Phase 2 of the three-phase, $220 million Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium renovation project will begin in earnest Monday, the University of Memphis announced Thursday.
The second phase calls for demolition work on the west side tower, above the first 25 rows of chairback seating. That process begins at 10 a.m. Monday and could take up to two weeks.
Interim athletic director Jeff Crane − during an appearance on the Geoff Calkins Radio Show (ESPN 92.9 FM) − said Phase 1, which involves relocations of the press box, coaches' booths and gameday operations from the west side of the stadium to the east side, will be complete before the Tigers' season opener against North Alabama on Aug. 31 (6 p.m., ESPN+).
“(We’re) gonna take some big steps here in the next couple weeks,” said Crane. “There’s actually been some bits of pieces of (Phase 2) that are already under way as we speak. (But) everything above row 25 will be demolished, making way for the rebuild of the west side (which) will create a new premium seating tower.”
The school, which received $120 million in state money to go toward the project, is working to raise $50 million to unlock a $50 million pledge gift from FedEx founder Fred Smith and his family. Last month, Crane said Memphis had raised $23 million and would need to cross the $25 million mark before beginning work on Phase 2.
Phase 2 includes the addition of a "party patio" area to the east side of the stadium. That area will be situated behind 24 rows of seats and will have concessions and areas to watch the game. It will be open to all fans at the stadium. There will also be multiple levels of new suites and club seating.
This phase will include completely redoing the west side suite area of the stadium. There will be a "Founders" suite area with the highest-end suites in the stadium.
As work is being done, however, capacity will be significantly reduced during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium could previously seat more than 58,000, but capacity will be around 32,000 each of the next two seasons. Crane anticipates that will create a higher demand for tickets.
"We've sold over 20,000 to that first home game already," he said.
Crane also did not shy away from noting that the fan experience will be considerably different for most fans − beginning Aug. 31.
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“There will be a very noticeable difference,” said Crane, who will relinquish the interim AD title when new AD Ed Scott's tenure officially begins July 29. “But we’re thankful our general contractor is a national contractor. Barton Mallow does stadium renovations all over the country. They know how to navigate these things. There will be some routing differences that I think fans will need to grow accustomed to, but there will be signage and staff there to help.
“While the fan experience may be impacted in some ways this season, we know that what lies ahead is going to be a huge difference in the fan experience – which will be ready to go for the 2026 season.”
Phase 3 is expected to begin once Memphis has commitments for the full $50 million it is responsible for. It will add another layer of seats on top of the party plaza, which will still be open to look out toward the field. It also will improve the locker rooms and reconfigure the concourse to allow semi-trucks to load in and out of the stadium. That would make it much easier for concerts to be held at the stadium.
Commercial Appeal sports writer Jonah Dylan contributed to this report.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis football stadium renovation: West tower seating demolition starts Monday, interim AD says
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