Fueled in part by donations, Kansas State University is unveiling several upgrades at Bill Snyder Family Stadium for the 2016 season.
Kansas State has made a push over the last several years to spruce up its football program, completing the addition of the Vanier Family Football Complex before beginning work at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The project called for the stadium to be fully enclosed with a capacity of around 50,000, with the addition of several player and fan amenities.
This year brings some major changes to the facility. A new concourse is in place, while the northeast corner has been overhauled to include a new videoboard and band seating section. Improving egress and technology within stadiums has become a key trend among renovations, so it is not a surprise to see Kansas State follow that trend.
These upgrades are expected by university officials and donors to significantly improve the fan experience. More from the Kansas City Star:
“When the Wildcat band loaded into their section, that was perhaps the most special aspect to me,” K-State athletic director John Currie said. “They sounded great and looked great. The band students were absolutely fired up.”
Still, there is another new feature that might top them all in terms of overall significance: a completed concourse that surrounds the stadium’s entire lower bowl.
For the first time, K-State fans will be able to make an uninterrupted walk around the complex. Anyone with a ticket will be able to take in everything the stadium has to offer in a quick stroll.
Though it doesn’t resonate as much as other renovations, an expanded concourse is quietly a big change. Fans like to explore stadiums, especially first-timers. That was difficult with the old U-shaped concourse, which didn’t surround the north end. K-State fans could only view three quarters of the stadium, and they had to walk a long way to do it.
“That should make it a lot more fun for everyone,” Ice said. “If there is someone you want to see on the other side of the stadium, it will be so much more efficient to do that. In the past, it was a big trip.”
Many K-State donors made the quick renovations possible, but few were more generous than Carl and Mary Ice. Their names are featured on each of the stadium’s new videoboards, as well as the basketball training facility next door.
For Bill Snyder Stadium, however, this fall might not represent the end of its improvements. Currie told the Kansas Star that the university is considering a renovation to the stadium’s south end, among other projects.
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