Coastal Carolina’s stadium update receives approval

COLUMBIA, S.C. — As Coastal Carolina football prepares to play in a new conference, jumping to the ranks of the FBS in 2017, they will also see new changes coming to Brooks Stadium.

On Tuesday, the State Fiscal Accountability Authority approved an expansion for CCU’s home field to put it well past its current capacity of 9,214, costing $31.8 million. Passing by a 3-2 vote, the proposal was rejected on multiple occasions by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. A $22.9 million bond will go towards the stadium’s expansion, while the rest will be funded privately and by Coastal Carolina.

The Chanticleers moved from the Big South to the Sun Belt Conference on July 1, yet the football program specifically will make the switch to start the 2017 campaign. They will be postseason-eligible for the first time in 2018.

To play in the Football Bowl Subdivision, a school’s paid attendance must remain above an average of 15,000 fans a game. Brooks Stadium’s design allows it to grow and hold a maximum 20,000 seat capacity.