Fresh off back-to-back United Athletic Conference championships, the Wildcats will get a fresh home turf to start their 2026 season.

Wildcat Stadium, which was completed in 2017, has kept its original turf since the inaugural kickoff. Now 45 NCAA games into its history, Vice President for Athletics Zack Lassiter said the change is necessary.

“We’ve done a lot of playing on that surface,” Lassiter said. “A lot of practicing on that surface, and now it’s time.”

The turf renovation project has been 12 to 18 months in the works. As of now, ACU is dabbling in two field upgrade projects, one at Poly Wells Field and the other at Wildcat Stadium.

The project should be complete by the Wildcats’ first spring practice. The turf will be similar to the updated style of the Wildcats’ practice field on the south side of Wildcat Stadium and will feature a new look.

“We’re going to do some different things in the end zone than what we had,” Lassiter said. “We’re going to introduce a new look to the berm.”

Regarding the grass at the entrance of Wildcat Stadium designated for tailgating, Lassiter said it will remain the same.

“I think what we have there now is significantly better than when the stadium was built,” Lassiter said. “I think students really enjoy tailgating inside the stadium.”

Outside of athletics, the turf will also serve a role in meeting the university’s desired safety standards for its athletes.

“It will be a softer surface for student-athletes,” Lassiter said. “It will help improve health and safety. It will be cooler when it is hot and more forgiving when athletes are making cuts.”

An unnamed donor has fully funded the project, and Athletics provided no funding. Despite the donation, neither the stadium nor the field will undergo a name change.

The change is part of ACU’s continued push for advancement, and although the turf and the softball outfield wall are the only fully funded projects happening at this time, according to Lassiter, more is to come.

“We never stop in athletics,” Lassiter said. “We are always looking for ways to get better and what is next.”