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College construction heats up

Here are highlights of college football stadium projects wrapping up this year and what’s on the construction calendar for the years ahead.

Opening this fall

McLane Stadium*
Tenant (conference): Baylor University (Big 12)
Estimated cost: $260 million
Capacity: 50,000
Architect: Populous
Contractor: Austin Commercial-Flintco
Note: The stadium is named in honor of former Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane and his family, who in 2012 provided the seed money for the project.

TDECU Stadium*

Photo by: University of Houston

Tenant (conference): University of Houston (American Athletic)
Estimated cost: $120 million
Capacity: 40,000, expandable to 50,000
Architects: DLR Group; Page
Contractor: Manhattan Construction
Note: The venue has 22 luxury suites, 200 loge box seats and club seating for 650.

Tiger Stadium
Tenant (conference): LSU (SEC)
Estimated cost: $80 million
Capacity (previous): 102,321 (92,542)
Architect: HKS
Contractors: Brasfield & Gorrie; The Lemoine Co.
Note: The expansion included the addition of 1,500 upper deck seats, a 3,000-seat club level, two levels with 66 suites, and a 400- to 500-person standing-room-only area.

Davis Wade Stadium
Tenant (conference): Mississippi State (SEC)
Estimated cost: $75 million
Capacity (previous): 61,337 (55,082)
Architects: 360 Architecture; LPK
Contractor: Harrell Contracting Group
Note: The expansion included the addition of 22 suites, bringing the stadium’s total to 72.

Yulman Stadium*
Tenant (conference): Tulane (American Athletic)
Estimated cost: $60 million
Capacity: 30,000
Architects: Gould Evans; Lee Ledbetter & Associates
Contractor: Woodward Design+Build
Note: The stadium is named after Richard Yulman, the former chairman and owner of Serta and a Tulane board member, and his wife, who together donated $15 million toward construction. The stadium’s field will be known as Benson Field, after New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans owner Tom Benson and his wife Gayle, who jointly gave $7.5 million.

HBU Stadium*
Tenant (conference): Houston Baptist University (Southland)
Estimated cost: $13 million
Capacity: 5,000
Architect: PGAL
Contractor: Tellepsen
Note: Houston Texans owner Bob McNair and his wife Janice donated $3 million to HBU to help complete construction of the on-campus football stadium.

SEU Football Stadium*
Tenant (conference): Southeastern University (NAIA Sun Conference)
Estimated cost: $6 million-$8 million
Capacity: 5,000
Architect: SCMH Architects
Contractor: Hunt Construction Group/NuJak Construction
Note: This is the Lakeland, Fla., football program’s inaugural season.

Stoffer Family Stadium*
Tenant (conference): George Fox University (D-III Northwest Conference)
Estimated cost: $7.2 million
Capacity: 2,900
Architect: Mackenzie Architecture
Contractor: Andersen Construction Co.
Note: This is the Newberg, Ore., football program’s inaugural season.

2015

Photo by: Texas A&M University
Kyle Field
Tenant (conference): Texas A&M (SEC)
Estimated cost: $450 million
Capacity (previous): 102,512 (82,600)
Architect: Populous
Contractor: Manhattan-Vaughn Construction
Note: As part of the expansion, Daktronics installed this summer a 47-by-163-foot video board.

Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium

Photo by: Florida Citrus Bowl

Tenants: Capital One Bowl; Russell Athletic Bowl; MLS Orlando City SC (beginning in 2015)
Estimated cost: $207 million
Capacity (previous): 61,348 (65,438)
Architect: HNTB
Contractor: Hunt Construction Group
Note: Fifth Third Bank has purchased naming rights to the field for Orlando City SC matches. Its name during those events will be Fifth Third Bank Field at the Citrus Bowl.

Folsom Field
Tenant (conference): Colorado (Pac-12)
Estimated cost: $156 million
Capacity (previous): 53,750 (53,613)
Architect: Populous
Contractor: Mortenson
Note: The project will include the construction of an adjoining building that will house the athletic department and football offices, football weight room and a public sports center; an indoor football practice facility that will include an indoor 300-meter track; a separate weight room for CU’s Olympic sports’ athletes; and expanded academic facilities.

Commonwealth Stadium
Tenant (conference): Kentucky (SEC)
Estimated cost: $110 million
Capacity (previous): 61,000 (67,606)
Architects: HNTB; Ross Tarrant Architects
Contractors: Skanska USA Building Inc./Congleton-Hacker Co.
Note: A separate $45 million football training facility will be built adjacent to the stadium and is scheduled to open in early 2016. Both projects are funded by existing university funds, such as student athletic fees.

Valhalla Stadium*
Tenant (conference): Berry College (D-III Southern Athletic Association)
Estimated cost: $7 million
Capacity: 2,500
Architect: Cooper Carry
Contractor: TBD
Note: The original proposed site received international attention due to some unexpected tenants: an eagle’s nest with hatching eaglets. Since last year, two cameras have streamed video of the parents and their new baby eagles 24 hours a day. The Mount Berry, Ga., school decided to build the new stadium on a site nearby, instead.

2016

Dana J. Dykhouse Football Stadium*
Tenant (conference): South Dakota State University (Missouri Valley)
Estimated cost: $60 million-$65 million
Capacity: 19,359
Architects: Architecture Inc.; Crawford Associates
Contractor: J.E. Dunn Construction/Henry Carlson Co.
Note: Lead gifts helping to fund the project, totaling $12.5 million, came from Sioux Falls banker Dana Dykhouse and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford. The facility will be built on the site of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, which has served as the home of Jackrabbits football since 1962.

2017+

Notre Dame Stadium ($400 million): Announced in January, the project will increase the stadium’s capacity from 80,795 to more than 84,000 by creating nearly 4,000 premium seats. Nearly 750,000 square feet will be added to house a student center, the anthropology and psychology departments, a digital media center, and music departments. Construction would begin next year at the earliest and would take nearly three years, according to the university. The architects are S/L/A/M Collaborative and Ratio Architects. Other consultants include Workshop Architects for the student center and 360 Architecture for the recreation, fitness and hospitality areas. The contractor is Barton Malow Co.

Photo by: University of Oklahoma
Gaylord Family-Memorial Stadium ($370 million): The state of Oklahoma approved in June the improvements to Oklahoma’s stadium. No state-appropriated money and no funds from student tuition will be used. In addition to bonds, a significant part of the project will be funded by private fundraising. Seating capacity is not expected to change, but ADA accommodations will increase, as will the number of restrooms and points of sale for concessions. Additionally, plans call for a 46,000-square-foot fan plaza to be built.

Colorado State University ($220 million): The conditional approval for the new stadium requires the school to raise at least half of the construction costs through private donations by October 2014. Icon Venue Group has signed on to oversee the project. Populous and Mortenson Construction are the lead architect and general contractor, respectively.

Sun Devil Stadium ($225 million): Arizona State announced in January a complete renovation of the stadium. Hunt Construction began removing the bleacher seats in the north end zone earlier this year. Enhancements include more legroom, seats and benches with backs, an increased number of restrooms, and an upgraded video board and sound system. A $132 million shade canopy, which was part of a proposed renovation several years ago, has been removed from the project blueprint.

* New stadium
Note: All schools play in an NCAA Division I conference unless noted.


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