Next week West Virginia University’s Board of Governors will review plans to improve athletic facilities across the campus, including some notable enhancements to Milan Puskar Stadium.
According to a report by The Charleston Daily Mail, the financial budget for 2014 at West Virginia includes a proposal for an $85 million bond that would set aside $75 million for various upgrades and improvements to athletics facilities, including the football stadium. For football, that would mean a new team room at the Puskar Center, concourse renovations and expansion in Milan Puskar Stadium. That also would lead to improved concessions and other areas of high fan traffic before, during and after the game. The football stadium has not been given an expansion since 2004. The official seating capacity is currently listed at 60,000, although they managed to cram in over 70,000 for a 1993 game against Miami.
At a time when football programs across the country are looking for ways to make attending a football game more attractive to fans, West Virginia’s plans also include the addition of four LED boards inside the stadium. Thee could be used for a variety of purposes, including advertising, score updates, updated stats from the game and more.
Much of the funding is already accounted for through Big 12 revenue shares and a partnership with IMG College. The rest of the funds needed to cover the costs of the athletic enhancements would come from donors.
The Board of Governors at West Virginia are scheduled to meet on March 28, and a meeting with the full university board will take place on April 4.