Hoyt Athletic Field

Hoyt Athletic Field is the site for Friends Falcon football games, men’s and women’s soccer matches, and track and field meets. In 1998, Friends University was one of the first universities in the United States to convert from a grass field to a then-new synthetic material, called AstroPlay. AstroPlay is now found on many athletic fields around the nation and works well for both football and soccer. (The field was resurfaced again in 2006.) In 1998 Friends University also built a track that allowed the University to offer a track and field program once again after many years. Hoyt Athletic Field is named for Fred Hoyt, a 1904 graduate, who played on the football team and worked tirelessly to improve football facilities at Friends University. He was also “largely responsible for the famous defeat of Fairmount University (the precursor to Wichita State University) in 1900.”