PRESS RELEASE – The University of Louisville has announced details on the upcoming expansion of Jim Patterson Stadium, home to the Cardinals’ nationally ranked baseball program.
Spearheaded by the leadership gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Patterson, the privately funded expansion of Jim Patterson Stadium is a $4 million facility development plan featuring the addition of 1,500 chair back seats, a 6,400 sq. ft. terrace directly accessible above the chair back seats and a two-tiered ground level terrace extending from the first and third base dugouts. The project, which is scheduled to begin on June 15, 2012, will also include an expanded press box, which will double the current space used to facilitate media and hospitality, and a visiting team locker room behind the third base dugout.
“We are very grateful for the passion and generosity the Patterson family has shown the University of Louisville. With their commitment to our baseball program, we have been able to provide our student-athletes with one of the premier collegiate stadiums in country,” said U of L Associate Athletic Director for Development Mark Jurich. “This expansion will allow us to enhance our game day fan experiences, while providing a tremendous home field advantage for our team.”
The expansion will double the number of chair back seats taking the total to 3,000 while increasing the overall seating capacity to more than 4,000, making it the largest ballpark in the BIG EAST Conference. The increased permanent seating will enable U of L to host NCAA Regional and Super Regional games without the additional expense of temporary bleacher rentals. Since opening in 2005, Jim Patterson Stadium has hosted two NCAA Regionals (2009, 2010) and one NCAA Super Regional (2007).
“The completion of this expansion project at Jim Patterson Stadium will solidify our baseball program as one of the nation’s elite,” said Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell. “Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program and it will have an immediate impact in strengthening our pursuit of the best talent around the country.”
Along with the leadership gift of Patterson, who continues to advance the Louisville baseball program through his extraordinary generosity, there have been many other key contributors to the expansion project allowing U of L to reach more than half of the total fundraising goal.
For more information on the Jim Patterson Stadium expansion plan or to see artist renderings of the project, please visit www.baseballexpansion.com.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
About Jim Patterson Stadium
First opened in April 2005, this $8.5 million stadium has been home to one of the most successful NCAA Division I baseball programs. Located at 3015 South Third Street on the corner of Central Avenue and Third Street, the ballpark currently includes 1,500 chair back seats and a listed seating capacity of 2,500. Since the 2007 season, Louisville has consistently ranked among the nation’s top 25 programs while averaging more than 43 wins per season. Jim Patterson Stadium has hosted two NCAA Regionals as well as an NCAA Super Regional in 2007 as the Cardinals advanced to the College World Series for the first time.
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