A multi-million dollar renovation for Moody Coliseum is slated to break ground in December and be complete by August 2022.
“This will be a full renovation of the facility,” said Kevin Campbell, senior vice president for operations. “This is a substantial renovation with a large commitment similar to the football stadium and the residence halls.”
ACU’s goal is to have the renovation fully covered by donations, but university officials are still working to finalize further details.
“Our goal and hope is to be in a position where next winter we can partially open up the seating for events, and we’re still working with the city and others to determine how often we can have events in the facility,” Campbell said. “But hopefully we can open it in phases where we can open it sometime next winter.”
Because of the renovation, basketball and volleyball will play home games in the Teague Center for the upcoming season. Sing Song is currently planning for a virtual pre-recorded performance because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unknown how the renovation will impact Sing Song in 2022.
“We will not be hosting any events in Moody once everything is set up in Teague,” Campbell said. “The general consensus was that it would be a better idea to have one venue for the entire basketball season as opposed to starting the season in one venue and transitioning to another venue.”
The Department of Athletics will install a temporary basketball court in Teague where the indoors tennis courts reside. They also will add bleachers for fans to attend home games. Attendance restrictions and safety protocols due to coronavirus have not been finalized.
Some areas on focus for the project will be upgrading the interior seating, along with improving restrooms and concessions. They will also be adding an exterior section on the north and south sides of the coliseum and upgrading locker rooms.
“We want to create a better experience for the fans and for our student athletes,” Campbell said. “We’ll have more information in the weeks and months ahead.”
ACU basketball has yet to release the men and women’s schedules, but the teams are preparing for a Nov. 25 start date. Meanwhile, volleyball’s conference schedule begins Feb. 4.
Moody Coliseum was constructed in 1968 and has been used for concerts, chapel services, graduations and other special events, with a maximum capacity of 5,500.
ACU’s Board of Trustees will consider a request for these renovations to Moody Coliseum at its meeting Nov. 6-7.
“A renovation of this scale requires a lot of preparation and planning, so we are taking steps now to get ready as we await the board’s consideration,” said Dr. Schubert, president of the university. “Moody is home to many student activities, and we are excited about the possibilities a renovated and rejuvenated facility would provide for our campus.”
