For years, Auburn’s athletic department has been discussing a much-needed renovation for its north end zone.
The Auburn Board of Trustees will vote next Friday to approve modifications to Jordan-Hare Stadium’s north end zone, including a “new, modern videoboard to improve the fan experience,” according to the meeting schedule provided by the university on Thursday.
To speed up the design process, Auburn’s Property and Facilities Committee has already chosen LBYD Engineers of Birmingham, Alabama, to lead the project, which should receive a preliminary timeline at next Friday’s meeting after the “initiation of the project” is approved.
For years, Auburn’s athletic department has been discussing a much-needed renovation for its north end zone. Since joining Auburn last October, athletic director John Cohen has discussed the potential project multiple times.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions about this,” Cohen stated during the previous football season. “We’re working hard behind the scenes to develop a plan. When does this happen? How long will it take after you start? … We’re getting everything together right now. These things do not occur overnight… We need to fix certain issues in the north end zone, and I’m quite happy to have the opportunity to do so.”
In 2017, Auburn’s board of trustees approved a $6.3 million videoboard for Jordan-Hare Stadium’s north end zone, which is the lowest of the stadium’s four sides and faces a recently expanded south end zone and jumbotron. However, two months later, former Auburn president Steven Leath pulled it from the agenda and, as a result, the university’s list of future initiatives.
In 2015, the board recommended $145 million in upgrades for the north end zone. The athletic department spent $100,000 on planning before former athletic director Jay Jacobs put the project “on hold” in 2016.
The previous football season, Auburn introduced what was then the country’s largest video board in the south end zone, worth $13.9 million.
Cohen, speaking of Auburn’s cutting-edge jumbotron, said he’s weary of seeing Auburn students who sit beneath it or right beside it in the student section have to twist their necks during the game. Cohen believes that if Auburn continues to invest in video material on gamedays, supporters in the south should be able to watch it on another giant screen across the way.
“We’ve got to do better than that,” Cohen said of kids struggling to view a videoboard in their home stadium. “We need to. We are going to do it. We’re going to design a cutting-edge videoboard for the north end zone that will blend in with various premium places.
Jordan-Hare Stadium’s most recent major renovation occurred prior to the 2018 season, when the new recruiting center, along with the David E. Housel Press Box, were opened outside the south end zone, the team’s locker room was expanded, and two additional levels of club space amenities and lounge areas were added.
Jordan-Hare Stadium’s capacity climbed from 87,451 to 88,043 last season as a result of the addition of premium seating.
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