A site survey committee made up of Miami University faculty, staff and alumni recommended a proposed new multi-use arena be built on Cook Field despite the location not being preferred in survey responses. The recommendation was unanimously decided by the committee.
Survey results and responses
Before the committee decided on its recommendation, the Miami community of alumni, students and employees was invited to fill out a survey by Feb. 3 asking for opinions on two sites for the proposed arena – a location on Southwest Quad and another on Cook Field.
The proposed Southwest Quad spot would require the university to tear down Williams and Wells Hall, along with the Joyner House and Bonham House, which holds the Myaamia Center. The Cook Field area would include building on a student recreation area used for intramural sports.
More than 1,500 individuals filled out the survey. The Miami Student acquired the responses through Miami without the names or information of the respondents.
Of those who said they preferred one location over the other, nearly 600 wrote that Southwest Quad was a better building site, while less than 300 said they wanted the arena constructed on Cook Field. Other responses varied from not having a preference to renovating Millett Hall or building on its location.
Similarly, a petition to preserve Cook Field has garnered more than 2,600 signatures as of Feb. 27.
Many of the responses against the Cook Field location said an arena would change the campus’ aesthetic for the worse.
“Cook is an irreplaceable aspect of Miami's campus and is a big component in what makes our campus one of the most beautiful in the country,” one response read. “It’s depressing and frankly preposterous to suggest its demolition in favor of adding an arena that could just as feasibly be put elsewhere that is not the center of campus and a hub for student connection.”
Other responses included critiques about Miami getting rid of the space students use for intramural sports. In the recommendation announcement, the committee announced that $13 million will be used to build new fields in front of Millett, the location the university said was too far for students to be involved in games.
Supporters of the Cook area said the spot was better for parking, traffic and student interaction at games.
“I like this location a lot,” one person wrote. “The proximity of the Ditmer Lot is nice, and this is an area that seems easier to access. Clearly, the students are in and around this area a lot as well.”
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Who is on the committee?
The committee is made up of 11 individuals with various titles.
David Budig and Don Crain are co-chairs of the committee. They both graduated from Miami, Budig in 1984 and Crain in 1970, and are former chairs of the Board of Trustees.
Budig is the president of Parsec Inc., an intermodal transportation company and was a member of Beta Theta Phi as a student. He has previously served on many boards and councils as an alumnus, including the Miami Foundation Board, which is made up of “prominent business leaders, alumni, friends and university leaders,” according to the website.
Crain is a lawyer and partner at Frost Brown Todd in Cincinnati, where he focuses on labor, employment and governmental law. While at Miami, Crain was a member of Sigma Chi and played on the baseball team.
Brad Bundy is the current senior associate vice president of university advancement for Miami, a position he’s held since 2013.
Michael Crowder is Miami’s associate provost, dean of the graduate school and a professor of chemistry. He first joined Miami in 1995 as an assistant professor.
Zac Haines is a current member of the Board of Trustees. He was appointed by Ohio Governor John Kasich in 2018 and will finish his tenure in 2027. He graduated from Miami in 2005 and is now the CEO of DPA Buying Group, a group of independent distributors and national suppliers in the janitorial, sanitary, safety equipment and clothing, industrial, packaging and restoration industries.
Kelly Knollman-Porter is an associate professor of speech pathology and audiology. She is the chair of the Campus Planning Committee.
David Sayler is Miami’s director of athletics. Sayler won the Cartwright Award, an award given to the best athletic department in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in the areas of academics, community service and competitive results, in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Sayler received a five-year contract extension in 2021.
Andrea Simpson graduated from Miami in 1982. She played field hockey during her time in Oxford before becoming a teacher in Hamilton.
Chase Speaks is the assistant athletic director for sport and facility services and has been at Miami since 2012.
Scott Walter is the assistant vice president for student affairs, a position he has held since 2010. Walter works to establish collaborations between students, faculty and staff.
Chauncey Winbush is the deputy athletic director and has had this position since 2023. He formerly worked at Shepherd University in West Virginia.
Senior Director of Communications Seth Bauguess wrote in an email to The Student that there will be time for public comments at the Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 28.
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