DES MOINES, Iowa – Mediacom Stadium, home to Drake University's men's and women's soccer programs and student-athletes from Des Moines Public Schools, has served as the city's premiere athletic stadium, benefiting thousands of students since its opening two years ago. As one of the top soccer venues in the Missouri Valley Conference, the stadium is now poised for its final phase of development. Today, Drake Athletics proudly announces the launch of a capital campaign to complete enhancements to Mediacom Stadium.

The next step in the stadium's evolution is the completion of the interior of the building in the northwest corner of the complex. When completed, the sports performance center will include dedicated locker rooms, coaches' offices, athletic training areas, and team meeting rooms—consolidating Drake Soccer's operations into one modern home and moving the program from the historic Drake Fieldhouse. The sports medicine suite and team meeting space will also be available to Des Moines Public Schools.

A generous matching gift challenge has been launched by Mark Ernst, former chair of Drake's Board of Trustees and current Board member. Through his significant commitment, all contributions made toward the sports performance facility will be matched three-to-one, up to $500,000, through Dec. 31, 2025.

"We are incredibly grateful to Mark Ernst for his visionary generosity and unwavering belief in the power of Drake Athletics to transform lives and strengthen communities," said Drake Director of Athletics Brian Hardin. "His gift toward the completion of Mediacom Stadium not only brings us significantly closer to realizing the stadium's full potential, but his commitment to a matching gift challenge inspires others to join us in creating a first-class venue that will serve student-athletes, coaches, and the Des Moines community for years to come."

Drake Athletics invites all supporters to be a part of this important initiative. Significant gifts will be acknowledged through naming opportunities, including naming rights to the sports performance center and several interior spaces, such as locker rooms, training room, team meeting room, coaches' offices, and individual lockers.

All contributions are fully tax-deductible and can be made as one-time gifts, multi-year pledges, or stock donations. Pledges made by Dec. 31, 2025, may be paid over a one-to-five-year period.

To donate, visit https://alumni.drake.edu/sportsperformancebuilding or contact Tim Tesar, senior associate athletics director for advancement, at tim.tesar@drake.edu.