Razorbacks Seek Approval for $160M North End Zone Redesign, Expansion

A rendering of the planned expansion and north end zone redesign at Razorback Stadium.

The University of Arkansas athletic department will seek formal approval from the university’s board of trustees to move ahead with plans to redesign the north end zone of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium and add 3,000 seats.

Preliminary cost for the project is $160 million. The project would add new suites, loge boxes (open air luxury seating) and club seats and include a lower priced standing-room-only ticket section. 

Completion would bring the stadium’s official capacity to 75,000. It would also entail construction of a new Broyles Athletic Center in the north end zone. The Broyles Center houses athletic department administrative offices and a Razorback football museum.

The UA System board is scheduled to meet beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday from the Hospital Lobby Gallery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock and again at 8:45 Thursday morning. The stadium project will be addressed during the Buildings and Grounds Committee’s report, scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The athletic department will ask the board’s permission to begin a full design and cost estimate for the stadium project and to begin accepting commitments for donations and private gifts. 

If approved, the department will bring the project back to the board a final time with an update on donation commitments and ticket sales, along with an intent resolution for the bonding requirements for completing the project, according to a UA news release.

Estimates say the project could be completed in time for the 2018 football season.

“After analyzing extensive information produced as part of our feasibility study and gathering feedback from our donors and fans, we are ready to move forward with the next step in a major renovation at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said. “The Razorbacks are the tie that binds our state together. Our fans are loyal and passionate and we want to provide them an on-campus stadium as distinctive as the Razorback itself. We want to complete the full connection of the stadium, from the north to the south and from the east to the west, while further enhancing one of the nation’s finest facilities.”

Athletic officials have been contemplating the project for years; original plans included expansion to 80,000 seats. The department has gauged interest in the project from fans and donors, surveying Razorback Foundation members and conducting focus groups and market studies to determine what fans want in the stadium and what they would pay for.

While the Razorbacks have struggled to fill the stadium in recent years outside of marquee Southeastern Conference games (a national trend), the UA has built a waiting list of fans wanting more club and box seating in the stadium. Long is confident the demand is there.

“We have heard from our fans that they want seating options and amenities available at varying price levels, to meet the evolving demands of the Razorback fan base,” he said. “We are prepared and ready to initiate the process for a full design and cost estimate, contingent on approval from the board of trustees.” 

According to the UA, the scope of the proposed project will include: 

• North end zone addition, which will include new suites, loge boxes, club seats and club areas. The east and west concourses will connect to allow flow of patrons around the stadium, as well as provide new concessions and restrooms. Additional and expanded entrances will improve patron flow. A new gameday locker room, training room, and pre/post game support rooms will be added for the football team.
• Stadium updates. New elevators will be installed at the northeast and northwest corners to service the existing east and west suites, club areas and upper level seating. Existing suites and club areas will be renovated and updated. A new video board will be added at the south end of the stadium. Security and safety systems will be enhanced.
• Frank Broyles Athletic Center. The Broyles Center will be affected by the larger north end zone project, and will be rebuilt in the new north end. The Broyles Center will still house the administrative offices, along with space that can be used for ticketing, merchandise and Razorback history and traditions.

“This project is about improving the gameday experience for every Razorback fan,” Long said. “The addition of a north end zone will connect fans throughout the stadium. Renovated suite and club areas will provide a variety of options for fans. Reducing prices in the upper level of the stadium and providing a lower priced standing room only ticket will give every Arkansan an opportunity to cheer on the Hogs. This is the next step for Razorback football and the legacy of the on-campus home of the Razorbacks.”

Other project details:

• The project would be funded entirely by athletics revenue, capital gifts and proceeds from a future bond issue;
• Season- and single-game ticket price adjustments would be implemented;
• Bonds will be amortized using athletic revenue generated from the stadium;
• No university money will be required to complete the project.

Past feasibility studies for the project have included the architecture firms Polk Stanley Wilcox of Little Rock and Populous of Kansas City; sports planning firm CSL of Plano, Texas; and New York sales consultant firm Legends.

The last major renovation in Fayetteville expanded Razorback Stadium from 51,000 to 72,000 seats, adding an upper deck on the east side and lower and upper decks in the south end zone. It was completed before the start of the 2001 season and made possible by a donation from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

Razorback Stadium ranks ninth in the 14-team SEC in terms of home stadium capacity and would remain there after the expansion. South Carolina, with 80,250 seats, is No. 8, and Missouri is No. 10 at 71,168. (A full list of SEC stadium capacities is available here.) 

Four SEC schools — Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Texas A&M — have stadiums that seat more than 100,000.