Newport Central Catholic High School will see an official groundbreaking for its new $10 million athletic complex in the coming weeks. The new complex will comprise locker rooms, coach offices, a large lighted cross on the backside of a press box, a blue track, a plaza and more.
Newport Central Catholic, also known as NCC, announced that it is finalizing a contract with Hemmer Construction for the project, which has an estimated timeline of 13 months. Coincidentally, Hemmer also constructed the school back in 1954.
The school also announced plans to name the playing surface Robert J. Schneider Field to recognize Schneider’s impact as a football coach at NCC. Schneider is currently ranked the fifth most-winning football coach in KHSAA history.
Football and baseball games were previously held on-site at the school, However, as athletics grew in popularity, the space was not ideal for hosting varsity competitions.
“Our varsity programs became nomads and have played home games—I put that in quotes—at various sites,” NCC Principal Kenny Collopy said.
The school’s soccer teams play at Morscher Park in Silver Grove, and its football team has played at other schools, such as Newport High School and Covington Catholic.
“I’m very, very excited, maybe a year from now, to come up here, whether it be a soccer match or football game, and the lights are on the stadium,” said campaign committee member and former NCC coach Steve Halpin. “We literally are the shining light on the hill. It’s just going to be an incredible event, and it’s going to be awesome.”
The new athletic complex was born from the 2019 master plan. The school completed a feasibility study and a strategic plan up until 2030. The plan listed the school’s priorities in order: eliminating its debt, supporting its academics, improving its existing assets and building an athletic complex.
NCC launched its Looking Up campaign in 2022 with a $13 million goal. Today, Collopy said they have over $14 million committed. Additionally, in the fall of 2023, NCC eliminated its debt.
Collopy could not put a shovel in the ground for a symbolic groundbreaking because they are not officially under contract with Hemmer Construction. He said they foresee it being official within the next few weeks. Because he could not hold the groundbreaking, Collopy said they would invite NCC students to do it.
“This gives an opportunity to bring those who are most deserving to put the symbolic shovels into the ground,” he said. “On the day our contract is finalized, I’m inviting 230 plus of my closest teenage friends out of that school building, and we’re going to have a BYOS day—bring your own shovel.”
NCC junior Greta Hansbauer, who spoke at the event, is on the girls’ soccer team and track and field team.
“As a soccer player and a track athlete, I could not be more excited for this new athletic complex,” Hansbauer said. “The new stadium brings so many opportunities for NCC to display its quality of athleticism as well as the spirit of a thoroughbred.”
