Griz stadium upgrade perks: new sound system, club box, turf

One step out onto the Hellgate Terrace and it’s easy to imagine - Grizzly fans of all ages bundled head to toe in maroon and silver, whipping winds adding an extra bite to the air, and drinks shared among friends while waiting for kickoff.
And all of this comes with picturesque views of Hellgate Canyon, the Clark Fork River and the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area.
As the University of Montana football season quickly approaches, a more than year-long dream is tantalizingly close to becoming a reality as construction workers put the finishing touches on a 2,000-seat expansion on the east side of Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
“People absolutely love it,” said UM Director of Athletics Jim O’Day.

The newest expansion efforts in the stadium not only add 2,000 seats, but also provide an alternative to traditional box suites, O’Day said.
The Canyon Club, an indoor facility, features 130 indoor cushioned seats complete with cup holders. But at $1,500 a seat per season, fans will get more than just a bird’s eye view of the game.
The club will take pre-game parties to a whole new level. The room will include 30 to 40 cocktail tables, nine big-screen TVs and surround-sound speakers broadcasting the stadium announcer.
One side of the main room will feature a full bar, while the other side will provide food. A counter lined with bar stools will provide additional seating for fans while they enjoy a cold drink.
And for fans wanting the traditional atmosphere of Griz football, the top section of the windows mechanically open, allowing crowd sounds to drift in.
“I think the club turned out fantastic,” O’Day said. “It looks like it was built when the stadium was first constructed.”
For project manager and UM architect Jerry Ballas, the Hellgate Terrace is the best part of his product. It will make for a great tailgate facility, he said.
For those not able to shell out more than $1,000 for a spot in the new seats, Washington-Grizzly Stadium is receiving facelifts all over to make the dominantly concrete-gray stadium a little more colorful.
A fresh new turf, installed this month, makes for not only pristine playing conditions, but adds some eye-popping color.
Padding around the sidelines is also being replaced. The maroon padding was faded, more closely resembling Weber State’s purple than Montana’s maroon, O’Day joked.
“I just thought it was too gray,” O’Day said. “(The new turf) has really brightened it up.”
On the newly widened concourse are three flagpoles: one for a U.S. flag, one for a flag commemorating Montana’s two national championships, and the third for flags noting Big Sky Conference championships and NCAA playoff appearances.
The perfect complement to the brightened stadium will be the addition of new speakers.
Crews are working to install 27-foot speakers, replacing ones that have been there since the stadium was constructed in 1986, O’Day said.
When the first Griz home game rolls around on Sept. 13, fans can look forward to a bigger, brighter and better- sounding Washington-Grizzly Stadium awaiting their return.
whitney.bermes@umontana.edu