Kansas State University Shamrock Zone

TWO COLLEGIATE TEAMS. ONE PHASED APPROACH.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Kansas State University Shamrock Zone Manhattan, Kansas

With renovations that touched both Bill Snyder Family Stadium and Bramlage Coliseum at Kansas State University, the Shamrock Zone addition aimed to enhance the fan experience for multiple venues with upgraded amenities as well as increase capacity and add revenue-generating spaces. It included a three-level south end zone club expansion, connecting concourse to the facilities, a roof replacement of the basketball arena, and a complete replacement of the mechanical systems in the arena. To ensure the end zone expansion was complete prior to the football season as well as limit disruptions to the basketball and volleyball teams during the replacement, the team phased the work and sequenced it around the teams’ schedules.

A SOUND SYSTEM With a project kickoff in early 2020, the biggest challenges—in addition to working during the onset of the pandemic—were preparing for the 2020 football season. All of the sound for the stadium was through large speakers that sat on top of the new structure. “Before we could place the new sound system on top of the structure, we had to have steel erected, concrete placed with 100 percent structural strength, as well as electrical rooms and gear in place,” said Project Manager Chris Ryan. “The general public also had to have a path to pass through the south end zone to go to the either west or east side of the stadium. All of these were performed and completed prior to the 2020 season.”

To achieve this, a best value approach was used to bring in a steel contractor early to jump start the steel erection beginning the first of June. High-early strength concrete was utilized to get to strength quicker. Gameday preparation meetings were also held with the client, client vendors, and construction trade partners. These meetings fleshed out potential issues and ensured team chemistry to get ready for the first game in September 2020.

PHASED TURNOVER Due to the approaching football season and upcoming work on Bramlage, the team utilized a best value approach to bring on key

trade partners to meet the project’s quick start and demanding schedule prior to the 2020 season, plus a phased turnover of building at the end. Though the south end zone was completed and turned over in June 2021, the Bramlage portion of work could not start until the 2020-2021 basketball season ended in March 2021 and was turned over six months later in September 2021. “The phased approach allowed us to turn over areas of the project to the owner based on their needs. The owner needed to occupy the new south end zone building, as the second floor of the new building housed the offices for the Athletic Department staff. Getting them into the space early gave their staff time to adjust to the new space, all while preparing for the upcoming 2021 football season, where the Athletics Department was selling tickets and preparing for full capacity home football game days. The basketball arena was not a critical space for season preparations; it simply needed to be complete and ready for fans on the first home football game of the 2021 season,” said Ryan.

A BETTER EXPERIENCE As an NCAA Division I program committed to enhancing its sports facilities in recent years, the fan and athlete experiences are a top priority for Kansas State University. After renovating and expanding the north end zone and west stadium over the past five to seven years, the Shamrock Zone project dresses up the south end zone and provides additional bathrooms, concessions, and family services for not only the south end, but the entire stadium. The south end zone was the final piece to enclose the entire stadium. On football gamedays, this space is utilized for fans sitting in the new Shamrock Zone premium seats. For men’s basketball games, the Shamrock Zone will serve as a club area from pre-game to post-game for Ahearn Fund members within a certain membership level.

This project is especially cool because it improved the experience for fans of multiple sports. It creates a unique gameday atmosphere in a state-of the-art facility—an experience that will stick with fans forever.”

CHRIS RYAN, PROJECT MANAGER