Missouri Facilities - Kadlec Practice Fields

From Roger Wehrli to Kellen Winslow to Brad Smith, the Kadlec Practice Fields have been home to some of the greatest Missouri football players in history.

The Tigers moved football practices from Rollins Field to the new facility at Stadium Blvd. and Providence Rd. in 1958. But because the new locker room building wasn't complete, players still dressed out at Rothwell Gymnasium then were bussed over to the practice fields.

The complex originally had 7 grass fields which formed an L around New Rollins Field (later renamed Simmons Field and Taylor Stadium). Four fields were laid out parallel to Stadium Blvd., facing in a north-south direction. Fields No. 5 and 6 were south of fields No. 3 and 4, parallel to the third base line of New Rollins Field. Field No. 7 was the southern-most field, lying perpendicular to fields No. 5 and 6.

For almost the next 40 years, the fields remained in practically the same condition. That changed in 1996 when the Missouri Track/Soccer Complex was built where Fields No. 5, 6, and 7 were located. It wasn't much of a loss to the football program since the team by then only used two fields at a time for practice.

In an era where basically everything on the MU campus was named after someone or something, the practice fields remained nameless. But in 2000, the university honored former Missouri player, coach, administrator, and current radio analyst John Kadlec by naming the fields after him.

These days the Kadlec Practice Fields aren't used as much as in the past. Since FieldTurf was installed at Faurot Field in 2003, the Tigers have practiced more on the game field. And with less use by the football team, fields No. 3 and 4 have since become practice areas for the Missouri soccer team and track and field athletes.

More information on the football facilities can be found in the Members Zone.
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