SDS Club Level nears completion, Anderson calls it "a marvelous experience"

Ralph Amsden

Local media had an opportunity to tour the nearly-completed club-level renovations at Sun Devil Stadium on Friday, as well as ask questions of Athletic Director Ray Anderson about the scope and potential ripple effects of the project's completion.

Ralph Amsden

The Club Level features three separate categories of upgraded luxury, divided by levels of donor support. The Legends' Club, on the Club Level's south side, features 179 fixed seats and a 2,670 square foot climate controlled lounge, as well as four private suites that fit up to 18 guests each, with a total of 14 fixed, field-facing seats. The lounge is naturally lit during the day by garage door-style windows on its south end.

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

The Coach's Club (on the north side of the Club Level) features 283 fixed outside decks seats as well as four, four-person boxes, and a 2,620-square foot climate controlled lounge that feels equal, if not more roomy than the slightly larger Legends' Club lounge. The lounge features what looks like vertical wood shiplap walls with shelving units that serve a yet-to-be-determined purpose. One idea floated during the tour was a space to feature helmets throughout the various eras of Sun Devil Football.

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

Sandwiched between the Legends' Club and the Coach's Club is the even higher-end Founder's Club, a series of nine suites that fit up to 19 per suite, with 15 fixed, field-facing seats.

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

Ralph Amsden

All of the suites will feature climate-controlled suites and lounge areas with high-definition television screens throughout the interior and exterior, and will be open to club members and their guests two hours prior to kickoff.

Anderson commented on what it's been like to take over as Athletic Director during a time in which the wheels were already in motion for the club-level upgrade, and help guide the project to fruition. "It really is a marvelous experience, and really quite humbling. When I came here this was a concept, and to have the opportunity as the athletic director to have a lead role in advancing it along... to sit here in this unbelievable space and know that it's only going to get better... it's really a privilege, and we feel really quite honored to be part of this great project."

Anderson also spoke for himself and Head Coach Todd Graham, as members of the Coach's Club themselves.

Anderson hopes the facilities will "economically impact (the) community in ways (they) hadn't been able to before." He also said be believed the upgrades will be the "magnet" that attract people to the campus- not only as attendees of the games, but for those who wish to use the lounge facilities for event purposes year-round. One of the other benefits Anderson hopes to see is that the donors who are waiting to invest in a finished project have the evidence they need to make their financial contributions. "A number of folks are waiting to see what it actually looks like before they make their investment, and that's a reasonable thing to do. After folks this season get a chance to walk through here and see it, particularly when it's all put together... I think that will cause a significant uptick in terms of completing the sales."

Ray Anderson also made sure to give credit to the recently deceased Frank Kush for using his time as Arizona State's head coach to build the foundation for what Arizona State has been able to accomplish with its most recent round of stadium upgrades. "Coach Kush was really the one who put ASU on the map," adding "from the humble beginnings that he was so responsible for, here we are now in one of the country's most magnificent facilities, and he was a big reason for all that."