Tennessee athletic director, John Currie, is seen before an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)KNOXVILLE - The athletics committee of the University of Tennessee's board of trustees moved Thursday to spend an additional $74 million on phase one of a substantial Neyland Stadium renovation project slated to begin this summer.
The full board will vote Friday on the proposal, which condenses a three-phase process to two phases and is projected ultimately to save the university $10.5 million on the project's original $350.1 million price tag.
The project still would be the third-most expensive stadium renovation in college football since 2010, according to data included in athletic director John Currie's presentation to the committee. Only Texas A&M's $485 million renovation to Kyle Field in 2014 ranks higher in cost among recent stadium projects in the Southeastern Conference.
"We are talking about a second century of service," Currie said as he detailed the need to catch up the south end of the stadium with modern fan amenities and the rest of the stadium's architecture.
The athletic department plans to complete both phases of the project by the 2021 season, which will be the 100th year in Neyland Stadium's history.
"That's personal for me," Currie said. "I really would like to see us achieve that goal by then. However, we're going to operate in a fiscally responsible manner."
This rendering shows a renovated Concourse of Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.If the full board approves the proposal Friday, phase one of the project will include:
» Expanding and renovating the entire south concourses to improve safety, functionality and fan comfort.
» Constructing new restrooms along the expanded south concourses to comply with modern standards for the number of fixtures, accessibility and ease of use.
» Increasing the number and type of concessions stands throughout the south concourses to improve food quality, selection and availability.
» Building new entry towers/gates and plaza areas in the southwest and southeast corners of the stadium (similar to the current northwest corner) to create a cohesive exterior architecture, consolidate stadium entry points for easier access, improved security and operational control, and activate open common exterior areas for the enjoyment of visitors.
» Presenting a stadium exterior integrated into the campus fabric that embraces the objectives of the campus master plan and established design standards of the campus.
» Adjusting the south end-zone field wall location farther from the playing surface to improve player safety and conform to NCAA guidelines on minimum distance between playing surface and physical boundaries.
» Building a kitchen and commissary to enable on-site food catering and delivery of fresh food to points throughout the stadium.
» Developing new and diversified premium offerings to meet market demands and capitalize on underutilized spaces, including open-air suites and field-level club and ledge seating.
Currie said that, if needed, the athletic department can finish phase one before the 2021 centennial season and finish the $160 million second phase a few years later.
He outlined a plan to pay for phase one that will use 39.4 percent cash and divide the rest of the cost among 20-year and 10-year bonds. He told the committee that private donations for the project are ahead of schedule and clarified to reporters afterward that no tax dollars will be used.
"A pretty significant portion of the cost of this renovation is going to be paid through philanthropic dollars," Currie said. "We aspire to not pass along those costs to the ticket prices of our patrons in any abundant amount."
In eight-plus years as the Kansas State athletic director, Currie created a legacy for his fundraising for and oversight of major facilities projects. He started as Tennessee's AD on April 1 but had cut his teeth in major facility projects at Tennessee from 2000 to 2009 while working first as an assistant athletic director and ultimately as executive associate athletic director.
Asked about the possibility of a major donation to the project coming with naming rights, Currie said Neyland Stadium will remain named Neyland Stadium while he is under contract as athletic director.
"I can guarantee you that," he said.
Tennessee (3-5) hosts Southern Mississippi (5-3) on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium. Attendance will be under scrutiny as fifth-year head coach Butch Jones sits on the hot seat with a four-game losing streak.
"My whole focus for our football program is this week," Currie said.
When asked about the type of football program he envisions playing in the renovated Neyland Stadium, he said the expectation is "a championship program."
"That's our heritage," Currie said, "and that will be our future history."
Other noteworthy items John Currie addressed:
He was asked his thoughts on a campaign among some fans to empty Neyland Stadium for Saturday's game:
"I understand our fan frustration," Currie said. "We're not where we want to be. It's unacceptable to be 0-5 in the Southeastern Conference. But we are where we are. As I said Monday night, our focus is on our student-athletes. That's what coach Jones is thinking about right now, is getting our team ready to play Saturday night. I think about Kendal Vickers from Havelock, North Carolina. Came west four or five years ago and played his heart out on Saturday night. He's got three more chances left to play in Neyland Stadium. I know we'll have a lot of great fans there on Saturday supporting our student athletes. That's our tradition."
On fans responding to his work on the stadium project with concern over the football team's performance:
"This project is not about this game or last week or next week," Currie said. "This project is about the next hundred years. We can certainly hit the pause button because we didn't win last week. But that wouldn't serve anybody very well. We're focused on long term results and long term success."
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com.