With the selection of the architecture firm made, Missouri Southern is one step closer to it’s new athletic facility.

Sapp Design Associates will be charged with not only designing Southern’s new indoor practice field/weather shelter but making it suitable to attach to a future ‘athletic support facility’ to be built as part of the stadium masterplan.

Based in Springfield, Mo., Sapp is responsible for the design of the Branson RecPlex, the Springfield-Greene County Library and the Carl Junction community center among others.

Rob Yust, assistant vice president for business affairs, said the selection of Sapp over competitor JCJ Architecture was influenced by Sapp’s proximity and a good initial meeting with the architects.

“We felt a good connection with the individual that came to present the presentation to us last week, we have to work very closely with these individuals almost on a daily basis,” Yust said.

Representatives from Sapp met with University officials Tuesday to begin brainstorming on the project, including outlining overall goals for the facility as well as making the project as affordable as possible for the $2 million available.

“They’re a fairly local firm so we were comfortable with them and the possibility of perhaps saving some money because they have the project going on in Carl Junction and they expressed a very strong desire to have a connection with Missouri Southern, so we liked that,” Yust said.

Planning could involve moving the field from it’s current planned location just north of Fred G. Hughes Stadium, though as of press time, no new location had been presented.

Head Football Coach Bart Tatum is concentrating on the benefit the new facility will bring to the University for both players and fans.

“It’s going to accommodate a lot of different people and good programs in terms of a facility to get a good workout in,” he said.