• ucdboyd
    47
    https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2025/11/19/uc-davis-athletics-unveils-aggie-ascent-a-visionary-facilities-master-plan-for-the-next-era.aspx

    Stadium info

    UC Davis Health Stadium: A reimagined fan experience anchored by new premium seating, suites, and a hospitality concourse. The $50 million expansion will include a special event space to be used year-round by the university community.
  • AggieFinn
    753


    Man, hot timing.
  • Jdur
    214
    Wow. This is incredible in so many ways. Also, crazy to announce right before a sac state game against a school that seems to want to dos something like this…
  • ucdboyd
    47
    Tons of info and pics on new website https://aggieascent.ucdavis.edu/
  • Jdur
    214
    Also insane upgrades across the board. Easily in step with every other mountain west program.
  • Aggie Cisco
    45
    https://aggieascent.ucdavis.edu/

    Love the additions/plans for everything especially for the non football sports. My only gripe is that we still need more seats for our eventual transition to MW football and would have preferred two levels of suites (since building extra now is cheaper than adding more later). But the rest looks awesome!
  • ucdtim17
    15
    Renderings are a little rudimentary but it's nice to see that football is a phase 1 priority. I trust they've done the due diligence to figure out six suites plus that club seating is something that is realistic to fill in a profitable manner. Hopefully there are next phase general seating expansions planned as well.
  • MTBAggie
    206
    Man, this team is absolutely killing it. What a great announcement.
  • DrMike
    1k
    Wait, for $50M you could have built a state of the art stadium at the Dixon May Fair!

    Sorry reading too many twitters posts from across the Causeway!
  • Jdur
    214
    now that they don’t have a seating requirement for FBS elevation and this suite section will add a decent amount of seats, I’d imagine they are thinking that this premium seating first, extra seating later would be an easy addition
  • Jdur
    214
    Holy sh*t the plans for the U center are WAY beyond what I would have expected.
  • AggieFinn
    753
    All the facility upgrade proposals look proportionate and reasonable, and they look great! Excited for the baseball field and stands getting a nice overhaul.

    Football, it's basically a new Club/Suite level above the West side press booths. The Suite balconies are nice, very nice -- this is what attracts donors.

    Screenshot-2025-11-19-110932.jpg
  • Aggie Cisco
    45
    I know there isn’t a capacity requirement for FBS per se, but it is kind of an unspoken requirement by the conferences to be at least around 25k now, I was hoping to at least do a cheaper addition at least initially to one end zone to increase seated capacity to 12-15k for now (and add 2nd deck to student side later). I agree with adding premium seats as being our priority and love the plans, just wish we had 2 levels of suites so that we can have 10-12 suites at least. But I agree that this is great and the other sports are beyond what I expected for these plans.
    My only other wish is that we did a little something for equestrian sports and supported/promoted it a little more since we are an Ag/Vet school.
  • Aggie Cisco
    45
    100% agree we could have built a state of the art 45k stadium within 8 months at the fair grounds. lol. Jk.
  • Jdur
    214
    Yeah I am in the same boat. I think an addition to say the visiting side or the end zone would be a less substantial project when they eventually join the fbs. I also think generating revenue from the suites and club seating and then going on to add up to 25k would be a good plan. Its pretty certain that something like 18k-20k could already fit in the stadium with standing room (especially after the expansion considering we will have better bathroom and food facilities too.

    The stuff for the basketball arena and baseball stadium blew my expectations out of the water. Both of those faculties look like legit power conferences facilities. I couldnt believe my eyes when I saw those renderings.
  • AggieFinn
    753
    Over/Under on the build time for the UCDHS Club/Suite package?

    18 months? 2 years? I know how long it takes for Davis to get through a set of plans - too much red tape for one lifetime, I'll never build on that campus again, hopefully it's more streamlined now.
  • Jdur
    214
    They said 8 years for all projects which is an impressive timeline..
  • CA Forever
    869
    Awesome! Great to see a definite plan on paper!
  • Jdur
    214
    $265 million in privately funded upgrades to their facilities through "Aggies Ascent" as the athletics department moves to the mountain west
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.5k
    Did the report say that all of these projects would be competed within 8 years?
  • ucdtim17
    15
    How much of that $265 mil is in hand? Or is this release the start of fundraising?
  • eastbayaggie
    138
    How will the projects detailed in Aggie Ascent be funded?

    The projects will be funded through philanthropic gifts, naming opportunities, corporate sponsorships, athletics department resources and, if needed, potential debt or the issuance of bonds.
  • eastbayaggie
    138
    I'm interested in knowing how much shade the second deck of the UC Davis Health Stadium will provide. I anticipate the student section will get shade an extra hour early in the months of August to October.
  • movielover
    638
    Might the campus help fund the majority of the Event space / kitchen?

    How much is still owed on the current stadium?
  • PortlandAggie
    190
    So only one side gets built up? Am I understanding that right? It might look a little lopsided.
  • Jdur
    214
    Yes, the whole project is going to be in that span. From the Q&A section:
    UC Davis is working on a multi‑phase schedule that aligns with athletic, academic, donor and infrastructure milestones. While specific start and completion dates will depend on fundraising, permitting, and logistics, the goal is to complete all aspects of the plan over a span of eight years.
  • Jdur
    214
    I would assume (and this is pure assumption) but with the football stadium im assuming the plan is to build that side up, renovate and add onto the concession stuff on the other side (these things are finalized) and eventually add new bleacher seating to the visiting side (assumption considering that would be considerably cheaper than a new box side and would allow for quick addition with a football move to fbs).
  • Jdur
    214
    The choice to move golf and softball to south campus is interesting. Its easy to get there (a bike path under the highway separated from the road that I use almost daily).
  • SochorField
    493
    IMO this confirms we aren't interested in MWC football for the next 10+ years.
    Seating capacity still 10,000 with an allowable 17,000 if the FM is in a good mood.
    We aren't hosting Air Force, UNLV, Nevada, Hawaii, Northern Illinois, Wyoming etc. like this.
    Also confirms any building "up" on the bowl will be on the East side (sun).

    Baseball design is right on the money, with some shade features and press box.
  • Jdur
    214
    I feel like 2030 is a good assumption. I don't know if I would go that far considering this addition of suites will increase capacity (by a small margin) on top of the 17,000 if fire marshal is in a good mood (haha), and the addition of new hospitality spaces in concession and bathroom spaces which are already planned could easily be a infrastructural step to allow for additional seating bleachers to be added to the project/in another phase.
  • movielover
    638
    The campus Club / Banquet area is 13,000 - 15,000 SF, the majority of the space, so the campus' contribution ($$) and campus fundraising will be interesting.

    I would rather have an 18,000 full house than 19,000 in something that holds 30,000.
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