It is a new season for the Augustana football team. That means fresh jerseys, clean socks and new shoes. That is not the only thing that has the players, coaches and fans hyped up for the season. The Vikings have a brand new football complex named Kirkeby-Over Stadium.

Since 1956, the Vikings have played their home games at Howard Wood Field. Kirkeby-Over Stadium is an $11M football-only facility that seats up to 7,000 fans. Fans feel that what stands out most about Kirkeby-Over is the game time atmosphere it will create.

"Every game is going to feel like a sellout," Kaaren Huber, phys. ed dept. said. The stadium includes a high definition video screen and its sidelines are only 30 feet from the stands, providing close viewing to the fans. Athletic Director Bill Gross has good feelings about the new field.

"It will be a great addition to our campus environment and community," Gross said.

Augustana sophomore Andrew Sogn approves of the new stadium. Sogn is a student assistant to the Vikings’ football program.

"I may be biased, but I would say that it is by far the most impressive football stadium in all of Division II NCAA athletics," Sogn said. "I think the addition of a field on campus is going to change the atmosphere of games completely. People are going to be a short walk from the field, and it will be a terrific atmosphere on game day," he said.

Last year, the Vikings finished 8-4 and made it to the Mineral Water Bowl, where they closed the season with an impressive 37-13 victory over Missouri Western.

"We have a lot of players returning and have added some good new ones so we are optimistic that we can reach our goal of competing in the NCAA playoffs," Gross said.

Kirkeby-Over stadium made its debut Sept. 5 when the Vikings took on Emporia State. Augustana defeated Emporia 32-21. For some Augustana students, the win was the perfect ending to the unveiling of the new stadium.

"For me, it was finally a special experience to go watch my college football team play in one of the coolest stadiums ever," Blake Thompson ’07 said.

To some, the win in the new stadium is no coincidence.

"The new football stadium will be a tremendous benefit for our football program," Gross said.

"Coupled with our new locker room facilities in the Hall Football Complex it elevates our program immensely."

The community has high hopes about the Vikings’ season this year, and the new football stadium is a huge morale boost.