Master plan for Purdue football facilities moving forward

Asked if the upcoming renovation of Ross-Ade Stadium's South End Zone and Mollenkopf Athletic Center is on the same scope as the recently completed Mackey Arena Project, Morgan Burke didn't hesitate.

"Oh, yeah and then some," Purdue's athletic director said. "It's big."

By the end of the year, Burke will present a master plan to the board of trustees outlining a series of projects that will enhance both facilities.

"I think we have to continue to find ways of making sure we're putting ourselves in the best position, whether it's facilities, academics, whatever it is to be competitive in this league," Purdue football coach Darrell Hazell said. "You'll see a lot of constant change, which hopefully leads to the results on the scoreboard. That's the goal. It's all tied together.

"People just think you show up on Saturdays and you win or lose but there are a lot of other factors that go into that. It's tied to recruiting. It's tied to success in the classroom. You can't just compartmentalize the three hours you play on Saturday."

Renovating the south end zone has been a topic of discussion for several years and the removal of the bleachers last summer moved the idea forward, but upgrading and modernizing the indoor practice facility is a pressing need.

"I think you have an opportunity to do something in that south end zone, Mollenkopf and that whole area that would be transformative," Burke said. "You can make this campus pop. It will be a major undertaking."

What to watch for in upcoming months:

•In May, Burke will recommend to the board the hiring of an architect and a construction manager. Six architecture firms submitted designs for the south end zone last fall, giving Burke and his staff conceptual ideas to work with.

"You need them on board to take the concepts that we have and translate them into hard budgets," Burke said. "Right now, it's why I won't put a number out there because I don't know what the number is."

After the bleachers were removed, a patio area in the south end zone was created as a temporary addition to the stadium. The space will be open again during the 2015 season.

Whatever the final cost, funding will come from private donations, revenue generated from ticket sales in the new south end zone and other department resources, including future television money. The Big Ten will have a new television contract starting in the 2017-18 school year.

"I need to understand where the Big Ten media rights are going and I should understand them better, hopefully, by the end of the year," Burke said.

•Hazell and members of the football and athletic department staff will travel to three or four schools which have built new stadiums or are currently under renovation, including Baylor and Texas A&M.

Purdue's football locker room was constructed in 1982 in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility and undergone several renovations. However, it's not connected to Mollenkopf and it's out of date.

"Most locker rooms today, the coach can put his eyes on every single player. In our locker room, you can't do that," Burke said. "When a recruit comes in, they're used to seeing the circular locker rooms."

•The athletic department is currently conducting a survey, focusing on Lafayette and the surrounding counties, in an effort to grow and better understand the needs of the fan base on game day.

"They've been very good in terms of trying to segment your market to look at people who just come to the game versus 'I came to socialize and see the game,' " Burke said. "The survey may tell you the seat widths are too small. It may cost you some seats but if it helps you fill the seats, it may be better."

Purdue has lowered season tickets for nearly 90 percent of the seats heading into the 2015 season.

•Mollenkopf , which houses the football coaches offices, support staff along with a weight room and training center, opened in 1989. Upgrading the space around the practice field is a priority.

"We had an architect come in last summer to see if we could retro fit the space," Burke said. "We ran into the problem a little bit like the university is running into with the classrooms – it's not a matter of bringing in more equipment, it's not laid out right."

Expanding Mollenkopf to the north, south and/or east is a possibility, Burke said.

While the first project will deal with upgrading Mollenkopf, Burke wouldn't rule out introducing technology components planned for the stadium before the south end zone is completed.

"You may not be able to do the video board in the south end zone because it will depend on the structure," he said. "You could do it in the north by adding a ribbon board."

Before the full renovation of the south end zone takes place, concrete repairs and replacement in the southwest and southeast areas of the stadium need to be addressed. The $2.87 million project is scheduled to begin in January, 2016 and finished six months later.

While most of the space of the new south end zone is geared around football, Burke would like to showcase a university hall of fame in the entry area.

"There's a lot of different pieces to this where I hope we engage the campus. We ought to have a Purdue Hall of Fame and bring those people back and celebrate those accomplishments," Burke said.