Today’s projects do more than improve the experience for football student-athletes and fans. They generate year-round revenue, support student life, enhance athlete performance and create memorable destinations that strengthen a university’s identity. Increasingly, the most successful facilities erase the boundaries between athletics, academics and campus life, transforming stadiums into active, multi-use environments throughout the year.
HOK is partnering with universities across the country to deliver facilities that respond to these changing priorities. Current projects illustrate how thoughtful design can help universities maximize the value of their investments in athletics while creating memorable experiences that keep fans coming back year after year.
Jordan-Hare North Project at Auburn University
At Auburn University, HOK is reimagining the north end of Jordan-Hare Stadium with a seven-story, 300,000-sq.-ft. addition (above) that functions as a vibrant multi-use destination. The project integrates flexible event space, dining, a ballroom, student-focused amenities and new club and premium spaces. A new plaza spanning Heisman Drive improves pedestrian connectivity across campus and creates a memorable arrival experience with landscaped green space. The result is a stadium and adjacent development designed to remain active throughout the year, creating a central campus destination for signature events while supporting campus life and athletics.
The project reflects one of the strongest trends shaping collegiate athletics: maximizing the return on stadium investments through year-round activation. Spaces that serve the campus community during the week can transform into hospitality venues on game day, creating operational efficiencies while generating new revenue opportunities. Flexible planning also allows the building to evolve as university priorities change.
The renovation of Jordan-Hare Stadium is a collaboration between HOK, Workshop and CDFL.
Kellner Family Athletic Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Kellner Family Athletic Center will provide the University of Wisconsin-Madison with new training and performance facilities, centralizing football operations while supporting student-athletes across its athletics program. Located adjacent to Camp Randall Stadium, which HOK renovated in 2023, it includes a 160,000-sq.-ft. training facility, a 90,000-sq.-ft. indoor practice field and a 305-meter elevated running track. The facility strengthens connections across the athletics program while giving football a true home for training and performance.
A synthetic-turf entry plaza anchors the site and supports game-day activity, while the Camp Randall Veterans Memorial Plaza introduces an outdoor terrace above future retail space. Below grade, 326 parking spaces provide convenient access for student-athletes and staff. Multi-use hospitality and tenant spaces create flexible opportunities for revenue generation beyond traditional athletics models.
As recruiting and retention continue to evolve through the combined effects of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), revenue sharing, the transfer portal and roster limits, programs must think beyond the locker room. The goal is not simply to attract elite athletes, but to create a high-performance, wellness-focused environment and broader campus experience that encourage student-athletes to stay and develop over multiple years.
HOK is part of a design-build team for the Kellner Family Athletic Center that includes architect of record Berners-Schober and general contractor JP Cullen.
North End Zone Project at Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium
Boise State’s North End Zone Project at Albertsons Stadium demonstrates how thoughtful, strategic interventions can elevate the fan and student-athlete experiences simultaneously. The project infills existing bleacher seating with a multifunctional structure featuring approximately 1,600 premium seats spanning suites, loge boxes, ledge seats and club seats, along with hospitality spaces, enhanced circulation and new social gathering areas. An open-air sports bar and lounge, mobile concession kiosks and a new pregame player tunnel further enliven the fan experience. The project also includes a year-round dining and nutrition center that connects student-athletes across all varsity sports.
When the project is unveiled during the 2026 season, it will mark another step in the evolution of premium experiences in college football stadiums. Universities are introducing diverse hospitality environments—from loge seating to lively social spaces—that appeal to a wide range of fans while creating sustainable revenue streams. At the same time, investments in nutrition, wellness and shared athlete resources ensure facilities deliver value every day of the year.
HOK is part of a design-build team for the North End Zone Project at Albertsons Stadium that includes Opsis Architecture, Anderson Construction and Gilbane Building Company.
Creating Value Beyond Game Day
As collegiate sports and facility funding mechanisms continue to evolve, the most impactful college football stadiums and training spaces will be those that serve multiple audiences and easily adapt to a university’s ever-changing needs. By balancing memorable fan experiences with flexible programming and high-performance student-athlete amenities, these projects demonstrate how a well-designed stadium or training space can create value on campus far beyond game day.