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FAU Celebrates Stadium Grand Opening

FAU Owls Host First 'Home' Football Game vs. WKU

Release Date: October 6, 2011
City/State: Boca Raton, FL
Media Contact(s): Katrina McCormack, 561-297-3163, kmccormi@fau.edu
Janette Robbins, 561-297-4076, jrobbi13@fau.edu
Kristine Gobbo, 561-297-1168, kgobbo@fau.edu

Core Facts:

Football Stadium Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Statues Unveiled

Friday, October 14
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton Campus

Florida Atlantic University hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new FAU Stadium on Friday, October 14. Following the ceremony, guests were invited to the FAU Parent & Family Block Party on the Housing Lawn. Food and entertainment were provided.

FAU President Mary Jane Saunders also unveiled the bronze Owlsley Statue on the Alumni Plaza, across from the FAU Stadium on Saturday, October 15.

For more information, click here.

Party fOWL

Saturdays, October 22; November 5 and 26; and December 3
Three hours before kickoff
Marleen & Harold Forkas Alumni Center, Boca Raton campus

The Florida Atlantic University National Alumni Association (FAUNAA) will host Party fOWL, an indoor and outdoor tailgate party, before every home football game. Party fOWL will be held at the Marleen & Harold Forkas Alumni Center, located directly across from the FAU Stadium.

Party fOWL will feature tailgate fare and cold drinks available for purchase; music and entertainment; NCAA football games broadcast on big screen TVs; cool, clean and comfortable facilities; and a family-friendly environment.

Alumni association members are admitted free of charge and guests may purchase a FAUNAA membership at the door. Admission is $20 for non-members, $10 for children 12 and under, and free for children under age 2.

For more information, click here.

Student Alumni Association Brick Campaign

To date, the Student Alumni Association’s brick campaign has raised nearly $25,000 for the FAU Stadium fund. Personalized bricks are still available for purchase, and can be engraved with an individual’s name, an organization’s name or a special message.

Bricks are available in two sizes, 8 inches by 4 inches with 60 character spaces for personalization, and 8 inches by 8 inches with 120 character spaces. The 8-by-4 brick is available for $75 and the 8-by-8 brick is $125. Donors will receive 1-by-3 or 3-by-3 inch replicas of their personalized bricks.

All commemorative bricks are installed on the southwest side of the Stadium, in front of the FAU Team Shop. To view a map indicating the location of the bricks, click here.

All bricks purchased from this point on will be installed on a rolling basis contingent on the University’s facilities production schedule. For more information, contact Paul Metcalf at 561-297-1248 or metcalf@fau.edu.

General Stadium Specs

Architect: Schenkel Schultz / HKS (West Palm Beach and Dallas, Texas)
Construction Manager: James A. Cummings / Balfour Beatty
Stadium Seating Contractor: Dant Clayton (Louisville, Kentucky)
30,000-seating capacity
Total cost is $70 million.
Features a tropical theme with 195 total palm trees within and surrounding the Stadium.
Only stadium in the United States that offers a view of the Atlantic Ocean.
Mixed-use / multi-purpose facility can be used for campus activities, convocations and graduations, concerts, speakers and conventions as well as collegiate, national, and international sport activities.
Consists of 144,470 square feet (591 feet by 698 feet); 91,179 square feet of total building area; and 277,940 square feet of total open space.
Total height is 145 feet (six stories plus roof stair).

Construction Figures

1,116 tons of structural steel used at the press tower and scoreboard; 1,800 tons of structural steel used for the bleach systems.
400 tons of aluminum bleacher.
9,000 cubic yards of concrete used in the building structures; 3,800 cubic yards of concrete used for hardscape; and 3,000 cubic yards of concrete used in the foundations.

Lighting

2,000 International Series by Qualite – 20 percent more efficient than conventional outdoor sports lights.
Total of 160 light fixtures clustered in eight different positions around the Stadium; six stand-alone posts and two banks atop the press box tower.
Stand-alone lights stand 130 feet above the field, two lights atop the press box tower stand 145 feet above the field.
Meant to reflect light evenly across the field for maximum brightness for both spectators and television cameras.

Seating

Each seat is “individualized,” which ensures a seatback for every ticket holder.
Total of 5,100 flip-up chairs located in the Delray Hyundai Priority Club and the Delray Acura Premier Club sections.
Remaining seats will have individual plastic buckets attached to an aluminum bleacher with plastic back supports attached to the bleacher back; each of these seats are 19- to 20-inches wide.
On the east side of the Stadium an FAU logo is designed into the seats using the FAU colors of red, white and blue.
Total of 301 ADA seats.

Scoreboard

Daktronics 50-foot-tall-by-30-foot-wide video board can show live video, replays, statistics, commercials and animations.
Approximate weight: 18,000 pounds.
Third largest on-campus college video board in the state. 47 percent larger than FIU’s video board and twice the size of UCF’s video board.
Video can be shown on all 1,500 square feet of the display screen.
Total of 1.8 million LEDs that are spaced 15 millimeters apart to provide a near high def. resolution of 600 x 1008.
A near 160-degree viewing angle.
There will be live feeds from three separate cameras that will feed into the video board.
Video board will show real-time game statistics and out-of-town scores.
There also will be a smaller, more traditional scoreboard behind the north end zone.

Stadium Amenities

Two suite levels consisting of 24 total luxury suites.
One VIP Party Suite with seating for up to 90 guests.
The 5,000-square-foot, 1,082-seat, air conditioned Delray Acura Premier Club level includes a private lounging area as well as 136 loge box seats which can be utilized for award banquets or VIP functions.
The 3,920-seat Delray Hyundai Priority Club level has a covered 16,000-square-foot Tiki Bar area.
12 women’s restrooms with 300 total stalls
11 men’s restrooms with 61 stalls and 100 urinals.
Four complete locker rooms for teams with upward of 75 members.
A 5,000-square-foot promoter /merchandise room.
A 4,220-square-foot football recruiting room that also may serve as a VIP room.
A 1,000-square-foot interview room that holds up to 40 + people and is connected up to the press box radio booths.
Two complete locker rooms for game officials.
11 different concession stands as well as additional product kiosks. These are located on the main concourse with 46 different points of sale. Four points of sale on the second floor within the Delray Hyundai Priority Club level deck and three points of sale on the Delray Acura Premier Club level.
A covered 16,000-square-foot outdoor area that can be accessed by suite, loge box, Delray Hyundai Priority Club and Delray Acura Premier Club seat holders.
Several press rooms that are designed for radio and television broadcast.

Surface & Field

The playing surface consists of a first cut Celebration Bermuda Turf Grass, a tough and durable surface with a strong root system cut to a length of 5/8 of an inch.
The FAU playing field is the only natural grass field within the Sun Belt Conference.
The herring bone designed irrigation system is comprised of about 6,700 feet of irrigation pipe able to supply 100,000 gallons of water (8-9 inches) per hour to the playing field.
Sub base consists of a layer of 6-inch USGA approved top soil on top of 4 inches of course sand.
Irrigation system can send as much as 120 gallons per minute of re-claimed water onto the field.
The playing field is crowned at 7.5 inches from the sidelines to the center of the field.
International FIFA sized soccer field measuring 120 yards by 75 yards.
Removable hinged goal posts makes it ideal for soccer conversions.

FAU Football Traditions:

Student Tailgate Section: Called “The Rat’s Mouth,” the official student tailgate section will be located outside the west end of the Kenneth R. Williams Administration building.

The Owl Prowl: The Owl Prowl is the FAU football team’s march down the Breezeway with FAU’s marching band, cheerleaders and dance team, from the south end of campus north into FAU Stadium before game time.

The Student Section: The FAU student section is located in the south end of FAU Stadium.

FAU Spirit Organizations: The prOWLers, a spirited group of students who support all athletic teams at the University through attendance at various contests on and off campus, and act as the “athletic arm” of the Student Alumni Association (SAA). The prOWLers lead cheers with their bullhorns, while holding up pre-made posters with various slogans (e.g. “GO OWLS,” “D-FENCE,” etc.). The Owl Rangers, a new spirit organization consisting of members who paint their bodies in the style of quasi super heroes, will join the prOWLers in this section, working to motivate and inspire the students to cheer on the FAU Owls.

Cannon: Donated by FAU Foundation Board member Pete Lo Bello, the cannon will be placed on the northeast corner of the opposing team’s sideline at FAU Stadium. It will be fired by a member of the prOWLers at opening kickoff, halftime, after successful extra points and field goals, during all FAU kickoffs, and at the end of each home game that results in an FAU victory.

Owl Fingers: A symbol of spirit at all FAU games, Owl fingers are formed by touching the tip of your index finger with the tip of your thumb in an "O" shape, while holding up the rest of your fingers in flight, to symbolize that of an owl's wing. Owl fingers are traditionally held up during kick off of each football game.

T-shirt Gun: Two student members of the prOWLERS will shoot off a number of T-shirts in to the student section of FAU Stadium at designated times throughout the game.

Taylor Victory Bell: The Taylor Victory Bell was donated by FAU alumnus Robert "Crash" Taylor in 2010. After the football game, if the Owls win, the Taylor Victory Bell is wheeled on to the field. At that point, each coach and player of the FAU football team will ring the bell.

Pre-approved Quote(s):

“What a monumental time for FAU. The stadium will not only provide a traditional university experience for our students, but it will also serve as a gathering place for the entire community. We sincerely thank all who were involved in this landmark project.”

FAU President Mary Jane Saunders

"This new beautiful Stadium will provide the amenities for our young program to grow and spread its wings throughout South Florida. It will be remembered as a Stadium that over came many obstacles in such a short time to put in place a majestic, subtropical Stadium in the heart of paradise. All of us that have had a part in this Stadium take great pride in the responses of so many people."

Howard Schnellenberger
FAU Football Head Coach

"The opening of FAU's on-campus Stadium is a celebration and a culmination of years of planning and work by the University community. Its design, detail and amenities represent the subtropical climate of the South Florida community. We hope that our loyal fans appreciate the long awaited project and that the new fans will enjoy both the stadium and the team, bringing them back week after week."

Craig Angelos
FAU Athletics Director

“I would like to express my appreciation once again to all of our generous donors and friends who continue to support Florida Atlantic University. This support has helped FAU become the internationally recognized university it is today, as well as a ‘first choice’ university for an increasing number of students.”

Randy Talbot
Senior Vice President of University Advancement at FAU

“I’ve been dreaming of October 15th every day. I know these players have, too. We’ve worked real hard and so have the players before us. They wanted to play in this new Stadium as much as we do. We are going to go out there and feed off our home crowd energy for the first-time ever and just play football like we know how to do.”

Xavier Stinson
FAU football fullback

"The student body is thrilled to have an on-campus Stadium at FAU. The Stadium is truly a point of pride for the university and the students are eager to fill the stands and cheer for our FAU Owls' football team. Over the past few years, FAU has transformed itself and continues to progress. School spirit at Florida Atlantic has never been higher, and the Stadium has been a long-time coming. Being student body president at such a historic period in our university's history is truly an honor, and I hope the student body will come out and join me on game days."

Ayden Maher
FAU Student Government President

“The Florida Atlantic University Stadium is the biggest event in our history since FAU opened 50 years ago. It’s certainly the most exciting event that I can remember in my 40 years on this campus, and really marks the growth and maturity of the university.”

Eric Shaw, Ph.D.
NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative
Professor of Marketing in FAU's College of Business

“As a member of this great community and a proud FAU alumnus, I am happy to support the FAU Foundation. We at the Schmidt Family Foundation look forward to the enhanced university experience we are helping to create for future generations of students, alumni and Owl fans.”

Richard Schmidt
Schmidt Family Foundation

"SchenkelShultz would like to thank the University for the opportunity to continue our 12-year relationship with the community in designing an important cornerstone to the campus that will link students, alumni, staff and the community, and provide a venue to showcase the campus. We believe we have been able to design a sports venue that will positively showcase and assist the University in further developing their sports programs and begin a tradition of drawing alumni and the community to the campus.”

Sam Ferreri
SchenkelShultz Architecture

Relevant Links/Additional Resources:

FAU Football Media Guide
FAU Athletic Academic Success
FAU Football Team Awards
FAU Outstanding Owls Alumni

FAU Stadium Sponsorships
FAU Stadium News Clips

FAU Stadium Official Website
FAU Athletics Official Website
FAU Official Website
FAU National Alumni Association Official Website

Boilerplate Statement(s):
About Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. In commemoration of its origin, FAU is celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout 2011. Today, the University serves more than 29,000 undergraduate and graduate students on seven campuses and sites. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

About Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 18 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track, and volleyball. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in the Sun Belt Conference in all but men’s soccer, which participates in the Mid America Conference. The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and have captured two bowl games. Cheer and dance are also part of the athletic department family and represent the University annually in competition and within the community.

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