Reser Stadium Renovations: What’s Next?

So, unless you’ve been living under a rock (or in Eugene), you’ve most likely noticed some of the renovations going on in Reser Stadium. Scott Barnes kicked off his campaign to renovate Reser with the touch-up of the Valley Football Center. From the entrance to the center, to the player’s locker rooms; Valley received all the bells and whistles in an effort to up Oregon State’s hand in the never-ending recruiting race for top high school athletes.

Cole Elsasser-USA TODAY Sports

The quest continues as John Canzano reported recently that our fearless leader, Scott Barnes, now turns his attention to the west side of Reser Stadium (the side opposite of the cover photo in this story). This side is often put on TV the most, as it easily seats the most people. It’s a money shot for cameramen, as it looks like a sea of orange and black ants when it’s capped out on the west side I still recall looking to the west side from the student section against Boise State last year and couldn’t recall the last time the west side was that packed.

This renovation is long overdue. The seats are rickety, the concourse looks worn, and the bathrooms look as if they’re from the 50’s. Not to mention the press box is outdated and often difficult for press members and camera crews to access. It shows an outdated look that makes you think the university ran out of money.

Attacking this side of Reser is a great move by AD Barnes as it goes a long way towards giving Reser a modern look that can compete with Autzen right down I-5. Fans around the country are all-in on the latest tech incorporated into stadiums, and this touch-up of the west side of Reser is an ideal way to keep up with that trend.

Barnes himself seems to agree: "‘That west side is a giant next step for us. We are only on the front end of envisioning what that looks like. We want an improved fan experience, and media experience, and the wow factor for prospective athletes. But we need 365-day use with the facility, not the six or seven Saturdays a year.’“

Right on Scott. I’m in.

So a renovation on the west side seems inevitable. As for what to look for; allow me to share a few ideas...

Press Boxes

The press have to get some love, right? And wouldn’t it be sweet to have Ted Robinson and Yogi Roth in new, state-of-the-art press booths calling out OSU wins? Or how about a new booth for the legendary Mike Parker to continue his play-by-play calling of the Beavs?

In all seriousness, the press boxes are due for an update. As of now, there’s no confirmation if press boxes would be apart of Reser-west renovations, but it seems like a given in this case. Also, OSU and visiting coaches are holed up in what looks like miniature dungeons during the games in their boxes. I can imagine they would appreciate some nicer booths as well.

Tricking out some press boxes would provide never before seen media access to Reser. Getting more media into the boxes would inevitably mean more exposure for the Beavs when they get some competitive teams (they has to be coming, right?!?!?!?!).

Overall, I would expect to see an increase in the number of press booths, as well as an overhaul on the looks and accessibility within these booths. Another thing to look out for would be coach booths that are isolated from the press. A renovation like this is something the general public would never notice at the game, but it pays dividends down the road on national exposure.

Concourse

Let’s set this straight, I’m not out to bash our beloved stadium. I love the Reser Stadium concourse, it has a rustic feel to it that screams out the memories it has held.

However, there is no denying that is has seen better days. It has definitely been wore down by it’s seasons in Corvallis, and a renovation is inevitably coming.

This is one of the main areas in a stadium that really makes or breaks a fan experience in a game. When you step outside of the seat section, are you still engaged in the game? Can you see any of the game, or at least the TVs to keep you focused on the Beavs? Also, how easy is it to reach the bathroom, food, or merch stands? These questions correlate to how much you, the fan, enjoys the game. This is the university’s chance to establish a precedence on enhancing the fan experience.

To continue my trend of predictions, I’ve got some ideas of what may be coming in the new renovation of the concourse. First and foremost, a major face-lift. If you’ve ever been to Autzen, the concourse looks modern and has a clean feel to it. Expect OSU to follow suit with it’s own spin on this level. Next, more merch stands, gotta keep that OSU swag selling. Also, I think Barnes will try and incorporate more local Corvallis food into Reser Stadium on this side (Local Boyz in Reser?!?!). Throw in some new bathrooms and more TV’s, and we’ve got ourselves a sweet new concourse.

The Seats

What’s a football stadium without seats, right?

This may be the most obvious point I make all day, but you have to expect an increase in seating capacity with this Reser-west renovations. Reser Stadium holds a sneaky good home field advantage with just over 44,000. Imagine if we could fit another 10,000 angry beavers?

Well, that seems to be the plan.

According to CollegeGridirons.com, plans are in motion to expand Reser to 55,000, roughly a 10,000 seat increase. I expect these renovations to take up some of the “dead space” on the west side as well as the south side, or the scoreboard side, of the stadium. This way, space is maximized with the “bowl” of Reser to it’s utmost capacity.

This isn’t even beginning to describe what will happen to the overall of the suites located above the press boxes. Expect those suites to be turned into some of the nicest bunch on the west coast.

Reser Stadium is only getting bigger. That’s just the nature of College Football. Which makes this renovation a necessity to keep up in the recruiting and attendance race in the Pac-12. It’s important to keep an eye on the progress of Scott Barnes’ campaign to fix up Reser, and keep voicing your opinion.

With that being said, what do you guys think? Do you like these suggestions? Or do you have ideas of your own for what will come to Reser next? Let us know below!