Jack Trice end zone project set to get approval Thursday, more details emerge

The field stands empty at Jack Trice Stadium before the game against Oklahoma State Friday, Nov. 18. Several hours later, the field was filled with students and fans celebrating the win over No. 2 Oklahoma State. Iowa State won with a score of 37-31, making them eligible for a bowl game.

Alex Halsted

Plans to improve Jack Trice Stadium will go through the approval process Thursday when the Iowa Board of Regents votes on the matter.

Iowa State announced in November it had received a $25 million donation from Roy and Bobbi Reiman to help jumpstart a project that would enclose the south end zone at Jack Trice, something fans have clamored for in recent years. Until now, further details about the project have been uncertain.

According to regent documents, in asking for approval by the regents to move forward with project planning, Iowa State says the current estimated cost would not exceed $60 million. Nearly half of that has been funded by the initial donation, and Iowa State said the rest would come from private giving and the athletic department.

ISU Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said in an email last week that the meeting Thursday is the regents’ formal process to approve plans to move forward, adding that fans shouldn’t expect any renderings or further plans until early summer.

Documents presented to the regents, though, do provide more information about Iowa State’s plans for the end zone and the overall project.

“[The project] would replace and renovate the existing south end zone seating, upgrade the south end zone concourse infrastructure, upgrade the stadium south video board and sound system components and construct additional premium seating [club, suite or lounge] and storage,” the document says.

According to the documents, the project would also necessitate the reconfiguration of parking in the area and the development of new parking for student vehicles. Jack Trice parking lots are currently already used for student parking permits.

Additionally, the document confirms the plan for an upper deck, saying the addition of an upper-level in the south end zone would, “provide an opportunity to increase the stadium’s capacity with noticeable aesthetic improvements.”

The proposal sent to the regents said the south end zone video board and sound system would be replaced to provide enhancements to the existing stadium systems. Iowa State says as many as 300,000 people currently visit the university each year because of Jack Trice and the football program.

Iowa State is requesting approval to move forward with the project and to select The Weitz Company as construction manager. Formal approval by the regents is expected Thursday.