Fans Get Chapman Stadium Preview

By Jeffrey Smith, News On 6

TULSA, OK -- TU football will play its first game in the new Chapman Stadium Saturday night. The stadium underwent a $25 million makeover in the offseason.

On Friday night, fans were treated to a sneak peek of the new field and the updates are getting rave reviews, but there's still a lot of work left to be done before kickoff.

After a nine-month, $25 million makeover, it was all about last-minute cosmetics. Dozens of handicapped seats still had to be installed.

"It's awesome. It's just really awesome," said 1952 TU graduate Cleve Kirberger.

"We're hoping that they say this is a great facility to come and watch college football," said TU Communications Director Don Tomkalski.

The grass at the stadium is brand new, but one of the biggest changes is the seating. The capacity was reduced from 35,000 to 30,000. Why? Well, they want a loud stadium.

"If it doesn't, the people in Tulsa are crazy. Because this is beautiful," said Former TU Player Bob Stewart.

Before the players do it for real, there are some problems. Workers say many televisions don't work and phone and internet service in the stadium can be spotty.

"We know the players will be on the field and can play. We know the fans will be in the stands and being able to watch," said Tomkalski.

Kirberger has been a season-ticket holder for 50 years. She says the new stadium is good for fans of all ages.

"When some of the big schools come, well, they'll have more colors than us, but they won't be any more prouder of their place than we are here at TU," said Kirberger.

Besides the seating, the other major change inside Chapman is the brand new, high-definition scoreboard. The athletic department says it's better than the scoreboards found at many Major League Baseball parks.

Kickoff for Saturday's game against New Mexico is at 6 p.m.