Questions and Answers on $41-million Boone Pickens Stadium Renovation

STILLWATER – The work has already begun on the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents approved $41 million renovation and improvements to Boone Pickens Stadium. The first reported move to make those improvements and in some cases necessary construction renovations to the stadium took place last year. According to one source inside the athletic department the plan was to start these as far back as two-years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused pause on major expenditures.

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The money is there to do all they will do to the stadium.

This same source said the money for the project is from a rainy-day fund that was not completely depleted and was actually added to some from salary reductions and voluntary money that was derived during the COVID-19 pandemic. In other words, the plan was there and the money was there to do this all along.

Now, that it is scheduled and starting to happen, Oklahoma State University senior associate athletic director for facilities Kyle Waters is as versed as anyone on what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen down the line.

It is real easy to divide the entire project into two, the interior and cosmetic phase and the structural phase. The most visual phase will be the football locker room.

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Head coach Mike Gundy and players celebbrate Bedlam win in locker room.

The football team has relocated this spring for spring practice to the visitors locker room in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Equipment director for football Justin Williams said they have relocated some of their room down there, kind of like they would on a road trip. He also said the players have not complained at all. One of them told him why would they (complain), they are getting a new locker room.

The new locker room will be spectacular.

“We started that renovation about two weeks ago,” Waters said of the locker room. “We are getting new lockers. We will officially have the nicest lockers in the entire country. The lockers will be so nice that I can see the guys coming in early and playing on their phones and hanging out because of how comfortable the lockers are.

Longhorn Lockers LLC

Texas’ new lockers came from Longhorn Lockers LLC.

“We are getting the lockers made down in the Dallas-Fort Worth area from Longhorn Lockers.,” continued Waters. “We started that process last November when it was first approved. The locker room is getting new carpet, new lighting, but the lockers are something that are going to really be special. I think the guys will really like them when the come back from the Fourth of July (scheduled completion).”

Checking the locker room, which came online before the 2009 season, it has been taken care of, but being used for 13 years by players ranging from 160-pounds to close to 350-pounds from the carpet to the lockers to the shower area, it all wears down.

“I think they’ve done a really good job (taking care of it), Waters said of the players. “You could have brought anybody in before March 1 (when they started to tear out lockers) and they would have been in awe on a tour because it was in such good shape,” Waters said. “The kids did a good job of taking care of it an they were respectful. All of our teams do a good job of taking care of the nice things we provide them. We have no complaint there.”

On the field level in the West End Zone there is one completed part of the project to eyeball in the offense and defense meeting rooms opposite the locker room.

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The new meeting rooms already finished.

“We did those before spring started and we are really proud of those,” Waters said of the offense and defense meeting rooms. “We got some chairs in there that really accommodate those big offensive and defensive linemen, so they don’t lean back and snap them. Those other chairs were just worn out. They were 10-years old. It looks really sharp and looks nice there.”

Waters said they might also replace some of the movie style seats in the main team meeting room, but that would be just some of the seats that show the most wear and tear.

This summer there will be installation of new turf on both Boone Pickens Stadium and across the street at the practice field.

Astro Turf

The current Boone Pickens Stadium turf when it was first installed by Astro Turf.

“We have the two proposals and we are speaking with the coaching staff, Coach Gundy and Coach Glass and then Reid (Sigmon) and myself. We will be meeting sometime this week to make the decision on whether we are going to stay with Astroturf or move over to Field Turf. We were impressed with both presentations,” Waters said. “We will get those fields changed out and it is definitely time there. Both get a lot of traffic. That will be a 12-week process this summer working around football and Coach Glass’ schedule. The practice field first and then the stadium and make sure we are ready for August.”

The major monetary and time investments will come late as there is structural work to do on both the older portions of the stadium on the North and South sides. It is a process that fans are concerned whether there will be a re-seating of those areas. The main part of it is creating more leg room like there is in the newer West End Zone portion of the stadium.

Oklahoma State Athletics

Waters gave Triple Play Sports and Pokes Report the time to discuss the Boone Pickens Stadium renovation.

“The plan now is, if the stars align for us, we will start that in December of this year and we would do just the north side and be ready for the start of the 2023 season,” Waters said. We don’t know if it will be a two-year or a four-year process and we will have a true timeline after we start the demolition on the north side. Of the areas involved the north is the smaller of the two sides and will give us a better idea of a timeline for finishing both sides. I’m excited about the fact that in the 200 level on the north side and the 200 and 300 level on the south side that we will be able to increase tread depth which will allow people three or four more inches of leg room. That is something that I know is important will provide more comfort.”

On the north side they will add more walkways and aisles so people in seat 26 won’t have to go through 25 people in order to go to the bathroom or the concession stand. It will provide customer improvement and fan comfort. They will also change out the chairback seats on the north and south sides.

Waters pointed out that much of that concrete on both sides was poured in the seventies and it needs to be redone. It has been waterproofed and fortified over the years, but Waters says it is time to be replaced.

As they finish up those areas, north first and then south, they will know more about what adjustments will be made in seating. It is expected to be minimal.

Stay tuned as this project is still TBA in some aspects.