Through a new marketing campaign called “Momentum,” Sun Devil Athletics announced its revised plans to renovate Sun Devil Stadium on Tuesday through social media.
According to the press release, the University will invest $210 million toward the renovations and is looking to raise $50 million from its new campaign. It hopes to begin renovations in 2015.
ASU will fund this campaign through private donations and revenue streams instead of taxpayer dollars, according to the press release.
“Arizona State University takes pride in its status as an elite institution with an elite athletics program,” ASU President Michael Crow said in a statement. “Sun Devil Stadium has been a landmark in the Valley for the last 56 years. The plan to renovate Sun Devil Stadium gives ASU an opportunity to increase our investment in the community and to set the standard for collegiate athletics facilities. We will need philanthropic support from our community in order to provide features that will take the game experience to a new level.“
The newest proposal will allow the football team to continue playing at Sun Devil Stadiums while the renovations are ongoing.
Past proposals have made ASU consider playing at other venues — either University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale or Chase Field in downtown Phoenix — during renovations. According to the release, it would have cost ASU $7.5 million over three years to play elsewhere.
ASU workers are removing the North end section of seats of Sun Devil Stadium on Wednesday, Jan. 15. (Photo by Mario Mendez)According to the release, the University will remodel all public areas and reconfigure the upper deck to add space for more suites. ASU also plans on adding are more legroom, backs to seats, improved restrooms, escalators on various levels, a video ribbon on the stadium’s exterior, a new student section with a club area and a large video board and terrace in place of the to-be-demolished upper north endzone.
The new renovation proposal scraps the plans released in April 2012 that focused on building a canopy above Sun Devil Stadium. According to the release, the canopy would have cost $132.2 million to build and fans wanted to keep the team’s tradition of setting off fireworks throughout the game.
Additional information and more renderings are available at Stadium Central on thesundevils.com
News of the updated stadium renovation plans were released five days after the announcement of NFL executive Ray Anderson as the University’s newest Vice President of Athletics.
The stadium renovations will cost $210 million and construction would begin in spring 2015. (Photo Courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics)Reach the reporter at jnacion@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Josh_Nacion
