'New' Johnson Hagood will be unveiled Saturday

Melissa Haneline
The Post and Courier

Anticipation is running high as The Citadel prepares to unveil the final stage of the $42 million renovation of Johnson Hagood Stadium.

Citadel football player Jonathan Vest glanced out the window Monday at the "new" Johnson Hagood Stadium.

"It gives me chills," Vest said about the prospect of playing in the Bulldogs' renovated stadium in the season opener against Webber International on Saturday. "I love coming over here and just looking at it. The field looks great, the stadium looks awesome. We can't wait to play in it."

Anticipation is running high as The Citadel prepares to unveil the final stage of the $42 million renovation of the stadium, where the Bulldogs played their first game in 1948. As many as 200 workers per day have been toiling at Johnson Hagood in recent weeks, putting the finishing touches on the West Side Tower that marks the third phase of the renovation, following the Altman Athletic Center and the new west-side stands.

Not all the bells and whistles will be installed by Saturday's 7 p.m. kickoff with Webber International, but athletic director Larry Leckonby said Monday the 21,000-seat stadium will be ready.

"Absolutely," Leckonby said. "We've got until Saturday evening, and everything will be in place. It will be a beautiful place to watch a football game. It's always tight up until the opening game, and we've got guys finishing up the interior work right now, and we'll probably have guys working right up until Saturday morning."

The new stadium promises a much more fan-friendly experience than did the old Johnson Hagood, as anyone who recalls "the wall" in the men's restroom can attest. The six-story West Side Tower includes the new press box, 19 skybox suites, 480 club-level seats and a club-level lounge complete with polished wood bars and flat-screen TVs, along with terraces on either side with views of the Ashley River, the Ravenel Bridge and downtown Charleston.

On the concourse level, there will be four concession stands, two gift shops, nine bathrooms and kiosks where outfits such as Home Team Barbecue and Chick-fil-A will sell their wares. The stadium, which includes a shared facility with the National Guard, now comes complete with an official address — 68 Hagood Ave. Even the old east-side stands got a new coat of paint thanks to alum Jim Maxon and inmates from the Charleston County Department of Corrections.

Melissa Haneline
The Post and Courier

A view of the field at Johnson Hagood Stadium from the new press box, part of a $42 million renovation of The Citadel's football stadium.

The field itself also has a new name — Sansom Field, named for 1964 graduate William B. Sansom, who made a donation to the renovation of the stadium.

The newly named field will be dedicated on Nov. 15.

Nearly five years after the rusting west-side stands were torn down after the 2003 season, Citadel officials are calling the new Johnson Hagood one of the best stadiums in FCS football. LTC Associates designed the upper floors and Heery International the structure, with Ellis Don the general contractor, according to Citadel director of physical plant James Grigg.

"Having this new stadium will only help our recruiting," coach Kevin Higgins said. "When you can bring a recruit on campus and show him this stadium and the number of people we have at the game, that means something to an 18 or 19-year-old kid. Those are the kind of kids we want to attract, kids who football is important to and who want to play in this kind of environment."

Notes

Former Citadel athletic director Walt Nadzak will be the analyst for Bulldog football radio broadcasts, working alongside new voice of the Bulldogs Darren Goldwater. ... Running down the injury list, Higgins said WR Alex Carr (foot), backup center Colton Clifton (mono), WR Scott Harward (ankle) and linebackers John Synovec (knee) and Tolu Akindele (knee) are out this week. Synovec is likely out for the year with what looks like a torn ACL. Harward should return in two or three weeks, Higgins said. ... Among freshmen Higgins would like to redshirt are QB Miguel Starks, offensive linemen Nate Gerber and Neal Strange and defensive linemen Chris Billingslea and Demarrio Sims. ... Defensive lineman Terrence Reese (ankle) is close to 100 percent and should be ready by Saturday, Higgins said. DL Quintin Turner, pulled from practice last week with chest problems, had a heart exam and was cleared to return to practice this week. ... There are five freshmen on the two-deep — Sims and Billingslea, LBs Jeremy Buncum and Akindele and SS Demontrell Smith. Freshman WR Luke Caldwell will back up Andre Roberts in Carr's absence.