COLUMBIA, Mo. — The University of Missouri will renovate its soccer and track stadium following a significant donation from the venue’s namesake, making the much-needed facility upgrade possible.
Audrey J. Walton, for whom the stadium is named, has made a donation to Mizzou’s athletics department that is expected to fully fund the “transformative†upgrades, the school announced Wednesday. Her latest contribution is one of the 10 largest ever received by MU athletics.
Walton Stadium hosts the women’s soccer team’s home matches and includes outdoor track competition facilities, though Missouri hasn’t hosted a home outdoor meet since 2021 — in part due to the facility’s need for work.
The Tigers will again be able to host competitions following a resurfacing of the track made possible by Walton’s donation, according to the athletics department. The soccer pitch will also receive new natural grass.
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“I’ve always believed in the power of college athletics to impact the next generation of Tigers — and I am especially proud to support programs that empower young women and men to compete and succeed,†Walton said in a statement. “Building championship programs in the Southeastern Conference starts with a ‘Will to Win.’ I am honored to invest in that unwavering ‘Will to Win’ by supporting our track and field and women’s soccer programs so they can compete at the highest level in the SEC. I greatly look forward to seeing the project completed for the betterment of Mizzou athletics.â€
A 1996 donation by Walton funded the construction of the stadium, and she contributed a donation for a previous resurfacing in 2006.
Further details around the timeline for this new round of upgrades will be announced at a later date, according to the athletics department.
Walton Stadium has been in sore need of investment for a renovation for some time. When athletics director Laird Veatch arrived on the job last year, he toured MU’s facilities and came away with the conclusion that there were clear “needs†at some sports’ venues.
“The advocacy from me on those playing surfaces and the basic things needs to be, ‘We’ve got to find a way — we’ve got to find a way as soon as possible,’†Veatch told the Post-Dispatch last summer, “whether that’s working with donors, working with our institutional partners, finding a way within our budget process to make some of those things happen.â€
He’s now delivering on that pledge by partnering with a longtime MU donor to revamp a facility.
Updates to Walton Stadium aren’t the only work on Missouri venues underway. A $250 million renovation of the Memorial Stadium north concourse is in progress, with heavy machinery excavating the top of the hill that will feature added premium seating for the 2026 football season and beyond.
Mizzou also recently updated its indoor track and has been hosting meets there. Mizzou Arena received new black seats and a videoboard ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Taylor Stadium, Missouri’s baseball venue, and its tennis complex would also stand to benefit from renovations.
“Really from a competitive, safety and security standpoint, we’ve got to get some of those things shored up,†Veatch said last summer. “And — let me say ‘and’ instead of ‘but’ — I do believe in the future there’ll be some significant developments we can do with our other sports as well. But for now, we’ve got to solidify our football resource and then be able to focus on some of the bigger things down the road.â€
