SpringNet outfits Hammons Field with Wi-Fi service for fans

Free Wi-Fi service is now available for baseball fans at Hammons Field through a partnership between the Springfield Cardinals and City Utilities of Springfield division SpringNet.

Dan Reiter, vice president and general manager for the Springfield Cardinals, said the Wi-Fi upgrade was made in conjunction with a revamp of the SpringNet Champions Club on the second level of Hammons Field. He declined to disclose the cost of the project.

In a news release this month announcing the Wi-Fi upgrade, SpringNet Director Jeff Bertholdi said the broadband infrastructure project amounts to "enhancing the fan experience."

“At SpringNet, our mission is to keep our community seamlessly connected, which is why partnering with the Springfield Cardinals was a natural fit," Bertholdi said in the release.

Prior to the upgrade, Hammons Field had limited Wi-Fi, Reiter noted.

When the Minor League Baseball season started this spring, officials with the Cardinals said Hammons Field had undergone more than $4 million in upgrades since the end of the 2024 season. Springfield Business Journal last month reported a solar energy system installed at Hammons Field in partnership with Springfield-based Solera Energy LLC would generate energy savings of $280,000 over the next 20 years. 

The city of Springfield in 2023 purchased Hammons Field, according to past reporting. Through the purchase agreement, the city agreed to pay $6.5 million for the ballpark and $5.5 million for two nearby parking lots, with $4 million slated for repairs to the park.

SpringNet, dba SpringNet Broadband, rolled out new branding, including an updated logo, at the June 13 Springfield Cardinals game, according to past reporting.