McLane Stadium 97% complete with 8 weeks ’til kickoff

Next month (!!), Baylor football will officially open McLane Stadium as the Bears host SMU.

A media tour yesterday gave up-close looks at the team’s locker room, a recruiting area, the field (where turf has gone in this week) and lower stands. (If you’re following @BaylorProud on Twitter, you got a glimpse of things yesterday.)

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Some highlights of the tour:

Officials estimate the stadium is about 97% complete.

The “BU” logo (pictured above) on the ceiling of the 7,500-square-foot locker room is really cool.

The recruiting room (see here) is a slightly more green version of the basketball team’s “electricity” jerseys. That color is clearly hot among the younger crowd.

The videoboard — which ESPN earlier this summer named among the best in the country — looks much bigger in person than it does in photos, but not so big that it destroys the view of campus across the river.

Campus — particularly the law school — feels surprisingly close from inside the stadium.

Eight more weeks!

Sic ’em, Bears!