B1G football and iconic stadiums go hand in hand. This fall, Camp Randall is undergoing a $77.6 million facelift that will bring a unique viewing experience to fans. This project will be renovating the south end zone where there are 6,000 bleacher seats. The renovation will introduce premium seating and hospitality clubs which will be available to fans at the start of the 2022 season.
Building History
Starting in 1915, Cam Randall Stadium was eventually finished in 1917. The initial build had 40 rows of bleachers and seated 10,000 fans. The stadium continued to grow. In 1921, 4,000 concrete seats were added and then by 1924, 33,000 people could attend a Badger game. Fans were finally able to sit on all four sides of the field with the 1924 upgrade.
The construction on the stadium halted for nearly 51 years. Thanks to two projects in the 1950s, Camp Randall Stadium added 20,000 seats and saw the capacity grow to 63,710. Eventually in 1965 the second deck along the west side of the stadium was completed adding box seats and freeing up more bleacher space. This addition added a little over 14,000 seats bring Camp Randall Stadiums capacity to 77,745.
Soon after the latest addition, artificial turf was installed. Wisconsin became the second school in the nation to install Tartan Turf in 1968. Fast forward 22 years later and Wisconsin installed Astroturf. Two years later, a computerized scoreboard was added to the south end zone, the place where much of the new renovation is taking place.
After 35 years, Camp Randall saw a mega $109.5 million project which rose the capacity to where it currently rests at 80,321. With the new renovation, Camp Randall will remain as the 5th largest stadium in the B1G with roughly 76,621 seats. To put this into perspective, this is more than 30,000 less seats than the largest stadium in the country. The team who has the largest house in the country, the Michigan Wolverines.
More Than Just Seating
While the renovation to the south end zone is the primary focus, that’s not the only upgrade that’s happening. The field turf playing surface is being upgraded, press boxes are being updated as well as new premium areas inside the UW Field House. All these upgrades allow for multiple people to take advantage of a new and unique experience.
Athletic director Chris McIntosh said “This project will not be a seven Saturday a year project.” The hope is that the new renovation will allow other parties to utilize the space. Look for events of all kinds and weddings being able to book this space in the year to come.
Updated Pictures
Recently on twitter the Wisconsin Badger Football account posted a “how it started” vs. “how it’s going” update. Check it out.
Renovations started immediately following Wisconsin Sate High School Football Championships. UW plans to have this completed by the opening home game on September 3rd. Below is a virtual walkthrough in case you missed it.
This will undoubtedly be like any experience in all of college football. Back in October, there were roughly 1,000 seats unclaimed. Check out this website for more info.
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