WVU athletic director Oiiver Luck says work continues on a new ballpark for the Mountaineers and potentially a minor-league baseball team.
The plan, proposed by Luck and developer Mon-View LLC, calls for the establishment of a tax-increment-financing (TIF) district in Morgantown, with the proceedings funding a new ballpark at the proposed University Town Center complex. Two counties have already signed off on the plan; a third county is expected to discuss it today, and a meeting is set for next week to discuss the TIF. Despite these issues, Luck is optimistic about the Mountaineers playing in a new ballpark by 2014:
“A nice new ball park with some amenities and a great location would be a great attraction,” Luck said. “Hawley Field doesn’t attract a lot of people. It’s old. It’s run down. Clearly we need an ungraded facility.
“I think we can see a real boom in baseball, not only at our level, but potentially at the minor league level.” That, according to Luck, could include a short-season A NY-Penn League team.
The Mountaineers play at Hawley Field, certainly a modest college facility by any measure, and not one likely to attract high-profile athletes to the school. With the move to the Big 12, WVU will be facing off against schools with much better ballpark facilities, like Baylor, Texas and Texas Tech.
RELATED STORIES: WVU: We want new ballpark for us, NY-Penn League team
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