The Ohio State Buckeyes announced a four-year renovation project for Ohio Stadium from 2017-2020 that "will preserve and upgrade parts of the iconic facility." Ohio State vice president and athletics director Gene Smith revealed in the press release that the $42 million plan will be used to:
- 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
“We are committed to providing our fans, players and coaches with one of the best facilities in the nation,” said Smith. “We knew we had to get some of this done in order to avoid future degradation of the cement on C-deck. At the same time, we have fans requesting upgraded seating options. We see this as a great opportunity to accomplish both projects. It’s an important investment in the stadium that is beloved by so many.”
The addition of the 35 loge boxes and 12 luxury suites will remove 2,600 seats from the stadium, dropping the total capacity from 104,944 to 102,854. Those seats will be removed starting with the 2018 football season, and the new loge boxes and luxury suites will be completed in 2019.
“We are committed to completing this process in the most fan-friendly manner as possible, recognizing the loyalty of our longtime season ticket purchasers and donors and providing the seating options that our fans want,” Smith said. “The expansion of premium seating will also allow us to provide spaces for non-football events such as weddings, lunches, banquets and corporate meetings.”
The athletics department is completely funding the project, with no state tax or student admission money being used in the project.
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