Cajun Field begins renovations, to be renamed Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has commenced renovations on Cajun Field, which will be renamed Our Lady of Lordes Stadium.

The project will cost $65 million and is slated to be complete in Fall 2025. The university has called it “the most significant improvement made to the facility since its inception in 1971.” 

The project began on Dec. 11, 2023, and will see the west side seating of the stadium (which will be closed during the 2024 season) undergoing changes. The total capacity of the stadium will be decreased, going down from 41,126 to “just over 30,000 seats,” according to the Advocate. 

However, renovations will bring “34 suites, 40 loge boxes, 524 club seats, an indoor club, five new chairback sections in the lower west bowl and enhanced amenities,” according to the university.

The most prominent additions coming to Our Lady of Lordes Stadium is the remodeling of the west tower, which will house new premium seating spaces, including club seats, loge boxes and three tiers of luxury suites, the highest of which will have “bar service, private restrooms, and individual conditioned spaces,” according to the university’s website.

The concession stands on the west side will also see improvements, with better layouts for both permanent concessions and visiting outside vendors.

Commuter students who park at Cajun Field will only be able to enter through Gates 4 and 5, as the entire west side is closed off to be used by construction vehicles.

The renovation comes as a result of a $15 million donation from Our Lady of Loudes Health for naming rights, as well as the donations of other investors. Currently, over 20 other donation opportunities for naming rights in the stadium are open, such as $3 million to name the stadium scoreboard, $1.5 million for the concession/food court and so on.

The project comes despite UL Lafayette’s athletics department seeing an $8.16 million deficit in the 2023 fiscal year, in large part due to an increase in expenses according to documents received by the Daily Advertiser. Team travel expenses increased, costing UL Lafayette $3.865 million. The dip in ticket sales didn’t help either, which dropped by over $500,000.

Despite that, Bryan Maggard, vice president for intercollegiate athletics, believes the renovations to the stadium will serve as a “catalyst for Louisiana football,” according to reporting by The Daily Advertiser.

“If you’re not growing, you’re dying in this business. It’s not a matter of not keeping up with the Joneses, but doing what works for you in the manner you can do it in. This is going to be a catalyst for Louisiana football, no doubt in my mind,” Maggard said.

UL Lafayette students were mixed on the renovation project, some seeing it as a waste of money, while others were hesitant or curious to see what the completed project will look like.

Treasure Gotch, a freshman majoring in biology, expressed her wish that money would’ve been put towards other parts of the university.

“Honestly, I think $65 million is a bit too much for a stadium. I understand sports are important, you know, and that’s part of college life. But I do feel like a portion of that could go to other things, like maybe updating things with the school like the library and things like that,” Gotch said.

Kayla Dorsey, a freshman majoring in dance, expressed a similar sentiment, though noted that she didn’t mind the change of name to Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium.

“Them renaming it I don’t mind, just because they’re a sponsor. But I don’t like how they’re spending that much money just to have a VIP section. I mean, sure, do what they want. But they’re wasting all their money on that when there could be a lot more done around the school,” Dorsey said.

Jordan Williams, a freshman majoring in nursing, shared that she’s gone to football games at Cajun Field in the past and is curious to see what the new stadium will look like.

Jarvis Warner, a freshman majoring in marketing, was intrigued by the renovations and name change, but was hesitant about the premium suites being added.

“I think that it’s kinda cool. Like to renovate it and all that, and the name change’ll be cool too. Honestly I don’t know how I feel about the VIP seats, but I guess we’re becoming bigger and everything, they’re gonna have to have VIP seats so I guess it’s cool,” Warner said.

Further updates and information, such as on ticketing, parking and reseating, can be found on the UL Lafayette’s website for the project: http://www.buildtheculture.com.