Hurricane has made dramatic progress on field, around it

By Bob Hersom

Published: September 28, 2008

TULSA — The University of Tulsa football program has featured a remarkable surge in recent years, not only on the field but all around it.

On the field, Tulsa has had a 31-13 record the last four seasons, after having only one winning record in the previous 13 years.

Around the field — now officially known as Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium – the improvement is every bit as dramatic as the team's performance.

Tulsa has gone from "the worst (NCAA) Division I facilities in the country,” TU coach Todd Graham said, to "the best facilities in Conference USA.”

The stadium hosted a home game for the second time Saturday night, when Tulsa beat Central Arkansas 62-34, one week after beating New Mexico 56-14 in TU's home opener.

Workers somehow completed the $27.1 million stadium renovation project in just eight months.

"It's kind of like a metamorphis from last year to now,” said Shaun Meadows of Oklahoma City, whose son Keno is a TU defensive back. "Especially the progress during the summer. Every time we would come up here they would be working diligently at getting it ready. It's just a real nice atmosphere for the games and everything.”

All of the stadium seats are new, and so is the field turf, the $3.1 million video board and three-level press box, which includes 19 luxury suites and club level seating. Restrooms and concession areas also have been expanded and improved. It's a far different stadium than the one that opened on the same site in 1930.

"It's classy. It's very elegant, and we've been to a lot of stadiums,” said Gail Churchman of Comanche, grandmother of TU's starting center, Jody Whaley. "This is something to really be proud of. I think we're in the upper class now.”

The Golden Hurricane have not only a much nicer home, but a louder place to play.

"I would say there's definitely more of a home-field advantage,” said Whaley's grandfather, James Churchman of Comanche, "because there's more pride in the stadium and in the surroundings. You see more fans, and it's just a whole lot better atmosphere.”

Fan favorites include the videoboard, which is 55 feet wide and 27 feet high, and the new stadium seats.

"Our seats are much better than we had before,” Randy Light of Tulsa said, "because we were in the old section that's been removed. The seatbacks were very, very old and the seatbacks on the other side are very comfortable. The material is more flexible. It was a very rigid plastic that was wide enough for me, but it was uncomfortable. The seats now are a lot more comfortable.”

Players like the new field turf, with alternating shades of light and dark green every five yards.

"The players think it's great, it's wonderful. They love playing on this field,” said Linette Simpson, mother of starting center Whaley. "I think it's awesome. I like the new paint, the new jumbotron. I just like the entire atmosphere.”

Meadows said, "This has got to boost the players' morale to have a facility like this. Especially since it's not a very big campus, but it's a very efficient campus. And it's nice to invite people to show where you're playing.”

TU officials, hoping in part to cause a demand for tickets, had the stadium's seating capacity reduced to 30,000, from last year's 35,542. Beyond the north end zone of the "new” stadium is the $10 million, 30,000-square-foot Chapman Athletic Complex, which opened in June 2007.

"The money is very well spent,” Light said. "They've integrated the old with the new, the scoreboard is great, the field is wonderful. It's just nice, a nice place to come.”

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