College Facility Notes

In Akron, Bill Lilley noted Univ. of Akron's (UA) new $61.6M InfoCision Stadium opens Saturday, and UA Exec Senior Associate AD Hunter Yurachek and President Luis Proenza are "downright giddy" about the new facility. Lilley wrote the stadium "projects majestically and renders a feeling of a bigger edifice." The landscaping "gives a dynamic green feeling with two banked gardens in the corners of the north end zone and a full lawn in the south end zone." The sightlines are "dramatic and effective, giving a potential 30,000 fans perfect viewing" of games. The $1.5M scoreboard, manufactured by Mississippi-based Capturion Network, "features a video board 22 feet by 39 feet, receives HD-quality inputs and has a ribbon board underneath for messages." The stadium's suite level has 16 20-person suites, "which cost $20,000 a year with a five-year commitment, that quickly sold out" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 9/7).

Appalachian State Will Debut New $38M Football Complex Saturday

MOVE INTO THE BIG TIME: In Charlotte, Ron Green Jr. notes Appalachian State Univ. will debut its new $38M Kidd Brewer Stadium complex on Saturday when the school hosts McNeese State. The 120,000-square-foot facility has given the school a “significant upgrade comparable to athletic programs at larger universities.” The new venue will include the “football locker room, team meeting areas, the coaches’ offices, a 9,000 square-foot weight room for all students, a 9,000-square-foot training/hydrotherapy room for students, study hall space, 18 luxury suites,” a 600-seat club suite and a new press box (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/9).

UPGRADES IN THE DESERT: In Arizona, Greg Hansen reported a $2.4M scoreboard "could be in place at Arizona Stadium next season." It would cost a projected $7.2M to put the scoreboard into place on the south end of the stadium and trigger an $82M building plan at Arizona Stadium, "most of it in the north end zone." Univ. of Arizona AD Jim Livengood "hopes to break ground on the north end project as early as December 2010 and complete it in time for the 2013 opener." The ongoing construction "would eliminate about 4,500 end zone seats for two seasons, dropping capacity at Arizona Stadium to about 53,500" (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 9/6).