Auburn AD Jay Jacobs this week said that the athletics department is "'still studying' plans for renovations to the North end zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium including additional suites, a new scoreboard and a relocated ... team locker room, in addition to a new sports medicine facility and standalone football facilities," according to James Crepea of the MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER. Jacobs said, "I want to make sure that in the north end zone, whatever we do, that it's a 50-, 75-year project. We're going to make sure it's exactly like we want it, not that 'you know what? This would be good to do for night now' and then in 10 years we would come back and tear something down." He added, "We're not talking about expanding the capacity of our facility, of our football stadium; we're talking about a higher-level seat in some areas." Crepea noted the expansion of suites into the North side of the stadium "could also mean the relocation of the press box, which would then open the West side to additional suites." However, Jacobs said that he is "not yet 'comfortable with the vertical circulation' of how fans could move through the north end zone to the east and west sides." Jacobs: "There's demand for some premium seating, it's just where is that? Is that something between what we currently have and a suite? Or is it a step below what we currently have in scholarship seats but you have more of a social atmosphere?" Crepea noted the "top priority" for Jacobs after the completion of the $13.9M South end zone videoboard, which "will be the biggest in college sports, is a new sports medicine facility that would 'probably be some type of partnership' with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. James Andrews and the Hughston Clinic" (MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER, 5/28).
