Tom Holmoe Explains Where BYU Wants To Improve LaVell Edwards Stadium

PROVO, Utah – Is there a need for BYU to upgrade LaVell Edwards Stadium? With BYU athletics moving into the Big 12 Conference, it’s a fair question.

Honestly, with a move to a Power 5 conference, every aspect of BYU’s athletic department has to be analyzed. But BYU’s home football stadium doesn’t need upgrades at the moment. Instead, the focus for BYU’s 63,725-seat stadium is in other areas.

Tom Holmoe on potential LES upgrades: "I think that we're looking more at hospitality and amenity areas. As long as I'm the AD, we're not putting seats in the corners. Those would be the last seats to be bought."#BYU #BYUFootball @kslsports

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) January 27, 2022

BYU Athletic Director discussed potential upgrades to LES at his semi-annual roundtable with the media.

“We’re looking at more hospitality and amenity areas. There are some things that we hope to do. We don’t really have immediate expansion plans,” Holmoe said.

Recent upgrades to LaVell Edwards Stadium

Last year, BYU added new scoreboards to the stadium that a corporate sponsor fully funded to BYU’s athletic department in NuSkin. In 2019, BYU added a mezzanine to connect the stadium’s upper deck.

Before that, BYU added an NFL-quality Wi-Fi service for everyone attending games at LES.

But there’s one stadium upgrade fans have always wondered about, closing in the corners of LES to make a bowl shape. Even though BYU will see a lot more money roll through as a member of the Big 12 Conference, closing in the corners is not a priority for BYU’s 17th-year athletic director.

“As long as I’m here, we’re not putting seats in the corners. I think it’s silly to put seats in the worst part. Those would be the last seats to be bought,” Holmoe said. “I think that really right now, the supply and demand are going to be about right.”

Gameday experience

Enhancing the gameday experience has been a top priority for BYU. BYU’s marketing team led by David Almodova introduced “Cougar Canyon,” which began in 2019, paused in 2020 due to COVID-19, then returned this past fall; it has been a success as BYU’s tradition the “Cougar Walk” now rolls through there.

“Right now, you can’t just have a game. You know, the fans expect entertainment and experiences; everybody is part of it. And so do I,” said Holmoe. “So when I go to a program or another college game, I’m impressed by the experience. That’s what we’ve been trying to do is do that. So I think we probably use our finances and resources more focused in the overall experience for the fans. We’ve done some things outside the stadium in recent years and now we’ll focus on some of the things that we can do that –not going to say quick fixes– but things that we could do immediately that would be beneficial to our fans.”

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper. 

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