Following its first season (5-7) under new coach Jonathan Smith — and third consecutive without making it to a bowl game — MSU football’s home is set to receive some upgrades.

At the board’s Friday meeting, Athletic Director Alan Haller said the upgrades will come in three phases.

The first will be the installation of new video boards in Spartan Stadium, which will "offer new sponsorship opportunities and improve the game day experience for our fans."

The second phase of the upgrades, Haller said, will be renovations to the fourth, seventh and eighth floors of the stadium’s West Tower, which house suite and club spaces for MSU donors and dignitaries.

The video board replacement and West Tower renovations have a budget of $10 million and $18 million respectively, according to the board resolution. The projects will be funded using internal loans that the university plans to repay using "a combination of naming rights revenue, sponsorship revenue, and/or gifts."

Those renovations are expected to be completed in August 2025, ahead of the next football season.

The third phase of the upgrades, Haller said, is a "reimagination" of Spartan Stadium.

The board's resolution, which passed unanimously, said "Spartan Stadium is at the heart of campus and is a primary crossroads for thousands of Spartans each day and is a marquee location for state and community members who visit MSU. The planning for the Spartan Stadium modernization seeks to enhance the fan experience, improve safety and security, and bring Spartan Stadium facilities on par with peers."

Among the modernization plan’s anticipated upgrades are additional restrooms, architectural improvements, Americans with Disabilities Act improvements and "improved concourses and concessions," the resolution said.

In advance of the Spartan Stadium modernization plan, the Central Services Building, located just east of the stadium, will be demolished.

Marching band endowment

The board approved a $330,000 endowment for the Spartan Marching Band after the College of Music requested more financial support for the program in October.

The initial funding, which came from a discretionary gift, will be used "at the discretion of the Director of the Spartan Marching Band in consultation with the Director of Bands," according to the resolution. More funding can be added to the endowment in the future.

Land for cattle research

The board gave MSU the go-ahead to purchase approximately 92 acres of land three miles from the university’s East Lansing campus. The land will be used to make more animal feed for the Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center, which is tripling its herd size to increase research productivity. The purchase "reduces reliance on the volatile feed market for the expanded dairy herd," according to the resolution.

Endowment for MSU Extension Farm Stress Project

The board approved an initial $50,000 endowment toward the MSU Extension Farm Stress Project, a program that aims to help farmers manage stress and fatigue. The funding will be used to pay for "counseling services, farm stress training, program development and materials, marketing and outreach, staff salary and benefits, and/or other project costs," according to the resolution.