Ohio Stadium is getting a new and improved look.Ohio State Athletic Director Andy Geiger unveiled a new plan for the stadium, after the OSU Board of Trustees approved the $150 million renovation.”The renovation of Ohio Stadium, while preserving the great tradition of the Ohio State University, will allow us to generate new exciting spaces for our students, faculty and staff and assist our outstanding athletic program as it embarks on the 21st century,” said David Williams II, vice president for student affairs.The renovation is estimated to take about four years, Geiger said. The stadium will undergo more than a few changes, but it will maintain its distinctive horseshoe shape, Geiger said.The renovation will add approximately 50 years to the stadium, Geiger said.The stadium will have more seats, better accessibility for people with disabilities, more restrooms, new concessions, hospitality suites and club seats.The plans for the renovation are as follows:
- A 14-foot lowering of the field
- Removal of the track and stadium dorms
- Adding more restrooms and concession stands
- Six new elevators will be added
- Additional seating
- Adding hospitality suites and club seats
- Adding a stadium club restaurant
- An overall widening of the stadium
When the project is completed the stadium will have a capacity of about 98,000, Geiger said. The renovation project will add a total of 7,000 seats to the stadium, he said. “We’ll get as many people in the place as we can,” Geiger said.About 82 hospitality suites and 2,500 club seats will be added to the stadium, Geiger said. He said the hospitality suites, which will be built on the west side of B deck, will account for about 30 percent of the total renovation cost. The club seats will account for about 45 percent of the total funding, he added. “The project is being completely funded by increased revenues and will not require any tuition increases, student fees, state subsidy or university general funds of any kind,” said Bill Shkurti, vice president for finance.The hospitality suites, club seats, concession and ticket revenues will fund the renovation costs, Geiger said. He said the hospitality suites will be sold at $40,000 to $70,000 per year. Club seats will be sold for about $2,000 each. Student ticket prices will go up, at the most, $2 per game, Geiger said. He said general admission tickets will go up anywhere between $3 to $6.A stadium club restaurant will be available for reservation for official OSU events, Geiger said. He said there will be a lounge in the restaurant where former OSU football players can gather during the games. The restaurant will not be open to the general public, he said.This project must comply with laws regarding accessibility for the disabled, Geiger said. For fans with disabilities there will be a greater selection of seating options and additional handicap restrooms, Geiger said.Geiger said the marching band will be relocated to the northwest side of the stadium. Also, the classrooms located in the stadium will be renovated, he said.Some work is set to begin in May 1998, said Geiger. Actual construction will begin in December 1998, he said.Although some parking will be lost during construction, additional spaces will be available for students, faculty and staff at the new Schottenstein Center, said Janet Pichette, vice president for business and administration. At the height of construction about 1,300 parking spaces at the stadium will be lost, she said. However, more shuttles will be available to that ensure students get to class, she said.A new parking garage is in the prospects for 1999, Pichette said.To replace the track and soccer field, another stadium will be built adjacent to the new Bill Davis Baseball Stadium, located near the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. This new 10,000-seat stadium will be dedicated to Jesse Owens and will cost about $10 million, Geiger said.
