Central Methodist University officially broke ground Thursday afternoon on a new soccer facility at Alexander Practice Field, just north of Davis Field on Mulberry Street. The ceremony kicked off a full weekend of celebration and activities for the 2026 CMU Homecoming.

The new purpose-built soccer facility will be named Alexander Soccer Field after the university’s longest-serving trustee, Fred Alexander, who passed away in March.

Alexander not only donated the land but helped build the current practice field.

“I have so few regrets in life. But I have to tell you, I regret that Fred Alexander is not here today to be able to see this,” said CMU President Roger Drake. “I want to think that Fred is looking down with that big smile on his face. The Alexander family has done so much for Central Methodist, for Fayette, for Howard County.”

Fred’s wife Barbara, a 1958 Central Methodist graduate, and son Rick were among several family members who participated in the ground-breaking ceremony.

“We are proud to have the Alexander name associated with this field and the opportunities it will provide for generations of student athletes,” Dr. Drake said.

The new stadium is part of a $30 million fundraising campaign aimed at funding student success, athletic achievement, and campus beautification that was announced at the 2025 Homecoming.

“This groundbreaking represents ongoing significant improvements to our athletic facilities approved by the board as part of our capital campaign,” said Dr. Nancy Peacock, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “The board is optimistic about CMU’s future and believes this is an investment that will continue to enhance the student experience at our institution.”

She cited student recruitment and retention as high priorities for the board, and improved athletic facilities will further that concern.

Among those present at Thursday’s ceremony were both the men’s and women’s soccer teams. CMU women’s soccer coach Dan Schmidlin said that when he was hired, Dr. Drake said the university would one day construct a new soccer complex.

“This is something we've been looking forward to. It's going to be one of the best facilities in the entire country,” Schmidlin said. “We've had elite programs for so many years, and a soccer-only facility in the NAIA is second to none.”

The CMU women’s team is 13-2-3 overall and won its sixth Heart of America Athletic Conference regular-season championship in the last seven seasons. The Lady Eagles were set to host Missouri Valley College in the conference tournament quarterfinals Tuesday night after the Advertiser went to press.

The men were the back-to-back NAIA National Champions in 2018 and 2019. The Eagles are 9-4-4 overall and travel to Olathe, Kan., to take on MidAmerica Nazarene in the Heart tournament quarterfinals tonight (Wednesday).