TCU plans to spend $100M on "luxury suites and premium seating at Amon G. Carter Stadium," as demand for such seating remains "high" for the school, according to a front-page piece by Dawson & Mendez of the FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM. TCU AD Chris Del Conte said that the school "has a wait list of 1,000 people for club seats." The school announced the fundraising campaign yesterday, five years after a $164M overhaul that was "completed before TCU’s first season in the Big 12." The project will "add two new levels of luxury seating above the upper deck on the east side of the stadium." The expansion "includes two private clubs, more than 1,000 club seats and 20 luxury suites." A 100-foot balcony "will overlook" the TCU campus and downtown Ft. Worth. If the fundraising goal is met by its April deadline, construction "will begin in May, with completion expected" in time for the '19 season. Del Conte added that the back of the suite level "will feature a balcony running 90 feet" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 11/15). In Ft. Worth, Mac Engel writes the "best part" about the renovation is that "no more than 1,000 seats will be added." Amon G. Carter Stadium’s capacity is 45,000, and "anyone who’s been at the games will tell you it has been at capacity once this fall." TCU is "not gambling that it’s going to be able to add more bodies to its upper deck, although if it added a canopy it would boost attendance by several thousand." For afternoon kickoffs, "too many fans are spooked by the specter of sitting underneath a baking sun for three-plus hours." TCU is "gambling that adding more exclusive high-dollar premium seats is the safer bet" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 11/15).
