In Oklahoma City, Kyle Frederickson noted Oklahoma State will open the '17 football season at Boone Pickens Stadium against Tulsa with "3,428 fewer total seats -- its capacity shrinking from 60,218 to 56,790 -- as part of an effort to improve the game day experience in Stillwater." Fans "previously averaged about 14 inches of space to sit on the north and south bleachers, the source of a longtime overcrowding complaint among OSU faithful that finally prompted change." This fall, fans in 25 sections "will now have a roomy 20 inches." Reordering seats "displaced 197 season ticket accounts, roughly 600 individual seats, to accommodate the extra space" (NEWSOK.com, 7/2).
MONEY TALKS: In K.C., Jesse Newell noted Kansas donors will be "inheriting two more prime-position sections from students for basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse, the result of an agreement between KU Athletics and the student senate." Section 19 -- a group of 420 seats adjacent to KU's bench in the middle and upper sections -- will be "reallocated to boosters as part of the agreement that will lower students' season-ticket combo packs from $179 to $159." One reason for the compromise was a "change in student attendance." KU Associate AD/Public Affairs Jim Marchiony said that in the past, KU Athletics has "reserved roughly 4,000 tickets for students at home games" (K.C. STAR, 7/1).
PRICE OF A CHAMPION: In Reno, Chris Murray reported Nevada is "feeling the pinch of rising construction costs." As a result, the school's new grand north entrance at Mackay Stadium, "originally dubbed Champions Plaza, won't be completed" before the start of the '17 season. Instead, the project "won't begin" until after the '17 season and is "now projected to open" prior to the '18 season, a nearly year-long delay. The "estimated price tag for the project last month" was $1.2M. Construction bids "were due May 25 and came in significantly higher" (RGJ.com, 6/30).
EXTREME MAKEOVER: In Cleveland, Elton Alexander noted as part of "The Game Plan" initiative Kent State began in '16 to "improve its athletic profile, KSU has completely revamped its athletic training facility." The new $3M training facility is a "10,000-square-foot, two-story facility in the adjoining M.A.C. Annex," and the equipment upgrades "have been impressive." And just "steps away in the same building," the school has "moved and equally upgraded the KSU academic center for athletes as well" (CLEVELAND.com, 7/2).
