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UofL, CAF Nearing Funding Goal to Complete Jim Patterson Stadium Expansion
Oct. 19, 2012
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Following the leadership gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Patterson, the privately funded expansion of Jim Patterson Stadium has been supported by hundreds of Louisville baseball fans through generous donations to a unique Cardinal Bird Sculpture, which will be visible on the main concourse of the ballpark. Within the sculpture (www.baseballexpansion.com) will be more than 600 baseballs and donors to the project have the opportunity to sign their name on the baseball to be prominently displayed for the life of the facility. Thus far, more than 75 percent of the baseballs have been sold in the project, which is being directed by the Cardinal Athletic Fund. On Friday, Oct. 12, more than 400 fans and donors visited Jim Patterson Stadium to autograph their gifted baseballs in support of the expansion project. With sunny skies above, families and fans came to sign their baseballs and get a first look at the Jim Patterson Stadium expansion construction progress. Click here to see a short video recapping the event. Much of the foundation has been poured and the development is beginning to see a vertical impact on the third base side of the ballpark. The expansion is a $4 million facility development plan featuring the addition of 1,500 chair back seats, a 6,400 square-foot terrace directly accessible above the chair back seats and a two-tiered ground level terrace extending from the first and third base dugouts. The project, which began on June 15, 2012, will also include an expanded press box doubling the current space used to facilitate media and hospitality, and a visiting team clubhouse behind the third base dugout. Construction is on-schedule for completion for opening day of the 2013 season. The expansion will increase the number of chair back seats to 3,000 while increasing the overall seating capacity to more than 4,000 making it the largest ballpark in the BIG EAST Conference. The increased permanent seating will enable Louisville to host NCAA Regional and Super Regional games without the costly additional expense of temporary bleacher rentals. Since opening in 2005, Jim Patterson Stadium has hosted two NCAA Regionals (2009, 2010) and one NCAA Super Regional (2007).
In supporting the leadership gift of Patterson, the Cardinal Athletic Fund notes there is still a substantial need for additional campaign support. A little more than 100 baseballs remain available to be autographed and included in the Cardinal Bird Sculpture. To gift a baseball to the Cardinal Bird Sculpture for Jim Patterson Stadium, please complete an order form at www.baseballexpansion.com or call 502-852-8921. Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball. |
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