“There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”

Well, home finally has a name, and it is Hermann.

On the evening of Oct. 27 the new $5.1 million Billiken Sports Center was named in honor of Robert R. Hermann.

Hermann and his wife, Mary Lee, were present to accept a plaque from the team captain, Jeff DiMaria. Rich Kling, a senior cheerleader at Saint Louis University, designed it.

Virtually a soccer icon, Hermann has certainly made his mark in the world of soccer.

He is the former chairman and founder of the North American Soccer League (NASL). The Hermann Trophy, which is soccer’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, is also dedicated to him.

Hermann has been influential in the city of Saint Louis as well. He serves as chief executive officer of Hermann Companies and sits on the board of the Missouri Botanical Gardens and the St. Louis Zoo.

Bill McDermott, a former mid-fielder for SLU’s soccer teams from 1967-1969, said, “The new field will enhance the quality of student life.”

The Robert R. Hermann Stadium is arguably one of the best in the country. According to Doug Woolard, SLU athletic director, “Many of the guys have said it’s the best turf they’ve played on.”

The high quality playing field is certainly appropriate for a team that claims 10 national championships and 16 Final Four appearances. The stadium seats 6,050 patrons, which should be accommodating considering that in a period of five years over 100,000 people have attended SLU soccer games.

The process of building the stadium and naming it is focused on the betterment of the students and the university.

As Woolard commented, “It’s an investment in our student athletes to provide the best partnership between academics and athletics.”

The site of the complex was formerly a housing project. Now, baseball diamonds, practice fields, walkways and a gazebo fill the area.

Hermann’s wife also reveled in her husband’s accomplishment. “It’s dynamite,” she explained. “We’ll be at many more games supporting [SLU].”