Unwanted change on Miami’s campus

It is not novel news that Miami University is planning to demolish Millett Hall and build a new recreational arena elsewhere. A fact that is again — not new, but still alarming — is the plan is to build this new arena in place of Cook Field.

In February, the Board of Trustees unanimously proposed the building of a new arena, as well as a hotel and other facilities. The options were to build this development on Southwest Quad, replacing Williams and Wells Halls, or to replace Cook Field, located by the Farmer School of Business.

A survey in 2025 was conducted, and over 1,500 Miami community members participated. However, this represents under 10% of the student body. Within the survey, less than 300 people opted for Cook Field as the new location. Obviously, that was the less popular option.

Despite the overwhelming opinion that Cook Field should be preserved, Miami is still planning on building over top of this green space.

Recently, the discussion of these construction plans has resurfaced. New surveys were sent out, along with petitions to preserve Cook Field. This now has over 3,500 signatures as of February.

An updated report on the public’s opinion has been released, and the same results still stand strong. Over 80% of respondents said they would utilize Cook Field less as a leisure space if it were relocated to Millett’s current location. Approximately 50% of respondents said their use of Millett would not change if it were relocated. Overall, 78% responded that they strongly opposed the entire relocation project.

Obviously, students and members of Miami’s community oppose turning the beloved Cook Field into an arena. This would ruin a loved and utilized space on our campus. Countless students are on Cook Field every day: laying with their friends, playing intramural sports, walking to class and enjoying the green space that makes Miami’s campus beautiful.

Several students on this campus have a personal connection to Cook Field. Personally, I always love walking alongside it with my friends; There is always a beautiful sunset and a sense of community fostered in that eastern corner of the campus.

So, why is Miami repeatedly pushing this project? They have already almost decided to go against the majority opinion of students on campus. With the new academic year beginning, they may want to gather new opinions from new students.

One of the main concerns with Millett’s current location is its far distance from where most students live, affecting game attendance. However, this semester has shown record-high attendances for basketball games. Therefore, attendance is not correlated with the location, but rather the team itself. Hockey games at Goggin also maintain high attendance. The ideal solution for a new arena location would be to place it near the other recreational facilities on campus. If it is necessary that Millett Hall’s facilities should be relocated, then Southwest Quad would be a much better option.

It is vital that, with the resurfacing of this issue, members of Miami’s campus must continue to discourage the proposed construction of Cook Field. The green space is home to student life and fosters a sense of community and activity in a centralized location. The new arena location would also create traffic issues, and the years of construction would destroy the ambience and environment Miami famously cultivates. Not to mention, the costs of building a new arena and other facilities are immense and unnecessary.

Cook Field is an integral part of Miami’s campus, and if it is replaced with construction and buildings, a piece of our community will be lost forever.

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norrisl3@miamioh.edu

Layla Norris is a first-year student double majoring in political science and journalism, with a minor in history. Alongside writing for The Miami Student, she is involved with Kappa Alpha Pi, Redhawk Radio and Model UN.