TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil Stadium will open to the public again this weekend as Sun Devil football begins its 2015 home schedule in a facility now one-third of the way through its three-year, phased renovation. With Phase 1 adjustments, stadium capacity will be 64,248 for the 2015 season.
“We are very pleased with the progress we’ve made in the past eight months and happy that our students will be the first to benefit from changes in the stadium,” said Vice President for University Athletics and Athletic Director Ray Anderson. “It will make a huge difference to our football team to maintain a true home field advantage by playing in Sun Devil Stadium with new student sections that will be loud, energized and on top of the action. We are ready to go.”
Part of the work – which ran from January to the end of August – is in plain sight: additional sections of the north end zone upper deck have been removed; 6,500 new bleacher seats have been added in the south end zone and the entire lower seating section of the stadium has been tied together into a contiguous lower bowl. In addition, ADA compliant seating was added in the newly configured southeast and southwest corners of the stadium and the first phase of the new main concourse level of the stadium.
Students will occupy both end zones – creating a “Double Inferno” in the lower bowl – and they will enjoy new concession areas and restrooms in the south end zone, the primary focus of Phase 1 construction. New restrooms with an additional 98 toilet fixtures will be combined with all new concessions stands in the south end zone.
“The philanthropic support for this project is unprecedented in the history of Sun Devil Athletics,” said Rick Shangraw, Chief Executive Officer of the ASU Foundation. “It is a statement about the university, the football program and most of all, the alumni and supporters who have rallied to this cause. We look forward to building on the momentum over remaining two phases of this project.”
Work on Phase 2 will begin immediately following the Sun Devils’ final home game against the University of Arizona on November 21 – there will be no bowl game hosted at the stadium this year. Phase 2 construction will concentrate on the west and north sides of the stadium. This work will include further demolition of north west corner upper deck seating on the west side of the stadium, work on a new main concourse, premium seating and the beginning of the new Student Athletic Facility on the north end of the stadium.
“There is an enthusiastic sense of anticipation and we expect great things by the time we are finished,” said Anderson. “ That said, if you’ve ever lived in your home while you did a renovation project you know that it is a process that calls for patience and short-term sacrifice for long-term benefit. We want our fans to know that the game day routine for entering and moving around the stadium will be a little different this season and we’re asking Sun Devil Nation to be our partner accommodating today’s inconveniences for tomorrow’s vastly improved new facility.“
The primary adjustment will involve entering and exiting the stadium. There will be no changes at the north entry gates, but fans on the south side, where the Valley Metro Light Rail station is located, will see some differences. Fans entering from the south are asked to be aware of signs and will notice a new entrance at the corner of College Avenue and Veteran’s Way. In addition, pedestrian traffic inside the stadium will be affected by the renovation project and ticket-holders may have to adjust their traditional routes to access their seats, depending on location and past habits.
Fans are asked to not only arrive early at stadium entrances but also to enter early; gates open 90 minutes prior to the game. Information about best access points into Sun Devil Stadium can be found at:www.thesundevils.com/findmyseat
The majority of Phase 1 changes at the stadium are improvements that fans may not see – upgrades to old infrastructure that will improve the fan experience. Phase 1 included work to plumbing, electrical and sewer systems as well as technology upgrades and new elevators. In all, more than 3,000 feet of underground sewer and storm drain were installed along with more than 30,000 feet of conduit for electrical and low voltage systems. To date, the project has utilized more than 3,000 cubic yards of concrete in foundation and structural construction and more than 500 tons of steel.
In conjunction with the reopening of Sun Devil Stadium, the university also issued a progress report on its fundraising efforts. The work to reinvent the stadium, which is being financed without tuition dollars or taxpayer funds, depends on raising $85 million in private donations and income from premium suites and seating. So far, more than half of that amount is already in hand -- $45.3 million. Additionally, benefactors have made gift commitments totaling $20 million in support of the Sun Devil Athletics endowment.
“We are very pleased with the progress we’ve made in the past eight months and happy that our students will be the first to benefit from changes in the stadium,” said Vice President for University Athletics and Athletic Director Ray Anderson. “It will make a huge difference to our football team to maintain a true home field advantage by playing in Sun Devil Stadium with new student sections that will be loud, energized and on top of the action. We are ready to go.”
Part of the work – which ran from January to the end of August – is in plain sight: additional sections of the north end zone upper deck have been removed; 6,500 new bleacher seats have been added in the south end zone and the entire lower seating section of the stadium has been tied together into a contiguous lower bowl. In addition, ADA compliant seating was added in the newly configured southeast and southwest corners of the stadium and the first phase of the new main concourse level of the stadium.
Students will occupy both end zones – creating a “Double Inferno” in the lower bowl – and they will enjoy new concession areas and restrooms in the south end zone, the primary focus of Phase 1 construction. New restrooms with an additional 98 toilet fixtures will be combined with all new concessions stands in the south end zone.
“The philanthropic support for this project is unprecedented in the history of Sun Devil Athletics,” said Rick Shangraw, Chief Executive Officer of the ASU Foundation. “It is a statement about the university, the football program and most of all, the alumni and supporters who have rallied to this cause. We look forward to building on the momentum over remaining two phases of this project.”
Work on Phase 2 will begin immediately following the Sun Devils’ final home game against the University of Arizona on November 21 – there will be no bowl game hosted at the stadium this year. Phase 2 construction will concentrate on the west and north sides of the stadium. This work will include further demolition of north west corner upper deck seating on the west side of the stadium, work on a new main concourse, premium seating and the beginning of the new Student Athletic Facility on the north end of the stadium.
“There is an enthusiastic sense of anticipation and we expect great things by the time we are finished,” said Anderson. “ That said, if you’ve ever lived in your home while you did a renovation project you know that it is a process that calls for patience and short-term sacrifice for long-term benefit. We want our fans to know that the game day routine for entering and moving around the stadium will be a little different this season and we’re asking Sun Devil Nation to be our partner accommodating today’s inconveniences for tomorrow’s vastly improved new facility.“
The primary adjustment will involve entering and exiting the stadium. There will be no changes at the north entry gates, but fans on the south side, where the Valley Metro Light Rail station is located, will see some differences. Fans entering from the south are asked to be aware of signs and will notice a new entrance at the corner of College Avenue and Veteran’s Way. In addition, pedestrian traffic inside the stadium will be affected by the renovation project and ticket-holders may have to adjust their traditional routes to access their seats, depending on location and past habits.
Fans are asked to not only arrive early at stadium entrances but also to enter early; gates open 90 minutes prior to the game. Information about best access points into Sun Devil Stadium can be found at:www.thesundevils.com/findmyseat
The majority of Phase 1 changes at the stadium are improvements that fans may not see – upgrades to old infrastructure that will improve the fan experience. Phase 1 included work to plumbing, electrical and sewer systems as well as technology upgrades and new elevators. In all, more than 3,000 feet of underground sewer and storm drain were installed along with more than 30,000 feet of conduit for electrical and low voltage systems. To date, the project has utilized more than 3,000 cubic yards of concrete in foundation and structural construction and more than 500 tons of steel.
In conjunction with the reopening of Sun Devil Stadium, the university also issued a progress report on its fundraising efforts. The work to reinvent the stadium, which is being financed without tuition dollars or taxpayer funds, depends on raising $85 million in private donations and income from premium suites and seating. So far, more than half of that amount is already in hand -- $45.3 million. Additionally, benefactors have made gift commitments totaling $20 million in support of the Sun Devil Athletics endowment.
