Our Terms & Conditions | Our Privacy Policy
OXFORD — A lot has changed since Ole Miss began planning upgrades to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium four years ago.
On Dec. 31, 2021, the university announced it would raze the west side of the stadium and rebuild it to bring vast seating improvements, as well as new club seating and office space. That isn’t happening, but construction is still taking place.
On March 20, the Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) board of trustees recommended approval of a renovation project with a revised scope. While the entire west side will not be torn down, Ole Miss will construct new “Founder’s Suites” on a level above the existing press box. The project is planned to be ready for the 2027 football season.
“Right before NIL kind of became a thing, the plan was to basically tear the west side down all the way to the slab and kind of start over,” Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter told the Clarion Ledger. “In a perfect world, we would do that. It’s obviously dated and we need more room in the concourses and things like that. It’s just not feasible to do that right now.”
The new suite level will be approximately 18,300 square feet. It will consist of suites, restrooms and support spaces. The project also will include three new stair towers, two new elevators and upgrades to existing elevators.
Ten suites will be built. Each will cost $5 million upfront, plus annual payments of $130,000. Carter hopes to have artist renderings out in the next few weeks.
“That’s really why this project jumped to the forefront,” he said. “We feel like not only will there be annual revenue streams coming off this in perpetuity. We feel like we can build this for a price where we can actually make some money and put some money back in reserve. It’s a revenue-producing project.”
There is a waiting list to get into Ole Miss’ 90 current suites.
“Some of the current founder’s suites will be taken over by current suite holders,” Carter said. “Domino effect may allow others to get in regular suites.”
Carter remains cognizant that Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is growing outdated. Its original construction was a three-year process that began in 1939. He said Ole Miss athletics is in communication with Chancellor Glenn Boyce about stadium-wide upgrades.
“I hope that at some point we can revisit a total stadium master plan, if you will,” Carter said. “As you look at our stadium, it’s obviously a lot of fun when it’s packed at a football game and everyone is in there having a great time, but if you walk around in the daytime without any fans in there, it is really starting to look dated in certain areas. We want to do some upgrades and renovations at some point.”
Carter said the suite construction is not terribly intrusive. He estimates the groundwork could start later in the summer. Construction likely will have to be done throughout the 2026 season to be ready for 2027.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.
Aggregated From –
Comments are closed.