Third in a Series: Planning for Doak Campbell Stadium's future

Third in a Series: Planning for Doak Campbell Stadium's future

"Labor intensive repairs and maintenance following the 2014 season have started at the cost of $6 million.
FSU officials, Seminole Boosters, Inc., and project teams are in ongoing conversations about the stadium's future and what approach makes the best sense financially.
Comprehensive master plans have been discussed, and steps are being taken with care as analysis is processed."


"Premium seating – 100 existing sky boxes and club seats – and the revenue it creates are key components to the Seminoles' financial equation and future success.
Improvements and amenities are needed to keep pace with the demands of fans who have options on where and how to watch FSU football.
"You used to be able to count for sell-out ticket revenue to really pay the financing of the venue. You had much bigger projections," said Andrew J. Jacobs, Director of Sports Architecture at Rosser, an Atlanta-based company that is working with Seminole Boosters, Inc., and FSU on the project.
"What has happened in stadiums, you need the premium revenue to pay for your debt service. The rule of thumb, you need 20 percent of your seats to generate 80 percent of your revenue."
FSU will be more in line with that blueprint with the addition of its club seats.
Construction is expected to begin in July and be completed by August 2016.
This exclusive indoor-outdoor section will cover four levels and allows fans to experience game day from different vantage points without losing sight of the field. It will also provide amenities that fans want.
The first phase of construction in July will include a pair of elevator and stair towers in the south end zone across from the Unconquered Statue.
They will provide fans improved access in and out of the stadium on game days and designers believe will become "iconic elements" of Doak Campbell Stadium.
More involved structural repair and repainting of the stadium will start in November at the cost of $24 million."

"Discussions have included replacing the 7-year-old video board in the north end zone.
Seat width has long been a concern of ticket holders, though a 2-inch increase for each seat across the bowl would result in a net loss of seating. Improving stadium bathrooms and concourses are also high-priority items.
FSU, Seminole Boosters, Inc., and hired national consultants have also gone to extreme lengths to make sure the club seat design was built with further renovation on the east and wide side in mind."

"In just over six months from the project's announcement in August, the Champions Club has already brought in $4.8 million in prepaid cash, with $12.8 million pledged to the project over the next five years."