Students dressed as kegs, overgrown babies, Old West bandits, ladybugs and Will Ferrell from "Semi-Pro": have no fear. This year's inevitable post-Tailgate bathroom runs will not be quite as bad as in years past.
The old bathrooms at Wallace Wade Stadium were widely derided and were known for overflowing toilets and interminable lines. Now, they will be used for spillover crowds only. Shiny new brick restrooms have been built on the east and west wings of the concourse to accommodate larger crowds.
Duke built them this offseason as part of a $9 million upgrade after dealing with complaints from students, fans and even head coach David Cutcliffe. He once called the old bathrooms "roadside fruit stands."
"One of my big things early on was to do what we could to make [Wallace Wade] more fan-friendly," Cutcliffe said. "We've got great, committed fans who have stood by Duke. Let's treat them first class."
A new concession stand on the west side of the stadium has also been built. It, along with the new restrooms, is just part of a sizable overhaul going on at Wallace Wade. A new sound system was put in place last year, and a new video board will be in place by the Sept. 5 season opener against Richmond.
"I don't think people realize how much we've spent on the new sound system. I turn it on every now and then to hear it in my office," Cutcliffe said. "The aesthetics [of the renovations] have tremendously helped our recruiting. It shows young men that we can back up what we're telling people-that we're committed to Duke Football."
Most significant, perhaps, are the $4 million worth of improvements to the practice facility and visiting team locker room located behind Wallace Wade. What was a 75-yard practice field has been lengthened to 120 yards, with a new FieldTurf surface that should help prevent injuries.
The enlarged practice space has come as a relief to Cutcliffe, who was amazed that Duke didn't have a regulation-length practice field and even went so far last year as to half-jokingly say that the Blue Devils were struggling in the red zone because they didn't have one to practice on.
"With the space last year, it was almost impossible to practice with the offense and defense together," Cutcliffe said. "This gives you the facility and the depth perception of playing a real game. Our passing game and our defense against the pass will be better because of it. We've got an opportunity here to run ourselves like a first-class program."
The training facility also has been renovated. In the improved building, teams will wait out bad weather, the special teams unit will conduct meetings and injured players will be treated during games-a welcome alternative to treatment on the sidelines.
Next on the list of renovations are grass and indoor practice fields. According to Senior Associate Director of Athletics Mike Cragg, the additions are in the design phase with Beck Architecture, which also designed the basketball team's new practice center.
They hope to bring the plans to the Board of Trustees in October and plan to raise funds for the facilities independently rather than seek university funding.
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