College Football Stadiums Getting Big Renovations In 2024
College football is in the middle of its biggest arms race in history. Before Name, Imagine & Likeness (NIL) legislation passed, having the best facilities in the country was the best way to land recruits. Even in the NIL era, the facilities arms race is accelerating. In 2024, some college football stadiums are going to look a bit different thanks to big renovations finishing up.
Plenty more college football stadium renovation projects are still in progress. Keep up to date with the CFB arms race at Road to CFB.
College Football Stadiums Finishing The Biggest Renovations In 2024
Jones AT&T Stadium (Texas Tech)
Perhaps the largest renovation project slated to finish this year, Texas Tech made dramatic changes to Jones AT&T Stadium’s south end zone. The previously-open face of the stadium now features a large athletic development center. The project cost $200M and followed the completion of a new baseball performance facility.
Ground broke following the 2022 season.
FirstBank Stadium (Vanderbilt)
The Commodores will debut the SEC’s most dramatic stadium renovations this year. Vanderbilt secured new naming rights to their stadium, now named FirstBank Stadium, and also debuts brand new end zone complexes on both sides. The locker rooms were also revamped and new premium seats were installed.
The project is Vanderbilt’s largest football stadium renovation in 40 years.
JSU Stadium (Jacksonville Stadium)
Diehard fans of midweek Conference USA action noticed that Jacksonville State played in a construction site in 2023. Alongside their move up to the FBS came a huge renovation to JSU Stadium. The project was originally supposed to cost $80M, but modified plans cut the renovation down to its current trajectory.
Like many other renovation projects, the primary goal was to introduce more premium seating options to fans.
Rynearson Stadium (Eastern Michigan)
One of the least-reported renovations expected to debut in 2024 is Eastern Michigan’s Rynearson Stadium. The school will keep the gray turf, but the track surrounding it will be a thing of the past. EMU is one of three FBS stadiums left surrounded by a track, along with Buffalo and Nevada. The turf will be replaced, including expanding to cover the existing track.
Eastern Michigan confirmed to Road to CFB that a $1M gift by EMU alum an current Raider Maxx Crosby will cover renovation costs.
Falcon Stadium (Air Force)
One of the country’s longest renovations will debut this season. Air Force began a $180M total revamp of Falcon Stadium in Spring 2020, which includes two new scoreboards, a press box upgrade, and brand new home and away stands. Back when ground broke on the first phase of improvements, the project was supposed to take 18 months to complete.
Falcon Stadium is the second-highest stadium in the country, behind only Wyoming.
Sanford Stadium (Georgia)
Maybe not immediately obvious to TV audiences, Georgia’s Sanford Stadium is undergoing logistical improvements set to finish this year. Improvements to the tower over the northeast grandstands will debut in 2024. Other game day improvements include a much-needed expanded concourse (from 10′ 6″ to 23′) and improvements to entry gates will complete in time for the fall season.
The renovation cost the two-time champions this decade $68.5M.
Doak Campbell Stadium (Florida State)
Florida State announced the “Transformation of Doak Campebell Stadium” just after the turn of the year. The entire project isn’t supposed to be completed until 2025, but half of it will debut this year. The east grandstands will expand seat width to 18″ each, reducing the capacity of the stadium. The capacity during the 2023 season sat at 79,560 while the new number has yet to be released.
The entire project will cost $265M. The west grandstand – which will feature new premium seating options – and south end zone renovations will debut next year.
War Memorial Stadium (Wyoming)
Phase I of the “Restore the War” will finish by the time the 2024 season kicks off in Laramie. Wyoming will expand seat width and add to the fan experience on the west side of War Memorial Stadium for this season. It’s part of a $20M renovation that also revamps and renovates the media and broadcast sector of the stadium, set to be renovated for 2025.
War Memorial Stadium sits at the highest elevation of any FBS stadium in the country at 7,226 feet above sea level.
Folsom Field (Colorado)
While minor, Colorado will debut a new video board in the south end zone this year. The new scoreboard will be five times the size of the previous one. The upgrade cost $15, covered by a donation to the athletic department. Colorado moves from the Pac-12 back to the Big 12 this season.
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