Stadium lights on only when necessary

If the stadium lights are on early in the morning or late in the evening, someone is in use of the field.

“There might not be anybody inside of the stadium, but they’re serving a purpose,” Athletics Director Matt Roan said.

The lights are on when the football team is practicing, when coaches are hosting clinics or lessons for community members, when student-athletes are in the batting cages or when official visits and recruitments are being held.

“I think our coaches are really good about having the lights on and off when they’re using it and when they’re not using it,” Roan said.

The athletics department pay for the usage of the lights.

“We’re looking at the maximum hourly cost to run every one of those posts at fifteen dollars an hour, and that includes all the lighting from the stadium. The price has a range of about thirteen to fifteen dollars an hour,” Terry Dupre, director of purchasing and property control, said.

The price of the lights also depends on when the lights are on. If the lights are on at a peak demand period for electricity, the price is higher, and if they are on during a lower demand period, the cost is lower.

“Typically, if it’s early in the morning, we have conditioning workouts going on,” Lindsey McKaskle, executive associates athletics director of internal affairs, said.

The stadium lights run electronically. The lights can be turned on manually or scheduled to be turned on automatically. The lights in the parking lot of the stadium are on from dusk till dawn for safety purposes.