Editor’s note (10/5/15, 1:05 p.m.): A previous version of this story’s headline in our Sept. 28 print edition stated that renovations were set for fall 2015. This was a typo – as stated in the story below, renovations are set to begin in fall 2016.

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved a $24 million budget to begin planning, designing and financing the renovation and expansion of Tarleton State University’s Memorial Football Stadium.

A news conference held in the Tarleton Welcome Center on the Stephenville campus on Sept. 10 announced the upcoming changes with Tarleton President Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio, Stephenville Independent School District Superintendent Matt Underwood, Tarleton Athletic Director and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Lonn Reisman, and Head Football Coach Cary Fowler in attendance.

Along with increasing seating from 7,400 to about 10,000 and moving the home side from the east to the west side of the stadium, renovations will include: an expanded press box and the addition of luxury box suites, additional premium seating, additional entrances, and ticket booths. Other changes have not yet been finalized and released.

 Among these changes the most exciting, as expressed by Dottavio, is the conversion of the west side of the stadium.

“For far too long, Tarleton Texan fans have faced the sun during our football games,” said Dottavio. “We are excited to make this change for our patient fans as well as to add the many improvements that the renovation will bring.”

Coach Fowler also expressed his excitement for renovations.

“This isn’t just a football stadium, we’re the greatest university in the Lone Star Conference,” Fowler said. “We’ve got the best attendence, the best fans, the best students and we’re going to take it further than just the football games. We’re going to enjoy every minute and make every memory we can.” 

The idea of Memorial Stadium, according to the Historic Images Project wriiten by Frank Chamberlain , was originally proposed by the Tarleton Ex-Students Association, who in 1946 proposed a stadium be constructed in memory of the 179 Tarleton students and faculty killed during World War II. The stadium’s original construction began in 1951, and since there has been one major reconstruction made in 1977, and another in 1989, where the current field house, built-in track and field facilities, and concessions were renovated. The last update came in 2004 when the grass was converted to synthetic turf.

The first stage of the upcoming renovations will be the planning phase, which is expected to last through spring 2016. The second phase, reconstruction, will begin at the conclusion of the fall 2016 football season and will likely go through the 2017 season. Coach Reisman has assured fans that football will be played in the stadium even if reconstruction is not finished.

“We will probably be a little inconvenienced,” said Reisman, “but we’ve all been waiting a long time to be inconvenienced.”

For additional information, contact Harry Battson at (254) 968-1620 or by email at [email protected].

More information will made avaliable as it is released.