The makeover at Utah State's Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium took a big step forward Monday with the tearing down of the press box on the west side of the stadium.
Last month, the school announced the football stadium, formerly known as Romney Stadium, would be undergoing renovations, including a name change facilitated by a multiyear naming rights partnership between the university and Maverik, Inc.
The renovations will include an upgraded west side of the stadium, where a four-story premium seating and press box structure will be built.
"What does this partnership bring to Utah State University?" then-Utah State Athletic Director Scott Barnes, who has since taken a similar job at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a news release in April. "It serves as a catalyst for our stadium renovation and that stadium renovation will begin immediately in May with the demolition of the press box on the west side. I can't wait for that to happen."
Inside the structure on the west side, there will be 24 luxury suites, 20 loge boxes, more than 700 covered club seats and a premium club area for hosting student-athletes. There will also be a state-of-the-art work area for media and game operations personnel.
The university also recently announced 30 changes fans can expect at Maverik Stadium beginning this season. Among them were an improved sound system, two additional inches being added to the seats in the reserved and general admission bench seat areas and the visiting fan section being relocated to the upper east side of the stadium. Changes in the gameday atmosphere include a T-shirt launcher at every game, food trucks at the stadium for pregame festivities and a "tower of fire" entrance for the team.
The stadium, built in 1968, will also receive new video boards on both the north and south ends of the stadium and an expansion of Maverik Stadium's seating capacity is in future plans, school officials said.
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