College Athletics Construction Round-Up April 2023 Part II

Last Updated on May 8, 2023

The “College Athletics Construction Roundup” is a monthly series on the construction of intercollegiate athletics facilities. We’ll provide a bi-weekly list of announced, in progress, and recently completed athletic construction projects nationwide. You can view previous editions of the “College Athletics Construction Roundup” here.

Hat tip to D1 Ticker as a resource we pulled from for this roundup.

Football

New Mexico State was awarded $3.15 million upon the conclusion of the 2023 state legislative session. They received approval for roughly $2 million in Aggie Memorial Stadium upgrades. In addition, the football facility will receive enhancements, and a locker renovation is set to take place for the women’s basketball team totaling over $700,000. 

Murray State’s Roy Stewart football stadium is undergoing a renovation project, including upgrades to team meeting rooms and coaches’ offices. The initiative was funded by a $100,000 gift from a former football player. Ultimately the renovations are set to be completed before the start of 2023. 

Tennessee state legislators have approved the allocation of $350 million from the fiscal 2024 budget to complete upgrades to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, home of the University of Memphis. As a result, the west side of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium will feature premium seating for fans. Additionally, the distinct halo section of the stadium will showcase a more interactive hospitality experience for patrons.

The University of Nevada football great Joel Bitonio and his wife are donating $1 million to the Wolfpack football team. The generous donation by the Bitonio family will contribute to the construction of the Bitonio Family Strength & Conditioning Center. Moreover, renovations are taking place at the University of Nevada sports facility. Mike Crawford, a football team alum member and COO of ITS Logistics, kickstarted the renovation endeavors with a $1.3 million gift. The entire renovation project is subject to be completed by this summer. 

The University of Northern Iowa received the green light from the Iowa Board of Regents to carry out upgrades within the UNI dome. The first stage of the renovation is set to take place this Fall. Within this first stage, the dome’s roof will be refurbished, and additional luxury suite seating will be added. The price tag for these upgrades is roughly $20 million.

Jacksonville State initiated its first phase of multiple campus construction projects. One of them is Loring and Debbie White Football Complex. This complex will be an upgrade from Jacksonville State’s current fieldhouse. In addition, the Loring and Debbie White Football Complex will feature a JSU Hall of Fame, modernized training facilities, and several coaching meeting rooms. 

The University of Texas at Austin kicked off the building efforts of its new football facility. The new facility is set to be adjacent to Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium and supersede Frank Denius Fields. In addition, the Longhorns’ new facility will feature a unique indoor and outdoor track & field, football drill space, and additional parking. Further, the facility is slated to be completed by 2025 and will cost $70 million. 

Upon its recent transition to the Big 12, BYU is upgrading its student-athlete building. The Cougars are extending their football offices. In addition, BYU’s Built 4 Life Center will be renovated to include additional rooms to accommodate tutoring sessions for college athletes. 

USF and construction company Barton Malow have entered into a $14 million agreement to construct a five-level 35,000-seat football stadium. The stadium is scheduled to be completed by 2026 and will give the Bulls their home stadium after years of sharing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. 

Nashville’s city council has authorized a $2 billion agreement to construct a new stadium for the Tennessee Titans. The stadium is home to the Music City Bowl. With over a billion dollars in public funding, Nashville’s new stadium will become the most significant stadium subsidy in the country. 

Baseball

University of Georgia Athletic Association is investing $45 million into renovating its Baseball field. Foley Field will receive 230 seats, a nutrition facility, and batting cages. Additionally, the new renovations will include an indoor facility that can accommodate several sports teams. 

Northern Illinois has earmarked its baseball field to honor Walt and Janice Owens. Walt Owens, known by the Huskie community as “Coach O,” was the head baseball coach for seven seasons and served as a professor. The Owens family was among the first financial contributors to the early baseball renovation projects. The new additions to the field will include astroturf, disability accommodations, and improved plumbing. 

The Cronin Center at Dayton University will be renamed the Owens Training Center. The newly renovated baseball facility is named after Senior Associate Athletics Director for Performance Enhancement Joe Owens. Owens is a cornerstone within Dayton athletics supervising various programs from sports nutrition to sports psychology. The Owens Training Center will include new training equipment to be used by multiple teams and improved lighting fixtures. 

Tennis

The University of North Carolina recently unveiled the Chewning Tennis Center. The $18.5 million facility is named after UNC tennis standout Tom Chewning. The Chewning Tennis will accommodate both the men’s and women’s tennis teams with multiple practice courts, enhanced seating to maximize viewing opportunities for fans, and state-of-the-art amenities. 

Basketball 

Furman University has initiated a fundraising drive called ‘Clearly Furman.’ Some of the funds will be focused on upgrading efforts for Timmons Arena. In addition, contributions from the fundraiser will go towards college athlete scholarships and improving coaches’ salaries. Ultimately, the goal of this fundraising driver is to raise $426 million by 2026. 

Oakland University has signed a naming rights agreement with Oakland University Credit Union. The ten-year, $5 million deal kicks off July 1st, as the arena will be called the OU Credit Union O’rena. This naming rights agreement extends OUCU’s long-standing relationship with Oakland University, in which OUCU has been the official credit union sponsor since 2013. Oakland University media rights partner Playfly was instrumental in leading the initiation of this deal. 

Indiana State University received a generous donation from past Vice President Robert Schafer and his family. The Schafer family donated $1 million to further upgrade the experience of college athletes on the men’s and women’s basketball teams. A portion of the gift will go towards locker room upgrades, and another piece will be dedicated to the men’s and women’s basketball budgets. 

Swimming 

The University of South Dakota is establishing a new wellness center; in addition, South Dakota is launching its swimming and diving program in the Fall of 2024. The new aquatic facility will include steam rooms, expanded wellness locker rooms, and meeting rooms. 

Multi-use Facility 

Oral Roberts University recently announced the grand opening of the Mike Carter Athletic Center. The 50,000-square-foot facility includes an Education, Learning, and Integrity academic center, basketball courts, and additional coaches’ offices. The three-story facility also features 10,000 indoor sports performance facility.

The Iowa Board of Regents authorized Iowa State’s construction of the Malcolm Performance Center. The Malcolm Performance Center will house the track and field and wrestling teams. The track and field and wrestling teams are in the Lied Recreation Center and Iowa State’s Department of Recreation Services. Further, the Malcolm Performance will accommodate both entities comfortably. In addition, the performance center will include new weight rooms, sports medicine areas, and locker rooms. The project received a $5 million donation from the Kirk & Rae Malcolm family, who the center will be named after. Eventually, the project is expected to be completed Fall of 2025 and will cost roughly $25 million. 

Samford University has started the constriction of its new athletic complex. The $65 million 165,000 square foot facility will be a multi-use facility for both the women’s and men’s basketball teams. The facility will also feature a practice space for the football team and a health and wellness area for athletes. Further, the $65 million is the most significant investment into athletic facilities in school history.

UCF’s Addition Financial Arena will receive $12 million in funding to add additional competition and training facilities. Most of these renovations will be geared toward enhancing the experiences of both the volleyball and basketball teams. The men’s and women’s basketball teams will receive film room upgrades, a performance lab, and a state-of-the-art LED board for the volleyball team. 

Soccer 

Lafayette has initiated the construction of its new soccer stadium Gummeson Grounds. The stadium is named in honor of soccer legend Peter Gummeson 80′. Gummeson Grounds will feature a new pressbox and roof extension for inclement weather. The total construction project will be over $3 million. 

Hockey

The University of Maine is partnering with audio and visual technology company ANC to provide audio and visual advancements to Harold Alfond Sports Arena, home to the men’s and women’s hockey teams. The audio and visual enhancements are part of a larger athletic facilities master plan initiated by a gift of $240 million from the Harold Alfond Foundation. Fans will enjoy multiple LED displays from the end zone and center ice.