Renovated Dudy Noble Field Construction Scheduled

Scott Stricklin announced plans to begin the renovation of Dudy Noble Field, as well as other facilities projects, in his weekly update this past Wednesday.

There normally isn’t a ton of significant news in the Bulldog Update Scott Stricklin puts out on Wednesdays each week. But this week, Stricklin made a pretty important announcement that involved Dudy Noble and some other facilities on campus. Here is what he said.

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"The design team is far enough along in planning the new Dudy Noble Field/Polk-DeMent Stadium to have a more accurate cost estimate. Initially, IHL approved a $40 million stadium project budget. However, we now expect that cost to be higher, so this month we will make a request of IHL to increase the budget to $55 million. Once that approval is gained, and fundraising targets are met, plans will be put in motion to begin constructing the new ballpark in June 2017. Our goal is to have enough construction in place by Spring 2018 to allow the baseball team to be able to play at the current site throughout the process.We are also currently selecting architects to begin pre-planning renovations to both Humphrey Coliseum and Davis Wade Stadium. It’s my opinion that the seating bowl at the Hump provides some of the best vantage points to watch basketball in the SEC. However, new restrooms, concessions, concourses, exteriors and possibly premium seating would greatly enhance what has become a historic facility.More from Maroon and White NationCollege football schedule week 4: 3 must-watch under-the-radar gamesMeeting the Opponent: Week 4 – South Carolina GamecocksMississippi State football vs LSU: The good, bad, and uglyM&WN Staff – Week 3 SEC Picks and Best BetsMississippi State football film study: Why did MSU’s defense fail vs. LSU?Near-term priorities at Davis Wade include renovating the east concourse to match the recently completed work on the west and north, along with updating the east side’s Floyd Wade Club Level and an updated press box on the west. And, a bit further down the road, as demand for Bulldog football continues to grow, we want to have a plan for how the south end of the stadium could one day mirror the north end."

So what is important to note in all of this. The most significant info I gleaned from Stricklin’s post was the beginning of construction for the Dudy Noble Field renovation. There are two things of note.

The first is construction won’t start until after the 2016 season. Original plans had called for construction to begin at the end of this season. It looks like we’ll have at least one more season with Dudy Noble as it is currently.

The second is the cost. The original estimated cost was $40 million, but the near final plans have the project estimated to cost $55 million. If construction is planned, then Stricklin is able to confidently put a date on when he believes the fundraising goals for the project will be met.

It also appears there will be some touch up work to the Hump and Davis Wade Stadium. Both appear to have some minor upgrades planned for the immediate future, but it is nice to see Stricklin has big picture plans for the south end zone of Davis Wade Stadium.

Exciting things to hear about when it comes to Mississippi State athletics. Lots of things for Bulldog fans to look forward to.

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