Edwards Track/Goldman Field
Although Cal soccer currently makes its home at Witter Rugby Field in Strawberry
Canyon, plans are under way to renovate Edwards Track Stadium for the future use
of both the Cal men and women's soccer teams.
The dual-use grass facility will be renamed Goldman Field, in honor of Richard
(class of '41) and Rhoda (class of '46), who made the $1.5 million initial gift
to lead the campaign.
The $3.3 million project calls for the conversion of the track infield into a
regulation 75-yard x 115-yard natural grass soccer field, which will require the
installation of an extensive field drainage system. The improvement plan will
eventually include the addition of stadium lights to the facility, allowing for
night matches and other field events.
The construction of the regulation soccer facility will enable Cal to host an
NCAA soccer event, a possibility that has been precluded in recent years due to
the size and surface of Memorial Stadium, the Bears former home. Cal's current
facility, Witter Rugby Field, meets the NCAA's natural grass requirements, but
its size and structure would make it an inappropriate site for the national
championship.
The completion of the project will take approximately six months. Construction
is tentatively scheduled to begin in May 1998, with the facility becoming available
for use in early 1999.
