Nothing is going to stop tiger fans from pouring into Tiger Stadium on Sept. 7, not even the massive construction project underway in the stadium’s south endzone.
Construction will have some effect on fans but nothing major, said Senior Associate Athletic Director Eddie Nunez.
The biggest difference will be for individuals who used to enter the stadium through portal B. Those fans will now enter through gates 1-3 and gate 14 in the south endzone, Nunez said.
Additionally, South Stadium Drive, which has been closed since December 2012, will be reduced to one lane and opened for pedestrian traffic flow and emergency vehicles, according to Gary Graham, director of Parking and Transportation Services.
As for seating in the south endzone, Nunez said nothing will change.
Some seating was lost during the replacement of the broadcast television platform in the south endzone. However, Nunez said the few seats that were removed for that project have been relocated in the stadium to ensure Tiger Stadium still has the same amount of seating.
Despite these minor changes, there is one big part of the stadium missing. After each play of the game, as fans look from the field to the sky for the instant replay, spectators may find themselves missing the giant video board on the south end of the stadium that was removed due to the construction.
The structure of the south endzone is now more visible as pillars constructed to support the stadium are being put in place, which Nunez said is a huge milestone in the construction.
“Individuals and our fans are starting to see the progress because the results can be seen over the trees,” Nunez said.
Nunez said construction work is currently focused on pouring concrete to create the building form.
“Students will start to see more and more of that structure going above Tiger Stadium throughout the year,” Nunez said.
Roger Husser, director of planning, design and construction with Facility Services, said work on the South Endzone Expansion is on schedule to be completed by the fall 2014 football season.
Nunez said renovations for the North Stadium Plaza, which began in January, are 98 percent complete.
Work around the North Stadium Plaza will likely continue through the second home football game as loose ends are tied up in the area with landscaping and adding signage.
The majority of fencing around the stadium, excluding the south endzone construction area, was removed Monday, and the remaining fencing on the west side of the stadium will be removed Thursday as painting work is completed.
“Students will start to see more and more of that structure going above Tiger Stadium throughout the year.”