Stadium stateliness: Arkansas players impressed by their new digs

FAYETTEVILLE --University of Arkansas athletic department officials escorted and mingled with the media during a tour of the school's sparkling new $160 million north end zone expansion at Reynolds Razorback Stadium this week.

For good reason.

Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek and senior associate athletic directors Matt Trantham, Chris Pohl and Kevin Trainor came across as proud parents showing off the facility, which will make its game-day debut in Saturday's 3 p.m. season opener against Eastern Illinois.

The tour included a comprehensive look at the eye-popping renovated Broyles Athletic Center, as well as updates on fan game-day experiences, new ticket scanning and traffic flow plans and new food vendors Dickey's Barbecue Pit and Slim Chickens to supplement the Levy's food options.

"There is always anticipation for the season opener, but with the opening of our newly renovated and expanded ... stadium that anticipation is heightened," Yurachek said. "In the past week, as our fans and members of the media had a chance to see the north end zone addition and the other renovations throughout the stadium, there is realization of the true impact these changes will mean for our program and the game-day experience for Razorback fans."

The bond-issued project faced scrutiny, and skepticism in some quarters that it was only serving the most affluent of Razorbacks fans while adding roughly 4,000 seats to bring capacity up to 76,000.

The project led to a structure that is expected to improve fan flow, provide better access to upper levels as well as a 360-degree route around the stadium for the first time on the Level 1 concourse.

The tiered levels include an SEC Club with suite holders allowed to choose their favorite Razorbacks football games to serve as decorations. On the Southwest Conference Lounge levels, pictures of players from that era adorn the walls at the suite holders choosing.

There's also a 64 Club level, a reference to the Razorbacks' 1964 national championship season.

And there's a viewing deck on the fifth level that can accommodate outdoor events.

Standing in the spacious, well-lit locker room, Yurachek was asked if the facility could host receptions or parties or other events.

"We want to use this more than seven times per year," Yurachek said.

First-year football Coach Chad Morris referred to the renovations as "game changers" this week and spoke on his radio show Wednesday night about the circumstances regarding the mock game, when the players entered the football-shaped locker room for the first time.

"We did the whole thing," Morris said. "We simulated game day. We bused around, did the Hog Walk. Some of the guys were like, 'What are we doing coach?'

"I said, 'Just wait. Just wait. Get your phones out. I did not want this Saturday to be the first time they walked into that locker room. I mean it's absolutely first class. Just seeing the expression on our players' faces when we walked in there was remarkable."

The previous game-day locker room was cramped and sectioned off in the previous Broyles Center. Shaped like a football, the new one holds approximately 90 lockers with an adjacent walk-on locker room for the overflow. The huge space is estimated at 15,000-square feet for team-related operations, such as a training room and a coaches locker room.

Hype videos of the Razorbacks entering the new locker room for the first time last Saturday inundated social media.

"It's just beautiful in there," junior cornerback Ryan Pulley said.

"Honestly, it is the best locker room in the country, unless there's a school I don't know about somewhere," sophomore quarterback Cole Kelley said. "I mean really, even NFL locker rooms. I've never seen anything like it. It's just Grade A."

Senior safety Santos Ramirez touted the entire renovation project. "They did a great job over there in the new part of the end zone," Ramirez said. "And the locker room over there? It's beautiful.

"We are very grateful and appreciative and we want to make sure that we give it all back. Everything they've done for us we want to give back."

Junior running back Devwah Whaley called the additions "amazing" and "first class," adding, "I haven't seen anything like that besides the [Dallas] Cowboys' stadium. It's a blessing to have a locker room like that."

Many touches in the club areas as well as the player entrance, through the Touchdown Club section, is reminiscent of AT&T Stadium, where the Cowboys enter through a grouping of fans.

Former Arkansas safety and receiver Kim Dameron, will come out of the visitors locker room Saturday as head coach of Eastern Illinois, but he said he watched the school's promotional video of the new facility earlier this week.

"It's quite impressive with the SEC section, the Southwest Conference section, which of course I would be most interested in, and also the 64 Lounge," Dameron said. "Just all of that, gosh it's unbelievable. I see that as a program trying to compete on a national scale."

Pohl pointed out that some seating sections have been renumbered to provide a sequential flow and that fans should enter at the gate designation on their ticket for easiest access to their seat.

Additionally, fans will now scan their own tickets after passing through security. Fans should have their tickets out or downloaded tickets pulled up and ready to be scanned as they enter lines for scanning stations.

As for traffic in and out of campus, UAPD's Matt Miller said the traffic flow has not changed for 2018 and that fans should exercise patience because others might not be as aware of the flow.

The SEC's clear-bag policy is still in effect.

Arkansasrazorbacks.com has a "Gameday" page link with further information.

Sports on 08/31/2018