Stadium Phase IV Nearly Complete

Football Facility Renovation Renderings

Phase IV includes the following:

A 9,000 square-foot football locker room including grooming areas, cold plunge hydrotherapy pools and players' lounge.

A 10,000 square-foot athletic training space to include additional hydrotherapy for all teams.

A 6,500 square-foot equipment room.

A 4,000 square-foot team meeting room equipped with the latest technology, sound, and video equipment, and seating for more than 200 added to the more than 8,000 square feet of existing team meeting rooms.

Expansion of HD and other technology-driven enhancements to the SoonerVision studio and production facilities.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Phase IV of the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium project is nearing completion. It is the latest in a measured approach to planning that has covered 11 years, a time span in which the University of Oklahoma has upgraded each of its athletics facilities.

The total cost of all of the projects exceeds $200 million, which was derived both from private contributions and revenue applied from athletics department capital funds.

"The generous support of our donors and fans has driven our ability to plan and complete projects in a timely, well-conceived manner," said Vice President for Athletics Programs and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione. "Our Sooner Club membership, one of our sources of capital funds, exceeds 10,000 individuals. There is strength in numbers and we appreciate their continued support."That level of support has enabled a measured approach to expansion and upgrades.

"We have devoted consistent attention to our facilities in a manner that allows us to allocate the financial resources we develop in a cost effective manner while expanding and improving at an appropriate pace. President Boren and the Board of Regents have been significantly involved in all planning for improvement and have held us to extremely high standards. "

The underlying procedure includes the consistent review and monitoring by university and athletics department officials of capital funds and cash flow available for each and every project.

"That practice keeps us apprised of what we have and when our goals can be supported. We work hard to stay within our means, then if donations and funding exceed our projections, we can accelerate a project or make additional enhancements at one of our sites."

Phase IV of the stadium project totals $15 million, bringing the total for all improvements to the stadium and its support areas to more than $125 million since 1998. Officials expect the current work to be completed in August.

The list of projects completed for the entire department in recent years, beginning with the Charlie Coe Golf Center and Marita Hynes Field Softball Park openings in 1998, is comprehensive …

Baseball (L. Dale Mitchell Park): New upper concourse with fan amenities, new locker room, remodeled press box, indoor workout facility, practice infield and video board (total $4.5 million).

Men's and Women's Basketball (Lloyd Noble Center): Renovations to the Lloyd Noble Center; new team locker rooms, training facilities, practice courts; coaches offices and team support facilities; high-tech HD video replay scoreboards (total: $20 million).

Everest Indoor/Mosier: Several sports utilize the main indoor facilities. The most recent work resulted in the 74,000 square-foot Everest Center Indoor Practice Facility; the Roy Williams Strength and Speed Complex for Football; training room, locker rooms, and support facilities in the link between Everest and Mosier for the track programs; and work on the track in Mosier (total: $12 million).

The Barry Switzer Center; Siegfried Strength and Conditioning Center; initial OMS improvements: creation of the three-story 7,000 square-foot Legends Lobby displaying the history and tradition of the football program; the All-American Plaza; coaches offices, team meeting rooms, and locker room improvements; the 14,000 square foot strength and conditioning facility; initial stadium concourse improvements (total: $9.3 million).

Football (Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium/Switzer Center): Phase I replaced all stadium seating; expanded and renovated the north end athletics offices and Prentice Gautt Academic Center; expanded the stadium with the east side club, suites, and upper deck (total: $75 million). Phase II included a second level of suites on the east side, renovation and expansion of the Santee Lounge and club seats;, fan amenities on the east concourse; and expansion and improvements to the team meeting rooms in the Switzer Center (total:$ 9 million). Phase III included fan amenities on the west side, expansion and improvements to the coaches' offices and Legends Lobby of the Switzer Center (total: $12 million). All phases have included improvements to disability accessibility to the stadium and support facilities.

Football - Video Replay Systems, Ribbon Boards and Scoring Systems: innovative HD systems including two video replay boards (total: $8.0 million).

Golf (Charlie Coe Center): Offices, locker rooms, indoor and outdoor practice facilities ($1.1 million).

Gymnastics (Viersen Center): Expansion and renovation ongoing (total: $3 million).

McCasland Field House: Both the wrestling and volleyball teams practice and compete in the field house which has undergone two significant expansions including a state of the art wrestling addition; new team locker rooms, training rooms, and support facilities for both sports; expansion and improvement of all seating; upgrades to heating, air conditioning, lighting, concessions, and other fan amenities; and improvements to coaches offices for Women's Volleyball (total: $8.6 million).

Soccer (John Crain Field): Field, stadium, locker rooms ($6.3 million).

Softball (Marita Hynes Field): Stadium construction, locker room and meeting room, indoor practice facility (total: $3.2 million).

Tennis (Headington Family Tennis Complex/Gregg Wadley Pavillion): Outdoor courts, locker rooms, indoor playing facility (total $9.6 million).

Track and Field (John Jacobs Track): New track, throws areas, grandstand (total: $4.3 million).

Plans also call for a $5.5 million boat house to be built along the banks of the Oklahoma River to house the department's latest sport addition, women's rowing, which competed for the first time in 2008-09.

"The completion of the renovation and expansion of the Vierson Center completes the unique but stated goal we had when the three-year Capital Campaign was started, "Castiglione said. "The funds developed from the Great Expectations Campaign would support some level of improvement for every sport we sponsor.

"That was a very important goal. Thanks to the support of our administration and the generosity of our donors, fans and friends, we are about to fulfill that goal. When that project is complete, every OU sport will be housed in a facility that has undergone significant improvements in recent memory.

"By positioning ourselves so well now, we can again look to the future and a number of other goals we want to fulfill. We are deeply committed to our student-athletes and will continue this approach that allows them and our fans to enjoy their OU experience in the best facilities possible."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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