Big changes are coming to the home of the Buckeyes.
Tuesday Ohio State announced $42 million in renovations to Ohio Stadium.
One of the biggest changes will be the addition of 35 loge boxes and 12 luxury suites.
Some of those areas will come at the cost of 2,600 seats in the B-deck, in the northwest section of the stadium.
OSU points out many of those seats have obstructed views.
The rest of the space will come from a consolidation of the university suites.
"The suites we have a waiting list. We're very confident the suites will sell immediately," Gene Smith, vice president and Wolfe Foundation-endowed athletics director, said. "The loges were something that our team studied for a long time. We've looked at other schools across the country that's done it. And it's unique for Ohio Stadium, but we know that those will probably sell pretty fast as well."
Smith says the changes are intended to enhance not just the football experience, but also other events held in the Shoe, like concerts.
"I imagine those loge seats are going to be awesome for concerts," Smith said. "I mean, the Country Fest, those loge seats are going to be phenomenal. Just where they're located, the way they sit, where the stage will be set probably on the 30, 35 yard line, those seats are going to be really the coolest thing."
To better improve the experience for the seats that do remain in B-deck, OSU will be upgrading the lighting, sound system and scoreboards, and adding larger televisions.
It will mean a net loss of 1900 seats in the stadium, but OSU points out it will still hold 525 more people than it did before the 2014 expansion.
The plan will go before the Board of Trustees next week, with construction slated to begin in 2017 and wrapping in 2020.
OSU says the proposed renovation will be funded by the Department of Athletics using "auxiliary funds, debt, and private donations."
The $42 million project will:
- Restore and re-coat the 94-year old concrete on C-deck.
- Upgrade power distribution systems for the east, west and south stands.
- Improve and upgrade B-deck to include better lighting, larger televisions, an improved sound system and better scoreboards, which will improve the experience of fans with obstructed-view seats.
- Renovate the premium seating area to consolidate the university suites into one University Suite and add 35 loge boxes and 12 luxury suites.
Project timeline
- Design and build process completed in fall 2016.
- C-deck concrete restoration takes place in phases from 2017-2020.
- Removal of 2,600 seats begins with the 2018 season.
- University Suite expansion completed in Aug., 2017.
- Suites and loge seats completed in 2019.
About Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of sports. Built in 1922 at a cost of $1.3 million and refurbished in 2001 for slightly more than $194 million, the horseshoe-shaped stadium is a monument to college football. Since the opening game against Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 7, 1922, more than 36 million fans have streamed through the stadium’s portals.