The Harding Bison football team had a new place to practice in the 2019-20 school year. In the fall 2019 semester, the Harding Bisons football program opened the Huckeba Field House. The $5.2 million facility was built through donations from alumni who were actively involved or invested in the football program. The facility was named after Ronnie Huckeba, or "Coach Huck," as he was affectionately referred to by athletes and students alike, who served as head football coach at Harding for 10 years and as an instructor for 31 years. Head Coach Paul Simmons said the field house was intended to be more than a place of practice for the team, but an example of how the program touched many lives. "The most awesome part of that facility is that it really was built by the brotherhood," Simmons said. "That building really is a legacy oflove just as we honor Coach Huck and the way he did things for this program to help really build this culture of honoring God." Athletic Director Jeff Morgan said the project came to fruition with the help of over 260 former players and families who wanted to give back to the program. "Sometimes you have a donor come forward and say, 'Hey, we'd really like to be involved with this,' and we say, 'OK, let's daydream here,'" Morgan said. That daydream was realized for many former and current Bisons. Simmons said his favorite part about the facility was bringing old members to see it for the first time. 232 "To see those guys who went through those [tough] times, and to see them walk in and see the pride of their faces has been [very] rewarding," Simmons said. Junior defensive back J acory Nichols said the current team was blown away by the facility. "I was really shocked,'' Nichols said. "I honestly didn't think it was going to happen:· It was better and bigger than I thought." The facility was primarily used to avoid canceling practices due to weather conditions. Both Nichols and Simmons said this feature helped the team get more quality work done heading into the season by avoiding the heat of the turf and inclement weather in the summer and fall months. Although it was intended for football, the field house offered more than a place to practice. Jana Rucker, vice president of university communication and enrollment, said the facility would also help in the recruitment of new players. "Sometimes we are viewed as this small school in the middle of nowhere,'' Rucker said. "But when you get here, you see we really have a great facility, and this just adds to it." The facility was officially dedicated to Huckeba during Homecoming weekend 2019. story by Emma Vaughn
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