Construction is underway for the expansion of the Louisville Cardinals football stadium from 42,000 seats to 55,000 seats.

Here's the website for the project: Cardinal Stadium Expansion (http://www.papajohnscardinalstadiumexpansion.com/)

http://www.papajohnscardinalstadiumexpansion.com/media/stadiumExpansionGuide.jpg

Nice.

I always liked this place.

http://www.papajohnscardinalstadiumexpansion.com/media/stadiumExpansionGuide.jpg
is this one real or rendering? :)

That's a rendering of the expansion. The stadium currently looks like this:

http://www.myteamprints.com/images/college/lrg/1733louisville.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3249/2395249411_c9028f286d.jpg?v=0

I've been to this stadium before and it has great sightlines. Cardinal fans don't know how lucky they are to have all seats in their stadium. Although it does detract a bit from the college experience by spreading out the fans. Looks like a great expansion.

Here is a different rendering and some construction photos.

They'll definitely need to put together a winning team again if they expect to fill this thing.

http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/pj-expansion.png

http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Papa-Johns-Construction.png

http://media.scout.com/media/image/71/715553.jpg

^^ which likely means firing Steve Kragthorpe and hiring Tommy Tuberville.

At least Trinity and St. X will have a nice place to play their annual game that can hold all the fans! As stated above until UofL gets a new coach they won't come close to filling it.

At least Trinity and St. X will have a nice place to play their annual game that can hold all the fans! As stated above until UofL gets a new coach they won't come close to filling it.
So what's the buzz around there? Are they looking at anybody in particular?

It's official: Charlie Strong is the new head coach: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4728620

Oh, and a couple more renderings:

http://brokensidewalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/pjcs_renderings_01.jpg
http://brokensidewalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/pjcs_renderings_02.jpg

Construction updates here (last slides are newest):
http://www.uoflsports.com/view.gal?id=43371

how come this college stadium has all individual seating?

how come this college stadium has all individual seating?

That's the direction Louisville chose to go and it was easy to do because it was built recently (1998 I believe) so it wasn't as if they were trying to put seats into a 80 year old stadium like other college stadiums.

Too bad they changed the design to the current one where the upper corners are kind of cut off like they are. I liked the other design better personally.

how come this college stadium has all individual seating?
Louisville is a fairly large city to not have a major-league franchise -- their college programs get pro treatment.

You should see the basketball arena they're building. :nuts:

Someone needs to amend the thread title - The amended design will reach a capacity of only 55,000.

As for the cropped corners of the new upper deck, I kind of like that. Should add an air of originality if they ever expand further in the same pattern. Don't care for their fans, but at least in Louisville they are a rabid lot.

Someone needs to amend the thread title - The amended design will reach a capacity of only 55,000.

As for the cropped corners of the new upper deck, I kind of like that. Should add an air of originality if they ever expand further in the same pattern. Don't care for their fans, but at least in Louisville they are a rabid lot.
So if they mirror the upper deck on the other side, capacity will be a little under 70k?

(that's a long way off, of course)

Construction update: lookin' mighty fine!

http://uoflcardgame.com/update-papa-johns-cardinal-stadium-expansion/15621

A few image previews (full pics on link underneath):

http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0091-455x304.jpg
http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0091.jpg

http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0082-455x304.jpg
http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0082.jpg

http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0079-455x304.jpg
http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0079.jpg

http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0095-455x304.jpg
http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0095.jpg

http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0097-455x304.jpg
http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0097.jpg

It's nice to see a college stadium with a bit of colour. Most of them are so bland and grey with their bench seats.

Just out of interest, couldn't they have expanded the capacity more cheaply by filling in the open end and making it a complete bowl?

It's nice to see a college stadium with a bit of colour. Most of them are so bland and grey with their bench seats.

Just out of interest, couldn't they have expanded the capacity more cheaply by filling in the open end and making it a complete bowl?
If they did that, they'd probably have to build around the endzone facility which houses athletic offices, locker rooms, etc..

Just out of interest, couldn't they have expanded the capacity more cheaply by filling in the open end and making it a complete bowl?

because people want to sit on the sidelines, not the endzones for football.

Just out of interest, couldn't they have expanded the capacity more cheaply by filling in the open end and making it a complete bowl?

If they did that, they'd probably have to build around the endzone facility which houses athletic offices, locker rooms, etc..

Also leaving that end it open provides some interest and continues some traditions. It's kind of much the same thing that Clemson university has done by leaving the east end zone hill grass instead of putting seating there. That would be a simple and cheap thing to do but not what they wanted.

Looks like we can move this to "Completed"

http://uoflcardgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/PJCS-July1620101.png

Apparently the capacity is a little under 57 000, not 63 300. the Top deck was supposed to hold 21000 (which is huge) but was scaled back to 14000 and the number of suits was scaled back to 33 instead of 70. It certainly occured to me that that top deck does not look like it can hold 21 000 if the initial stadium held 42000, that would mean a 50% increase which it clearly ain't.

Apparently the capacity is a little under 57 000, not 63 300. the Top deck was supposed to hold 21000 (which is huge) but was scaled back to 14000 and the number of suits was scaled back to 33 instead of 70. It certainly occured to me that that top deck does not look like it can hold 21 000 if the initial stadium held 42000, that would mean a 50% increase which it clearly ain't.

having some pretty misreble seasons will do that to you

Apparently the capacity is a little under 57 000, not 63 300. the Top deck was supposed to hold 21000 (which is huge) but was scaled back to 14000 and the number of suits was scaled back to 33 instead of 70. It certainly occured to me that that top deck does not look like it can hold 21 000 if the initial stadium held 42000, that would mean a 50% increase which it clearly ain't.The increase wasn't all supposed to come from the top tier, but from also extending the open ends of the lower deck another two sections, beginning to curve around the end zone. Due to the recession and some flagging performances on the field of late they dropped that part of the expansion and nipped the corners of the upper deck, shaving some 6k+ seats off the capacity but also saving about $25-35M in construction costs. Since the most important element they wanted was the additional suites on this side they're actually in line to reap a higher return on investment and more likely to see sell outs versus their original concept.

It's a very nice facility. I've no love for Cardinal fans but Louisville is a nice town and this looks like a very good venue.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/4986138113_db1b45d4cb_o.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/4986138113_1816ce2283_b.jpg