Industry News

Grambling State University’s Memorial Stadium to undergo $2m upgrade

The US Grambling State University’s Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium is set to undergo a $1.5m (€1.37m/£1.16m) to $2m renovation project starting next week.

It will be the first major upgrade to the venue in decades and will involve an overhaul of the American football field turf. Hellas Construction, which has designed and installed turf for professional, college and high school sports groups, including the Dallas Cowboys and the Jacksonville Jaguars, will handle the field refurbishment.

Grambling’s director of athletics Paul Bryant has also signed off on a new high-tech digital scoreboard that will be installed by electronic scoreboard, video display and stadium sound system company Nevco.

The 19,600-capacity stadium opened in 1983 and with fans keen for an upgrade, Bryant hatched the idea to seek foundation support to finance the project. The board approved the concept just a few days ago.

With construction starting next week, the upgrades should be complete by mid-August, in time for the first football home game of the season on September 9.

“I haven’t been here long, but I’ve heard loud and clear from our alumni, students and all kinds of GSU fans and stakeholders that this is long overdue,” Bryant said, according to the HBCU Digest website. “There’s no time like the present, and it’s time to make this happen.

“This wouldn’t be possible without the strong endorsement of (David) Aubrey (chairman of Grambling Foundation) and the foundation board,” said Bryant. “We have a partnership and a vision that all Grambling State University sports are important, and this is a piece of pursuing championship-level athletics programs.”