Hoosiers Begin Push $100M to Modernize Memorial Stadium as Fan Frustration Mounts 
BLOOMINGTON — After years of fan complaints about aging concourses, cramped restrooms and limited premium amenities, Indiana Athletics appears to be moving from study to action on Memorial Stadium’s long-discussed modernization — bolstered by a flurry of recent deals and upgrades that athletic officials say will “cement” the program’s new status in the Big Ten.
Athletic director Scott Dolson has long talked about a two-track approach: small, year-to-year improvements in tandem with a broader stadium master plan. That planning work, begun publicly in 2023 with consulting partner Nations Group, laid the groundwork for a larger refresh that university leaders have repeatedly said they want to get right rather than rush.
This summer the program took visible steps. New FieldTurf was installed ahead of fall camp and the athletic department completed a round of lower-scale projects — upgrades that officials framed as immediate comfort-and-safety wins for fans while the bigger picture is finalized. Those near-term improvements, Dolson said, show a commitment to the fan experience even as conversations continue about major renovations.
Momentum accelerated in August when Indiana announced a high-profile naming-rights agreement that will rebrand the playing surface as Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium — a 20 year, $50 million partnership the department says will free resources for both operations and longer-term facility planning. University president Pamela Whitten and Dolson framed the deal as a necessary move in college athletics’ evolving financial landscape.
On the sidelines, head coach Curt Cignetti has been blunt: to recruit consistently and keep the program’s recent on-field success sustainable, the stadium “has to look and feel different.” Cignetti’s comment echoes frequent messages from season-ticket holders and alumni who cite dated amenities as an obstacle to growth and attendance. Athletic staffers say donor interest and newly unlocked corporate partnerships have turned what was once aspirational into an actionable timeline.
Fans’ complaints — long a steady drumbeat on social media and in alumni forums — centered on restroom capacity, circulation at halftime, sightlines from some seating sections and a scarcity of premium club spaces that generate recurring revenue. Dolson has indicated the department is weighing options that range from targeted west-side premium renovations to a sweeping reimagining of the bowl and concourse to improve traffic flow and add modern hospitality spaces.
