When making the case to become Pima College’s athletic director, Jim Monaco talked about improving the Aztecs’ athletic facilities. Monaco, the Aztecs’ football coach at the time, knew better than most what needed attention.
Monaco is already bringing his plan to fruition. The athletic department received more than half a million dollars in the 2019-2020 capital budget to renovate the Aztecs’ facilities.
“We sat down and we put together what I believe was a really good, cost-effective but solid plan to upgrade our athletic facilities at the West Campus,” Monaco said. “I don’t think it will ever compare to UA, but to make it a quality, fan-friendly, perfect environment for our athletes.”
Pima will spend:
- $180,000 to install lights on the new soccer field;
- $170,000 to erect a perimeter fence;
- $125,000 to build new backstops and install new netting on the baseball and softball fields;
- $56,000 to resurface the West Campus tennis courts.
Some of the renovations are already noticeable on campus — and came before excess capital money was allocated to athletics. In April, the soccer field received a laser-leveling and a new plumbing and sprinkler system.
“Between soccer practice, football practice and then the community on the weekends, the field was just absolutely a mess,” Monaco said. “So, first and foremost, and where most of our money is going, is on that soccer facility. We had them come in and they laser-leveled it with a special kind of sand and ... reseeded. We redid the plumbing and the sprinkler heads with our facility people, who have been fantastic in helping us.”
The renovated soccer fields are the first step in the Aztecs’ eventual migration from Kino North Stadium back to campus. Pima’s soccer teams will start playing their home games on campus in 2020. By then, Monaco hopes to have new goals and a scoreboard in place.
Soccer’s return should save Pima some money in the long run. Last year, the Aztecs spent more than $50,000 to practice and play home games at Kino North Stadium. This year, they’re looking at a $15,000 tab just to play home games there.
“If we choose to, and that’ll be up to the board and the chancellor and people above my pay grade, but if we chose to charge an admission to soccer, now we’re actually recouping money, we’re making money back to help the athletic program, whereas before, we really weren’t making much of anything from the stadium,” Monaco said.
“(Kino North) got whatever we got to pay them plus the gate.”
Pima’s 10 tennis courts are set to be resurfaced; they’ll reopen sometime this fall. Monaco said they were “in rough shape” before the face lift.
Pima’s baseball and softball fields were in better shape, Monaco said, but needed some modernization. It’s easier, he said, for fans to watch games through netting instead of a chain-link fence. The new backstops will be made of brick, and the scoreboard will be repainted. Work will begin between the fall and spring seasons.
The fixes, and the proximity of the baseball and softball fields, should give the facility a new feel.
“Like you’re walking into the Aztec athletic complex,” Monaco said. “Get everything up to date, keep everything looking sharp and give the spectator and the student that feeling like you’re on that college campus.”
All of these improvements come less than nine months since Monaco was named the school’s athletic director. Monaco says he’s grateful for the support he has received from the administration, chancellor and governing board.
“It’s going to get tougher and we’re going to have to try to raise some money, but I’m hoping these improvements help us — give us that look that makes people excited about coming out and will want to help continue supporting Pima College athletics,” he said.
