OU’s Board of Regents unanimously approved a new Football Operations Facilities that will support “training, practice, preparation and performance" at its meeting on Tuesday.
The agenda notes the project will be located adjacent to Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and will cost $175 million.
OU football's day-to-day operations are currently housed at the Switzer Center, which cost $160 million and opened in 2018.
In addition to the new Football Operations Facilities, the agenda includes plans for a Student Athlete Success Center, which was previously titled Bud Wilkinson/Wagner Redevelopment. The facility will be located where the Bud Wilkinson House sat with a projected cost of $75 million. The agenda notes it’s “expected to be developed over an extended time,” and funding has been identified from private and Athletics Department sources.
The two football projects are estimated to cost $250 million. In a November regents meeting, Sooners athletics director Joe Castiglione gave reasoning for the new developments.
“What we're trying to consider is the ever-evolving world of college athletics,” he said. “And so, it’s not about trying to build something that's like everybody else at that moment. (It’s about) what is the program going to need going forward?
“Obviously, we have a great setup at the moment, but things are changing. And there's even been legislation that's evolved. … We always have a proactive mindset, so that's what we're doing with this.”
The regents also approved renovation plans for multiple other sports:
The agenda lists an estimated total cost of the previously announced Lloyd Noble Center Team Suites Renovations at $9.5 million, up from $9 million in the Nov. 2022 agenda. It also provides a floor plan and initial design graphics.
View and floor plan for OU basketball's proposed team suite
The OU basketball proposed team suite inside the Lloyd Noble Center.
The improvements to the LNC are notable, as speculation continues about a possible new arena.
Expansion and improvements to OU baseball’s L. Dale Mitchell Park now has an estimated total cost of $45 million, according to the agenda, up from $30 million in the May 2022 agenda.
The agenda also lists an estimated cost of $8.6 million for expansion and improvements to the Charlie Coe Golf Learning Center.
