A whole new view at Hughes
Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium may be louder and rowdier
than ever as a result of expansions and renovations that have
recently been made to the facility.
Two new scoreboards have been installed, including a 17-by-23
foot video board behind the south end zone, and 4,400 bleacher
seats have been added behind the north end zone.
More additions are expected to take place over the next year.
Renovations and expansions that are scheduled to be completed by
next season include 12 new luxury suites, an expanded Rams Horn
premium club seating area, a renovated press box and a new
artificial playing surface.
“This will only enhance the experience (of going to a CSU home
football game),” said Gary Ozzello, senior associate athletic
director. “It’s like a brand-new stadium. When people walk in, they
are going to be amazed at how great (the stadium) is.”
Construction will continue to take place throughout the upcoming
season. Funding for the construction was made possible by a $15.2
million grant from the Bohemian Foundation, a private family
foundation designed to improve the quality of life in Fort Collins
for youths and other community members.
CSU fans, players and coaches were able to see the renovations
and expansions firsthand Saturday, as the CSU football team
participated in a “mock” game in preparation for Saturday’s season
opener in Boulder against in-state rival Colorado.
Fans walked away impressed with the renovations and expansions,
believing that it will improve CSU’s home-field advantage by
creating a louder, livelier atmosphere and more hyped-up and
engaged fans.
“I love (the renovations),” said Randy Drautz, a CSU graduate
and avid football fan. “Just having that extra (4,400 seats), if we
can fill it, will be huge for home-crowd advantage.”
Travis Holland, a devoted CSU football fan and a post-bachelor’s
degree student seeking a teacher’s licensure, said he believes
having increased crowd noise and more fans in attendance will
significantly affect games in CSU’s favor.
“(The crowd noise) should really make a big difference on the
north end (zone) when the other team gets down there,” Holland
said.
Holland and Drautz also said they were impressed with the large
video board, which will allow fans to see instant replays, a luxury
that was not available to fans prior to this season.
Fans will have the opportunity to cheer the Rams on to victory
during six Hughes Stadium games this season. CSU will receive its
first chance to showcase its newly renovated and expanded stadium
to a national audience on Sept. 18 against Minnesota, in a game
that will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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