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OSU's construction is amazing
Published: 8/28/2006 4:00 PM
Last Modified: 8/28/2006 4:00 PM

It is always amazing to me in this modern era of college football to visit a campus even after just a few months.

Such is the case at Oklahoma State.

If you haven't been to Stillwater lately you'll be amazed.

All of the area north of Boone Pickens Stadium, a neighborhood of old houses and apartments, is virtually gone.

The north side of the stadium is pretty much completed, making it as luxurious and modern as the south side of the stadium, which was completed two years ago.

You now can get an idea of how unbelievable the stadium will be when it is finished.

It is a huge project, turning the Big 12's worst stadium into one of the best football facilities in the nation.

I doubt many folks believed it could be as nice as it has turned out so far.

The end zone building, where all of the facilities will be for coaches and players, is expected to be as nice, if not nicer, than any other college football home in the nation.

Right now the construction is everywhere. The west end zone is a huge hole that goes nearly to the former dorm, Cordell Hall, on the west. On the north side, the construction extends three or four blocks north.

It is a huge area.

That's what happens when a school undertakes the single biggest athletic project in college history.

That's what happens when someone gives a school a gift that is growing so quickly that it is expected to reach upwards of $343 million by next year to pay for all of these projects.

It is a remarkable scene. Just a few years ago, Gallagher-Iba was a small arena with less than 7,000 seats and the stadium, without any improvements in more than 30 years, was rusting away.

OSU is on the verge of deluxe athletic facilities that will put it on the front burner in college athletics.

You can say what you want about Mike Holder but his first season as athletic director has been the most eventful in OSU athletic history.

Love him or hate him, Holder has taken the OSU athletic department by the neck and made things happen.

In modern college athletics, you change or get left behind. The Cowboys have decided to take the lead.






Reader Comments 2 Total
Rich Wenneker (6 years ago)
If the west end extends all the way to Cordell, we can jump from the ledge into the stadium and hang the "Cordell says give em hell" banner for all to see instead of below the fourth floor windows. As a former Cordellan (Cordellian?, Cordellite?) you're up for it right? Of course anyone who remembers hanging the sign before the permanent ropes and pulleys made it safe is too old to make the jump.
T. Schendel (6 years ago)
John:

It is my opinion that the OSU Stadium will be one of the most impressive Football Stadiums in American when completed. The only thing I would change is that it is constructed for the high rollers rather than the average Cowboy Fan. Should the football team fail to meet its high goals, we could lose fans that have supported the team in past years due to the new ticket prices. Sure Hope that Mr. Holder is correct in his best case scenerio.
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Klein's Korner

Tulsa World senior sports columnist John Klein is in his fourth decade of covering sports. He started his newspaper career at The Daily Ardmoreite in 1977 and moved to the Tulsa World in 1978. He served 10 years as sports editor for the Tulsa World before being named to his current position in 2005. He also spent five years as the Southwest Conference beat writer for the Houston Post. He has won many writing awards and is a former Oklahoma Sports Writer of the Year.

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