Building on the Biszantz Family Tennis Center, established in 2009, and the Roberts Pavilion in 2016, Claremont McKenna College introduced the Sports Bowl at the Roberts Campus this fall. The facilities mark a new milestone for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Athletics.
On Sept. 5, at the new Patrick G. Rogan Stadium, CMS football emerged victorious after facing the University of Northwestern (Minn.). With this win, CMS marked the start of competition in the complex.
“All of our fans showed up and brought great energy, and it helped fuel the team to victory,” CMS football captain George Kruger CM ’27 said. “It was a cool feeling to get a win in the first game ever played on that field.”
For many athletes, seeing the facility that was once a distant plan come to fruition offered a tangible reminder of how dedicated CMS’ institutions are to supporting them.
“Walking in for the first time, I was blown away by the new stadium and the scale of the entire athletic complex,” Kruger said. “CMS has always spoiled its athletes with great facilities, but this field and stadium took it to a new level. It also says a lot about how seriously this school and our alumni take athletics, and the athletes are appreciative of that.”
The Patrick G. Rogan Stadium is only one of the many facilities in the new Sports Bowl. The construction covers approximately 35 acres and also includes the Athenas Field for softball, the Arce Field for baseball and a golf training center.
Kruger said the multi-sport environment brings a sense of community. As a multi-sport athlete who has also competed as a thrower for the Stags track and field team, Kruger spoke to what it is like to have people mastering different abilities in the same space.
“During our practices, we often see the cross-country team training on the track or other teams working with our strength coach, and it’s motivating for everyone to be training in the same area,” Kruger said.
In addition to creating a sense of community, the Sports Bowl also provides teams with their own year-round space, according to Director of Athletic Communications Jeremy Kniffin.
“We used to share locker rooms,” Kniffin said. “Volleyball would have them in the fall, they would move out, and then lacrosse would come in … The teams would lose their locker room space when they weren’t in season, but now everybody has their own designated space.”
For Stags baseball, having their own space to call home is especially important. The team has spent the last four seasons playing their designated “home” games off campus, using facilities at Biola University and Azusa Pacific University, amongst others.
“It is going to be nice to see baseball have a home field again,” Kniffin said. “They have had a great four-year run of success. They won NCAA regionals in the last two years, so being able to put some of those banners on a new stadium will be exciting.”
CMS Athletics’ investment in its teams doesn’t end there. The men’s and women’s soccer programs now have a new home venue, Nakasone Field, located next to Roberts Pavilion.
“It’s a great reflection on the way that CMS athletics are run from the top down, and I think the level of investment that we have in our facilities is probably some of the highest in Division III,” CMS men’s soccer captain Dane Knudsen CM ’28 said.
Another CMS men’s soccer captain, Zeno Bang CM ’28, echoed that sentiment, adding that the investment in new facilities raised expectations for the Stags and the Athenas.
“We now can’t have any excuses,” Bang said. “We are super grateful and we want to take advantage of the opportunity to have such amazing resources.”
The Sports Bowl’s impact extends beyond the athletes playing on its fields. For those responsible for documenting and broadcasting, the new facilities have made their operations easier.
“The football press box was too cramped to try to run everything,” Kniffin said. “For baseball, soccer and softball, there was no weather protection. I know it doesn’t rain much in Southern California, but when it does…”
Even as expectations rise alongside the new construction, CMS teams are staying grounded and focusing on achieving their goals, both as athletes and as examples for those around them.
“Our focus has really stayed internal,” Kruger said. “We’re doing everything we can to get better as a team without worrying too much about the outside noise. We know we have everything we need within our locker room walls to be successful and reach our goals.”
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