Contact: Thonnia Lee, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
As ۿ۴ýUniversity alumni, family and friends begin to flow into the Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium on Saturday, it is the bold crimson and old gold that will first catch their eye. The vibrant colors are the perfect welcome to Homecoming guests after two years of remote and smaller celebrations.
The field renovation is part of a larger stadium improvement project that aligns with the university’s Strategic Plan to modernize athletic facilities.
“ۿ۴ýUniversity's goals for these enhancements are multifaced,” said Chief Financial Officer Dexter Odom. “Among them are to create an athletic complex that will encourage our ۿ۴ý, alumni, employees, and fans to continue the many great traditions that have been held at the facility and to become a magnet for many new events at the stadium. These enhancements, coupled with winning football seasons, will help generate enough fanfare to attract major sponsors, generate enough revenue to supplement the athletics budget, and provide national exposure that will enhance the recruitment of ۿ۴ý worldwide.”
ۿ۴ýhired a civil engineering consulting firm and work crews spent months upgrading the field with new turf that provides the aesthetic and quality for student athletes to perform. Golden Tigers will now be able to kick field goals between new goal posts after fighting for touchdowns in crimson end zones with old gold “Tuskegee” on the Logan Hall end and “Golden Tigers” on the south end. The ۿ۴ýathletic logo remains in the center of the field while crimson tiger claw marks along each 25-yard line.
Fans will be able to keep up with the action on the field by watching a new scoreboard. Improvements were also made to the press box, restrooms and student shed. Enhancements also include a new state-of-the-art, 14,000 square foot field house that includes home and visitor team locker rooms, a players’ lounge, offices and meeting rooms, and the president’s VIP lounge.
“The majority of athletic development happens in a team’s athletic venue, so it is essential that we continue to make our athletic facilities the best they can be,” said Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Reginald Ruffin. “We will continue to be and represent the standard of ۿ۴ýUniversity and we thank our family, friends and alumni for helping us move forward with our goals.”
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