Originally designed to just be a professional minor league baseball stadium, Cooley Law School Stadium has been hosting the Lugnuts and a soccer franchise for the first time.
LANSING, Mich. – Cooley Law School Stadium has been hosting Lansing Lugnuts games for
nearly a quarter-century. But change has definitely come, as it currently is in the first season of
hosting professional baseball and professional soccer.
The Lansing Ignite is the first professional soccer team in the state of Michigan since 1980,
when the Detroit Express played in the Pontiac Silverdome. The Ignite belongs to the USL
League One, formed as a Division III club for the Lansing community.
Adding soccer to Cooley Law School Stadium has given the grounds crew a much bigger
assignment for the spring and summer. A lot goes into transforming the field from baseball to
soccer, as 4-foot by 100-foot strips of sod are laid down on the left side of the infield to cover
up the dirt.
Having played at home already, the Ignite and grounds crew have discovered some issues with
the sod popping out during games. However, like most things, with repetition the process will
start becoming easier.
WKAR Current Sports beat reporter Ian Kress looks at how Cooley Law Stadium will serve two
different types of professional franchises.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltofubU6OFA&t=4s