Work on the Bronco Stadium renovation project is about 70-75 percent complete, and the Mustang High School football fieldhouse renovation is about 90 percent complete, officials said last week.

“It’s long overdue for Mustang, a big 6A school,” Director of Bonds and Construction Jeff Woodard said.

Timberlake Construction is overseeing both projects. In January, the Mustang School Board approved $5.32 million in contracts for both projects. The MHS fieldhouse project costs $2 million, with $1.8 million coming from Oklahoma City MAPS for Kids funds, and the other $200,000 coming from 2009 bond money.

Crews installed the press box on top of the new stadium seating on Friday. The new home stands on the west side of the stadium will seat 4,800, including 598 reserved chair-back seats that are being sold in season ticket packages.

When finished, Bronco Stadium will have a capacity of about 9,000, Woodard said.

The stadium is expected to be open for the Mustang Pigskin Preview and the first home football game against Putnam City North on Sept. 10, but new stands will not be open in time for the Red/White scrimmage on Aug. 14, Woodard said.

The stadium project includes a new press box, a concession area, storage and restrooms under the stadium seating and a handicapped-accessible area with wheelchair seating interspersed, bringing the stadium in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

A new ticket booth will be located in the southwest corner of the facility, and a new concrete parking lot will be built on the southwest side of the stadium. Those projects are behind schedule because of recent rain, Woodard said.

New goal college-height goal posts will be installed before the season starts, Athletic Director Chuck Bailey said.

The original plans were to pay to have to Bronco logo at midfield turned to face the new home stands, but now the logo will not be moved, Bailey said.

The cost to move the logo was estimated at about $15,000 a few years ago, Woodard said.

Since the district will have to replace the field’s artificial turf in about five years anyway, the decision was made to leave the logo as it. Television crews will set up on the west side of the stadium to broadcast game, so the logo will be facing that way with the new stands in the camera’s view, Bailey said.

“It will look good that way,” he said.

 Demolition on the football fieldhouse began in December. The 10,000 square feet building has doubled in size to approximately 20,000 square feet.

The improved facility includes a large locker room space for varsity players, a freshman locker room, a 7,500-square foot weight room with new equipment, showers and restrooms, a 60-seat film room, a large laundry room with pass through lockers for player equipment, a video editing room, a full-size training room with whirlpools and taping tables and offices for athletic trainers and coaches.

The fieldhouse will bring Mustang facilities from among the worst in the state to the best, MHS Head Football Coach Ty Prestidge said.

“I think we’ve looked forward to this ever since I’ve been here,” Prestidge said. “It’s been eight years. “Now that it’s all coming true, it’s like a dream. I think it puts us at the top in facilities in 6A, no matter where you’re talking about. In the past, we’ve been at the very bottom. So, we’re just super excited. I know the kids are too. Every day they show up, they look at what’s been done to it. Not just as coaches, but the kids themselves have a lot of pride, that this is something they’ve had something to do with, the success of the program.”

One of the best things is that the new facility will be air conditioned, an amenity that was lacking in the old fieldhouse, Prestidge said.

“That’s where we live. These kids are here every day during the summer. It’s kind of a home-away-from-home for a lot of them,” he said.

The Broncos have gone through summer weightlifting session in the MHS Health and Wellness Center while work continued on the fieldhouse project.

“It’s been perfect,” Prestidge said.

New plan would allow students to attend games free

Mustang Athletic Director Chuck Bailey wants to increase student attendance at Bronco sporting events.

Under a new plan, it wouldn’t cost student a penny to attend more games.

Bailey said he has requested a portion of Mustang High School student fees in exchange for allowing students into non-football sporting events free.

“My goal is, I want to get more student involvement at our games,” Bailey said.

Bailey said he attended a MHS baseball game last spring and only 16 adults and four student paid to watch the game. By allowing students to enter free, more paying adults would begin attend, he said.

“Initially, it’s going to cost us a little bit of money, but if we don’t have that many kids coming to the games anyway, it’s not taking that much revenue away from us. My long-term plan is, if we get students involved, and we get more energy and all that, the adults are going to show up. The adults will end up paying for what we take a loss on.”

The plan got a test drive last spring during home playoff soccer games in Mustang. To boost attendance, MHS students showing their IDs and elementary and middle school students wearing Bronco clothing were admitted free.

Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association rules did not allow student to enter free, so the school paid their way, Bailey said.

An informal survey was taken at the gate asking students if they would have attended if they had to pay.

“About 90 percent of them said they wouldn’t have,” Bailey said.

Football is excluded from the plan, he said.

“It’s our money-maker. It supports all of our sports. All of our sports that are non-revenue generating, their budgets are enhanced by what football does. You don’t have to like football, but you have to want football to be successful to get people here.”

Last year, the cost for general admission football ticket was $6 for adults and $4 for students. That will not change this year. Reserved season tickets are going for $15 each, sold in pair, which includes parking and a chair-back seat.

Tickets for other sporting event were $5 for adults and $3 for students, last year, set by contract with the Metro Athletic Conference.

Seniors 62-and-over will be admitted free to any MHS sporting event, Bailey said.