SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Don Muret notes Mississippi State has "found a temporary solution to meeting the demand for premium seats at Davis Wade Stadium." MSU along with The Colonnade Group has "developed the new Scoreboard Club terrace cabanas that sit on the patio deck in the upper level of the stadium’s north end zone." MSU AD Scott Stricklin said that the eight cabanas "sold out in two days after they were first marketed to those on a waiting list for premium seats." The cost for a cabana is $18,000 for the season and it "comes with 12 passes" for each home game. MSU "invested $160,000 to build the cabanas and outfit them with eight lounge chairs, two tables, counter space, 42-inch televisions and plantation shutter walls in the back of each unit for a higher-end finish" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 8/8 issue).
TAKE ME HOME: In Charleston, Jake Jarvis noted West Virginia on Friday unveiled upgrades to Milan Puskar Stadium. WVU spent about $50M on the project. The east end of the stadium "will be totally up and operational for the beginning of the season, and crews already have started preliminary work for the west side of the stadium that will be renovated this fall." All of the old light-blue detailing that blanketed many parts of the stadium has been "updated with a darker, royal blue that comes in line with the school's brand-marketing guidelines." There are "new graphics, too, that wrap around concrete pillars and celebrate legends of the school's football program." The biggest improvement officials pointed out is the "widened concourse area which, if all goes as planned, will improve the flow of traffic and make the entire stadium feel less cramped" (CHARLESTON GAZETTE-MAIL, 8/6).
BUSY BEAVERS: In Portland, Danny Moran noted Oregon State on Monday announced plans "to renovate Gill Coliseum prior to the start of the men's and women's basketball seasons." The renovations, which OSU said will be funded by approximately $2M in private donations, "will center around four primary elements: a new sound system with loudspeakers throughout the arena, the replacement of the seats throughout the lower bowl, renovations of the first floor bathrooms and the movement of the primary television camera." A start date for the changes "has not been announced" (Portland OREGONIAN, 8/9).
HURRICANE SEASON: In Ft. Lauderdale, Max Bultman noted Miami AD Blake James "laid out a tentative timeline Monday for the football program's new indoor practice facility." James "stated this goal was to have the facility ready" sometime in '18. James also "remains confident" the football team "will be able to open its season" at the Dolphins' renovated stadium on Sept. 3. James said that fans would "likely be alerted 'within a two-week window' in the event the backup plan needed to be communicated" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 8/9).
