The Duke University Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved three projects to improve Wallace Wade Stadium, the school’s 85-year-old football facility.
According to a university press release, three projects—scheduled to begin at the end of this season and be complete in time for the 2016 campaign—will include a new tower for the west side of the stadium to replace the existing Finch-Yeager Building, a new video board and speaker arrangement in the south end zone and concourse enhancements at the north and west gates.
The facility opened as Duke Stadium in 1929 and was renamed for Hall of Fame coach Wallace Wade in 1967.
"“They’re going to be very Duke-like,” athletic director Kevin White told the Charlotte Observer about the changes. “Like a lot of our facilities on this campus, we may not have the largest, but what we have is going to be really, really, really well done.“It will be a boutique college football facility. It’s going to be terrific. It’s going to fit Duke really well. I don’t think we need to emulate anybody else. I think we need to figure out what works best at Duke.”"
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Another phrase White used to describe the renovations was “Cameron-like,” referring to Cameron Indoor Stadium, where the Blue Devils’ basketball program plays.
With Duke relevant for the first time since Steve Spurrier coached there in the early 1980s, Duke is hoping the renovations can attract more fans to the stadium.
Despite an appearance in the ACC championship game last season and a trip to the Alamo Bowl, the Blue Devils are averaging fewer than 26,000 fans per game through their first three home dates, wins over Elon, Kansas and Tulane.
Duke has four home games remaining this season—Oct. 18 against Virginia, Nov. 15 against Virginia Tech, Nov. 20 with North Carolina and Nov. 29 versus Wake Forest.
The 4-0 Blue Devils open ACC play this weekend at Miami.
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