Texas Tech to Expand Football Stadium

[Cheesesteak]

Expansion in Lubbock

Regents approve $45 million stadium construction
Friday February 24, 2006
Sports Illustrated

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Texas Tech's football stadium will grow by 10,000 seats -- including those in 19 new luxury suites -- in construction approved Friday by the school's board of regents for a $45 million expansion.

The project is contingent on the athletic department securing the money, of which as much as $20 million would be in gifts, Athletic Director Gerald Myers said.

The east side expansion would include a 1,080-car parking garage, 300 club seats, a 5,500-seat upper deck and 4,500 seats in each of the stadium's four corners, bringing its capacity to just more than 63,000. The parking garage could be done by 2007 and the upper deck by the 2009 season.

Myers said the expansion will put the school is about the middle of the Big 12 in stadium capacity.

The school currently is spending $2.5 million to replace the field surface with field turf.

In 2003, Tech completed a $51.9 million, 175,000-square-foot addition to the west side of the stadium that added more than 2,000 seats in 44 luxury suites and more than 1,000 new club seats.

[mrydel]

I wonder if there will be extra wide splits between the seats?

[ponyplayer]

only on one side................

[CalallenStang]

This expansion has been in the plans for awhile. That stadium in Lubbock may turn out to be nice in a few years.

[Flatlander]

63,000 seats might be too much for a place that just started selling out a 55,000 seat stadium on a regular basis against teams like Mizzou and Okie State. The games against A&M & UT will always sell out, but then again, the completion of the stadium on the east side will do wonders for the Tech recruiting. Half of the stadium is below ground, so it has always looked 'small' from the outside, but the east stands will make it a good 8 stories on both sides and complete the feel. Of course the parking structure is the most needed for the students during the week, but I'm afraid it might damage the notorious tailgating out there. I've been to games where there are multiple full service bars and served pheasant, dove, venison, steaks, chicken, fajitas....hell, it's like they transplanted Golden Corral and put it outside the football stadium....with boooze...

[redraidersweetheart]

Tailgating won't change, everyone will just move to the bigger West lot and to Raider Gate and Raider Alley...

[Flatlander]

The thing I worry about is that the tailgating has changed greatly in the past few years, especailly with the loss of the Copper Caboose on 4th Street, the loss of the massive tailgating scene in the Hastings lot and the need to get more cash for the west lot. Tech's tailgaters are a bigger scene and pre-party to the game than the Boulevard is, but the Boulevard is close to the stadium, a facet that is IMPORTANT, especially if ya need to go back out at halftime for a re-load. I like Raidergate for what it is, but wish it was closer to The Jones.

On a side note, while the Boulevard has a good feel to it and plenty of potential to rival The Grove, I would suggest that some of the folks out here find a Tech fan to go to the SMU game in Lubbock with so you can get a feel for a different tailgating scene. OF course, that game is on the opening day of Dove Season out there, so it might be a little down for the typical game......

[CalallenStang]

The thing I worry about is that the tailgating has changed greatly in the past few years, especailly with the loss of the Copper Caboose on 4th Street, the loss of the massive tailgating scene in the Hastings lot and the need to get more cash for the west lot. Tech's tailgaters are a bigger scene and pre-party to the game than the Boulevard is, but the Boulevard is close to the stadium, a facet that is IMPORTANT, especially if ya need to go back out at halftime for a re-load. I like Raidergate for what it is, but wish it was closer to The Jones.

On a side note, while the Boulevard has a good feel to it and plenty of potential to rival The Grove, I would suggest that some of the folks out here find a Tech fan to go to the SMU game in Lubbock with so you can get a feel for a different tailgating scene. OF course, that game is on the opening day of Dove Season out there, so it might be a little down for the typical game......

There's still a Caboose down on Slide Road though. And they still have that huge lot on the west side of their stadium. Tech's tailgating will be fine.