The next time students take their seats at a Duke football game, they will notice the new 3,175 square-foot video board and extra rows of seating closer to the action.
They will also be calling the stadium by a new name.
The Board of Trustees approved a recommendation to rename the football field Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium as a way of honoring the contribution of former Blue Devil Steve Brooks. President Richard H. Brodhead announced Friday that former Brooks has committed $13 million to the Duke Athletics Department.
Brooks—the president and CEO of the Phoenix American Insurance Group—has donated to the Blue Devils in the past including a $4 million gift in 2009 to upgrade Duke football's outdoor practice facility. The Brooks family as a whole has donated more than $20 million to the University and currently has the Brooks Building for Duke football and the Brooks Practice facility named after them.
Brooks' most recent contribution will contribute to Duke Forward—a seven-year fundraising campaign aiming to raise $3.25 billion. The Duke Forward program includes a $250 million goal for Duke athletics. As of July 2014, fundraising for the campaign was ahead of schedule.
The stadium's name change is just one of many new announcements made about the newly-renovated Wallace Wade Stadium this week. Sod placement at the new stadium began Wednesday and it was announced Thursday that high-performance LED lights would be used at the stadium starting in 2016.
This article has been updated to correct an erroneous spelling. The Chronicle regrets the error.
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