Moye Complex Explained

Stadium Name:Moye Complex
Fullname:Tony and Nancy Moye Football and Lacrosse Complex (complex) Five Star Stadium (stadium)[1]
Location:1501 Mercer University Dr
Macon, GA 31207
Broke Ground:November 12, 2011
Opened:August 31, 2013[2]
Owner:Mercer University
Operator:Mercer University
Surface:AstroTurf 3D Extreme
Construction Cost:$14 million
Architect:McMillan-Pazdan-Smith
General Contractor:Chris R. Sheridan & Co.
Tenants:Mercer Bears football team
Mercer Bears men's lacrosse team
Seating Capacity:10,200
Record Attendance:12,542 (September 1, 2016 vs. The Citadel

The Tony and Nancy Moye Football and Lacrosse Complex (also known as Moye Complex, the stadium itself is officially named Five Star Stadium) is a 10,200 seat football and lacrosse stadium on the campus of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, United States.[3] [4] Construction began on November 12, 2011 and was completed in 2013; the AstroTurf 3D Extreme surface was completed in 2012, the football team conducted its first practice in the stadium on August 27, 2012.[5] [6] The university initially announced the complex would have 6,000 seats; the number was increased to 10,200 in 2012.[7] The first football game at Moye Complex was on August 31, 2013; Mercer defeated Reinhardt University in front of an overflow crowd of 12,172 spectators.[8] [9]

The sports complex has the following components: the Homer and Ruth Drake Field House, the William H. Anderson II Family Field, the Marshall and Jane Butler Family Plaza, and the Tony and Nancy Moye Family Football and Lacrosse Complex. Messrs. Drake, Anderson, Butler, and Moye are university trustees and were major donors towards the stadium.

On February 26, 2015, the stadium portion of the complex was named Five Star Stadium in recognition of a multimillion-dollar financial commitment to Mercer athletics by Five Star Automotive Group, which owns dealerships in Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina.[10] The president of Five Star Automotive Group, Charlie Cantrell, is also president of the Mercer Athletic Foundation.

The complex is located adjacent to Mercer's other athletic facilities including Hawkins Arena (basketball and athletic department offices), Claude Smith Field (baseball), and Sikes Field (softball). There is a 101-room Hilton Garden Inn on university-owned land adjacent to the complex. Parking lots are available for visitors-spectators arriving via the Mercer University Drive exit off of Interstate 75.

Mercer has an NCAA Division I athletic program and fields teams in eight men's and ten women's sports; all university-sponsored sports compete in the Southern Conference except women's lacrosse and women's sand volleyball, which are not sponsored by the SoCon, and thus compete in the ASUN Conference.[11] [12]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Five Star Stadium.
  2. Web site: Football Ticket Office to Release Berm Seating Monday Morning. Mercer Athletics. August 14, 2013. August 28, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130820012511/http://www.mercerbears.com/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/20130814sefj4x. August 20, 2013. dead.
  3. Web site: Mercer : Mercer Unveils Plans, Breaks Ground for Football/Lacrosse Complex . 2012-09-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120418053332/http://www.mercerbears.com/news/stadium_complex . 2012-04-18 . dead .
  4. News: Mercer Officially Breaks Ground on Stadium. Daniel. Shirley. The Telegraph (Macon). November 12, 2011. November 12, 2011.
  5. News: Mercer Complex Nearing Final Stages . Daniel . Shirley . . July 31, 2012 . July 31, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120803000323/http://www.macon.com/2012/07/31/2116290/mercer-complex-nearing-final-stages.html . August 3, 2012 .
  6. News: Mercer Hits the Football Practice . Daniel . Shirley . . August 27, 2012 . August 27, 2012 .
  7. News: Mercer's Lamb Enjoying Friday Nights. Michael A.. Lough. The Telegraph (Macon). September 17, 2012. September 17, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20140201213219/http://www.macon.com/2012/09/17/2180656/mercers-lamb-enjoying-friday-nights.html. February 1, 2014. dead.
  8. News: Mercer to Host Reinhardt in 2013 Opener. Daniel. Shirley. The Telegraph (Macon). September 5, 2012. September 5, 2012. https://archive.today/20130128034127/http://www.macon.com/2012/09/05/2163842/mercer-to-host-reinhardt-in-2013.html. January 28, 2013. dead.
  9. News: Mercer Makes History with First Victory. Michael A.. Lough. The Telegraph (Macon). September 1, 2013. September 1, 2013. https://archive.today/20130909162300/http://www.macon.com/2013/09/01/2639498/mercer-makes-history-with-first.html. September 9, 2013.
  10. Daniel Shirley, "Mercer football/lacrosse stadium renamed following major donation", ‘’The Telegraph’’, February 26, 2015
  11. Web site: Mercer University Accepts Invitation to Join the Southern Conference. 30 May 2013. 19 September 2014.
  12. Web site: Dawn of a New Era: Mercer Joins Southern Conference. July 2014. 19 September 2014.