RFP are out for the IPF and improvements for fan experience with new video boards, concessions ADA upgrades, which will open up McGuirk for future upgrades.

Reported by Mike Traini on 247sports.

Quote:The University of Massachusetts is taking the next step towards stadium and facilities upgrades at McGuirk Alumni Stadium and Richard F. Garber Field.

According to a request for proposals (RFP) posted on the University of Massachusetts Building Authority web page, the school is looking for proposals to be submitted by the end of May 2018 to construct an indoor practice facility, permanent concession and bathroom options at McGuirk, and new HD video scoreboards at both McGuirk and Garber.

The complete 245-page document, which can be downloaded from the UMBA site via the link above, outlines a plan that would see project construction begun in March of 2019 and completed by June of 2020. There is also a pre-proposal briefing set to be held at the Football Performance Center at 10:00am on Monday, May 14th, 2018.

Per the outlined goals above, which can be found on page 4 of the RFP, the entire project is estimated to have a budget in the range of $10 million.

https://247sports.com/college/massachuse...-118199415

Its a start and the plans have evolved from the 2013 plans. See the last paragraph in the quote from McKinney's post on our board.

Quote:Perkins & Will, Page 202 wrote:
In the summer of 2013, UMass secured the services of Perkins+Will to study various stadium expansion options to increase seating capacity; improve the overall structure and site amenities; and enhance the fan experience with improved concessions, restrooms, and fanfare amenities. Since 1965, the stadium has seen minimal improvements. Today, the stadium includes the original 17,000 seats, a new 65,000 gsf Football Training and Performance Center, and a new 7,000 gsf Press Box.

The project team, consisting of Perkins+Will, UMass Athletics, UMass Senior Administration, and members of the Design & Construction Department, met over the course of four design charrettes to develop a series of improvement projects and build-out options for the existing stadium seating bowl and support facilities. The report was completed in the summer of 2013. Projects identified in the report included upgrading the existing stadium structure to improve accessibility; new restroom and concession areas support existing and increased seating capacities; addition of clubs and suites; south end zone seating; and the addition of an upper east grandstand seating structure. These improvements supported a stadium in the range of 30,000 – 35,000 seats. The combination of projects were studied with the existing east seating bowl left in place and renovated to current codes and the demolition and reconstruction of the east seating bowl.

More recently, UMass secured the services of Perkins+Will to update the 2013 Stadium Expansion Study to support a stadium, required code improvements, and fan amenities in support of a stadium in the range of 20,000 – 25,000 seats with the ability to expand in the future. The following chapters document the various projects and build-out options with associated project costs escalated to the mid-point of construction in 2019.

The long rumor donation is now a reality. You can click the link at the bottom of this post to see what Marty Jacobson has to say about the 5.58 Million dollar gift and about making the IPF a reality now and about the future of UMass Football.

Quote:AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford announced the finalization of a $5.58 million gift commitment by Marty Jacobson '68 to the University of Massachusetts Athletics Department on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. In honor of the tremendous gift, UMass will name its football team facility the 'Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center.'

Jacobson's gift represents a continuation of his staunch support for the University of Massachusetts. The 1968 graduate of the university, along with his brother Richard, previously provided $2.5 million for improvements to McGuirk Alumni Stadium, which funded the construction of the Martin and Richard Jacobson Press and Skybox Complex.

"I felt compelled to make this gift that allows Ryan Bamford and the athletics department to make several infrastructure improvements that will benefit our student-athletes and fans," said Jacobson. "We are in the midst of a renaissance and I hope this is a catalyst which continues that momentum. I'm excited about moving McGuirk Stadium into a modern era with some of the planned amenities and believe that the seasonal bubble will allow our student-athletes to train at a higher level than ever before."

"We are deeply appreciative of this extraordinary gift by Marty Jacobson, which will benefit both our student-athletes and greatly improve the fan experience at McGuirk Alumni Stadium," said Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. "His continued and deeply generous support is truly a game changer for UMass Amherst."

The latest financial gift from Jacobson will fund experiential improvements to McGuirk Alumni Stadium for the University of Massachusetts community, current and future student-athletes and fans alike. The $5.58 million pledge provides the support necessary to design and construct a seasonal air-supported indoor structure at McGuirk Alumni Stadium, while his gift will also contribute to a high-definition scoreboard at McGuirk Alumni Stadium, among other planned fan experience facility improvements.

"The support Marty has provided the University of Massachusetts is truly transformational," said Bamford. "We are so thankful for his generosity and appreciative of his leadership in moving our athletics department forward through facility improvements that will benefit our sport programs and the University at large. We are extremely proud to name our outstanding football building the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center."

The seasonal air-supported structure will directly benefit all University of Massachusetts student-athletes and will provide an indoor training space during the winter months when outdoor facilities are unavailable. The facility will also be available to the larger university community for selected special events.

"Marty Jacobson is a strong supporter of our athletics department and the football team in particular," said football head coach Mark Whipple. "His contributions to UMass football, including the donations he and his brother Richard previously made for the press and skybox complex, are paramount to our continued growth as a FBS program."

Construction will begin at the conclusion of the 2018 football season, and a formal timeline for completion will be established as the final scope for all the improvements within the project are determined.

Those who wish to support and celebrate the success of student-athletes at the University of Massachusetts are invited to join the Minutemen Club. For more information on this project or how to become a member of the Minutemen Club, please call 413-545-4290.

2 min video in Marty Jacobson words and where his money came from in several businesses.

Quote:By the start of the 2019 football season, the McGuirk Stadium enhancements (turf field, videoboard, south hospitality plaza, restrooms and ADA upgrades) will be complete. The bubble over the new turf practice field will be installed in November 2019.

The south end hospitality plaza is the Commonwealth Club.

Quote:NEW Commonwealth Club
New for 2019, Season Ticket Holders will have priority access to a limited number of our new South End Zone Terrace (Commonwealth Club) memberships.

The Commonwealth Club will open 90 minutes prior to each game and will have amenities such as:

Large Format TVs
Exclusive Beverage Offerings
Exclusive Food Options
The most immersive view of game action at McGuirk Alumni Stadium
Memberships are $25 per person, per season. Season Ticket Holders can purchase one (1) season long pass per Season Ticket on their account.

Additional detail:
https://umassathletics.com/news/2019/2/2...ments.aspx

Update from the official release today.

Quote:The stadium improvements project will include a state of the art video board and auxiliary board. The video board will replace the existing structure in the south end zone and the auxiliary board will be located on the far-right corner the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center. The system will also feature an enhanced audio speaker system replacing the previous units and providing a better overall fan experience.

Paul '87 and David Manganaro made a $500,000 gift in December to support the video board that will be 48-feet wide by 20.4-feet high. UMass has again partnered with Daktronics, the leader in videoboard technology, to bring this significant upgrade to the in-stadium atmosphere on game days.

This will be the second project between the University and Daktronics after the new end wall and centerhung system was installed in the Mullins Center prior to the fall of 2017.

A new hospitality plaza will be created in the South End Zone as well offering the opportunity to enjoy the game from field level with food and beverage options available in that location. This addition will now give fans and donors two exciting, premium vantage points to watch UMass football between the plaza and the Hunt Hospitality Suite and Balcony in the North End Zone.

The initially announced air-supported bubble has been enhanced to be an entirely separate turf field practice space which will have a seasonal dome. The 240-foot wide by 400-foot long turf facility will offer an expanded space for teams to practice while the seasonal, air-supported dome will provide the ability to work indoors during inclement weather and during the winter seasons.

The practice field will be placed parallel to McGuirk Stadium behind the Martin and Richard Jacobson Press and Skybox Complex. A generous $5.58 million gift from Martin Jacobson this past June was a key component to the facility project which will benefit the entire athletics department, its student-athletes, club sports and intramural sports.

"This project will have a long-term positive impact on our athletic department, fans who visit McGuirk Alumni Stadium and UMass students," said Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford. "The South End Zone project will give us some terrific entertainment space and the new HD videoboard and sound system will enhance the fan experience inside McGuirk. We are also thrilled with the new indoor turf facility and know it will give our sport programs and student body training opportunities during the winter months."

Further enhancements to the fan experience include the addition of new restrooms to both the East and West sides of the stadium along with several ADA enhancements in the stands and surrounding areas.

The IPF fly over and other photos including the Suites which are in the range of 2-2.k per seat per game.

Fly over link:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1187771825536880643

Before inflating with a good gauge how big it is compared to the stadium.


Suites and Press:


Update Nov 15th

Like all others, a look at Wall Art.




Details:
PERFORMANCE CENTER
Upgrades and Updates
Sports Performance Suite - New equipment: Revitalization of the in-suite training equipment used daily by the program to grow bigger, faster and stronger

Sports Performance Suite - Turf Training Area: The installment of a section of turf within the sports performance center. Provides an indoor area for speed, sprint and footwork drills

Sports Performance Suite - Nutrition Center: The introduction of a larger, permanent nutrition facility within the sports performance suite. Grants immediate, in-room access to pre-workout fuel and post-workout recovery meals and drinks

Hunt Hospitality Suite - Football At The Flagship: Floor-to-ceiling image display highlighting all 22 conference championship-winning teams and national postseason participants paired with the current and former logo and branding artwork. Celebratory "cornerstone" imagery of the program's first conference championship (1960), inaugural bowl game champions (1972), national runners-up finishes (1978, 2006) and national championship-winning team (1998). Team photos of the 1963-64, '66-67, '69, '71, '74, '77, '79, '81-82, '86, '88, '90, '99, '03, '07 winners of Yankee Conference, Atlantic 10 or Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championships

The Visitor Welcome Center: A communal meeting area on the second floor of the FPC comprising the team's NFL wall, the team-issued Adidas gear displays and the 1998 National Championship trophy

Locker Room Art Displays: Updated artistic and celebratory photography displays in the team's NFL-styler locker room entry hallway and locker endcaps

Coaches Hallway Display: Updated artwork that highlights the program's successes on and off the field as well as University points-of-pride.

Was unable to copy those images so the link to the side show.
Full photos with context as seeing the stadium seats from the Hunt Hospitality Suite.

The terrace just outside the suite is great, especially game day and watching the game.