Athletic Fields Lighting Project: Community Event

This grass field is the home competition site for NCAA Soccer, Rugby and the newly added minor league soccer team: The Town Soccer Club.  Seating for 5,500, this venue also holds the annual commencement graduation ceremony for Saint Mary’s College.  Originally constructed in 1973, the stadium was used for Football until 2004 and in 2014, the field underwent major renovation by expanding the field area to include rugby competitions. 

Located in the front of the campus, Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium is set amongst towering pine trees with views of the campus and the surrounding Moraga hills. Just a few steps away from various types of student housing, the field provides Saint Mary's students a popular venue to enjoy the California sunshine and support the Gaels.

In 2024, the Gaels opened the new Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium, built 400 feet down the right field line from the old location. The new field dimensions are 330 feet down the left and right field lines, 400 feet to dead center and 375 feet in the gaps. Originally named the Brother Agon Field, the field was renamed after legendary baseball-great Louis Guisto. After a Hall of Fame career as a member of the Saint Mary's Phoenix, Guisto was instrumental in leading a successful drive to restore the baseball program after it was dropped in 1958. The field was renamed to Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium in 2024.

Baseball games will be played at this field as described in the table below. 

Constructed almost entirely by the Saint Mary's Buildings and Grounds staff, Cottrell Field was named a 2000 NFCA Regional Turface Field Winner. The sand-based field was completed in October 1999, with 80 percent blue and 20 percent rye turf area, and a stabilizer red skinned infield and warning track system. The 2000 softball season marked the first year of competition on Cottrell Field. Since that time, the facility has hosted collegiate conference and high school sectional championships.

The field of dreams became a reality thanks to the donation of Elizabeth Larson. A member of the Board of Trustees, and a tremendous supporter of women's athletics. Larson requested the field be dedicated to the memory of Dr. John Cottrell and his wife Katherine Casassa Cottrell. 

Softball games will be played at this field as described in the table below. 

No. The lights will be directed downwards onto the fields and will most likely meet the Dark Sky Approved Outdoor Sports Lighting Program standards. In addition, the lights will be turned on manually only when needed for home games and will not be on automatic timers that switch on every night. Home games will start no later than 6:30 P.M. and end no later than 10 P.M. for the games played at the Saint Mary's Stadium and Cottrell Field.  Home games at the Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium will end no later than 11 P.M.

Field lighting can be managed manually or with automatic timers. Daily automatic timers are currently only being used for the recreational turf field located near the Saint Mary's Stadium during the academic year which goes no later than 10 P.M.

As illustrated in the figure below, lighting technology has improved dramatically since the mid-70s. Saint Mary’s plans to install the “Light-Structure System TLC for LED” as shown in the fixture second from right. With this system, there would be practically no light spillover compared to systems from two or three decades ago.

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The fields already have amplified sound systems to announce during the games, so there could be some noise at night. However, the fields will be used infrequently (see project description for the number of games per sport per season), and the games will end by 10 P.M. Noise from spectators will be sporadic and intermittent, and noisemakers and sound devices such as air horns are prohibited at all SMC sporting events. Vulgar and inappropriate language will not be tolerated during events, and SMC officials will eject any spectator, player, or coach who violates the rules.

Saint Mary's students are required to follow the Good Neighbor Policy and the Town of Moraga’s Loud and Unruly Party Ordinance, and any students who violate these rules will be subject to Saint Mary's discipline process.

Complaints about noise during Saint Mary's sanctioned activities may be reported to Saint Mary's Campus Safety (925-631-4282), 24 hours a day. Complaints will be logged and investigated. If verified, the source of the noise will be abated. Verified complaints of noise that exceed Saint Mary's limitations will be managed by Saint Mary's Student Code of Conduct proceedings as outlined in the Student Handbook. Any other noise complaint that is not from the Campus may be reported to the Town of Moraga Police Department (925-284-5010).

Saint Mary's expects more than half of the spectators will be students and residents from the Lamorinda area which would not contribute to significant traffic impacts. Less than 20% of spectators will be from out of the area, and would arrive approximately half an hour before game time, and depart up to half an hour after the game ends. If traffic before and after games becomes a problem as determined by the Town of Moraga, Saint Mary's will work with the Moraga Police Department to facilitate traffic control on game days.

No. Saint Marys' can accommodate up to 5,000 people on campus for special events, such as graduation, without causing spillover parking issues. Saint Mary's anticipates no more than 3,000 will attend any given sporting event, and therefore the campus can handle parking.