Venue News: UNT’s New Eco-Friendly Stadium Ready for Football

Construction of the University of North Texas’ 30,000-seat environmentally friendly facility is complete. University leaders believe that the $78 million project will boost the local economy, citing the $1.65 million economic impact the stadium’s construction had on the Dallas-Fort Worth region. It is expected to generate about $29 million annually. According to UNT’s athletic director, the stadium blends sustainability with comfort and a big-event experience. The stadium used nontoxic paints and materials that came from within 500 miles, and will install three 150-foot turbines this fall. The turbines are expected to inject about half a million kilowatt-hours a year into one of UNT’s power grids…

… Last Thursday, Florida Atlantic University Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger pulled the switch for the ceremonial lighting of the Owls’ new $70 million stadium.  The 30,000-seat on-campus facility is about 85% complete, and remains on schedule for the Oct. 15 unveiling against Western Kentucky. Most of the work will be done in a month before testing and tweaking during the final month…

…Less than a year since the Virginia Tech football team moved into a brand new, $18 million locker room, the athletic department announced their plans to add a new, and even more costly, amenity to the school’s athletic campus. With Rector Field House out of date, and featuring a ceiling too low to practice punts in, Virginia Tech plans to construct a new on-campus indoor practice facility to be used primarily by the football team, which will cost $25 million. The price tag includes a renovation of Rector Field House. Plans for the facility call for state of the art audio/visual equipment to be installed for use during football practices…

… The Oral Roberts University basketball teams are getting a new playing surface for 2011-12 as the original Mabee Center court, which lasted nearly 40 years, is being torn out to make room for a completely new basketball court. The new court will have updated logos and text on it, but will not be drastically different than the previous one. During the Mabee Center’s existence, it has hosted nine different national tournaments, including the NCAA Midwest Regional in 1974. Arrangements are being made by the Golden Eagle Club to make pieces of the old court available to fans.