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Inside Iowa State
Apr. 17, 1998

Practice facility will honor former football coach

by Steve Jones

A campaign is under way to raise funds for a new football practice area named for Johnny Majors, the coach who took the Cyclones to their first bowl game.

The Johnny Majors Practice Fields, a $2.3 million outdoor project on the west side of Jack Trice Stadium, will include a 200-yard grass field and an extra-wide, 100-yard artificial turf field.

Majors is the keynote speaker at Veishea opening ceremonies at 5 p.m. today, April 17, on central campus. He also is grand marshal of the Veishea parade, which begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and will be broadcast on KCCI-TV.

Dave and Sue McCurry, Coralville, provided the lead gift in the campaign, which already has passed the $1.5 million mark. Dave McCurry was a three-year letterwinner as a wide receiver for the Cyclones. He played under Majors from 1970 to 1972.

"The practice facility is part of our plan to make the football program more competitive in the Big 12 Conference," said athletic director Gene Smith. "The McCurrys wanted to honor Coach Majors for his contributions to the Cyclones. We're pleased this facility will bear his name."

Coaching at ISU from 1968 to 1972, Majors turned around the Cyclone football program and created unprecedented excitement for the sport. His 1971 squad finished 8-4, losing to Louisiana State in the Sun Bowl. The 1972 team lost by a point to Georgia Tech in the Liberty Bowl.

The practice fields project, scheduled for completion this fall, is funded by private donations and is part of Campaign Destiny: To Become the Best.

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