PISCATAWAY — High Point Solutions Stadium was buzzing on Wednesday night with Rutgers' home opener against Howard on Saturday afternoon fast approaching.

Painters put the finishing touches on railings behind one end zone, workers checked on the lights at the top of the stadium and the marching band rehearsed on the field.

"As you can see we're working down to the minute to get Big Ten ready and to get a lot of physical projects finalized as well as providing a best in class experience for our fans," athletic director Julie Hermann said in a statement released to reporters who toured the stadium Wednesday night.

When fans file through the stadium's turnstiles on Saturday, they'll discover a number of offseason upgrades. The most noticeable changes include more ribbon boards, widened concourses and additional restrooms.

Two of the ribbons boards occupy the space on the wall behind the north end zone where "The Birthplace of College Football" had been displayed. There are three other ribbon boards on the perimeter walls at field-level on Rutgers' sideline. The LED boards can be used to display advertisements, announcements and statistics. The new destination for the "Birthplace" sign has not been announced.

"Because of the new (ribbon) boards we'll have the opportunity to have in-game entertainment that we've never had before," Hermann said. "There's also the safety benefit. You'll see the text message that you call if you have any type of issue because we want our fans to feel safe in the stadium."

With big crowds expected for home games this season, fans should find more room on the stadium's concourses – eight feet to be exact. That's how far the concourse was expanded on the north end of the stadium, spanning from section 110-121.

In an effort to alleviate long lines at restrooms, two new men's bathrooms will be added. The restrooms were under construction on Wednesday night.

"In a short amount of time there were several things we needed to fix," Hermann said. "One was the eight-foot expansion of the walking area in the North end of the stadium. There will also be more restroom amenities, which is key. That project will be ongoing during the course of the season."

Cell phone service has been improved, and The Department of Homeland Security, through Middlesex County, has provided camera systems and bollards to enhance safety. There are new signs posted around the concourses alerting fans to text "RUFAN" to report issues.

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@nj.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.