Kentucky High School's $20 Million Athletic Makeover Goes Far Beyond Football

Allen County-Scottsville's sweeping plans include two new indoor courts, revamped stadium, fieldhouse and reconfigured facilities that could bring bigger events to campus.

The athletic facilities at Allen County-Scottsville High School in Kentucky are in the first phase of a $20 million renovation which is expect to impact every athletic program on campus. | Allen County Schools

One Kentucky high school is beginning an ambitious transformation that will touch nearly every athletic program on campus — and potentially change the kinds of events the school can host.

Allen County-Scottsville High School has begun the first phase of an approximately $20 million overhaul of its athletic facilities, according to WBKO and information released by Allen County Schools.

The project starts with construction of a new auxiliary gym featuring two full-length basketball and volleyball courts, along with drop-down archery nets, storage and restrooms.

But that's only the beginning.

Plans eventually call for a synthetic-turf football field, renovated stadium, eight-lane track, new soccer field, relocated and upgraded baseball and softball facilities and a new fieldhouse with locker rooms and a weight room.

Construction is expected to take approximately 18 to 24 months.

More Practice Space Was Allen County's Top Priority

The scope of the project grew out of discussions with the community about what Allen County-Scottsville's athletic programs needed most.

According to the district, Superintendent Travis Hamby said the biggest need identified through community feedback was additional indoor practice space.

Deputy Superintendent Brian Carter told WBKO that the objective is to provide enough space that teams aren't continually competing with one another for places to practice.

That's an important component of the project because the new facilities aren't being designed exclusively around football and basketball.

Cheerleading, dance, volleyball and archery are among the activities expected to benefit from the auxiliary gym. The district also said the overall project was designed to provide improvements benefiting golf and other programs.

Patriot Stadium Gets Modernized Without Losing Its Identity

One of the project's more interesting decisions involves Patriot Stadium.

Rather than completely demolishing the venue, which dates to the late 1980s, Allen County plans to retain its concrete base while modernizing much of what surrounds it.

Plans include ADA accessibility improvements, new railings, a chair-back seating section, new press box and restrooms and concessions underneath the stadium.

The natural-grass football field will be replaced with synthetic turf, creating a surface that can withstand considerably more use than a traditional football field.

That could have benefits extending beyond athletics.

Allen County Schools specifically identified the possibility of hosting Kentucky Music Educators Association events. The school's band could also practice on the turf, while both the high school and middle school football programs would have access to it.

A new eight-lane track will replace the existing six-lane facility, along with upgraded areas for field events. The district believes those improvements could eventually allow Allen County-Scottsville to pursue larger track and field meets.

Soccer, Baseball and Softball Facilities Will Be Reconfigured

The project amounts to a significant redesign of the outdoor athletic campus.

Soccer will move from its current field behind Allen County Primary Center to a new lighted natural-grass facility at the site of the existing baseball field.

Baseball will shift to the current softball area, while softball will move to space currently occupied by the football practice field and adjacent parking.

Both diamonds will remain natural grass and receive upgraded player facilities. A shared concession building will serve the baseball and softball complexes.

A new fieldhouse between the baseball and soccer facilities will include boys and girls soccer locker rooms, a weight room and a football locker room capable of accommodating as many as 100 players.

Why the $20 Million Project Matters

The significance of Allen County's investment isn't simply that athletes will have newer facilities.

The plan addresses three issues simultaneously: practice capacity, quality of competition facilities and the ability to host larger events.

A turf stadium becomes usable by football, marching band and potentially outside organizations. An eight-lane track makes larger meets possible. A lighted soccer facility eliminates limitations of the existing field. The auxiliary gym creates additional year-round practice capacity for several programs.

That multi-use approach allows a major capital investment to serve considerably more students than a project focused primarily on one showcase sport.

It could also give Allen County-Scottsville opportunities to bring regional athletic and extracurricular events to Scottsville — potentially turning facilities built primarily for students into assets for the wider community.

According to WBKO, state legislation allowing construction funds to be used for athletic facilities helped make the project possible.

With construction now underway, the biggest challenge becomes logistical. Allen County Schools has previously said the precise construction sequence — and how the work could affect home football, baseball and softball competition — had yet to be finalized.

When the work is finished, however, the athletic footprint at Allen County-Scottsville will look dramatically different from the one students are using today.