Today, the media gathered for a tour of the north end zone expansion of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Below are photos from the closed event as well as a rough outline of what is in store for the Cardinal football players of today and tomorrow.
The Cardinals open the 2018 season — their 100th in program history — against Alabama on September 1st. U of L opens their home slate with a September 8th tilt against Indiana State.
Athletic director Vince Tyra and head football coach Bobby Petrino.
Athletic director Vince Tyra meeting with the media to discuss the north end zone expansion at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
Head coach Bobby Petrino meeting with the media to discuss the north end zone expansion of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
The north end zone of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
Pictured here is the Adidas Lounge. The lounge, located at the entrance of the Howard Schellenberger Complex, is designed to be a gathering area for fans in the north end zone. The players will walk through the lounge to take the field through the north end zone tunnel, surrounded by fans that are roped off to the sides.
A sneak peek of the new training room. The training room is now four times bigger than it was previously, and holds three doctor suites and two hot-cold tubs that can hold up to 24 players.
Pictured here is one of the additions to the training room. This room holds two plunge pools that players can use to relax and rehabilitate injuries. In total, U of L’s new expansion will hold two plunge pools, and a hydrotherapy room with three pools, including a Hydroworx pool with an underwater treadmill.
Along with the expansion, each position group will have their own rooms. These rooms are designed for players of a specific position group (ex: QB coach with QBs, offensive line coach with O-linemen, etc.) to meet with players on an individual basis and streamlines the coaching process.
The new auditorium for the players is shown here. The new auditorium now holds up to 150 chairback seats, increased by 30 from the previous room. This is where players and coaches will go to review film and hold meetings as a group.
Above the auditorium is the video room.
A sneak peek into the new weight room.
New signage for the U of L weight room.
The signage for the new weight room is already up.
Muhammad Ali’s influence still motivates the U of L players when they walk into the weight room.
The new lockers for each of the U of L football players. At the very top is an LED board that lights up.
The lockers also fold out to show more things. Jerseys hang underneath the helmets, with the shoulder pads also shown behind the LED board at the very top.
Another look at the new lockers for the football players.
A fisheye look at the new weight room at the Schellenberger complex. The weight room is expanded from 9,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet.
A view from the lower level of the north end zone expansion.
A view from the club / suite level of the north end zone expansion.
A view from the upper level of the north end zone expansion.
Another look from the upper level.
A farther look at the new expansion. At the top of the two towers (behind the seating area), two 40′ x 80′ LED videoboards will be installed, replacing the old video board from the 2006 season.
A closer look at the north end zone expansion. Altogether, the expansion will add 6,000 seats, including 1,000 club seats and field level suites. The expansion raises Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium’s capacity to approximately 61,000.
A look from the north end zone, where the players will be taking the field.
