From Scattered Facilities to Unified Campus:
Smith-Cotton’s Athletic Complex Success Story
July 15th, 2025
Project Overview
Project Name: Smith-Cotton Athletic Complex
Cost: $8,500,000
Duration: April 15th, 2024 – February , 2025
Scope of Work: Complete athletic campus featuring the installation of a multi-purpose turf field, turf baseball field, turf softball field, turf soccer field, & tennis court facility.
Case Study: Smith-Cotton Athletic Complex
For years, Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia, Missouri, faced a challenge familiar to school districts nationwide: student-athletes spending more time traveling to practice than actually practicing. With baseball at one location, softball across town, and soccer at the elementary school, the district knew their students deserved better.
In partnership with Byrne & Jones Sports Construction, Smith-Cotton transformed this logistical nightmare into a unified athletic campus that now serves as a model for districts across the region. The new athletic complex has created a solution that eliminates transportation challenges while building community pride.
“We wanted an all-inclusive campus and a home that our kids could take pride in,” explains Dr. Todd Fraley, Superintendent of the Sedalia School District. “They’re not sharing a home with anybody anymore. They have their own home.”
After beginning construction in April 2024, the project reached substantial completion by February 2025, allowing Smith-Cotton to host multiple sports simultaneously for the first time in the school’s history. Key achievements from the project include:
- Complete campus integration: All athletic facilities now accessible within walking distance
- Elimination of transportation costs: No more daily bus routes to scattered practice locations
- Multi-sport capability: Football, soccer, baseball, and tennis operating simultaneously
- Community economic impact: New venue capable of hosting tournaments and events
- Enhanced safety: Centralized facilities improve supervision and emergency response
“It’s been so nice now that we have track and soccer and baseball and tennis going all at the same time,” notes Kyle Middleton, Activities Director. “It’s really neat as a community member to be able to come out and watch all these facilities going on at one time.”
THE TURNKEY ADVANTAGE IN ACTION
The project’s success stemmed largely from Byrne & Jones Sports Construction’s turnkey approach, which provided Smith-Cotton with a single point of contact throughout the entire process. This methodology proved particularly valuable when unexpected challenges arose during construction.
“I’m not a construction expert and I’ve never built an athletic complex,” Dr. Fraley explains. “So it was vital to us to have a team that could come in that knew all aspects and the needs and wants of what is necessary to create such a plan and to execute that plan.”
When the project encountered unexpected rock formations during excavation, the Byrne & Jones team’s expertise proved invaluable in turning a potential budget crisis into a manageable challenge.
“One of our greatest challenges on the project was that we hit solid rock on several different fields, which would have cost the district several hundred thousand in additional costs,” explains Mike Czeschin, Project Manager for Byrne & Jones Sports Construction. “To offset that we were able to value engineer a few different things on the project, with drainage, and some of the things we came up with in order to save the district almost $300,000 in cost savings due to value engineering.”
This example of proactive problem-solving demonstrates why experienced sports construction partners prove essential when managing complex projects. Rather than simply passing unexpected costs to the client, the Byrne & Jones team found creative solutions that maintained project integrity while protecting the district’s budget.
“Communications is a big one,” emphasizes Middleton. “Anytime I have a question and I can call or text Zach or Mike, anytime… knowing I can just get an honest answer, you’re not just going to kind of kick me down the curve a little bit.”
COMMUNITY IMPACT BEYOND THE FIELD
The Smith-Cotton Athletic Complex represents more than upgraded facilities—it’s become a catalyst for community development and pride. Dr. Fraley’s vision extended beyond serving current students to creating lasting economic and social benefits for Sedalia.
“Part of our vision for the future of this community is to build complex and event venues that we can attract families to come to our community, hopefully live here to come play here, be able to host events to stimulate the local economy,” Dr. Fraley explains.
The community response has validated this approach. “The community has responded exceptionally well,” Dr. Fraley notes. “It’s something that people are already taking great pride in, they see the value in it of uplifting not only the school district, but Sedalia at large.”
The facility’s success has generated interest from neighboring districts, with Dr. Fraley regularly fielding inquiries from other superintendents seeking similar solutions. “I’ve received a few calls already asking ‘who did your project out there? It’s gorgeous and beautiful.'”
About byrne & Jones Sports Construction
Byrne & Jones Sports Construction specializes in turnkey athletic facility development for schools, municipalities, and private organizations. With expertise in project management, construction, and ongoing support, we partner with clients to create facilities that serve both immediate needs and long-term community goals.
Ready to explore solutions for your district’s athletic facility needs? Contact Byrne & Jones Sports Construction to discuss how we can help bring your vision to life.
