Georgia Tech has met its fundraising goal for Phase II renovations of Russ Chandler Stadium, with upgrades to fan and student-athlete amenities in the works.
An anonymous gift of $1 million, along with support from prominent Georgia Tech baseball letterwinners and other donors, put the university over its $9 million fundraising goal for the project. The $1 million gift will be split evenly between Phase II of the Russ Chandler Stadium renovations and a scholarship endowment for a baseball student-athlete.
Slated to before the University System of Georgia Board of Regents for approval, Phase II of the Russ Chandler Stadium renovations is expected to include:
- upgraded fan amenities, including all-new restroom facilities and concession stands, a premium club area and an outdoor plaza;
- a concourse-level atrium that will house a new Georgia Tech Baseball Hall of Fame. It will serve as an iconic point of entry to Russ Chandler Stadium and be open to the public on gamedays. On non-gamedays, the atrium will convert into a 40-seat teaching auditorium for Tech baseball;
- a new, expanded indoor training facility, which will include three 20-foot-wide batting cages, two 10-foot-wide pitching tunnels and a video analysis room. The facility will be adjacent to the Yellow Jackets’ dugout and heated/air-conditioned for year-round use;
- an alumni locker room that will be available to former letterwinners in pro baseball as they utilize the new, expanded indoor training facility during the offseason.
“I’m incredibly excited that we have reached our fundraising goal for Phase II of renovations to Russ Chandler Stadium and am very grateful for everyone who contributed,” Georgia Tech director of athletics Todd Stansbury said. “These renovations will give our student-athletes one of the best facilities in America to develop and compete and help us provide our fans with one of the best gameday experiences in all of college baseball. Additionally, it will allow us to celebrate the great history of Georgia Tech baseball and give our student-athletes that have gone on to play professionally a pro-caliber place to train in the offseason.”
With fundraising complete, the project will be submitted to the University System of Georgia Board of Regents for approval.
“I’m extremely grateful to all of Georgia Tech baseball’s supporters and donors that have made it possible to complete funding for Phase II of the Russ Chandler Stadium renovations,” Georgia Tech baseball head coach Danny Hall said. “We’re excited to now be able to move forward with plans that will only heighten the experience at what we think is one of the best stadiums in college baseball.”
Phase II of the renovations to Russ Chandler Stadium is the second facilities project that has been fully funded as part of Georgia Tech’s Athletics Initiative 2020, joining Georgia Tech’s $4.5 million football locker room, which was completed in July 2018.
Renderings courtesy Georgia Tech.