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Florida Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin said capacity of the 88,548-seat Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (a.k.a The Swamp) won't be impacted in its multi-million-dollar renovation plans of the facility.
Initially, it was feared that Florida could lose as many as 3,000 to 5,000 seats due to widening concourses to make the stadium ADA (American with Disabilities Act) compliant. However, as UF nears completion of the design phase of the project, there appears to be potential solutions to keep seating capacity at its current level. More specifics will be revealed when the design phase is fully complete.
"Our goal is to be able to modernize the The Swamp while maintaining what makes the stadium unique," Stricklin said.
Sticklin said that Florida's string of 18 straight sellouts at The Swamp also shows there's an appetite to keep capacity at its current level. UF has become more adept in gauging the secondary ticket market, which has aided the sellout streak.
Florida sent a survey to fans this week which polled fans on a number of topics pertaining to the current stadium, which included satisfaction of stadium appearance, entry/exiting, concourse/crowd circulation, seat location, seat comfort, seat price, availability of shaded/climate control seating, number of restroom/restroom access, parking, WiFi, quality and number of concessions, gameday atmosphere and tailgating.
Stricklin said the renovation of The Swamp is essential to the long-term success of the football program, because it will create a more modern, fan-friendly facility that will drive revenue. Kevin Hurley, who oversaw Texas A&M's $450 million renovation of Kyle Field, was hired last December as UF's new Executive Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Capital Projects and will help oversee the The Swamp project.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida AD confirms renovation plans will maintain The Swamp's full capacity
Continue reading...
Initially, it was feared that Florida could lose as many as 3,000 to 5,000 seats due to widening concourses to make the stadium ADA (American with Disabilities Act) compliant. However, as UF nears completion of the design phase of the project, there appears to be potential solutions to keep seating capacity at its current level. More specifics will be revealed when the design phase is fully complete.
"Our goal is to be able to modernize the The Swamp while maintaining what makes the stadium unique," Stricklin said.
Sticklin said that Florida's string of 18 straight sellouts at The Swamp also shows there's an appetite to keep capacity at its current level. UF has become more adept in gauging the secondary ticket market, which has aided the sellout streak.
Florida sent a survey to fans this week which polled fans on a number of topics pertaining to the current stadium, which included satisfaction of stadium appearance, entry/exiting, concourse/crowd circulation, seat location, seat comfort, seat price, availability of shaded/climate control seating, number of restroom/restroom access, parking, WiFi, quality and number of concessions, gameday atmosphere and tailgating.
Stricklin said the renovation of The Swamp is essential to the long-term success of the football program, because it will create a more modern, fan-friendly facility that will drive revenue. Kevin Hurley, who oversaw Texas A&M's $450 million renovation of Kyle Field, was hired last December as UF's new Executive Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Capital Projects and will help oversee the The Swamp project.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida AD confirms renovation plans will maintain The Swamp's full capacity
Continue reading...
