Santa Barbara City College has announced that La Playa Stadium will be closed for four weeks, June 29 – July 31, for needed surface repair to the college’s track. For safety reasons, the closure includes all entrances to the stadium with no access to the stadium steps.
“La Playa Stadium is a central point for so many activities,” said Ryan Byrne, SBCC Athletic Director. “Because of extensive use and challenges we are facing with the foundation of the track in specific areas, we are going to be doing widespread repairs and then resurfacing the entire track.”
SBCC offers both credit and non-credit classes on the track and field from 8 a.m. to
9 p.m. four days per week. Officials have calculated at least 33,600 student hours of use in just class hours over two semesters annually, not counting athletic competition, summer sessions, and community use.
The annual Easter Relays are held at La Playa each year, along with a number of other special community events. The field is used in the fall by a local high school for its home football games, and hundreds of local Santa Barbara area residents use the track and stadium steps daily for their own personal fitness.
“We take great pride in being an excellent community partner,” said Mr. Byrne. “The four-week closure of La Playa Stadium will only be a short-term measure and once completed, we will have the same system as many of the top competitive venues in the country.”
