Video: FSU AD Michael Alford gives updates on Doak Campbell Stadium
Michael Alford, FSU vice president and athletic director, thanks the donors who supported the renovation of Doak Camobell Stadium.
The focus was on the Florida State football team’s opening game abroad in Dublin on Saturday against Georgia Tech.
However, the Seminoles’ first home game against Boston College on Labor Day is not far away.
And Seminole Boosters, Inc., the FSU ticket office and construction crews are working to welcome fans back to Doak Campbell Stadium.
The iconic venue is currently undergoing a major renovation. The renovation is on schedule and will impact the current season, but also represents a major investment in the program.
“Now that we’ve seen some progress, we’re really excited to see what the final results will be,” said longtime season ticket holder Mike Harrison.
More: How will the stadium experience at FSU change in 2024 as part of the renovation? Expect 24,000 fewer seats
Approximately 27,000 season ticket holders received their tickets and parking passes (8,000 distributed) for the seven home games via email from FSU on Tuesday.
Home opponents include Boston College (September 2, 7:30 p.m., ESPN), Memphis (September 14, 12:00 p.m., ESPN), California (September 21), Clemson (October 5), North Carolina (November 2), Charleston Southern (November 23) and Florida (November 30).
Four (Florida, Clemson, North Carolina, Cal) of the games are sold out. Capacity is expected to be around 55,000, which is less than the sold-out capacity of 79,560 in 2023.
The Seminoles, ranked No. 10 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and preseason AP Top 25 rankings, open their season against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday, August 24, at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland.
Kickoff is at 12:00 p.m. (EST) on ESPN.
Seminole Boosters continue to communicate with season ticket holders and donors
On Wednesday, Seminole Boosters – the fundraising arm of FSU athletics – also emailed members an update on season ticket renewals for 2025.
FSU’s $265 million commitment to modernize Doak Campbell Stadium naturally included an increase in season ticket offerings and a one-time capital donation.
However, there will not be a price increase for all season ticket holders. According to FSU, the prices for most grandstand seats will remain the same or will be slightly higher.
While not everyone is happy with the season ticket renewal plan, the Boosters announced that sold-out areas for 2025 include the Founders Suites, Founders Loge Boxes (mini-suites), West Sideline Club and Dunlap Champions Club Loge Boxes.
Seminole Boosters sales representatives will continue to schedule and hold appointments with season ticket holders according to their priority (contribution amount).
The fundraising organization is committed to meeting with every donor (around 8,000) among its season ticket holders.
Harrison, for example, had initially refused to renew his season tickets, citing price increases and conflicting information regarding the stadium’s renovation.
However, Harrison, whose family has held season tickets for generations, renewed and increased his contribution.
“We didn’t want anything to do with it until we went there and sat with them (Boosters) and could really see what the final project would look like,” Harrison said.
“We have a much better sense of the direction of the program.”
The FSU football team is carrying out three construction projects simultaneously
Mark Cameron, vice president of stadium development and sales strategy for Seminole Boosters, Inc., has led the organization’s public relations efforts.
Cameron wants to ensure that FSU season ticket holders and fans receive accurate information about their ticket renewals, pricing and options, and has been pleased with the response.
He said about 85 percent of donors have renewed their contracts for 2024. The organization has met with more than 3,100 donors in person or virtually since last year to determine their eligibility for 2025.
“I think the in-person meetings have shown us more than anything how important our donors are to us. We want to thank them for everything they’ve done, show them the new opportunities and make sure they’re part of this process,” Cameron said.
“We felt like this was the only way to do it.”
FSU is currently undertaking three construction projects simultaneously in and around Doak Campbell Stadium:
The renovation of the west grandstand, where 7,000 temporary seats will be installed, the Dunlap Football Center behind the stadium, and environmental, health and safety compliance work for construction in the east grandstand were funded in part by a controversial vote by elected officials to allocate $27 million in sales tax to the project.
Once completed, FSU expects to improve the gaming experience for fans.
“It’s extremely important to make sure we’re continually trying to improve, whether it’s with our student-athletes. They need to see what we’re doing and how we’re progressing and getting better. And we need to make sure the fan experience stays at that level,” FSU athletic director Michael Alford told the Tallahassee Democrat in a previous interview.
“Because I keep saying it: ‘We’re a national leader in that 60 percent of our fans travel more than three and a half hours to get here. And we have to maintain that experience to make the impression that we make on game days in Leon and Tallahassee because that’s a huge economic impact.'”
