Delaware State University is requesting $125 million in state money over a series of years to upgrade their athletics facilities during a time they're concerned about major cuts in federal education programs.
During the Capital Improvement Committee Budget Hearing Thursday, Delaware State University President Dr. Tony Allen outlined a three-phase project he hopes will make the Hornets more competitive.
This year's DSU bond bill request included $25 million to help build an indoor field house, that would include a 50-yard turf field, football locker rooms, coaches offices, and in a new twist, space for the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association to potentially move their headquarters onto DSU's campus.
DSU is attempting to ride the momentum of recent hires, including former Philadelphia Eagle DeSean Jackson as football coach, and DSU alum, and 3-year Major Leaguer, Pedro Swann as baseball coach.
Jackson said the lack of improvements to DelState's athletics complex over the years has made his recruiting task even harder.
"It's kind of shaming to be able to be in a position where you're at a Division 1 school and I can't brag about our facilities."
3-year MLB veteran Pedro Swann was hired to take over DelState's baseball program this season.
The Hornets play at Bob Reed Field, which was the home of Division III Wesley College before the 2021 acquisition of the school by DelState.
Delaware State had a baseball complex, but switched over to Wesley, known as DSU Downtown now, opening up space for a new agriculture building to be constructed at the former site.
Swann said the move was not an upgrade.
"Our field is way below standards. our kids work hard every day trying to maintain the field and make the best of what we have, but it's disheartening every time we go on the road and just see how much better the facility can be when we play amongst our peers."
Some lawmakers believe DSU's peers should include the University of Delaware, and state Sen. Trey Paradee (D-Dover) said one look at the Universities in Newark and Dover shows that DSU has been neglected.
"We should all be embarrassed... If you have that 15-year-old boy or girl looking at both programs, where are you going to go? You're going to go to the university that has a beautiful training center with hot tubs and cold tubs and the trainers, and then playing at the beautiful stadium that's the BOB. Of course you're going to choose that."
That's where the Indoor Field House comes into play, which DSU intends to build through a combination of donations, and the requested $25 million in bond bill money.
DelState's second phase would be doing significant upgrades to both Alumni Stadium, and also the DSU Downtown/Wesley athletics facilities, which they intend to ask for $10 million in state money.
The biggest ask would be in phase 3, which they had listed in a 2027-2030 timetable, which would be a Convocation Center, which would be a combination of an indoor arena and conference space, very similar to the layout of the Bob Carpenter Center at the University of Delaware.
That plan comes at a time when Southern Delaware's ice hockey community is currently trying to generate momentum for an ice arena, with the pending closure of the Center Ice Rink at the Delaware State Fair in Harrington.
State Rep. William Bush (D-Camden) supported the idea, saying it's what Dover needs to become more of a sports destination.
"The stuff you have down here for the future, the convocation center, the stadium, and even the field house, it's going to benefit our community, and it's part of this whole economic development plan we're trying to do in Kent County right now."
Delaware State is hoping working with the high school community could help sweeten the deal for state lawmakers.
Delaware State announced last year a multi-year partnership with the DIAA to bring multiple championships to Dover, including the 3A (large schools) Football Championship.
Allen said he would like to build an even stronger bond with the high school sports community, which has had supporters of downstate schools complain about having to go to the University of Delaware in Newark or Abessinio Stadium in Wilmington for state championship events.
"We believe that families want to drive to a central location, often, to have their children participate in these games."
In addition, Allen said space is being factored in to DelState's future expansions, so their campus could potentially become the home of the DIAA, including their offices, down the line.
Currently, the DIAA, which is under the umbrella of the Department of Education, is staffed at the College Education Resource Center in Dover.
Allen said he understands why people are skeptical about his school's desire to put so much money into athletics, but that it's needed to raise the profile of the school.
"It's a new era for DSU Athletics. People ask me all the time 'why should we be focused on athletics?' It's because it's the front porch of the university.
Bond Committee Vice-Chair state Rep. Debra Heffernan (D-Bellefonte) said DSU's timing might be a year or two too late, given budget concerns over the effects of DOGE.
"I caution that our financial landscape for Bond (Bill) has, at least at this point, does not look as promising as it had for a couple of years previously. So that's unfortunate that the request doesn't come at a time when we have extra money to invest in these excellent projects."
The budget tightening led Governor Matt Meyer to reduce his allocation to DelState's capital projects down to $14 million, from the original $20 million then-Governor John Carney had proposed.
DSU CONCERNED ABOUT FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Lawmakers also asked Dr. Allen about how potential federal program terminations by the Federal Department of Education might hurt Delaware State.
Allen said that 71% of the school's students receive Pell Grants, which amount to $71 million in tuition payments to the school.
In addition, another $34 million in various research programs are believed to be at some level at risk, which means that potentially $105 million of DelState's $180 million operating budget are in the hands of decisions made by Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and the Trump Administration.
"On the research side, those dollars have not yet gone away, but they have stopped flowing. We want to be sensitive to that because we have a fair amount of (full-time employees) on research payroll. We don't have the reserves or capacity to keep them on payroll without those research dollars."
Allen said he spoke to McMahon on Wednesday about the Pell Grants, and got a "favorable response from the secretary in that regard, but I am still awaiting, and cautiously optimistic in that regard."
The Bond Committee wrapped up their budget hearings this week, and will work to finalize the various programs that will receive money ahead of June 30.
