With the TV money starting to roll in big time now, many universities and colleges around the country have undertaken major expansions to their sports facilities. Bigger stadiums mean more tickets sold and even greater revenues to be gained from the action down on the field. That, after all, it what everybody’s coming out to see.
Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana recently announced plans for what they are calling ‘the largest building project in the 172 year history’ of the fabled University At the center of the expansion will be a $400 Million renovation project to the football stadium on the Notre Dame campus.
The East, West and South sides of the stadium will be expanded by adding another three to four thousand ‘premium seats’ to the stadium’s seating capacity. The stated purpose of the renovation of the old facility aims to ‘make the stadium a year-round hub for academic and student life’.
Texas A&M University in College Station is enjoying a wave of popularity like never before in the school’s history. Owing partially to the accomplishments head football coach Kevin Sumlin and a guy they called Johnny Football, the Aggies have garnered national attention and their new participation in the SEC which guarantees the University a substantial boost in income from SEC athletics via the new SEC Network which will debut in August this year.
With that in mind, Texas A&M has announced a $425 Million renovation to Kyle Field on the College Station Campus and demolition of the current facilities began the day after the final Aggies football game of the season and should be ready for football this September.
Over in Baton Rouge work is already well underway on a massive $80 million expansion that will also be ready when the Tigers take the field in September. The new construction will include 60 luxury suites plus some 3,000 club seats and around 1,500 in general seating in the south end zone. The project will expand Tiger Stadium to hold over 100,000 fans which will make it among the top ten stadiums in the country.
One of the most impressive new sports facilities anywhere in the country looks like it will be located at the University of Kentucky where a newly redesigned, $310,000,000, Rupp Arena will be built on the campus in Lexington. Let us remember that Rupp Arena is for playing NCAA Basketball games!
