On Aug. 24, ETSU’s women’s soccer team stepped foot onto the grounds they would be defending for seasons to come.
“We feel privileged to have the first sports facility since the Warren-Greene Golf Center was constructed,” said head coach Heather Henson. “It has really brought the excitement to us and has really increased the intensity for the team.”
“I feel fortunate from all the hard work everyone has put into it,” said Hannah Johnson, senior midfielder. “The field conditions are better, there’s more seating, more people and it’s on campus. It feels more like home now.”
Construction on the Summers-Taylor Stadium has been underway for two years now and thanks to the community’s donations, it will finally be coming to an end late this November.
“Although it’s taken longer than we wanted, in the past three to four months we’ve really progressed,” said Mike White, assistant athletic director for media relations.
Summers-Taylor claimed its name to show gratitude towards the Summers family who has donated half a million dollars to ETSU for this project.
“They wanted to help,” said Dave Mullins, ETSU athletic director. “They have always been tremendously generous to the school and are supporters of what we want to do on the campus. It’s an honor to name the stadium after the family and their business.”
“It’s great we’re going to have a stadium,” Mullins said. “Being a Division 1 school and playing on a high school soccer field is not acceptable.We’re changing the face of East Tennessee State University and it’s very exciting.”
Junior defender, Meredith Goldman, is also anxious for the stadium to be finished. “It’s truly unbelievable. Having our own stadium really brings a different atmosphere to the game,” she said. “We get pumped and now we get to see people walking from their dorms to come and see us play. It’s a good feeling. It’s good to know everyone is behind us.”
The new stadium will be located behind the Basler Challenge Course off Jack Vest Drive.

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