After extensive debate among Auburn's board of trustees on Friday, the school is moving ahead with the initiation of plans for a new videoboard in the North end zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium, player development facilities projects for the baseball and softball teams and locker room renovations for the men's and women's basketball teams.
A more than 20 minute discussion raged during the property and facilities committee's portion of Friday's meeting, with several board members questioning the impact of going forward with the proposed videoboard on the previously proposed more than $145 million renovation of the North end zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The proposal Auburn athletics brought to the board was for the initiation of the project, which Auburn associate vice president for facilities Dan King stated was estimated to cost $6.3 million for a videoboard "half as tall and half as wide" with "25 percent of the viewing area" of the board in South end zone, as well as the approval of Birmingham-based LBYD, Inc. as project engineer in order to install the new videoboard before the start of the 2018 football season.
The board approved the initiation of the project and authorized the use of LBYD, Inc. for the design phase of the project, but will address the plans for the project as well as its impact on the long-term mater plan for athletics facilities at its meeting on Nov. 10. King estimated the cost between now and the next board meeting would be $100,000 and the board stated because it was already budgeted by athletics, the onus falls on that department to deliver what was asked for the board to review in two months.
Board members Michael DeMaioribus, B.T. Roberts, Jimmy Rane and Gaines Lanier each questioned what the priorities were for the athletic department's long-term strategic plan at Jordan-Hare Stadium, why the new videoboard seemingly moved ahead of the renovation and if going forward with the project would lead to complications if and when the renovation of the North end zone seating area goes forward.
Rendering of proposed North end zone videoboard at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
In discussing the North end zone renovation project, Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs told the board athletics "put that on the shelf (and) pulled out pieces of that," referring to the $28 million football support facility and locker room renovation and $12 million press box renovation and conversion to club seats, which are already underway.
Plans for the renovation to the North end zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium began in Feb. 2015 and renderings were released in Dec. 2015 that showed one large videoboard in the North end zone. Those plans were revised in Feb. 2016, when Jacobs said two smaller videoboards were considered preferable.
The proposal approved Friday states the videoboard project will be financed "by revenues generated from the project and athletics department funds."
Auburn opens the 2018 football season against Washington at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 1 in Atlanta and hosts its home opener against Alabama State on Sept. 8.
The timeline for completion of the other facilities is unclear and there is no listed budget for any of them. Fundraising goals for the baseball, softball and basketball projects are part of a $61.7 million facilities fundraising campaign by Auburn's athletic department, of which Lanier said "32 percent" has already been raised.
The athletic department's fundraising goals are $4.8 million for both the baseball and softball player development facilities and $3 million for the men's basketball locker room expansion. The proposals to the board state each of those facilities is expected to be financed by "a combination of gift and athletics department funds."
Renderings for the baseball, softball and basketball facilities were included in the athletic department's publication to donors this summer.