Advertisement Morgan State University football stadium getting major upgrades

A multimillion dollar face-lift is happening on the campus of Morgan State University. The Hughes Memorial Football Stadium is getting much needed upgrades and the officials hope it will re-ignite students when they return this fall.MSU's Athletic director, Dr. Edward Scott, said part of the face-lift includes giving the football field one of the foremost brands in artificial turf and a new high-performance, all-weather track."We are trying to keep in line with the rest of the university with what Dr. (David) Wilson (MSU's president) has built. We want to make sure that athletics is the front porch, and I think our facilities will allow us to do that," Scott said.Renderings show what it will look like when it's done. The Bears logo will be prominently displayed in the center with orange and blue, the school colors, outlining the track. Scott said the upgrades are aesthetically pleasing and safer."Because of the amount of head blows student-athletes take, both hitting heads together and then in addition to hitting their head on the turf, we wanted to make sure we had a good surface -- something that would have some give for them," Scott said.The upgrades come at a time when the football program is charged for success. After a 4-7 record last year, Scott said a revitalized look is key for recruitment. The new field will join new football coach Tyrone Wheatley, who has played in the NFL and coached at the college level."Yeah, it better help get some wins. I think it will. We are really excited about where we are as a department with our coaches, our staff, the infrastructure is in place," Scott said.These upgrades cost $2.5 million. They're being paid for with deferred maintenance money. The upgrades are on track to be complete by August, when Morgan State football players return.The first game on the new turf is set for Sept. 28 against North Carolina Central.​