MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — With cranes, bulldozers and construction gates slated to accent Milan Puskar Stadium for the next two seasons, West Virginia athletics officials are asking fans to be patient before the payoff.
A renovation underway on the stadium’s east side is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2016 season, said April Messerly, assistant athletics director for facilities. The west side half of the $45-million project begins next year with completion expected by the 2017 season.
“Just like all kinds of college stadiums across America every year, there’s construction that goes on even during the season,” Messerly said. “We’re not alone in this … but we are going to have to ask our fans for even more patience this year, especially on the east side.”
The project essentially is pushing out the footprint of the 35-year-old stadium, giving it an external facelift that also alleviates congestion inside. The cramped concourses will be widened by 25 to 50 feet, allowing for additional restrooms and point-of-sale locations for concessions.
“The total goal is to improve the fan experience,” Messerly said. “Mountaineer Field was built in 1980 and the concourse areas have been relatively untouched since then.”
With construction zones limiting access to gates on the east side, fans who tailgate until the last minute could experience long lines near game time. The stadium gates will continue to open 90 minutes before kickoff.
While encouraging fans to arrive early, Messerly said.
“No matter what we do, and no matter how hard we try to get folks to come in earlier, our fans love the tailgating experience,” she said. “It’s that half-hour right before kickoff when everyone arrives. We hope our fans adjust and accept what we need to do on the east side this year because it’s going to be more crowded over there.”
Another upgrade involves adding cushioned seats, heaters and TV screens to the covered field boxes located atop the lower bowl.
“It will be a nice amenity and you’ll definitely be able to tell the difference if you’re in one of those seats,” Messerly said.
The pregame Mountaineer Mantrip will continue for a fourth season, though construction will alter the route temporarily, with players and coaches being dropped off at the light blue lot.
Stadium capacity will remain at 60,000.
“All of these changes are for the better,” Messerly said. “They’re going to be wonderful once completed.”
