The University of Missouri is set to break ground on its $250m (£190.1m/€225.3m) revamp of Memorial Stadium in November after gaining final approval for the project.
The University’s Board of Curators unanimously approved the Memorial Stadium Improvements Project during yesterday’s (Thursday’s) board meeting, authorising what is intended to be a transformative renovation of the home facility for Mizzou’s football program. Groundbreaking is slated for November 30 as the Tigers host Arkansas.
Scheduled for completion in 2026 to coincide with the stadium’s 100th anniversary, the project will look to elevate the fan experience, while solidifying Mizzou’s competitive standing in a Southeastern Conference (SEC) in which several other schools are engaging in major stadium ventures.
“The most public-facing signal of championship expectations is the quality of an institution’s football stadium,” said curator Bob Blitz, chair of the board’s Mizzou Intercollegiate Athletics Special Committee who has taken a lead role in the project. “Failure to invest now would cause a rapid decline in our fast-rising championship program.”
Designed by Kansas City architecture firm DLR Group, the project includes a new multi-level north concourse addition and will feature a wide variety of new premium seating options, along with modernised concessions, enhanced restrooms and a new stadium entry plaza. The north concourse structure will total approximately 191,000 gross square feet, including 99,000 gross square feet of enclosed, climate-controlled areas.
Other primary elements of the renovation include a new retail outlet for Mizzou merchandise, the integration of an enhanced videoboard and sound system in the north end zone and improved wayfinding and graphics throughout the stadium.
As part of the project, the Bunker Club in the south end zone will be converted into a recruiting centre. Other features include enhanced LED field lighting, Wi-Fi improvements, upgrades to concourse restrooms and concessions, auxiliary locker room conversion and other stadium structural repairs.
As announced in April when the Board of Curators approved the hiring of DLR, the project envisions the development of 14 field-level open-air suites behind the north end zone and two new club sections, including a field-level, 300-person Rock M Club built directly under the historic Rock M Hill behind the current north end zone, and a 500-person Mezzanine Club.
The project will explore the addition of 150 family loge boxes, 250 club seats and 28 ‘Tiger Den’ private outdoor patio boxes for families or corporations. Under DLR’s design, the stadium’s capacity will increase to approximately 65,000 from the current mark of 62,621.
The hiring of DLR was initially announced in December. Plans for facilities upgrades were first disclosed in October, with $50m having already been secured for stadium renovations through an anonymous donor.
Director of athletics, Laird Veatch, said the University is still seeking to fund half the project through donations, adding it is currently halfway to that total.
Veatch continued: “This project is a game-changer for Mizzou Football, our fans and our student-athletes. This historic stadium renovation will not only enhance the overall fan experience but provide the resources necessary for our program to compete at the highest level in the SEC.”
