Florida takes first step in $400 million Swamp makeover - ESPN

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Swamp is getting a makeover, a significant overhaul that's expected to cost at least $400 million and be a «multigeneration solution» for an aging and iconic stadium in the heart of Florida's campus.

The Gators announced plans Monday to hire an architect for the design of its revamped Florida Field, the first public step in a process that's been ruminating for years. The school will open a formal bidding process in July.

Athletic director Scott Stricklin said it's «premature to speculate» on the final cost, seating capacity and a specific timeline. But he made it clear the project's main goal will be to transform the game-day experience for fans while maintaining a lot of what helped the Gators create one of the most daunting home-field advantages in the Southeastern Conference.

«Whatever work we do there doesn't need to be a Band-Aid,» Stricklin said at the league's spring meetings last month. «It needs to be a multigenerational solution to continue to give that stadium for future generations a chance to come and watch the Gators there.

»It has to be everything from how fans experience when they're outside the stadium, when they walk through the gate, concourse, concession, restrooms, inside the seating bowl, new premium options, better premium options. But you also want to keep what's special about it."

The stadium first opened as a 22,000-seat facility in 1930. It has been expanded several times in nearly a century since, with capacity now at roughly 90,000, but it lacks many of the conveniences experienced in modern NFL venues.

Proposed upgrades are sure to include wider concourses, less bench seating, more concession options, larger video boards, a new sound system and improved lighting