A welcome breeze continued through the second-level concourse on the east side of Old Dominion's S.B. Ballard Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. From that perch above the first level of seating, the brand-new turf field looked almost close enough to touch. Old Dominion's S.B. Ballard Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. From that perch above the first level of seating, the brand-new turf field looked almost close enough to touch.
The reconstructed stage is both larger and more intimate than its predecessor, the Depression-era Foreman Field. That trick of modern design and construction is just one of the ways the new facility eclipses the old Foreman Field. That trick of modern design and construction is just one of the ways the new facility eclipses the old one.
"It's just going to be a better experience in general," said Stephen Ballard, whose company built the facility at a final price tag just north of $ 70 million. Stephen Ballard, whose company built the facility at a final price tag just north of $ 70 million.
For years, it took a healthy imagination to picture ODU in a facility worthy of its status as an FBS program. On Wednesday, it just required a hard hat, a reflective vest with reflective tape and a willingness to brave the mid-August humidity.ODU in a facility worthy of its status as an FBS program. On Wednesday, it required just a hard hat, a reflective vest and a willingness to brave the mid-August humidity.
Ballard and ODU officials opened the gates to the media for a one-hour tour, 17 days before the Aug. 31 season opener against Norfolk State.
The facility is still very much a construction site, with dozens of workers racing to finish a job that had to be done in just nine months. It will be ready on time, Ballard said.
"It's been an undertaking," he said. "But you've been a good one."
The stage was pieced together like a puzzle, using pre-cast concrete.
The chair back and bench back seats, a total of 18,600 - arrived in pairs, two to a box.
Counting bleachers and suites, capacity will be 22,480 - about 2,300 more than Foreman Field.
"Not going to be the biggest," athletic director Wood Selig said. “We never wanted the biggest. I think there are too many people with too many seats today. Wood Selig said. "We never wanted the biggest. I think there are too many people with too many seats today."
"We were able to kind of build for the future with the attendance analysis in mind, of where that seems to be going."
Attendance has been dropping across the country as entertainment options - including staying at home and watching high-definition TV - have multiplied.
Though it had its historical charms, Foreman Field, built-in 1936 and updated when ODU restarted football in 2009, was showing its age.
Lines for bathrooms and concessions were long. Leg space was cramped, and back support was often provided by the knees of the fans behind you.
The new facility has 100 more toilets, three more concession stands offering a wider array of food choices and seats that are three inches wider with eight more inches of legroom.
All seats along the sideline have chair backs or bench backs and are from 7 to 10 yards closer to the field. They are elevated and angled for better sightlines. There is also more public space, in the form of wider competitions and large plazas on the east and west sides.
The east side grandstand is finished. The west side - which towers 94 feet high and is home to the press box, a university suite with sweeping views of downtown Norfolk and the Elizabeth River as well as a 388-seat club - is about two-thirds completed.
The original cost was projected at $ 55 million. ODU received permission to spend another $ 10 million on the stage. The club-level seating, a new video board, ribbon board, sound system, and new turf were added for an additional $ 6 million.
Donors paid $ 7,500 for four seats in the club. Also, they made contributions toward the project totaling $ 10 million, according to Jena Virga, senior associate athletic director and assistant vice president for athletic development.
In keeping with the new tax law, ODU added membership fees to some seats to separate donations for the right to buy seats from donations to the athletic department.
The fees added up to $ 300 to the price of some tickets. It caused some long-time fans to buy fewer seats, said Jason Chandler, associate athletic director for revenue generation and marketing.
"We lost some people, to be honest with you," Chandler said. "Some people who had eight seats decided to invest in four nice ones instead."
Chair-back seats have gone fastest, with about 95 percent sold, Chandler said. Still, there are mid-field seats with bench backs available on the east side.
ODU expects to sell more than 10,000 season tickets, which would be short of last year's total of 12,000. Virga said getting the word out that there are "lots of ticket options" beyond those with seat membership fees has been the biggest challenge.
Indeed, season tickets start at $ 99. School officials are confident that once fans get a look at the stadium, it will sell itself.
"It was very obvious that we had the most inadequate facility in the entire conference," Selig said. "Now, not any that are newer. And I don't think many are going to be nicer than the one we have right here in Norfolk."
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