U of M athletic director describes reasoning, goals, plans for Liberty Bowl renovation
‘We recognized that we need to go all in,’ Laird Veatch said
“We need to look like we belong and we believe this accomplishes that,” said U of M athletic director Laird Veatch. This rendering shows the entrance to the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium after the proposed $150 million-plus renovation. (Courtesy University of Memphis)
A rendering shows the upper decks and luxury boxes of the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium after the proposed $150 million-plus renovation. “We need to demonstrate that we care about football and that we are willing to invest and do what it takes to compete at that level,” U of M athletic director Laird Veach said. (Courtesy University of Memphis)
This rendering shows the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium at sunset after the proposed $150 million-plus renovation. “We recognized that we need to go all-in,” said U of M athletic director Laird Veatch. (Courtesy University of Memphis)
A rendering shows the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium from overhead after the proposed $150 million-plus renovation. (Courtesy University of Memphis)
The University of Memphis explored the idea of creating a new stadium, but research indicated it made more sense to renovate the one it already has.
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Strickland: U of M would provide ‘lion’s share’ of stadium funds
Topics
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium Memphis Football conference realignment college football Memphis Tigers Laird VeatchFrank Bonner II
Frank Bonner originally is from Indiana but comes to Memphis by way of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He spent the past two years writing for the Tulsa World covering Oklahoma State University athletics. He credits his early writing experience to his days as a high school sports reporter for the Republic Newspaper in Columbus, Indiana, and various internships, including at the NCAA and USA Basketball. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University and his Master’s degree in Sports Journalism from IUPUI in Indianapolis.
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