WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue's board of trustees announced Friday it has approved $6.7 million in renovations for Mackey Arena and $45.4 million in renovations to Ross-Ade Stadium.
The arena, which opened in 1967, has had more than a dozen updates over the past quarter-century.
This time, the project focuses on reconfiguring the men's and women's basketball locker rooms and player lounges, expanding the John Wooden Club area, technology updates and more efficient use of the current space.
Men's coach Matt Painter said the upgrade will help keep the Boilermakers competitive in recruiting. The Boilermakers earned their first No. 1 ranking in school history last season and reached their fourth NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in the last five events before falling to Saint Peter's.
"Mackey Arena is already considered one of the premier environments in college basketball, and holds a special place for me as a former player," Painter said. "These improvements will continue to ensure that Purdue basketball and Mackey Arena remain among the nation's elite."
Second-year women's basketball coach Katie Gearlds, who also played at Purdue, agreed.
"The locker room renovation project is a vital step as we bring the women's basketball program back to the national stage," she said. "The new locker room and player areas will provide additional resources to our student-athletes as we take the next step to compete at an elite level."
Ross-Ade Stadium
The board of trustees approved $45.4 million in renovations to Ross-Ade Stadium. It is the first phase of a plan to "enhance the Purdue Football game day atmosphere, improve the overall fan experience and further enhance nutritional support for student-athletes."
Phase 1 will include the construction of a new team entrance/tunnel from the Kozuch Football Performance Complex to Rohrman Field, the conversion of the existing team store into a student-athlete nutrition/dining facility and the construction of a concourse connector adjoining additional seating in the south end zone.
The trustees also approved a contract extension for head coach Jeff Brohm through 2027.
"We are fortunate at Purdue to have the fan and donor support necessary to continue investing in our sport programs and facilities," said Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Mike Bobinski. "After such an exciting 2021 season of Purdue Football, we are pleased to announce an extension of head coach Jeff Brohm's contract, and an initial set of enhancements to Ross-Ade Stadium that will benefit both the student-athlete and fan experience."
"We are excited about the progress we have made over the past five years," Brohm said. "We look forward to continuing to build our program into the future. I would like to thank our administration and fans for their support and our players and staff for their hard work and dedication. It is an honor to be the head football coach at Purdue."
