Jeff Roberson of the Ole Miss Spirit said it best. In years past, you could visit the campus of the University of Mississippi and return three years later to the same place that hasn’t changed a bit. Now? Stay away six months and you could return to things looking totally different.
As for the Ole Miss campus currently, the latter would apply. The entire campus epicenter of athletics surrounding Vaught Hemingway Stadium is under construction and that is a good thing. Prior to current Director of Athletics Ross Bjork‘s arrival, Ole Miss unveiled a planned under then AD Pete Boone, in what many felt would never come to fruition.
They were wrong.
Bjork and his staff hit the ground running and now Ole Miss, upon completion of the construction going on, will have arguably the nicest facilities in the country.
Bjork recently sat with Chuck Rounsaville and Jeff Roberson of the Ole Miss Spirit on Rebel Sports Radio (Listen here) and noted the current renovations to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium are going well.
“They are making great progress and we’re on schedule. We have to be ready for opening weekend on September 10th. You’ll start to see the seating portion framework of the north end zone being completed in the middle of May,” Bjork said.
VHS will have a completely brand new video board on the north end of the stadium that stretches all across the existing structure. Before, there were advertising panels and they will be replaced with a larger board. The structure itself will tie in to the aesthetic structures on campus.
In the south end zones, they’ll have two 30 x 50 screens in the open corners between the upper club levels, very similar to what you have seen at Bryant Denny Stadium, the home of the Crimson Tide of Alabama.
“With the additions of 10,000 seats in the north end zone, they need the same video board experience as everyone else has,” Bjork noted
Ole Miss will be replacing the existing Field Turf with natural grass. The move is a welcomed one by Bjork and many of the Rebel fans. Also, to those wondering, the sideline navy blue Field Turf will remain.
“Currently they are doing the infrastructure underneath what will be the natural grass. The existing drainage system was already in good shape so they are going to enhance that. We’ll start seeing the sod being laid around June. It will be shipped from North Carolina and it’s a mixture of Prescription Athletic Turf and Rye grass,” Bjork said.
The same grass mixture will go on the practice field that currently runs north and south. The practice field that runs east and west will be Field Turf, the same artificial surface that is inside the Manning Center.
While VHS is undergoing construction, The Pavilion across the way was home to its first season of Ole Miss Basketball. Also, it hosted its first concert not long ago, welcoming Brad Paisley. Bjork wants it to not only become the home of the Rebels but a entertainment home to the surrounding area.
“We really want to make the Pavilion an entertainment venue on campus. We’re working with a couple of concert promoters and feeling out that whole process of booking concerts. There is an opportunity for summer concerts or events during the football season, having a concert on the Thursday before a game. The great part is it’s open everyday, as it’s turned into a destination on campus,” he said.
A great addition for football Saturdays, the two food courts will be open for business and the two club areas will be utilized for entertainment. Bjork and the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation will be able to tie it to the entire West side of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, as the distance between the two was planned perfectly.
Financially, the Pavilion will help pay for itself even during football season, as Bjork had the forward thinking to service both Vaught-Hemingway and The Pavilion.
“If you had to build separately a television parking deck, club lounges, parking garage and a food court, just for football, we were looking at 30-40 million dollars of value. While we spent 95-million on The Pavilion, we got 30-40 million of value by putting all of those in one location,” Bjork said.
“I’m very proud of the planning and the campus’ flexibility during this process, seeing what this could mean (for the university.) The sky is the limit for our program inside The Pavilion,” Bjork added.
Oxford University Stadium is next on the list. While you may think it is the top of the list of collegiate ballparks in the country, you would be correct. The only upgrades needed are from a player’s perspective. That is slated to be remedied soon. Bjork wasn’t specific but noted a training room and weight lifting area were areas of need.
“We are going to utilize the space down the right field line, take out the existing batting cages. We’re really excited this is coming together and hope to release some images this week, as we have the architect hired. From a player’s perspective, this is overdue,” Bjork said.
At the end of the day, Ole Miss has its seat at the table as a premier home to collegiate athletic facilities. From the renovations of the Gillom center for volleyball, the softball complex, a brand new track and field complex and soon to be released plans for the soccer complex, dirt is being moved at a rapid pace.
I believe it is safe to say Ole Miss is in good hands under Bjork.
“We want all of our facilities to be the best,” Bjork concluded.
He’s definitely succeeding.