull, and to see this type of history-making event happen in person is amazing. It’s all I can say. I’m past excited and almost speechless because we as Smithites know it’s been a long time for these types of upgrades to come for the athletic department. Not just football, but for the athletic department.”

The upgrades open new possibilities at JCSU. Since opening in 2003, Irwin Belk Complex has hosted NCAA Division II track and field national championships three times in addition to the 2016 U.S. Paralympic trials. Football combines, camps and high school games could also be held year-round in addition to leasing the facility for Olympic sports.

“We’re interested in national events,” Joyner said. “We’ve hosted the NCAA Division II track and field events, so we’re interested in that. We’re excited about getting the turf in reestablish in our track facility and our track presence in the NCAA.”

In addition to the upgrade facilities, Joyner said JCSU is studying the possibility of adding sports to the athletics portfolio although a timeline hasn’t been established.

“We’re in consistent conversation about expansion of our Olympic sports and track and field expansion of sports that will benefit … women,” he said. “The way that we’re doing the turf field, we’re going to put in goals that will allow us to do soccer as well. We’re having all those discussions about moving forward with programs adding to what we already have.”

Said Flowers: “The next place our university is making progress on adding scholarships to all sports. I’m just so pleased at the growth of our university and direction of President [Clarence] Armbrister and the board of trustees that are really just doing an outstanding job of pushing Johnson C. Smith forward.”

While the addition of facilities directly impacts athletes already enrolled at JCSU, they’ll better position the school to compete for recruits. In today’s college athletics, amenities can build or maintain successful connections.

“The biggest place that’s going to help us is recruiting,” Flowers said. “That’s just getting bodies on campus. There are a lot of folks who are Charlotteans and you still hear people say that they didn’t know about Johnson C. Smith. This is going to raise everything about our university.

“With the new weight room coming and overall facilities … now it’s a part of recruiting.  Families and student athletes make decisions on based on facilities and now we’re getting ready to have some of the better facilities in Division II.”

The gap between the CIAA’s top programs and also-rans can often be boiled down to the ability of schools to create separation. In the Southern Division, Fayetteville State has the top facilities. Among private schools, St. Augustine’s recently built the George Williams Complex to host football and track competitions while Livingstone, JCSU’s main rival, has undergone overhauls that include updates to Alumni Stadium.  

“When you’re looking at the field being installed now, once the weight room has finished; the locker room, the study hall area and team meeting room areas we’ll be near the top,” Flowers said. “In the Southern Division, we will be closer to Fayetteville State and then in the North Division Virginia State and Bowie State are the top programs and state supported schools but we’re going to be able to put our facilities up near them.”

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