University of Oklahoma Releases Details, Renderings For Stadium Renovations

Starting with a reduced seating capacity, the Sooners' home for football will look much different when the 2029 season rolls around in less than four years.

Renderings for Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium | Oklahoma Football via X/Twitter

The Palace on the Prairie will look much different in only a few years.

Last week, the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents voted to advance renovations to Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium’s west side.

On Friday, OU unveiled renderings of the renovated stadium in “The Palace Project” on the school’s athletic website.

The west side of the stadium will look drastically different.

A place to celebrate our yesterdays and write the story of our tomorrows » https://t.co/WVBBOVfUkP pic.twitter.com/aQlQjx244J

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 21, 2025

OU revealed that improvements will be made to the fan-entry process, elevators, concession stands and restrooms. The project also will add a new press box that spans the west side of the stadium. The new-look west side will also add 47 suites, 64 loge boxes and roughly 4,000 new club seats. 

In the release, the university revealed that there will be other gameday improvements, such as upgraded sound and lighting systems.

“The renovation of the west side of Gaylord Family–Oklahoma Memorial Stadium honors the rich history of OU Football while addressing structural needs in a facility that has stood for more than a century,” OU president Joe Harroz said in the release. “By acting now, we are creating the greatest and most unique gameday experience in sports, enhancing the fan experience to elevate every moment in the stadium, maximizing our home-field advantage, and driving resources directly toward competing for national championships.”

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Per OU’s athletic website, construction on the west end is expected to begin after the 2027 season, when the university plans to demolish the current west side of the stadium. The release said that fans can expect “partial occupancy” in 2028 before the renovated west end is complete in 2029.

The university also revealed that the stadium’s capacity will decrease by roughly 7,000. Oklahoma Memorial Stadium currently holds 80,126 fans.

The project is estimated to cost the university $450 million. OU said in the release that fundraising has already begun for the project and will continue over the next several months.

“We are already blessed with one of the greatest venues in the sport, but this game-changing transformation will give new meaning to 'The Palace on the Prairie,' ” OU football coach Brent Venables said in the release. “The renderings are stunning, and, once completed, this project will positively impact everyone who steps foot in the stadium.”

Oklahoma last renovated the stadium in 2019, when the venue added new handrails and widened its aisles. Before that, a complete overhaul of the south end zone, which bowled in that end of the stadium, was completed in 2016.