The soccer staff and athletic department is gearing up for more exposure with the installation of lights to brighten up Cochrane Field next fall.

Men’s soccer coach Eric Nichols said the soccer program had been looking to get lights since the mid-1990s.

“I think it’s a game changer for our program, and I’m really excited about being able now to get out and market and attract people to come watch us play and cheer us on,” Nichols said. “Hopefully we’ll get these big crowds and get [an] environment that we can deliver with some wins.”

“I’ve been here for two years, and … when I interviewed for this job it was one of the goals that I had … to make the lights a reality,” he said.

Nichols said the real effort to raise the money necessary for the $400,000 project began a year ago. A small committee was put together with administrators and a few key alum.

Gary Kovacs and Nan Chul Shin were the two biggest donors, according to the website. Kovacs played for the program from 1967-69 and Shin played from 1983-86, and Nichols said that more than 40 alumni donated money to the project.

Women’s soccer coach Andy Richards said Nichols was instrumental in getting alumni interested and talking them into making a commitment to the lights.

Greg Christopher, director of athletics said that both coaches helped with gathering support for the lights when potential donors asked about the current priority for the soccer team’s fundraising.

“I think both Andy and Eric have been integral in developing relationships with our former soccer players,” Christopher said.

Richards said the fundraising process is ongoing, but the majority of the money has been raised.

“It should be a much quicker process than putting a building up, like the Stroh or Sebo [Centers].”

Christopher said construction is set to begin in late July with the goal of finishing in late September, and the lights are a part of a larger facility master plan to guide the next 20-plus years of athletic facility enhancements.

“It’s been a priority for us for quite some time, it’s just a matter of raising the money,” Christopher said. “Virtually everything we’re doing facility-wise in athletics at this point is being funded by outside donors.”

Richards said it is more difficult for the women’s program to collect donations because it started in 1997, and he pointed out the alumni would be considerably younger and smaller in number.

The women’s program has been responsible for raising money for the new goals, covered bleachers and orange fencing.

“We thought that helped get things started as well as change the momentum a little bit,” Richards said.

Christopher and the coaches said the lights would help with scheduling games, as it would no longer be confined to having games in the middle of the day when school and work are in session.

Richards said that parents would no longer have to take time off of work to come to games, and the possibility of high schools hosting state cup games in the field enable the team to “recruit on our doorstep.”

“It could help bring other teams in we’ve not been able to play before,” Richards said. “Maybe some Big Ten teams will come.”