Tiger Stadium is home to the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers football team, one of the most storied football teams in the nation. At LSU, football isn’t just a game; it’s a deep rooted tradition that brings together students, alumni, staff, and the community towards a common goal. SSR was contracted by HKS to help LSU and the Tiger Athletic Foundation expand the 90-year old stadium to more than 100,000 total seats. Now the second largest stadium in the Southeastern Conference and the fifth largest stadium in the nation, Tiger Stadium has an additional 60 suites, 3,000 club level seats, and 1,500 general admission seats to accommodate their growing fan base.

Due to space requirements, the expansion could not be built outside the current footprint of the stadium. SSR designed a nearly 8,000-seat upper-deck across the south end zone that connects the east and west sides of the stadium. Two nearly 40-foot high definition scoreboards were also added in each corner of the south end-zone, as well as LED ribbon boards stretching from one end of the new expanded end-zone to the other. To ignite the passion of the players and fans, the new addition boasts a “Welcome to Death Valley” sign illuminated with LEDs and is offset with purple and gold lighting on the exterior.

SSR also conducted a study on the demand load for the chilled water capacity to ensure the existing infrastructure and utilities could meet the needs of the increased capacity of the stadium, while maintaining operation for the campus

Being funded privately through the Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF), the team played an integral role in developing a clear purpose and goals for excellence by starting with a project mission statement centered on leading the university in building a comprehensively superior athletic facility for students, alumni, and the community.  One that will enrich the tradition of the university for many years to come.