MSU athletics department officials are planning to make numerous upgrades to amenities at Spartan Stadium once information from an internal study comes through.
Deputy Athletics Director Greg Ianni said the athletics department is looking at making improvements to several stadium facilities, including stadium restrooms, concourse areas and gate access areas, and the department is examining the potential costs for the renovations.
A master plan for stadium development was completed about 12 years ago to determine similar ways to upgrade its accessibility for students and fans, he said.
Costs and a timeline for the upgrades are pending until further information can be gathered.
But Ianni said there are no plans to change seating in the stadium, after ASMSU — MSU’s undergraduate student government — discussed potentially expanding the stadium’s capacity to allow more spectators earlier this month.
Agribusiness management senior and ASMSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources representative Nick Schlatter introduced a bill to expand stadium seating to 100,000 seats at an ASMSU meeting Nov. 17. The bill ultimately was defeated 7-8 with five abstentions.
Spartan Stadium currently holds a maximum of 75,005 spectators. Football stadiums at the University of Michigan, Penn State University and Ohio State University all hold more than 100,000 spectators.
Schlatter said with the recent success of MSU’s football program, more people will want to come to football games on a regular basis and suggested increasing the stadium’s capacity to hold more people.
Ianni said he was “floored” that ASMSU would discuss the issue when the stadium is not always filled to capacity.
“The demand for Spartan Stadium isn’t sold-out for every game,” he said. “It’s kind of ludicrous to look past that.”
Ianni was unsure of specific attendance but said it was up from last year.
He said attendance has to do with the quality of the program football head coach Mark Dantonio is building, and if the team’s success continues, stadium attendance might also grow.
Ianni said the stadium’s capacity potentially could be expanded to the mid-90,000 range but said there are no “imminent” plans to expand seating.
Special education freshman Cari Otis said she attended a football game earlier this semester at which the stadium was “not full by any means.”
Otis said if the stadium’s capacity increased, MSU could continue making a name for itself among other Big Ten football programs.
“If we had the money, I think (the expansion) would be a good idea,” she said.
Schlatter said no matter what renovations occur, increasing stadium seating is important to maintain MSU’s position in the Big Ten.
“As a little kid, I remember being in school with (University of) Michigan football fans,” he said.
“If we continue to win, I see that changing in schools, where kids grow up becoming MSU football fans.”
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