Scott Stricklin reveals one way to repurpose stadium for renovation

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The future of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was addressed Monday by Florida Gators Athletic Director Scott Stricklin. He appeared on WRUF with Steve Russell to take questions and concerns from fans about renovating The Swamp.

The University Athletic Association announced earlier this month that it is preparing to select an architect to begin the design phase for one of the most ambitious stadium upgrades in college football history, with an estimated price tag of $400 million.

Stricklin said the UAA plans to hire an architect for the project by September. He also revealed one way the stadium could be repurposed to create more room for the renovation. There are several offices taking up space on the east side of the stadium.

“There is about 180,000 square feet of offices inside this football stadium,” Stricklin said. “We’ll probably still have some offices in the stadium when the project is done, but through all the early preliminary studies that that we’ve gone through, it’s obvious that a lot of those office spaces, the location, the area that’s being taken up by offices currently, would be better repurposed to be used by fans on game days. And so, you think about how it would be helpful. 

“Some of the concourses are tight because there are offices that are built into them. If we could eliminate some offices, we could widen concourses, we could build more restrooms, build more concessions and that’s just a simple practical application there. So, if we displace some offices, we still have to work through with the University and if some of them are UAA offices for our own staff, figure out where to relocate them to.”

Part of that 180,000 includes 7,474 square feet worth of space at Yon Hall. It once served as the dormitory for the male student-athletes, housing approximately 112 rooms inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium before it was closed in 1995. 

“Most people probably know, but in case some don’t, Yon Hall was the old student athlete dorm that is actually built into the east side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and it ceased being a dorm about 30 years ago and has been used to house just offices,” Stricklin said. “Those conversations (about what to do with that space) really are being had with the University because that’s university offices that are housed on the east side of the stadium.”

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Stricklin aims to modernize The Swamp

While no plans have been finalized and nothing is off the table, Stricklin made it clear that the UAA’s focus is upgrading the current facility and keeping it on campus rather than building a new stadium at a different location.

He also addressed concerns about reducing capacity and losing the atmosphere of The Swamp at the expense of a pro-stadium environment.

“There is something sacred about that site,” Stricklin said. “I think The Swamp is one of the most iconic stadiums in college football. I think it should maintain that, and our goal is for it to be — I want to say the nicest but I don’t know how to quantify nice — but the nicest stadium in college football. I don’t know how to quantify that, so if you have an objective, you should not use subjective words. But Condron Ballpark I think is as nice as any ballpark in the country. … I believe we can have a similar impact on The Swamp with the current facility, but how we get there is part of the challenge.

“I 100 percent believe it will feel like a college stadium. One of the things that every college stadium has that NFL stadiums don’t have is that we have a student section and we have a marching band. That’s really the difference. People talk about NFL stadiums don’t have the seating capacity that college stadiums do. College stadiums have 80-90,000 people. Most NFL stadiums have about 60-65,000. If you take out a 15 thousand, 20 thousand seat student section, that’s your difference right there. We’re going to have a student section. That’s going to continue to be a really important part of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and the environment of The Swamp.”