Historic Welcome Stadium in downtown Dayton Ohio, originally built in the 1940s, has undergone a revitalization led by the MSA Sport and Shook Construction design-build team. This iconic venue, seating over 10,000 fans, holds a prominent location near Interstate 75 and has hosted various state and national events. Serving as the home for Dayton Public Schools athletic teams and the University of Dayton Flyers football team, the stadium also accommodates local semi-professional teams.

The first phase of this project included upgrades to the field, track, grandstands and field lighting. The second phase included a new service building at the southwest corner of the stadium, concourse renovations and a new pressbox tower. Concourse renovations encompassed upgrades and expansions of restroom facilities, new locker rooms, concession stands, a new spirit shop, and the introduction of a DPS Athletics Hall of Fame. The new state-of-the art pressbox tower includes its own stair and elevator access from the concourse, a hospitality suite, video production suite, outdoor covered viewing platforms and a covered rooftop filming platform.

The branded environments and wayfinding were an indispensable element of the design and a passion of the client. A complete branding overhaul in the stadium’s graphics and wayfinding signage was also crafted. This was an integral part of our design and process to bring back historical elements of Dayton Public Schools athletics and integration of the new Hall of Fame.

The creative direction pulls inspiration from retro athletics branding, with industrial touches inspired by Dayton’s industries and the structure itself. The custom embroidered pennants and banners recognize both current and former Dayton Public Schools, invoking the past and present of the district. The Hall of Fame cabinets display the memorabilia DPS lovingly maintained over the years and demonstrate the athletic strengths of each high school. The identity signage for spaces such as Concessions and Locker Rooms feature a custom script, layered with industrial materials in bright pops of color to grab the eye.

An essential element for the client was featuring the athletic records in track and field, which this venue has a hosted many groundbreaking moments. Ensuring this was a key point, we transformed the entire west wall for visitors to marvel at, while ensuring the solution was modular and could be added to over time.

MSA Sport was able to utilize experience and expertise in user group collaboration to assist DPS in the renovation of The Welcome Stadium. A new state-of-the-art, fully accessible press-box, expanded restroom facilities and locker rooms, as well as renovated concessions allows Welcome Stadium to comfortably host a multitude of state-wide and local events, football games and track meets as well as accommodate the needs of multiple schools and user groups.