Last Updated on April 24, 2026 10:01 am
Construction is moving ahead on App State's new Sofield Family Indoor Practice Facility in Boone, with the roof now installed on the main structure and the indoor turf field on track to be ready in August.
Athletics Director Doug Gillin highlighted the project's progress in his “Inside App State Athletics” newsletter this week, saying the facility will serve the broader community as well as App State's athletic programs.
“Not only will our athletic programs have a first-class new training facility, the community will benefit from its large event space and public-private health care collaborations,” Gillin wrote.
The new 85,000-square-foot multipurpose facility is located adjacent to Kidd Brewer Stadium, on the site of the previous Sofield Family Indoor Practice Facility, which opened in October 2007 and had reached the end of its useful life. The new building will expand the indoor practice field to a full 100 yards, allowing for more comprehensive practice sessions for most App State athletic programs.
Full completion of the facility is scheduled for September 2026.
A $25 Million Project Funded by Private Giving
Design and construction of the new facility are expected to cost $25 million, financed primarily through private donations and gifts made to the university.
App State Board of Trustees Vice Chair Tommy Sofield and his family provided the lead gift for the project — the same family that funded the original Sofield Family Indoor Practice Facility nearly two decades ago. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held August 15, 2025.
The project received approval from the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors in November 2024. McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, based in Charlotte, is the designer, and David E. Looper and Co. of Hickory is the contractor.
What the Facility Will Include
Beyond the full 100-yard indoor turf field, the new facility will include a large community event space and support for public-private health care collaborations. App State says the building will serve multiple university entities in addition to its athletic programs.
The facility sits on the 87.96-acre area of App State's campus that includes Kidd Brewer Stadium, an area that has held millennial campus designation from the UNC Board of Governors since 2016.
Second Indoor Facility Also Under Construction
A second construction project — the Mildred Southern Indoor Tennis Facility at App 105 — is also progressing and is scheduled for completion this summer. That facility will serve as the new home of App State Tennis and will offer select community memberships.
Gillin also noted in his newsletter that planning continues on the proposed Kidd Brewer Stadium East Tower project.
