The extreme makeover of Texas Christian University’s athletic facilities forges ahead with the $65 million renovation of
Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, the Big 12 school’s basketball arena.
Two years after Amon G. Carter Stadium completed a $164 million facelift, the university’s attention turns to the arena next door. The facility has been torn down to its studs as part of a rebuild to be completed over the next 12 months, TCU Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said.
For this season, the men’s and women’s basketball teams are playing home games at Wilkerson-Greines Athletic Center, a 5,000-seat high school facility in Fort Worth.
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The renovated arena will put seats closer to the court.
Photo by: HKS |
Daniel-Meyer Coliseum opened in 1961 and has gone largely untouched in terms of major upgrades. The lack of basic fan amenities, such as an adequate number of restrooms, had turned it into one of the worst college arenas in the country, Del Conte said.
When it reopens in October 2015, the arena’s footprint will have expanded by 150,000 square feet, and it will contain modern restrooms and concession stands and a wider concourse. A new 10,000-square-foot hall of fame will preserve the displays of past Horned Frog greats that hung in the old arena halls.
The venue’s 7,000-seat count will remain the same, but the old oval-shaped seating bowl will be replaced by a tighter configuration placing seats closer to the court, said Jeremiah Donati, TCU’s associate vice chancellor and associate AD for development.
The project’s centerpiece, 500 courtside seats with the option to access a lounge on the arena’s north side, will fund the majority of construction. Donors giving the school a minimum of $50,000 annually are eligible to buy those seats. There is a separate fee for access to the lounge, Donati said.
To date, TCU has generated $46 million toward its goal of $50 million in private money for the project. Many of the gifts were purely philanthropic, with no courtside seats attached, Donati said. Still, there are now commitments for 350 of the 450 courtsides available to donors; the 50 remaining courtside seats go to visiting teams and recruits per Big 12 obligations, Donati said.
Courtside seat prices will be announced next year, and the school will conduct a select-a-seat program in the summer of 2015, he said.
The courtside lounge is designed with an outdoor patio that will have a view into Amon G. Carter Stadium, and athletic officials have a plan to use the space for pregame hospitality and to host recruits on football game days. TCU has 900 people on the waiting list for football premium seats, and the new arena club will be one option to satisfy some of their entertainment needs during football season, Donati said.
It’s a trend extending to other schools sharing premium hospitality across multiple venues such as Auburn Arena’s suite balconies facing Jordan-Hare Stadium and Mississippi State’s future residential lofts at its baseball stadium.
TCU’s current fundraising total covers a lead gift of $10 million from Ed and Rae Schollmaier in exchange for renaming the arena in their honor. The couple’s name already adorns TCU’s 10-year-old basketball practice facility.
The arena’s new name becomes official next spring, Donati said.
HKS, the same Dallas firm that designed Amon G. Carter’s renovation, is doing the arena improvements as well.
> GARDEN PARTY: AT&T Park’s new edible garden has been a hit among San Francisco Giants fans, team officials said.
Situated behind the batter’s eye in center field, the strawberries, tomatoes, avocados, artichokes, kale, hops and other vegetables are used in fresh salads and sandwiches prepared at a garden concession stand run by Bon Appetit, the park’s premium food provider.
Fans are free to wander the garden, which opened at midseason. There are small cutouts beneath the outfield wall to stay connected to the game, a sit-down bar and fire pits for chilly Bay Arena nights. The Giants put up netting overhead to protect fans from getting hit by balls during batting practice and the game.
AT&T Park joins Coors Field and Citi Field among MLB venues developing active gardens as part of the sustainability movement in sports.
Don Muret can be reached at dmuret@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @breakground.
