Wren Baker Pursuing One Non-Revenue-Producing Project to Fix 'Greatest Eyesore'

Hope Coliseum continues to be updated on the inside, but there's one thing outside of the building that the WVU AD wants to address.

WVU Athletics Communications

West Virginia AD Wren Baker has a lot on his plate right now, including fundraising for multiple projects, as well as spending money for the athletic department. In this current climate, athletic directors have to be more strategic than ever when it comes to big purchases, and Baker is cognizant of that.

That's why he is centering his focus on things that WVU can eventually generate revenue from, such as the additional premium seating at Milan Puskar Stadium and Hope Coliseum.

The project for the Coliseum was around $1.5 million, but they expect it to generate between 300k-400k annually. The West Tower at the football stadium is approximately $150 million, most of which will be paid for by donors, if not all, and is estimated to generate $6 million annually, per Baker. That project is expected to be completed in time for the 2028 football season.

There is one project that WVU won't make money on, but is something Baker feels is important to address.

“Generally, if a project is not revenue-producing, we’re not tracking on it very much right now. I think there is one exception to that, and that is the apron around the Coliseum, which I believe is one of the eyesores. I don’t think those of us who live it every day recognize it maybe like a visitor does, but I remember the first time I walked up to that building, I was like, ‘Oh, man,’ and it’s gotten way worse since then. It’s crumbling. It’s deteriorating. It was hideous to begin with. So, we have a couple of donors who are exploring with us fixing that. That’s a project that I feel pretty passionately about. I just think it’s a bad representation for us and for our state.”

Probably a good call by Baker here

WVU Athletics Communications

If you are unsure what the apron is, it's the red walking area around the Coliseum. WVU has done work on it before, mostly re-painting it, but it's pretty beat up and in dire need of a makeover. What that looks like, the cost, and the timeline for it to be completed are all unknown at this time.

While most of the attention does need to be on revenue-based projects and facility enhancements for the student-athletes, things like this can't be ignored. Leaving it be because of the desire to spend money elsewhere would have been a bad decision. You don't want to dress everything up on the inside and just let the area everyone sees when they walk in or stand in line to look janky.