The Univ. of Tennessee on Thursday announced that it will "guide a study into possible renovations to Neyland Stadium, home of the university's football team," according to Matt Slovin of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. UT has partnered with architecture firm Populous, who "recently assisted Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Baylor and Minnesota with stadium renovation plans." The project's "primary mission will be to 'evaluate upgrades to the south and east sides of Neyland Stadium, including such elements as widening concourses, expanding restrooms, and improving concessions areas'" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 1/15). In Knoxville, Dustin Dopirak notes the "initial master plan" in '04 "called for five phases of renovation." The first three, which "included work on the north and west concourses, Gate 21 and the construction of the Peyton Manning Locker Room," were finished by '10. The last two phases, which "included the south and east concourses and the south entry way, were not finished." UT CFO & Senior Associate AD Brett Huebner said that it "was in part because those areas were still used for academic offices and classrooms and construction would have been disruptive." Dopirak notes UT also "suffered from a lack of funding." The financial crisis of '08 "squeezed donors, who became less enthusiastic about giving to the football program as the Vols struggled on the field." As a result, there has been a "stark difference between the concourses on the north and west side of the stadium and the south and east side" (Knoxville NEWS SENTINEL, 1/15).
