Fifth Third Arena is home to the UC Bearcats men’s and women’s basketball teams and women’s volleyball team. Renovations to the 26-year-old facility, originally named the Myrl H. Shoemaker Center, include the creation of a 360-degree seating bowl with space for 11,500 spectators. The new design will reduce the arena’s capacity from 13,176 seats to 11,500, which allows for more comfortable seating — permanent seats will replace rollaway bleachers — and better spectator sight lines. These new changes finally address issues that were apparent since the arena first opened in September 1989.

The renovation also includes new concessions and restrooms, an upper-level concourse with fan amenities, expanded food and beverage options, a new Bearcats lounge and super suites. A new main entrance and plaza with ticketing and guest services round out the rest of the renovation. The project is pursuing LEED certification.

Construction on the arena’s four new luxury suites above the end-zone seating will begin next month; however, major renovation work won’t start until next spring after the 2016-17 basketball season ends, according to Cincinnati.com. During construction, the Bearcats will need to find a place to play for the 2017-18 basketball season. No location has been chosen yet.

Last August, UC Board of Trustees approved an interim $2.2 million funding request to allow the Populous and Moody Nolan design team — both of which hold offices across the nation — to remain on schedule, with construction anticipated to start in March 2016. As of December 2015, the university had raised only $25 million for the project, forcing it late last year to push back most of the work to April 2017. The project is expected to be 100 percent privately funded through suite and ticket sales as well as donations, according to Cincinnati.com.

The construction of the new arena may help enhance the school’s chances of joining the Big 12 conference, as several schools compete for bids. For instance, the University of Memphis pledged to make $500 million in facilities upgrades if it joins the Big 12, according to Cincinnati.com. UC, itself, has made $300 million in facilities upgrades in the past decade, including an $86 million of Nipper Stadium last year. If UC joined the Big 12, UC President Santa Ono said the university could look at expanding the stadium even more, reported Cincinnati.com.

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The stadium currently has an official seating capacity of 106,572, making it the second largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere and the third largest in the world. Some parts of the stadium date back to 1909. Its size and long-standing history in college football attract thousands of visitors each year; however, the stadium has become antiquated.

In 1960, the stadium was moved from its original location to the other side of the campus. It has since undergone seven expansions that have brought fans luxury boxes and high-definition scoreboards, but very little has been done to update the facility’s infrastructure. Outdated plumbing requires maintenance and operations teams to ready the stadium for winter each November, reported the Associated Press. Elevators are also small and sluggish, and concourses are narrow. The stadium even lacks concession options and still uses bleachers.

The last major renovation completed at the stadium was an expansion in 2001. The school installed high-definition video boards at the start of last football season and made improvements to the press box, which cost about $2 million, in time for this season, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour asked Kansas City, Mo.-based architecture firm Populous to survey athletes, coaches, alumni and fans, and to present its findings next July. The university will then try to work on implementing the suggested upgrades, according to the Associated Press.

At the time the university announced its decision to work with Populous earlier this month, Barbour said she would prefer Beaver Stadium to be renovated instead of building a new football stadium, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In addition to meeting the needs of fans, the university plans to explore how to maximize the stadium as a multipurpose venue rather than simply hosting seven football games a year.
 

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The 50 percent construction documents were issued July 15, and the contractor is currently pricing them, reported Coloradoan. Several details, however, are still under consideration, including a proposed party deck that would accommodate standing-room spectators at the north end of the stadium. Details on the size of the video scoreboard and an $18.5 million academic, advising and alumni center (which would be financed separately from the stadium bond) are also being considered.

The former Plant Environmental Research Center was already demolished to make way for the 644,000-square-foot stadium and an 82,000-square-foot alumni and academic facility, which will be built within the stadium. The new stadium will seat 36,000 fans with additional standing room-only space that will give it a total capacity of about 41,000. The alumni and academic space will feature the alumni center as well as classroom and study space.

The new facility will be located on the southwest side of the university’s main campus. It will replace the aging Hughes Stadium, which opened in 1968, and bring CSU’s football games back to the campus. Hughes Stadium will need more than $30 million in repairs over the next decade if the school continues to use it, and it is located approximately three miles west of the main campus.

Loyal season ticket holders and donors will get first-choice seating as part of a reseating plan for the new facility. Ram Points will be used to determine the order in which fans who purchase season tickets will be able to select seats at the new stadium. The points system has been in place since 2009 and rewards those who purchase tickets or donate money to the athletic department or the university’s academic programs with points. CSU has sold roughly 7,800 season tickets for 2015, up from the final total of 6,710 for 2014, reported The Denver Post.

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Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp said in a press conference on Aug. 10 that the project is ahead of schedule and on budget. Crews finished installing the grass and drainage system, which will be able to drain 10 to 12 inches of rain per hour, and restrooms and concession stands have already been completed. Carpet, decorative lights and seats are currently being installed. Level 200 of the field is almost finished, while levels 300 through 500 should be done by Sept. 1. The project is slated for total completion on Sept. 5; however, the Aggies football team will have its first practice in the renovated space Aug. 22.

Kansas City, Mo.-based Populous served as the architect, and a joint venture of Vaughn Construction, headquartered in Houston, and Tulsa, Okla.-headquartered Manhattan Construction Company led construction on the redevelopment. While other construction proposals said it would take three years to complete, Manhattan Construction is finishing the project in just two years, reported KAGS News.

Phase II work includes a complete renovation of the west side of the stadium as well as a relocation of the press box to the east side. Other features of the overall stadium project include a brick, glass and limestone façade; two large canopies on the east and west sidelines to provide shade for fans and amplify noise; the 30,000-square-foot Hall of Champions; and numerous plazas and gathering spaces for fans. The renovated facility’s new capacity will be 102,512, compared to the previous capacity of 82,600.

With expanded seating options, the stadium underwent a complete reseating. Approximately 120 suites, a 3,900-seat field box including a private club, and three different types of loge seating were added. Funding for the project came from annual seat licenses, Kyle Field Campaign donations, Texas A&M students and local government agencies.

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Designed by Populous, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., the design includes seating capacity for 102,500 spectators, a 20,000-seat increase from the current Kyle Field.

“The redevelopment of Kyle Field will result in the finest collegiate football facility in the country and will serve as a benchmark moving forward for future redevelopment projects at colleges across the nation,” said Earl Santee, senior principal at Populous. “This project is entirely focused on preserving the incredible tradition and iconic elements of Kyle Field while defining the future of Aggie football by enhancing a game day experience unlike any other. When complete, Kyle Field will serve as a living monument to the unique culture and the storied history that is Texas A&M.”

A joint venture between Vaughn Construction, headquartered in Houston, and Tulsa, Okla.-headquartered Manhattan Construction Company will lead construction on the redevelopment. Construction is expected to begin in November and complete in August 2015.

Funding for the project will be funded from annual seat licenses, Kyle Field Campaign donations, Texas A&M students and local government agencies. With expanded seating options, the stadium will also undergo a complete reseating. Approximately 120 suites, a private club in a 3,900-seat field box and three different types of loge seating will be added to the stadium.

The much-anticipated project is expected to transform the school’s gameday experience.

“In my short time here in Aggieland, I have witnessed firsthand how Aggies respond to challenges and opportunities. This significant project is a shared vision and shared experience for all of our fans,” said Eric Hyman, director of athletics for the university, in a statement. “Upon completion, we will have immense pride in Kyle Field. It will be unmatched anywhere in the country, with Texas A&M’s history and traditions woven throughout the stadium and its surroundings.”

Other features of the stadium, which will include a brick, glass and limestone façade, include two large canopies on the east and west sidelines to provide shade for fans and amplify noise, the 30,000-square-foot Hall of Champions, and numerous plazas and gathering spaces for fans.

Construction will take place in three phases beginning with the demolition of the first deck of the east side, the reconstruction of the first deck and the construction of the south endzone. Phase II, expected to begin in November 2014, will demolish the entire west side of the stadium, complete endzone construction and reconstruct the west side of the stadium.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently gave formal approval to the trailblazing project.

"We appreciate the consideration and support of this groundbreaking project by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board," said John Sharp, Texas A&M university system chancellor. "Their formal approval paves the way for the most ambitious redevelopment ever envisioned."

In late July, the university approved the construction timeline with expectations of completion in time for the 2015 season.

“As we have seen with Texas A&M’s transition into the Southeastern Conference, athletics can play a key role in increasing the visibility of the entire university,” said Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin in a statement. “The Kyle Field project is yet another element of enhancing Texas A&M’s profile.”

To track the construction progress live, click here.
 

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The $250 million stadium, equipped with 5,000-square-foot scoreboard, will seat 45,000 fans and replace the 63-year-old off-campus Floyd Casey Stadium positioned miles from campus. At 860,000 square feet, the stadium will include a pedestrian bridge providing connectivity with campus, nearly 250 portable and permanent concession points and canopy shades will provide shading to 45 to 55 percent of seats throughout the day.

Designed by Kansas City, Mo.-based Populous and constructed by a partnership between Dallas-headquartered Austin Commercial and Flintco, LLC with offices in Austin, Texas, the new stadium will provide a much grander view to the university’s team loyalty.

“The stadium will now become the front door to the university it has prominent visibility will provide year-round connection to the campus,” said Sherri Privitera, principal at Populus. “When fans come to game day they’re really going to be coming and experiencing campus now like they never have before.”

The 93-acre site is scheduled to open for the 2014 football season and will become a spectacle to those driving down I-35. Visitors can arrive easily by car and enjoy the increased parking spaces, by boat or by foot via the pedestrian bridge, Privitera said. Much insight for the design was drawn from the unique qualities of Baylor architecture, Privitera said.

“The inspiration really came from campus,” Privitera said. “We spent significant time on campus and with Baylor officials, drawing from what their goals are as far as the football stadium and the university as well as their connection to the city.”

The firm created a set of eight design principles from the information they gathered on campus, she said, adding that the columns and kind of brick used at the stadium is representative of the campus.

“We designed this stadium for Baylor,” Privitera said. “We would not design the aspects of the stadium for any other location”

The unique shape of the stadium was planned to shade as many football fans as possible given the several angles of the sun and the allotted budget for the canopy. The numerous shaded open concourses, which Privitera said are similar to a baseball stadium’s concourses, also provide additional views to the school.

“You have a connection back to the city, back to the university and to the surrounding site,” Privitera said. “You’ll also be able to stand on the lower or upper concourse and always be connected back to the game.”

The family-oriented design of the stadium will create a fantastic weekend experience with great tailgating opportunities, Privitera said, and its proximity to Waco nightlife, restaurants and businesses will generate a boost in the local economy.

“It will attract nationally and locally more attention to the stadium,” Privitera said.

The Baylor University Board of Regents also approved the $13.6 million track and field stadium project to be built on the far east side of the stadium. Populous will also design the 5,000-seat stadium that will include a 13,500-square-foot indoor practice facility.

"It is a great and humbling day for the Baylor track and field family," said Todd Harbour, head coach of Baylor’s track team, in a statement. "It will be a huge blessing for us to be on campus with all of our other outstanding facilities. When completed, the overall facility, including the indoor workout area, will be one of the nation’s finest track and field complexes.”

Construction on the track and field project is expected to begin this summer with a projected completion date of spring 2015.

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