Logistics, Planning Underway For Tech’s One-Sided Stadium

The Tennessee Tech Athletics Department working hard to get Tucker Stadium ready to function without its western half this fall.

Athletic Director Mark Wilson said there are still lots of logistics to figure out including the location of a new president’s box, where people can enter and exit the stadium, and how tickets will be sold. He said their goal is to have the facilities for visiting teams ready by the start of July and have the stadium ready for the fans by the start of August.

“Is it going to be a lot of work here, over the summer, absolutely,” Wilson said. “But I think we’re on track to achieve all that and play on a one-sided stadium and be really exciting with all those fans that jam behind the Golden Eagles, and the visitors over there, very lonely just in front of a construction zone, so we’re looking forward to some great home field advantage.”

Wilson said the west side is three-quarters of the way to being completely cleared out, with bleachers currently being removed. Wilson said the bid for demolition is already out, with the work expected to begin in late June or early July.

“We’re working on logistics of visiting team, how we’re going to accommodate visiting team locker room, showers, restrooms, because, as people know, that was in west stadium, and west stadium will not exist,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the current president’s box will be used as the press box for the next two years. Wilson said they are relocating all of the video board computers to the east side of the stadium.

“We’re building a new room on the east side of the stadium that can accommodate all the racks and the computers for the whole video board,” Wilson said. “Then all the controls will be rerouted from east stadium to the actual video board itself.”

Wilson said asbestos and lead abatement for the west side will start soon, before demolition begins.