Oregon State's Planned $42M Football Upgrades May Have Helped Lure New Coach

Oregon State Univ. yesterday announced a $42M upgrades plan for its Valley Football Center, which "no doubt ... had some impact" on Univ. of Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen accepting the same position at OSU, according to Kevin Hampton of the Corvallis GAZETTE-TIMES. Oregon State AD Bob De Carolis said that he "got great feedback on the project from coaches he had contacted." Hampton notes the football center "will be expanded by 55,000 square feet and will include a field-level locker room, expansion of the equipment room and medical center, team meeting rooms on the second floor, a new media center and a concourse that will enable fans to move readily from one side of Reser Stadium to the other." The school "has raised" $25M for the project and "is continuing to work" on the remaining $17M. The goal "is to have the project completed" by the start of the '16 season (Corvallis GAZETTE-TIMES, 12/11).