Students, alumni react positively to renderings of MU stadium upgrade
ROLLA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A committee of the University of Missouri Board of Curators received an update on plans to improve the north end zone at Memorial Stadium on Thursday.
A news conference to talk about the curators' meeting, including the Memorial Stadium plans, took place after the meeting adjourned early Thursday afternoon. The renderings include adding premium seating, and upgrades to the north end zone.
MU freshman Victoria Watson said she attended every home game this year. while she enjoyed going to games, one thing stood out about Faurot Field.
“One of my friends goes to OU and she talked about her stadium and it is ginormous. It’s like an NFL stadium, basically. I was like ‘Dang Mizzou’s is pretty small for being an SEC school and I heard some people say that it's like a high school stadium,” Watson said.
Last season, Missouri led the SEC in attendance growth for the second consecutive season. The new renovations are expected to increase seating capacity from more than 62,000 seats to 65,000.
“That's more like an SEC school for sure,” Watson said as she looked at the renderings.
The renderings had lots of students on campus excited.
“Super super impressed,” MU junior Arabella Cosgrove said of the renderings. “ (I'm) really excited that we are going to be able to get some new stadiums going on here. I really like how the 'M' is still the focal point of the stadium, and there’s going to be so much more space so students can definitely come in watch the game be super close. And I feel like this is definitely going to draw in more of an audience."
Before the renderings were released, there were some concerns that the project would get rid of the landmark "Rock M," which has overlooked Memorial Stadium since 1927. A yearly tradition features freshmen on campus paint the "M" after they arrive on campus. At the end of the year, senior football players select a piece of the M as a keepsake.
“I would have been upset if they got rid of the 'M,'" MU senior Nicklaus Hummert said. "It’s part of tradition."
The improvement project ensures the iconic "M" will remain.
“Those traditions will continue and that I think is pretty foundational for a lot of alums,” Boone County Chapter Alumni Association board member Wally Pfeffer said.
Pfeffer has been attending games at Farout Field for the past 50 years and said the stadium has undergone a great deal of changes since he was in school. He added that sports are a great way to draw people to the community.
"There are a lot of donors out there that want to see this improved. See our competitive position remain strong within the premier conference in the country and this is the step we have to take," Pfeffer said.
The latest project will cost $250 million with half of that price tag being covered by donations. The project is expected to be completed by the start of the 2026 season, which will mark the 100th anniversary of Mizzou’s first game at Faurot Field.
According to the university, the construction should not impact the fans during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
