SAN MARCOS, CA (December 22, 2025) – The new football and softball stadiums at Palomar College have been recognized with a national award from the American Sports Builders Association.
The projects received a bronze award in the multi-field facility category, selected from submissions nationwide, including schools and universities, health centers, and public recreation complexes. The award was announced earlier this month at the association’s national conference in San Antonio, Texas.
“It is an honor to have the project recognized for its commitment to design aesthetics, use of state-of-the-art systems, and quality of installation, which elevates both the player and spectator experience,” said Dennis Astl, Palomar College’s manager of construction and facilities planning.
Proposition M funded the football and softball stadiums, a 2006 bond measure approved by voters that has enabled extensive modernizations and improvements across the Palomar Community College District.
The football stadium, which opened in August 2024, is Palomar’s first in its 76-year history. It seats more than 3,600 people and was the site of the Palomar College 2025 commencement. It was designed and developed in collaboration with HMC Architects, Erickson-Hall Construction Company, and the Barrie Company, along with numerous other business partners.
The softball stadium opened in April 2024 and holds more than four times the number of fans than previous accommodations. It includes a press box, multiple spectator viewing areas, a softball fieldhouse, and a team room.
Both facilities are enhanced by a landscape palette – Caribbean for the softball field and Asian for the football field – that adds about 20 new species to the district’s arboretum/botanic garden collection.
