The work has already started. On the NIACC campus in Mason City, new synthetic turf baseball and softball fields are being built, the soccer facilities have been upgraded, and NIACC baseball is coming back to campus. “This project is real and people can see the progress happening right now,” says Ryan Flickinger, NIACC’s Director of Athletics.
The next step is what gives the campaign its name. Let’s Light ’Em Up has set a $500,000 phase one goal to put lights on the fields and keep building toward the future of the complex, including an indoor fieldhouse. “We've started building it,” Flickinger says. “Now we need our community to help us finish it and light it up.”
More than lights on a couple of fields
For Flickinger, lights change what the facilities can be. They open the door to evening games, tournaments, high school events, camps and a year-round calendar. “I want to drive on campus on a Saturday in June, see baseball and softball games going on at night,” he says. “We want the parking lots full. We want parents and students walking around campus.”
That activity reaches well past the athletic department. Visiting families stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, shop and buy gas across Mason City and North Iowa. “If we build these facilities and only use them for us,” Flickinger says, “I think we're missing a huge opportunity.”
Athletics as NIACC’s front door
There is an enrollment case too. A 12-year-old who plays a baseball tournament at NIACC, then comes back for a high school game, already knows the campus, and so do their parents. That student may never play college sports. “When it comes time to choose a college, NIACC is now a place that they know,” he says. “That's why I believe athletics can be a front door to NIACC.”
“Years from now, I want people to be able to drive through these facilities and say, ‘I helped make that happen.’”— Ryan Flickinger, NIACC Director of Athletics
Two years go by fast
At the center of it all are NIACC’s student-athletes. Most have two years on campus, and Flickinger wants those years to count. “We ask a lot of them,” he says. They go to class, practice every day, travel, compete and represent NIACC in the community. “If we're going to ask them to do that, then we need to continue to do our part by giving them the resources and facilities they need to be successful.”
Facilities also matter in recruiting, where a two-year college competes for athletes every day, and in retention, which Flickinger calls just as important. When recruits and their parents see turf fields, lights and continued investment, “it shows them that NIACC is serious about athletics and that we're moving forward.”
The goal goes beyond wins and losses. “When a student athlete leaves NIACC, I also want them to look back and feel like they were a part of something special,” he says. “Whatever their path is, we want NIACC to be an important part of their story.”
Built for North Iowa
NIACC is already opening its doors. Since Flickinger arrived, the college has started hosting Top of Iowa Conference high school basketball, volleyball and cross-country events, and has hosted the Team Iowa Fargo wrestling camp, bringing the state’s top wrestlers to campus for the last two summers.
The new facilities are meant to multiply that. “My vision is to host as many youth tournaments, high school games, camps, and other events as we reasonably can,” he says. “I want high school coaches, youth organizations, and families to see NIACC as a partner.”
The next big piece: a fieldhouse
The baseball and softball complex is a major step, but it is not the finish line. The next piece of the vision is an indoor fieldhouse that gives NIACC year-round space. “We live in North Iowa, weather is always going to be a factor,” Flickinger says. An indoor facility where baseball, softball, soccer, golf, track and other programs can train “would be a game changer for our student athletes and coaches.”
Like the outdoor fields, it would serve the region too, with youth programs, high school teams, camps, clinics and community events. “Ultimately, I want NIACC to become a destination for athletics in North Iowa,” he says. And he is direct about the competitive goal: “I want us competing for championships and I don't think we should be afraid to say that.”
Why now
The momentum is visible. Construction is underway, and supporters can see exactly what their gifts are helping build. Every gift counts toward the $500,000 goal, Flickinger says, and moves the fieldhouse closer to reality. “It's not about the size of the gift necessarily,” he says. “It's about getting people involved and building something special together.”
His message to alumni is personal. “There's something pretty special about having an opportunity to give back to the place that was a part of your story,” he says. “This is an opportunity to help create that same type of experience for the next generation.”
Full interview transcript
Ryan Flickinger answered seven questions on camera for this story. His answers appear in full below.
▶ Watch from 0:00
For anyone hearing about "Let's Light 'Em Up" for the first time — what is this campaign really about, and what are we building at NIACC?
Ryan Flickinger: Let's Light 'Em Up is really about the future of NIACC athletics and what we can build here. It's not only for our student-athletes, but for NIACC and the entire North Iowa community. Obviously, the first piece is the facilities. We're building brand new turf baseball and softball fields that have already begun. We've improved our soccer facilities already and we're bringing NIACC baseball back to campus. Now, we want to add lights on those fields and continue looking at future phases, including a potential fieldhouse down the road. This campaign will bring that to reality or closer to reality. The lights are important because they completely change how we can use these facilities. They open the door for evening games, tournaments, high school events, camps, and a lot more opportunities throughout the year. And that ties into one of my biggest goals of this project. We want our campus busy. I want our campus busy. We want to utilize our facilities for outside people at all times. I want to drive on campus on a Saturday in June, see baseball and softball games going on at night. I want teams here, high school teams, camps, tournaments, and other events. We want the parking lots full. We want parents and students walking around campus. That creates an impact well beyond NIACC athletics. Those families are staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, shopping, buying gas, and spending money throughout Mason City and North Iowa. If we build these facilities and only use them for us, I think we're missing a huge opportunity. There's an enrollment piece that I think is also really important. One of the best things we can do is simply get young people onto our campus. Maybe a kid comes here at 12 years old for a baseball tournament and comes back a few years later for a high school game. Now, they know NIACC. Their parents know NIACC. And they've been on our campus and hopefully had a great experience. That student may never play college athletics, and that's okay. When it comes time to choose a college, NIACC is now a place that they know and they've already had a connection with us. That's why I believe athletics can be a front door to NIACC. At the same time, our student athletes are always going to be at the center of this. We want to give them facilities they can be proud of, give our coaches great facilities to recruit to. When you put it all together, that's the bigger vision. We're improving the student-athlete experience, supporting our community, bringing people to Mason City, and introducing more families to NIACC. That's what Light 'Em Up really is about.
▶ Watch from 2:21
Why does this matter so much for NIACC's student-athletes right now?
Ryan Flickinger: I think the biggest thing is that our student athletes deserve to have a great experience during their time here at NIACC. We ask a lot of them. They're going to class, they're practicing every day, working hard, traveling, competing, and they represent NIACC in our community. For many of them, they only have two years here, and those two years go by really, really fast. We want to make sure we're doing everything we can do to make those two years a great experience. And facilities, whether you like it or not, are a big part of that. When the student athletes walk out every day and practice and compete in a facility they're proud of, it matters. When they see improvements happening around them, it shows them that NIACC is investing in athletics and investing in their experience. I also think expectations go both ways. We have high expectations for our student athletes and our coaches. We expect them to work hard, compete, succeed academically, represent NIACC the right way, and take pride in being a Trojan. If we're going to ask them to do that, then we need to continue to do our part by giving them the resources and facilities they need to be successful. There's also the recruiting side of it. College athletics is incredibly competitive, and we're competing against other schools for student athletes every single day. Facilities matter when a recruit comes to campus. They notice where they're going to practice. They notice where they're going to compete, and so do their parents. When a recruit comes to NIACC and sees new facilities, turf fields, lights, improved spaces, and continued investment happening across athletics and across the campus, it sends a message. It shows them that NIACC is serious about athletics and that we're moving forward. And recruiting is only one part of it. Retention is just as important. We want our student athletes to come here, have a great experience, and we want them to stay at NIACC and graduate. At the two-year level, you're constantly recruiting, but you're also constantly working to retain the students that you already have. The better experience we can provide academically, athletically, and socially, the better chance we have of keeping student athletes here and helping them reach their goals. I also think there's a pride factor that can be hard to measure. When you have facilities that look great and feel like home, there's a different energy around the program. Our athletes take pride in them. Our coaches take pride in them. Alumni want to come back. Families want to attend games. Students want to be here. The community wants to support it. That starts to create an atmosphere around NIACC athletics that goes well beyond wins and losses. The ultimate thing that we want to accomplish here is we want our student athletes to, obviously, we want them to win. We want them competitive. We want our programs to compete for championships, but when a student athlete leaves NIACC I also want them to look back and feel like they were a part of something special. Facilities like this can definitely achieve that. I want them to say "NIACC was a great decision for me." Maybe they earned their degree and moved on to a four-year school. Maybe athletics opened another door for them. Maybe they built relationships here that last the rest of their lives. Whatever their path is, we want NIACC to be an important part of their story. So when we talk about building fields, adding lights, and improving facilities, it's not just about having something new. It's about the experience we can provide to our student athletes every single day. It's about showing them that we're willing to invest in them, giving our coaches the tools to build successful programs, and continuing to raise the standard for what it means to be a NIACC Trojan. That's why I think this matters so much right now. We're building momentum. We have an opportunity to create something that our current athletes can be proud of and that future generations of Trojans will benefit from for a very long time.
▶ Watch from 6:01
This is a community college in the truest sense — beyond the teams, how does this project serve Mason City and the wider North Iowa region?
Ryan Flickinger: I think that's one of the most important aspects of this project. We're a community college and I believe our facility should create opportunities for people throughout North Iowa. We're already doing that to some extent already. Since I've been here, we started hosting the Top of Iowa Conference high school basketball and volleyball and cross-country events on campus. We've also hosted Team Iowa, Fargo wrestling camp the last two summers. Those are the top wrestlers in the state of Iowa that come and stay on our campus. These events bring people to Mason City, bring people to NIACC that are spending time in our community. New facilities will help us build on that and help us bring people here to campus and to Mason City and to our North Iowa area. My vision is to host as many youth tournaments, high school games, camps, and other events as we reasonably can. I want our campus busy throughout the year. When teams aren't using our fields or our facilities, I want us looking at opportunities for others to use them. Adding lights also gives us more flexibility to make that happen, especially with evening games in the summer and longer tournament days. It also gives young athletes in our region an opportunity to compete in facilities they're excited about. I want high school coaches, youth organizations, and families to see NIACC as a partner in a place where they can feel welcome. For me, this project connects to several things: a better experience for our student athletes, more opportunities for youth in high school sports, more visitors supporting local businesses, and more families seeing what NIACC has to offer. We're already seeing how events like this can bring people together on our campus. These facilities just give us a chance to grow on that impact and serve Mason City and North Iowa for years to come.
▶ Watch from 7:43
When you look a few years down the road, what's the full vision you're chasing?
Ryan Flickinger: The full vision is bigger than just one project or one set of fields. I want us to continue raising the standard for what NIACC athletics can be in the future. A few years down the road, I want someone to drive onto campus and ultimately feel like something is happening here. I want our facilities to be busy, our programs to be competitive, our student athletes to have a great experience, and our community to be connected to what we're doing. From a facility standpoint, the baseball and softball complex is obviously a major piece of that. Getting those fields completed, getting lights installed, and bringing baseball back to campus is a huge step forward, but then we keep going. At the end of the day, the next big piece of the vision is an indoor field house that gives us year-round space for our programs. We live in North Iowa, weather is always going to be a factor. Having an indoor facility where baseball, softball, soccer, golf, track, and other programs can train would be a game changer for our student athletes and coaches. But just like the outdoor facilities, I don't want a field house that only benefits NIACC athletics. I would want youth programs using it, high school programs here, camps, clinics, tournaments, community events happening throughout the year. Ultimately, I want NIACC to become a destination for athletics in North Iowa. At the same time, we can't lose sight of why we're doing all of this. The student-athlete experience will and always will remain at the center of why we decide to improve these facilities. We want our student-athletes to feel like they're a part of something that's moving forward. I want them to have facilities they're proud of, coaches who care about them, strong academic support, and an athletic department that gives them every opportunity to be successful. I want us competing for championships and I don't think we should be afraid to say that. Facilities like this will allow us to have that mentality. We want to win, but we also want to do it the right way and make sure our student-athletes are successful academically and be prepared for whatever comes after NIACC. I also want former student athletes to come back 5 or 10 years from now and be proud of what NIACC Athletics has become. I want them to bring their families back, attend games, and feel connected to this place because they know they helped build the foundation of what came next. And I think there's an opportunity for athletics to continue in becoming a bigger part of the overall energy at NIACC. Athletics can bring people together. It can create pride. It can connect to alumni. It can also create opportunities throughout North Iowa. So when I look a few years down the road, I don't necessarily see a finish line. I see us continuing to build. Better facilities, better experiences, strong programs, more events, more people on campus, stronger connections within our community. I want people throughout North Iowa to look at NIACC and see a place that is growing, investing in our students and doing exciting things. And if we can keep that momentum going, I think the potential for NIACC athletics and for this campus is pretty special.
▶ Watch from 10:42
We've already broken ground — where does the campaign stand today, and why is now the moment to get behind it?
Ryan Flickinger: We've already broken ground. So this project is real and people can see the progress happening right now. The turf baseball and softball fields are being built as we speak, and we're moving closer to have those facilities ready for our student-athletes. Now the focus is finishing the vision. Our Let's Light 'Em Up campaign has a $500,000 fundraising goal that is in phase one to help add lights to the baseball fields and to continue building towards the future of the complex, including that field house. We've had some great support already, but we still have work to do. That's why now is such an important time to get involved. The momentum is here. Construction is happening, and people can actually see what their support is helping us build, but every gift matters, whether it's an individual, an alumnus, local business or someone who simply believes in NIACC and our community. There's an opportunity to be a part of something that will impact our student-athletes in North Iowa for many years to come. We've started building it. Now we need our community to help us finish it and light it up. We're actively seeking sponsors for our outfield wall. We have some great sponsorship opportunities where you can advertise your business on the outfield wall for the baseball and softball field. We're looking for field naming rights on both fields and a complex naming right. So there's a lot of different ways to get involved and it's not limited to high dollar amounts. There's opportunities to give and like I said before, every dollar that is donated, it helps us get closer to that campaign goal and also helps us let the field house come to reality sooner, which is something that's a really big part of what this campaign is all about today.
▶ Watch from 12:29
For someone who wants to be part of this, what are the ways they can get involved?
Ryan Flickinger: There are really a number of ways people can get involved, and it doesn't have to be a huge gift to make a difference. People can make a direct donation to the Let's Light 'Em Up campaign at whatever level they're comfortable with because every dollar helps us get closer to that $500,000 goal. Another big opportunity right now is our outfield wall sponsorship on the baseball and softball fields. We have different sponsorship levels available for businesses, individuals, families, and or alumni. Those sponsorships will be displayed for the life of the outfield wall padding, which is typically around that 5 to 10 year mark. It's a great way to support the project while also giving businesses some long-term visibility and advertisement opportunities. There are also opportunities for larger gifts, and we're always willing to sit down with someone who wants to learn more about the project and talk about different ways they could support it. And honestly, another way people can help is by simply spreading the word. Talk about the project, share what we're doing, and help us connect with people and businesses who might want to be a part of it. Eventually, I would love to see and look around in both fields and see those outfield walls completely filled with names and logos of people and businesses from throughout North Iowa and even the country. There's a place for everybody to be a part of this. If someone is interested, they simply can reach out to me or the NIACC Foundation, and we'll find a way for them to get involved.
▶ Watch from 13:55
What would you say directly to an alum or community member who's on the fence about giving?
Ryan Flickinger: I would tell them to come out and see what we're building here and where we're trying to take NIACC athletics. I think once you see the progress and understand the bigger vision, you realize that this is about a lot more than just putting lights on a couple of fields. You're investing in our student-athletes and the experience they have here at NIACC but you're also investing in something that can benefit our entire community for a very long time. And for our alumni, I think there's something pretty special about having an opportunity to give back to the place that was a part of your story. You may have been a student athlete here, you may have just been a student here, or maybe NIACC has helped you prepare for that next step in your life. This is an opportunity to help create that same type of experience for the next generation. And for our community members and businesses, I would say this is something we want North Iowa to be proud of. We want these facilities full of youth teams, high school athletes, families, and visitors, and we want them bringing people to Mason City and creating activity within our community that's going to benefit our businesses. I also understand everyone has different circumstances, right? Not everyone can give at the same level and that's okay. It's not about the size of the gift necessarily. It's about getting people involved and building something special together. If you believe in NIACC, if you believe in creating opportunities for young people, or if you simply want to see our community grow, I would ask that you consider being a part of it. Years from now, I want people to be able to drive through these facilities and say, "I helped make that happen," and I think there's something pretty special about that.
