Seminole Boosters President and CEO Michael Alford shared the presentation during this month's FSU Board of Trustees meeting, calling it, "The preliminary phase one of a long process."
Alford's request wasn't for the board to officially approve the renovation, but simply for him to allow sharing the vision with boosters in an effort to begin selling the vision to them and helping them discover where they would want to sit in this redesigned stadium setup.
The main areas that will have seating options affected by this renovation would be the south end zone and the west (home) sideline.
The west sideline would see some seats close to the field on the 50-yard line taken out and replaced with a field-level club. The seats in this area, which are currently all bleachers, will be replaced by chair-back seats in a club area, premium loge boxes (private four to six-seat open-air boxes) and premium sideline suites.
Fans in the premium club area will be able to come down to the field-level club and stand on a railing right behind the FSU bench area during games, providing a different in-game experience.
"A different vantage point. You're standing behind the sidelines, you're part of it, you're hearing things go on..." Alford said.
As for the south end zone, FSU would be creating seven different seating options. These would include cabanas, ledge seating, standing free porch seating (fans would have a place to stand and a table to lean on and put things on but no seat), both premium and regular loge boxes and club seating with sofa-like cushions and phone chargers in each seat.
Based on the survey data, CSL recommended a certain number of each type of seat for both the west sideline and the south end zone.
This renovation would also allow FSU to improve much of the gradual infrastructure of the stadium. Some of the many issues with the current infrastructure brought up by the survey results included restroom conditions, lack of handrails and concessions, WiFi and seat comfort.
The expectation is that these renovations would reduce the capacity of Doak Campbell Stadium from nearly 80,000 to around 70,000. But Alford sees it as a net positive as it creates a more premium experience for a number of fans.
It's not something that is locked in yet, but Alford says the estimated timeline would be that these renovations would be done just in time for the 2024 football season. The state of the stadium means it could be finished entirely between November of 2023 and August of 2024.
Proposed South End Zone changes
Along with the usual address from FSU Director of Athletics David Coburn - and a special information item from FSU women’s golf coach Amy Bond - Seminole Boosters, Inc., CEO Michael Alford is expected to request approval to begin raising money for upcoming renovations to athletic facilities, according to the meeting agenda posted online.
Chief among those facility upgrades is expected to be a renovation to Doak Campbell Stadium.
Seminole Boosters - the fundraising arm for FSU athletics - ran a survey last year before Alford was hired to replace Andy Miller that asked members about potential renovations and changes they would like to see come to Doak Campbell Stadium.
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