NIU announces plans for $138 million facilities upgrades

October 30, 2014 / Football
Northern Illinois University unveiled its plans Thursday for a $138 million upgrade to its athletic facilities, which includes increasing the capacity of its football stadium to nearly 42,000 seats.

From the Chicago Tribune:

The proposal calls for new baseball stadium, tennis center and an indoor Olympics Sports facility as part of a west side athletics campus adjacent to intercollegiate and recreational sports buildings as well as NIU dormitories.

Huskie Stadium plans call for an east side premium seating tower featuring indoor and outdoor club boxes and private suites;  a two-part plan to create a new south end zone student seating;  plus west side stadium improvements.

Initial work could increase Huskie Stadium capacity from 24,000 to between 30,000 and 35,000 seats and up to 42,000 when fully realized. The football stadium, which opened in 1965, would become a modified U-shaped bowl. 

Other proposals would create a new interior concourse at NIU’s Convocation Center as well as upgrades to softball, track and field complex and soccer facilities.

That’s a huge project for NIU. A timeline wasn’t discussed, though you have to imagine something of this magnitude is going to take some time.

The Tribune reported that the project is privately funded through a “mix of private and corporate donations and income generated from amenities and specialized seating.” 

More details could be made available later Thursday at NIUhuskies.com.


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