GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley announcing his retirement this week after 25 years at the head of the program, the Gators ready themselves for a new era. One that could see a whole new wave of facility upgrades on campus.

University president Kent Fuchs will help lead a national search for Foley's replacement, along with Manny Fernandez, a highly successful businessman who was chairman of the UF Board of Trustees from 2003-07. They're looking for an experienced athletics director, one who can help bring about major change in Gainesville while maintaining Foley's track record for top-level success across the board in athletics.

"We have to invest in the facilities," Fuchs said.

"It's daunting. This is one of the most important appointments during my time as president. I expected that at some point it would come. I wasn't expecting it now."

While the Gators have gotten some major projects done in recent years -- Foley pointed to the more than $100 million spent in ongoing renovations ($64.5 million on the O'Dome, $25 million on the student-athlete academic center, $17 million on a football indoor practice facility) at his retirement press conference -- there's still a lot that must be done.

The football program's facilities are middle of the pack in the SEC, at best. Baseball is lagging behind in the bottom third of the conference. Softball's stadium can't hold the large crowds it draws in and needs some serious upgrades.

All three are on the docket for future renovations.

Foley plans to spend his last few months before he officially steps down on Oct. 1 beginning the push to get those major projects in the off the ground.

"I especially want to get some stuff done on the facility front," he said. "I've looked coach Mac in the eye, looked Sully in the eye, looked at them all in the eyes, there's some things we need to do with their facilities.

"And at the end of the day it comes down to making sure we have the resources in place to pay for them. I need to put together a funding plan. I think it will entail some fundraising. I think Gator Nation is committed to that. And obviously we'll call on them to help us out. If the funding is in place and the design part and architects, that's just work in getting it done. So I feel some urgency to get that done."

Funding is one thing that has kept Florida from improving its facilities faster. Foley told reporters in February 2015 that he wanted to cap the UAA's debt at $100 million.

The UAA's financial statement for the 2014-15 fiscal year listed Florida's outstanding debt at $95.6 million as of July 2015. The Gators issued a $15 million bond to fund the recently constructed indoor practice facility, which was included in that total.

Funding by issuing debt may become more palatable to Florida now, as Fuchs indicated Tuesday he's open to potentially exceeding that $100 million debt ceiling for facility upgrades.

"If we took on any more debt, it would be for the facilities and I'd want to make sure that we've got the revenue streams that allow us to pay off that debt," Fuchs said. "We're open to the possibility of it. I do appreciate that Jeremy's not leaving a big debt problem for the next AD. What we want to do is raise the funds rather than have to borrow the funds, but I do think there may be some capacity there to make some progress."

With the drive to improve facilities clearly a pivotal factor in hiring a new athletics director, what exactly will future changes look like at Florida?

The Gators have already commissioned an architect to begin formulating a master plan for potential facility upgrades. That has been in the works for months.

The priority is to improve the football program's facilities. Florida's current setup in the south end zone of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium leaves a lot to be desired. Coaches' offices, team meeting rooms, the locker room, training rooms and player lounges are all fairly sectioned off due to space constraints beneath the stadium.

Coach Jim McElwain has been vocal since his hire about wanting the facilities to be more open and welcoming, where players can go to the coaches' offices without feeling like they're going to the principal's office. He wants a more aesthetically pleasing and open layout that will visually wow recruits.

Getting that will likely require a massive renovation to the south end zone of Ben Hill Griffin, or perhaps an even bigger undertaking that might relocate other sports so that football can have a stand-alone facility for its use.

Baseball could really use a new stadium at some point, with Alfred A. McKethan Stadium turning into a more tired facility with each passing year. The orientation of the field has also been a major issue for years. In a city as hot as Gainesville during baseball season, there has been no feasible way to provide shade for fans for decades.

Foley even joked about it at his retirement press conference Tuesday, asked if he'd eventually have a facility named after him.

"I think we're going to be put a roof on the baseball stadium and name it after me," he said, as the room of nearly 100 people exploded in laughter. "I've heard that for 40 years. That's what going to happen. I think that's what's going to happen. Be named for a roof."

But facility upgrades are clearly no joke for Fuchs, who made it clear that bringing Florida up to par in the SEC is a big priority for him. Whether the Gators are willing to really shake things up by relocating sports or issuing significantly more debt remains to be seen.

That will likely partially depend on Foley's replacement and how capable he is of engaging the booster base to raise funds for some of the projects the Gators would like to undertake.

Finding someone who can bring Florida athletics up to speed on the facilities front while also doing it responsibly and maintaining Foley's record of remarkable success across the board... well, there aren't many athletics directors as recognizable as Foley in college athletics for a reason.

Foley's legacy looms large, and Kent, Fernandez and the Florida administration have their work cut out for them finding the right fit.

"We want an experienced athletic director, someone that's not going to come and learn on the job," Fuchs said. "They may not know all the details of the University of Florida, but someone who understands the things we value. Obviously winning championships and winning games and matches, but probably equally important or more important is doing things the right way so that we follow the rules, we're ethical and we care about students.

"Jeremy's got that whole package, and that's the kind of person we're looking for."

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