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# SMC ready to let other players on its home turf
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/smc-ready-to-let-other-players-on-its-home-turf/
- Published: 2005-01-11T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T05:59:08.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Sports, Malibu, #archive-import

*New SMC field to be completed by the fall semester*

*By Daily Press staff*

SMC — Coveted by parents and cherished by their children, the inventory of athletic fields in Santa Monica has just risen.

In an effort to open up Corsair Field for greater community use — particularly youth and adult soccer leagues — the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees approved on Monday to allow Corsair Field to be turned into an all-weather artificial turf.

The board approved a $35,000 contract with Caldwell Architects to design and plan an upgrade of Corsair Field to an all-weather artificial turf surface — a project estimated to cost $1 million. The new turf also will reconfigure the field slightly so that it can be used not only for football but also community soccer teams, which would be a first. Funding for the project will come from Measure S, the bond approved by Santa Monica and Malibu voters this past November.

“Santa Monica College is demonstrating its commitment, as stated in Measure S, to providing the community with playing fields, which are in such short supply,” said SMC Athletic Director Rhonda Hyatt. “At the same time, our football and women’s soccer teams will have upgraded facilities, and the college will no longer have to constantly repair damage to the grass surface.”

When completed, the renovation project will open up Corsair Field to at least 30 hours a week of community use, primarily for soccer leagues. The field also will be able to accommodate postseason adult and youth soccer games during the day or night. The field will be designed to meet NCAA standards for intercollegiate soccer play.

SMC plans to begin the renovation in May and be done in late August. During renovation, the track, which is open to students and the community, will continue to be open most of the time.

Corsair Field is currently used by both the college and the community for football. SMC, as well as Santa Monica High School and St. Monica’s High School, play their home games at Corsair Field.

However, the field is currently not used to its full potential, particularly in the spring, officials said. By renovating it and reconfiguring it for both sports, the field will get greater use in a community that faces an acute shortage of playing fields.

The artificial surface also would provide SMC with greater flexibility in course offerings and scheduling, as well as reduce “down time” for maintenance.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/011105-01_01.jpg)

of Santa Monica College Corsair Field at Santa Monica College won’t be just for football anymore. (Photo: Photo courtesy)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 11, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/011105.pdf?ref=smdp.com)