“Today will go down in McNeese history as a day no one will ever forget.”
That was a message from Athletic Director Heath Schroyer as McNeese State broke ground on a brand new, state-of-the-art football press box at Cowboy Stadium Thursday after the previous one was destroyed by Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020.
“Having the press box groundbreaking is a positive message to the Southwest Louisiana and McNeese communities that recovery from Hurricane Laura, while taking longer than expected, is continuing,” said Dr. Daryl Burckel, president of McNeese.
The new press box will have 25 suites along with a 1700 square foot sky club and an open patio. The top levels will extend from goal line to goal line with football operations, media, tv, and radio on the second level.
“Today is a monumental day for Southwest Louisiana! This new press box is simply a game changer. The number of premium suites, the amenities and the functionality of this press box will be second to none,” exclaimed Schroyer. “There has been a great deal of work done by several people behind the scenes to make this day a reality.”
The economy of Southwest Louisiana gained approximately $4.3 million because of visitors attending McNeese sports and other events in 2021. The suites and new press box will provide fans of McNeese football with a new premium venue for watching games with friends and family, and business partners, which will draw more visitors to the area. Suite sales will add millions of dollars for McNeese in terms of revenue.
“The press box signifies the commitment to not only our football program but also to McNeese athletics! It will usher our athletics department into the future and help us reach our aggressive goals,” Schroyer said.
McNeese is home to 14 NCAA Division I athletic programs, with last year’s total ticketed attendance being 132, 225 (44,790 from football), which led the Southland in attendance numbers.
“This is a state-of-the-art facility allowing McNeese football to compete at any level. This is just the first of many projects that will transform the McNeese campus for years to come,” Burckel said.