Top 5 stories | No. 3: Facilities Master Plan unveiled
April 27, 2015
Athletic Director Sean Frazier’s Facilities Master Plan sets up camp as the No. 3 spot on Sports’ countdown of the top five stories of 2014-15.
The Facilities Master Plan, unveiled Oct. 30, calls for new athletic complexes and upgrades of current complexes. The plan, which is still in the “silent phase” of reaching out to donors for athletics, features a privately funded $138 million price tag.
The most anticipated part of the plan among fans has been the proposed overhaul to Huskie Stadium. The addition of seating in the south end zone will give Huskie Stadium a horseshoe shape and increase seating from 24,000 to 30,000-35,000.
Other amenities proposed for Huskie Stadium include luxury seating options, increased concessions and more easily accessible restrooms. The naming rights for Huskie Stadium may be made available.
“We always want more seats, but we also [want] people to fill those seats,” Frazier said, according to a Nov. 3 Northern Star article. “But we want something very intimate. We have a great, great facility right now. What we want to do is build off of that. When that thing is full nobody wants to play in Huskie Stadium. It is definitely a difference-maker when you’re out there.”
New complexes proposed are a baseball stadium, a tennis facility and an Olympic sports facility.
In addition to Huskie Stadium, the Convocation Center and Mary M. Bell Field will see updates.
Football head coach Rod Carey said he expects the new complexes and upgrades to help with recruiting and aid in bringing the university and community together.
“Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program,” Carey said, according to the Northern Star. “… It’s going to add to us just unbelievable recruiting ability. … I think it’s the right thing to do for our community. … We have some fine student-athletes here, and now the community has just so embraced us that now it’s time to get the facilities, overall on campus, where they’re very community-friendly and student-[friendly]… .”