ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Over 100 members of the RIT Athletic community gathered to dedicate the recently-completed turf at Tiger Stadium Doug May Field, in a ceremony honoring the Tigers' late men's soccer coach, Saturday afternoon.
 
RIT President David Munson welcomed members of the May family, including Doug's brother, Jim, daughter, Erin, and son, Kevin, while other speakers included men's soccer alumni Rob Mojsej '89, and May's former assistant coach and close friend, Dan Hickey. Members of a group of over 70 alumni and friends who helped the department achieve its goal of raising $1 million to name the field in memory of May were also on hand to join in the celebration.
 
"By naming the heart of the stadium on which the RIT Tigers will practice and play, we embrace the spirit of excellence that was central to Doug's coaching and mentoring," said Munson. "This is a great milestone in our efforts to fund the new Tiger Stadium complex, and we are excited to have such strong support for our plans to provide the best experience for our student-athletes, student and campus supporters, alumni, and the Rochester community."
 
Following the ceremony, the RIT men' soccer team scrimmaged Nazareth in the first contest played on the field. May also coached at Nazareth from 1996 until his passing in 2004.
 
"It has been really overwhelming and humbling," said Kevin May, who is also an RIT assistant men's soccer coach. "My dad would be laughing and shaking his head that all this fuss was made about him. It is a really proud moment for our family and we want to thank everyone at RIT for this honor."
 
The most successful coach in RIT men's soccer history, May led the Tigers to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four national semifinal finishes and a runner-up showing in 1988. During his 15-year tenure from 1980-95, he compiled a 195-56-24 record, including a 57-game regular season unbeaten streak from 1983-87 and was named the 1989 National Coach of the Year.
 
"We are very proud that Coach May's presence will be seen and felt at the heart of the new Tiger Stadium," said current RIT head men's soccer coach Bill Garno. "It is a fitting tribute to his spirit, and his profound impact on student-athletes, RIT soccer and to the local and national soccer communities."
 
May mentored nine All-Americans, 47 New York State All-Stars and 106 all-conference players during his tenure, making a profound and lasting influence on the lives of his student-athletes, as well as friends and colleagues.
 
"We are honored to have our new field named after a coach who had a profound impact on not only RIT Athletics, but the greater community as a whole," said Executive Director of Athletics Jacqueline Nicholson. "The level of support we received for naming this field after Coach May shows how invested our alumni are in the continued success of our athletic programs and is a testament to the impact Coach May had on his players."
 
Saturday's ceremony was the culminating event in phase-one of the overall renovation of Tigers Stadium —a highly-visible, state-of-the-art venue for the men's and women's soccer teams as well as the men's and women's lacrosse teams. The field naming was part of an overall $5 million fundraising goal for the Stadium project, to be constructed upon reaching that goal. Learn more about the Tiger Stadium Project and visit rit.edu/giving/TigerStadium to make a gift.
 
The stadium project is also part of Transforming RIT: The Campaign for Greatness, a $1 billion university fundraising effort, the largest in university history. This blended campaign seeks support from a variety of investors, including alumni and friends, government and corporate partners, and research foundations and agencies. The campaign has raised $920 million to date.