Oklahoma State football stadium upgrades will be something fans can 'take great pride in'
STILLWATER — The windows on the southwest corner of Gallagher-Iba Arena have become a popular stopping point for Oklahoma State basketball and wrestling fans during trips to the upper concourse.
It’s the perfect perch for viewing the ongoing construction on the south bleachers of Boone Pickens Stadium.
As of now, the old aluminum and concrete seating area originally installed at old Lewis Field more than 50 years ago has been gutted, stripped down to its steel support beams from the front row up to the edge of the club sections near the top of the stadium. A crane stands tall in the middle, while work continues underneath.
With an Aug. 31 season opener against South Dakota State looming in the distance, the crew continues its efforts to refurbish some of the stadium’s interior below the bleachers. And earlier this week, some of the old seating sections began to be replaced with the same long-span aluminum used on the north side in last year’s upgrade.
In all, this is a two-year, $55 million project fully focused on the fan experience.
“We’re really, really pleased with the way the north side came out, and not just the stadium, but the work we did underneath,” OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg told The Oklahoman. “We really refreshed it and now we’re able to activate some additional spaces for fans.”
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What's new at Boone Pickens Stadium?
The new bleachers will have wider seating areas with more leg room, plus additional aisles in the middle of sections to increase the ease of getting to and from seats.
The changes will once again reduce the capacity of the stadium, though it is too early to know just how much. The stadium held 55,509 fans in 2022, but was reduced to 53,855 after last year’s upgrades.
This year’s reduction will be greater, considering the larger area of the refurbishments, yet it seems likely BPS will remain above 50,000 in total capacity — while also increasing greatly in total comfort.
The number of chairback seats will be roughly tripled from what was previously in place, using the same black chairs that were installed on the north side last year and were a popular addition.
Below the new seating area, upgrades to long-dormant space offer new places for concessions or storage to free up other areas.
Among the fan-friendly additions OSU installed on the north side last year were grab-and-go concession stands — essentially a walk-through lane lined with drink and warm food options for fans to pick up before paying at the exit.
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“The grab-and-go stations were very popular,” Weiberg said. “They were either our No. 1 or No. 2 selling location in the whole stadium every game last season. So we know we’ve hit on something that’s popular, and we’ll start duplicating that around other parts of the stadium.”
Weiberg said Boone Pickens Stadium has the most suites of any college football stadium with 123, and there’s a waiting list to get in them. Add more than 3,500 club-level seats, and now the upgraded seating areas in the primary sections of the stadium, and Weiberg sees a facility Cowboy fans should be proud to call home.
“When we get done with it, we will have one of the nicest football stadiums in all of college football in terms of the fan amenities,” Weiberg said. “Not only the comfort of the seats with what we’re doing there, with widening the leg room and the seats, and adding chairbacks, but also what we’ve got underneath — the ease of getting in and out of the stadium, the ease of getting to concession stands and the number of restrooms we have.
“It’s not the biggest football stadium in the country in terms of capacity, but we were sold out every game last year, and we anticipate being sold out every game this year. It’s something all of our fans should take great pride in.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football upgrading south side of Boone Pickens Stadium
