Prior to a special night on the pitch for the Binghamton University’s men’s soccer team, the field they played on was honored in a formal dedication. The ceremony to dedicate the Bearcats Sports Complex took place before Saturday’s Binghamton-Boston match. Originally scheduled to take place on the field, inclement weather forced it to move to the Events Center.

The ceremony featured an alumni cocktail hour with a live band followed by plaques presented to Associate Vice President of Physical Facilities Larry Roma, Associate Director of Athletics Jim Norris, New York State Sen. Thomas Libous, BU President Lois B. DeFleur and the America East commissioner Patrick Nero.

‘We began talking about having a first-class soccer and lacrosse complex, and it was through Sen. Libous’s efforts that he obtained the money, and then with the help of our Physical Facilities, we made it happen,’ DeFleur said. ‘The commissioner can’t say it, but I’ll say it. This is the best facility in the conference.’

The 116-day, $3.6 million project is home to the men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse teams. Featuring a game field and practice field, the men’s soccer team is averaging 1,822 people in their first two home games of the year. Last season the men’s team averaged just 255.

‘The way this program has grown over the past few years is a great story, a great tribute to how you believe in what we do in intercollegiate athletics and the student athletes that come through here,’ Nero said.

The Bearcats joined the America East in 2001, with the men’s soccer team having their first season in the conference in 2002. That fall, the Bearcats finished eighth in the nine-team conference, but since that point Binghamton has never finished below the top three. Binghamton University has also advanced to the championship game each of the last four years, including two titles.

‘I think we are going to have a championship team again, so that’s pretty exciting,’ Sen. Libous said.

The Bearcats, who ranked No. 7 in the most recent Northeast Region Poll and are receiving votes in the national poll, are well on their way to backing that up, as they are 1-0 in the conference after an exciting 2-1 overtime victory against Boston University later that night

Now with the Events Center and Bearcat Sports Complex standing side-by-side, what’s next?

‘From a facility standpoint for what we call our sports of emphasis, they are at the highest level,’ Nero said. ‘Hopefully they get to a point, especially for basketball, where they need to get more seats in the building. They have always drawn as well as anyone in the conference, so that maybe next on the horizon ‘ a little bit of an expansion of the Events Center.’

But basketball season doesn’t start for another month, so now, while the soccer programs take the main stage, it is the Events Center that is in the shadows of the new Bearcats Sports Complex, not the other way around.