Stadium legacy program close to $1 million

VW independent staff/submitted information

Most of us can’t relate to the fall of 1936 when Eggerss Stadium was first dedicated to the delight of the people of Van Wert. As we fast forward 88 years, there is a renewed spirit with the stadium renovations and additions in full swing. With a mixture of historical and modern amenities, the legacy of Eggerss will continue for decades to come.

With that legacy comes opportunity — opportunity for fans, alumni, businesses, and the Cougar faithful to leave their mark at the complex. A naming rights campaign has begun that encompasses various parts of the stadium.

“We identified various pieces within the stadium to provide perpetual naming rights for interested individuals” said John White, Legacy Campaign Chair. “These will stand as long as the stadium is operational, thus the concept of legacy naming.”

To date, close to $1 million has been pledged toward the legacy program. While many of the naming rights have been spoken for, there are still many opportunities for those interested to participate.

“We settled on a tiered approach to valuing the various components within the stadium,” White said.

Some of those components include the Cougar Pride Wall, press box, landing viewing area, training room, locker room, ticket booth, band bleachers, the field, etc. However, the stadium name will remain as it has for decades.

Over the coming weeks, legacy donors will be featured in future articles. Legacy funding is being used to help complete the final phases of the expansion coming up in the next couple of years.

“We are pleased with the progress made on the stadium to date”, Van Wert City Schools Superintendent Mark Bagley said. “When it’s all said and done, we plan to share this facility with the community in many more ways other than football.”

One of the upcoming opportunities for Cougar supporters will be the grand entrance paver program. Fans will be able to purchase a paver in varying sizes and leave their special message or naming right on the pavers.

“What is special and exciting about this is every time our fans come through the future new arched entrance at the south end, they will have direct access to these tributes,” White said.

This week, the paver program kicked off with Willie Hernandez purchasing the very first one. More details about this program will be available by the second home Cougar game. In the meantime, anyone wanting more information about other legacy naming right opportunities should contact John White at 419.203.1217 or Mark Bagley at 419.203.5296.