Renovations are on tap at Gill Coliseum, as Oregon State has announced that about $2 million worth of work will be in place for the men’s and women’s 2016-2017 basketball season.
Using private funds, Oregon State will spruce up the game day production elements of Gill Coliseum. One of the key upgrades will be the installation of a new sound system, along with plans to move the primary television camera, which will now face the venue’s student section. As part of this change, the Ralph Miller Court will be redesigned and rotated 180 degrees.
Additionally, the first level of Gill Coliseum is slated to undergo a series of changes. The seating in the lower bowl will be upgraded to include pads and cup holders, a renovation that will also aim to improve sight lines. Another renovation in the works is to enhance the bathrooms on the first level.
With this series of improvements following renovations that took place before last season, university officials anticipate that they will continue to find ways to modernize Gill Coliseum. More from OregonLive:
Oregon State deputy athletic director Zack Lassiter said in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive that the changes would be the first in a stage of other projects to improve the stadium, which opened in 1949. The next step will be securing funding for future projects, which he declined to specifically discuss.
“After this year, we’ll do the same thing. We’ll look at what other stuff can we get done,” Lassiter said. “I think we’re looking at a period of time where the entire department believes that this is our time to make investments in infrastructure and there’s clearly going to be a return in that investment because of the quality of coaches that are in place.”
Recent changes to Gill Coliseum include a new entry lobby. From the sounds of it, Oregon State is still looking for ways to refine the venue.
