Students accustomed to playing intramural sports at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex are in for some changes this season.

The fields at the complex are undergoing construction. The final product aims to improve the condition of the current field and add two new fields.

Brian Smith, coordinator of Sports and Competition on campus, said that the current field has been torn up and laser-leveled to improve the quality.

Two additional fields are being built to house more games for clubs and intramural sports at the complex, he said.

Smith also said that the amount of summer rainfall has put construction behind schedule.

New grass should be planted on two of the fields next week, and will later be planted on the last field. Smith is uncertain when this will be completed.

As of now, none of the intramural sports are being affected by the construction.

Smith said there is a possibility of location change for flag football if the work isn’t complete before the season begins.

“We have a plan to play 4-on-4 flag football if we can’t get out there, in the Bombardier Learjet facility, instead of the 7-on-7 we usually play,” Smith said.

Wichita State junior Ian McMahan has attended several intramural games as a WSU student. McMahan said that many people come to watch the games, and the construction affects fraternities that are involved in the intramurals.

Junior Ty Lee Selves said he’s concerned about the changes that could be made to flag football if construction isn’t complete before teams start playing. He thinks the field will be a good place to play afterward.

“I think it’ll be a good venue once it’s all finished,” he said. “I think it’ll be easier to get more games done in a short amount of time.”

Smith said that one of the reasons the field construction is taking place is to make up for lost space from the Heskett Center parking lot, where the new student dorms are being built.

Once that field was gone, the university lost a lot of recreation space, Smith said.

“We’re happy to have the new fields, and I think they’re going to be really great once they get done,” Smith said. “We’re a little disappointed with the rain, but we’re going to make the best of it and get out there and use them as soon as we can.”