Univ. of Memphis officials said that renovations to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium are expected to be completed before the start of the 2026 football seasonGetty Images
Univ. of Memphis officials said that renovations to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium will be “split into three phases” and are expected to be completed before the start of the 2026 football season, according to a front-page piece by Jonah Dylan of the Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL. Memphis revealed new renderings and “specific plans for the project,” which is expected to cost $220M and affect the next two Memphis football seasons. The first phase will have a “minimal" effect on the gameday experience for fans, as it involves “moving the operations and media areas from the west side of the stadium to the east side.” Phase 2 will start “as soon as possible” once Memphis has secured $25M in fundraising and will add a "party plaza" area to the east side of the stadium and will include “completely redoing the west side suite area of the stadium," both features that were unveiled with the new renderings. Memphis AD Laird Veatch said that Phase 3 will commence when the university “has commitments for the full $50 million it plans to fundraise.” In the final phase they will “add another layer of seats on top of the party plaza” and “improve the locker rooms and reconfigure the concourse.” The Project is being funded by $120M from the state, $50M in a challenge gift from FedEx founder Fred Smith and his family and another $50M that the university plans to fundraise. Veatch said that the university has "already fundraised" about $16M of that $50M. University officials had initially hoped to complete the renovations before the 2025 football season, but that has now officially "been pushed to 2026" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 3/18).
