GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado University will host the home games of the 2023 Mountaineer football season at Katy O. Rady Soccer Field.

"We are so excited about the progress being made on the Mountaineer Bowl Event Complex. However, the long, cold winter we experienced this year has created issues with being 100 percent certain that it will be ready for the 2023 season," Director of Athletics Miles Van Hee said. "Because we completed a successful season at Katy O. Rady last year due to this same construction project, we already have a tried-and-true plan in place that will allow us to again successfully host games there this fall."

The renovations for the complex began last summer and since May, as many as 70 tradespeople have been on the job in a given day, sometimes seven days a week, to construct almost 30,000 square feet of new interior space, seating, turf playing surface, and resurfaced track on the 5-acre site.

"The timeline for the renovation of Mountaineer Bowl was ambitious from the start and with the challenging winter we experienced, we simply won't be able to play the football season at the bowl," said President Brad Baca. "While we recognize that this is not ideal for our student-athletes and fans, we are thrilled with the progress made and the transformational impact the beautiful new facility will have on our campus and community once complete. It will be well worth the wait."

The Mountaineers gameday experience will be enhanced by suite-style seating, coaching boxes, a press box and scorekeepers area, video scoreboard, dynamic lighting for night games, 414 sponsored seatbacks, new concession stand and restrooms, and a fan store.

"We know it's going to be worth the wait," added head football coach Jas Bains. "This season is a short-term inconvenience for a major and long-term enhancement to our athletics program. The bottom line for our staff and players is that we're excited to play six home games this season."

Information about season logistics, including ticketing, will be available on gomountaineers.com on August 11. Visit the Mountaineer Bowl Construction Cam to view live updates of the project.

Contributions from Leslie Taylor and Gregg Petcoff