Bob De Carolis outlined a 3-phase plan for Reser Stadium fund-raising and construction in October 2002. He stated, “We have two additional phases that will eventually bring the capacity of Reser Stadium to 55,000, but we need to prove to everyone that we can raise the money for the first phase of the project and consistently sell out 43,000 seats before we move forward.” Thus, the announcement of Phase II construction was unexpectedly swift, and was done less than 2 years after the $80 million Phase I was completed. OSU had only recorded one sellout of the 43,300 seat stadium in the Phase I configuration, falling short of the stated benchmark for triggering construction of Phase II.
The three phases of the Reser renovation project have changed with priorities and evolving funding realities since the master plan for Reser Stadium was filed in 2003. In the original plan as presented in the Raising Reser campaign literature, Phase II was slated to be the demolition of the existing west side grand stand and construction of a new visitor’s side grand stands (west side) to match the home side grand stands completed in Phase I. This phase was also to include an expansion of the Valley Football Center’s weight and strength training facility. Capacity of the stadium was projected to be 47,000 with both grand stands and the north end zone renovation. At the time, Phase III was envisioned to be the completion of the south end zone bowl raising the final capacity of the stadium to 55,000.
Phase II of the stadium project as constructed in 2007 included new lower bowl seating in the south end zone, new ticket windows, entrance gates, a new larger video screen/scoreboard, the ribbon scoreboard in the north end zone, and the Sports Performance Center outside the stadium that was completed in 2008. Rather than expanding the Valley Center weight and strength training facilities as originally proposed, those planned improvements were built into the Sport Performance Center. Construction of visitor’s and official’s locker rooms coupled with the destruction and replacement of the north end zone seating would have driven the projected price of Phase II to about $45 million, so those components were also dropped from the plan. The in-stadium components of Phase II were completed in time for the 2007 season.
Aerial photo of Reser Stadium after Phase II improvements
Construction of the lower south end zone bowl in Phase II resulted in an increase of Reser Stadium seating capacity from 43,300 to 45,674 (a net increase of 2,374 seats) rather than 47,000 as projected in the original plan. About ½ of the lower end zone seats are allocated to OSU students and the other half to visitor/non-BASF member season tickets.
The total cost of Phase II was $35 million, but unlike the very public campaign in Phase I, Phase II fund raising was a quiet affair. There was no Raising Reser Phase II campaign or a stadium investment fee because private donations from several families and funds earned from a sports contract paid covered the lion’s share of the tab. Of the $35 million total cost of Phase II, $16 million was allocated to the Sports Performance Center. Therefore, in-stadium improvements in Phase II cost $19 million. To date, the cost of in-stadium improvements under Phase I and Phase II have totaled $99 million.
OSU asked the State of Oregon for approval to authorize $27 million in Article XI-F (1) bonds in September 2006 for construction of Phase II. Authorization of these 30-year bonds was approved and debt service was to be paid from the donations and stadium revenues. In January 2007, $17 million in Article XI-F (1) bonds were offered for sale on behalf of the Phase II project.
For the 2010 season, 99% of all stadium seats were sold. What this means is that Reser is approaching the upper limit of its revenue generating capacity at a time when more funding is needed to keep pace with not only our rival, but also in the context of an expanding and increasingly competitive conference. The recently adopted aggressive pricing strategy for stadium seating has reduced the costs for fans in several parts of the stadium. This policy will ensure that Reser will remain near or at capacity for the foreseeable future.
Facilities needs for other athletic programs at OSU such as the basketball annex have understandably been given priority since the completion of Phase II in 2007. And the deep economic downturn that followed has made funds scarce and has dampened fan enthusiasm for completion of the project. Nevertheless, it is imperative that we complete the third and final phase of Reser Stadium, not just for the sake of football, but for the economic benefit of all OSU sports programs.
Next post in the series – Part 3. The urgent need to complete Reser, Phase III
