According to a report from the Fresno Bee, Fresno State may have to delay a planned renovation of Bulldog Stadium due to cracks in the seating and walkway areas. The grand reopening of the facility was scheduled for 2019, but a new timeline could push that date out to 2020 or 2021.
Athletic director Jim Bartko called the cracks in the foundation the “100-pound gorilla,” noting that plans for the renovation are set, naming rights have been secured, and donations for the revamp are already coming in. “But we have to determine is it just the west side, or do we need to do it over a two-year span?”
The cracking foundation won’t have any affect on the 2017 football season, and the Bee reports that the a fix could be as simple as patching the cracks. That said, concerns remain that the entire facility may have to be torn down and rebuilt, which would cost a lot more than the $60 million renovation currently under consideration.
Bartko says that Fresno State’s fundraising efforts have already secured $15 million for the project.
