by Felicia Fonseca
Daily Lobo
University Stadium is already more fan-friendly, and the latest phase of construction will only add to that, said Athletics Director Rudy Davalos.
The stadium will soon be comparable to other high quality Division I venues.
Construction for Phase V of the project began in early January. Similar to Phase III in 2000, new restroom facilities and concessions will be added to the northeast corner of the stadium. Box offices will also be modernized by a possible wiring system that would make credit and debit systems available throughout the stadium.
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"It's no fun to stand in line and miss the action of the game," Davalos said. "Anytime you have an event scheduled in a venue like that, it should meet the fans' needs."
It had been more than 40 years since the stadium has seen any major renovation. In 1995, the first two phases were completed, adding the Tow Diehm Training Facility. Phase IV saw the completion of the north concourse with the addition of the Lobo vision screen, which Davalos said the fans really love and appreciate.
The budget for the project is $2 million, which was funded by the state Legislature. Phase V will signal the completion of the stadium's north end.
Because the venue has held more than 40,000 people at times like the Sept. 27, 2003 game against intrastate rival NMSU and the Rolling Stones concert last year, there is definitely the need for expansion, said Sabra Basler, UNM transportation information and project facilitator.
The expansion will not only make the stadium look more complete, but will allow fans to walk directly to a ticket window from the parking lot and will hopefully attract more recruits, said Scott Dotson, UNM assistant athletic director.
"Last season, fans would wait in line for an entire quarter," Dotson said. "They will get what they need and be able to get back in their seats before the game starts."
Each phase of expansion has cost more than $300,000. Because of the large sum, plans had to be submitted to the UNM Board of Regents for approval. However, Basler said there haven't been any problems in that area, and the project should be finished before the first football game next season. The construction should not affect events scheduled at the stadium before the phase completion, she said.
Further phases in the project's master plan include additional seats in the south end zone and rebuilding the southern corners of the stadium.
Finishing off the remaining two corners of the stadium and adding seats would cost about $1.5 million for each side, lessened by the purchase of used bleacher-type seats, Davalos said.
The stadium not only accommodates sporting events, but also helps to support special events for New Mexican citizens. According to a news release, in the long run, the project will help maintain a competitive UNM athletics program positioned for future NCAA realignment.
"I think it will be exciting," Basler said. "When you start putting 40,000 people together for school (events), it makes us feel good and raises spirits."
