When the Hamline football team takes to Klas Field on August 12 for the first practice of the 2017 season, they will be stepping onto a new field. 

Klas underwent a major renovation this summer. The old field, which had been installed in 2004, was taken out and a new surface put in place. The new field also includes the markings needed for lacrosse games, which are also played on Klas in the spring. In addition to the new football field, Klas had several renovations done to its track lanes. 

Hamline has been playing its football games at the same place since 1922 when it was christened Norton Stadium. The field was renamed as part of a major renovation project that includes Klas Center, a three-story facility that includes classrooms, meeting spaces, a press box, a large banquets and events hall and a man floor that features a cafe. The Klas Center is named for chief donors Robert and Alexandra Klas. The Klas' donated $7 million to Hamline University, $6 million of which was used to fund the new Klas Center. It was the largest single donation in Hamline's 150-year history. The final $1.1 million was raised from other donors. 

Robert, a 1952 graduate of Hamline with an economics degree, is the Chairman and CEO of Tapemark Company, a pressure sensitive label and medical products company based in West St. Paul. He is also the founder of the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am, a nationally recognized annual golf tournament that raises money for children with special needs.

Sandy is a Twin Cities artist and long-time advocate for persons with special developmental needs. She has been a board member for many nonprofit agencies for the disabled, and is a former president of Learning Disabilities of Minnesota.