Football: Regents pass stadium proposal

07:27 AM CDT on Friday, August 21, 2009
By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

North Texas moved another step closer to building a stadium to replace Fouts Field on Thursday, when the Board of Regents approved a proposal for a new venue that athletic director Rick Villarreal said is still taking shape.

The official proposal listed a seating capacity of 28,000 seats, a number that Villarreal said will not be finalized until later in the design, development and construction of the stadium.

“The capacity of that stadium is going to be over 30,000,” Villarreal said. “We have made it a point that we want to have a capacity over 30,000 and the ability to expand to 50,000. Because we have made changes, I could not tell you the exact number of seats until we finish construction, but it is important that we would be able to get 30,000 people in on game day.”

Villarreal said that UNT could get several extra fans into the stadium on the touchdown terrace on the side of the athletic center, a berm behind the end zone for students, and on corporate decks.

UNT is attempting to replace Fouts Field, where the school’s football team has played since 1952. Fouts has a capacity of 30,500.

UNT will take the proposal to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in October.

“I am extremely excited,” Villarreal said. “The students, administration and the Board of Regents have stepped forward, spoken out and said this project is important to us and I would like to thank all of them for their support. It’s important to the university. It is bigger than just a place we are going to play football games. It will change the perception of our football program and the university. We will be able to host events we haven’t hosted before and be able to compete for the best players available.”

UNT’s current schedule calls for substantial construction beginning in February with early phases beginning in November. Villarreal said the school would make sure a large number of fans would be able to participate in any ceremony that would signal the beginning of construction.

UNT’s last home game of the season is Nov. 21 against Army.

The school’s long-term plans to expand the stadium could include adding seating behind an end zone and an upper deck on the east side of the stadium.

UNT has received eight commitments for suites that require a $100,000 commitment over a five-year period.

Villarreal said Thursday’s vote is a key step toward completing the project and that the school would need the continued support of its fans in the next few months.

Congrats!
Huge step forward!!!

That's awesome. It's a well deserved improvement over Fouts.