NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College (MLC) administration and governing board announced on Wednesday that the proposed new athletic center is fully funded, and construction on the complex, named the Betty Kohn Fieldhouse, will begin in April.

The athletic center was a key part of the Equipping Christian Witnesses (ECW) campaign through the school and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), and became fully funded following gifts from two generous donors, along with numerous other gifts and donations from individuals, schools and congregations across the WELS.

The Betty Kohn Fieldhouse will be located at the MLC Athletic Field Complex west of the main campus, near the soccer and baseball fields. The building will include a 50x70 yard turf field that can be used as an indoor practice facility for many different sports, as well as the following specific features (among others) to MLC athletics:

- Home locker rooms for soccer and baseball teams
- Visiting locker rooms for soccer and baseball teams
- Two golf simulators
- Hitting tunnels for baseball and softball teams
- Storage for equipment
- Locker rooms for officials/umpires for soccer and baseball

Along with those specific athletics' applications, the athletic center will also allow for significant opportunities for physical education courses throughout the school year, as well as intramurals and recreational activities for the student body. It also provides opportunities for MLC to create partnerships within the community for events and other activities.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced all fall sports to be pushed into the spring season, the practical applications of the Betty Kohn Fieldhouse are especially noticeable to MLC Director of Athletics Jim Unke, as well as coaches across the Knights' 16 varsity sports.

"The Betty Kohn Fieldhouse is an enormous step for us as we look to improve the experience of our students, and in particular our student-athletes," Unke said. "We have worked very hard on putting these plans together and believe the space and opportunities this athletic center will provide will be a huge benefit to all of our student-athletes and coaches. We want to thank all of the donors who made this possible, and can't wait to get this thing built."

Construction of the Betty Kohn Fieldhouse will start in April, and is expected to be completed and ready for student use by the start of 2022.