MU athletics are getting a facelift before their official introduction to the Southeastern Conference next year, as MU Athletics Director Mike Alden announced Monday a series of changes for football funding and game day operations that will go into effect for the 2012 season.
In [a direct letter to “Tiger Nation”](http://www.mutigers.com/genrel/022012aaa.html) emailed to students Monday evening, Alden detailed a number of stadium upgrades and game day operations policy changes effective next season.
Most notably, Alden announced plans for a $1.5 million resurfacing of Faurot Field with artificial grass this summer. It’s the first change to the turf since 1995, when the university replaced the much-maligned OmniTurf with natural grass. The field will also undergo some design revisions, with a larger midfield logo and the name “MIZZOU” inscribed in the endzone diamonds.
Alden also announced a ticket price hike “across the board,” with the exception of faculty, staff and students. Alden justified the hike as an effort to bring Missouri’s revenue intake to the “middle of the pack” of the SEC. Alden has indicated Missouri’s current budget is close to $65 million, which would make Missouri one of the lowest-spending schools in the SEC.
“We have to invest even more in intercollegiate athletics to continue the momentum we have experienced and our solid focus to be a self-sustaining entity at Mizzou,” Alden said in the letter. “The costs to compete have risen and will continue to do so, particularly in the SEC … and we need to invest to meet those challenges.”
In addition to ticket hikes, Missouri will be making increases in minimum donation requirements for its Tiger Scholarship Fund in an effort to raise funding for more stadium upgrades. The department is making an effort to increase seating by moving the band to the student section and opening up more seating in the south end zone.
At a press conference Feb. 1, announcing the 2012 recruiting class, football coach Gary Pinkel said that Missouri must make a huge commitment to facility upgrades if it wants to compete with its high-spending SEC brethren.
“We need to invest,” Pinkel said at the press conference. “We’re working on that right now, but that’s got to happen. That’s got to happen in the league we’re going after. If not, just go online and check out at every stadium we’re playing in. Just take a visual gander at it and you’ll see what I’m saying.”
Missouri is also finally departing from its “grandfathering” exception for long-time season ticket holders. For years, Missouri had not required certain ticket holders to become a part of the Tiger Scholarship Fund. These fans will be required to donate to the full minimum requirement by 2014.
Pinkel said earlier this month that contributions from every fan are necessary for the school to see any improvements.
“All the schools in the country that build great facilities have alumni that stand up and financially support them,” Pinkel said. “I think that’s critically important. What do you want to be? We have some really good facilities, but (the) bottom line is you have to compare it to what we’re going against. We need to do some upgrading.”
The athletics department will also be implementing numerous changes with its game day operations both on and off the field. After 18 months of work with NIKE Graphic Identity Group, the football team will be unveiling newly designed uniforms at the annual Black & Gold football game in April. Although he didn’t go into details, Alden hinted the look would focus more on the current tiger logo than the traditional “Block M.”
Alden said Missouri sees a chance to become a national brand, and these changes are crucial to reaching that goal.
“We will be rolling out an extensive marketing effort within the next four weeks that will further introduce Mizzou nationally,” Alden said in the letter. “The success we have seen over the past several years, and in particular the last few months, has really catapulted our brand in such a positive way. We need to keep it going.”
