University Godwin Field Parking Project & Impact on Athletics

James Madison University recently announced, as part of an overall construction update, plans to pave Godwin Field and create a 164-spot parking lot in order to address a variety of campus parking needs. More details about the plan and why parking in the Godwin Hall and Newman Lake area has become a critical need for the university can be found at jmu.edu in addition to being outlined further below.

With Godwin Field serving as a key hub of football gameday activities, please note the following anticipated impact:

The overall parking footprint on Godwin Field will be similar and no current Godwin Field patrons will be displaced by the changes
The resurfaced lot will be open for the 2018 fall semester and football season
Selection of parking spaces (reparking) happens every year as part of annual Duke Club solicitation and season ticket purchasing, so all donors will have the opportunity to review their parking given the changes. In order to provide fair and equitable access to all Duke Club members, we will not offer the reparking exemption for 2018.
No giving levels will be changed for 2018 for donors to maintain their status as a Godwin Field parking holder
Space will be preserved on Godwin Field near its current footprint for gameday "Fan Zone" activities such as inflatables and other marketing activations
Group functions such as Family Weekend and Homecoming tents will be moved to Hanson Field, which will also host space used for various other group tailgates, reunions, etc
As a result of Hanson Field hosting gameday events, Hanson will no longer serve as a gameday parking area for donors
Donors specifically seeking opportunities to park on grass will have the ability to do so on Hillside Field
Recent expansion of D Lot has provided an additional attractive gameday parking location

More information about 2018 Duke Club giving, season ticket sales and 2018 parking will be shared in the near future.

Godwin Field Paving Notes:

Why was this project necessary?
The addition of this new lot addresses on-going parking needs for faculty, staff and students, particularly with the expansion of the College of Business and the new dining hall opening in Fall 2018.

Who initiated this project?
This project was ultimately decided by University Administration in consideration of its entire campus planning and construction process. Athletics appreciates the many partnerships it has across the entire University. Our student-athletes and fans benefit from many functions and processes initiated by areas on campus, but apart from Athletics. As such, Athletics recognizes the significant needs for parking throughout campus and supports this decision.

Why did Athletics not ask the University to pursue other options in order to preserve this green space?
JMU Athletics supports this move based on the overwhelming facts and data used by the University in making this decision. The significant needs for parking for faculty, staff and students throughout the academic year was a primary decision. Also, the University has been spending approximately $70,000 annually to maintain Godwin Field to its current condition for all purposes, including game-day donor parking. The final plan shared by the University is extremely functional and attractive. Finally, inclement weather has, over the years, forced some of our most loyal donors to relocate to a hard-surface parking lot because the conditions on Godwin Field are not suitable for vehicles. By moving forward with this new plan, these donors will have access to an attractive and well-designed space for their gameday use.

Why would the University remove this green space?
The new surface will include a water filtration system that cleans run-off before entering Newman Lake (current run-off is not treated). Additional trees will be added which will ultimately provide a larger carbon footprint offset than the existing grass space. This change will result in fewer resources used in maintenance of the field, including fertilizers and fossil fuels.

Why should this change happen now?
A significant project to replace a steam line under Godwin Field begins in January 2018. Moving forward with the conversion of the field to a new parking lot provides better efficiency and supports the additional campus construction projects.

What activities were occurring on Godwin Field and how will they be accommodated?
Godwin Field is currently used for parking for football and freshman move in, limited Kinesiology classes, summer camps, and band practice. Expansion of additional fields in recent years has moved recreation and club programs from this space. The non-parking activities can continue to be accommodated using Hillside and Hanson Field and University Recreation spaces.

How does this lot address overall campus parking needs?
The resurfacing of the field will provide an additional 155 parking spots for campus needs on non-football game days throughout the year.

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