May 8—- Copy Link — Facebook — LinkedIn — Share on X dbeard @dominionpost.com MORGANTOWN — WVU football fans — and anyone who loves Milan Puskar Stadium — will be excited to watch the creation of a new West Tower following this fall football season.
WVU offers this summary of the project: “Designed to elevate one of college football’s most storied venues, this project invests in the long-term success of WVU Athletics and enhances the home of Mountaineer football for generations to come.”
WVU continues, “Focused on delivering a wider range of modern, premium experiences, the West Tower will offer unique seating and hospitality options that meet the expectations of today’s fans. Mountaineer Nation has made its voice clear—the time has come for new spaces that bring comfort, connection, and excitement to game day.”
National construction firm Barton Malow — whose experience includes stadium projects across the country — and Morgantown-based March-Westin, which has longstanding connections to WVU, are construction managers.
The Dominion Post spoke with Project Executive Scott Mull, with Barton Malow, and Patrick Garcia, project manager with March-Westin, about the new tower.
Following the 2026 football season, they said, the current press box tower will come down.
“And then it’ll be built back larger, ” Mull said, “so it can be a combined space. So the press and broadcast functions will still be in there, but then it’ll also have a lot of fan space as well in the new tower.”
Garcia said, “They’re taking the right step doing this construction and just overall design, everything. Everything has been well thought out and has a purpose, so that’s what’s great about this new build.”
WVU plans show that the project will include new ledge seats.
The new tower will have four levels, starting with the Club Level, and above that the Founders Level and the Suite Level, with the new press box at the top.
Mull said they will start work immediately following this season. Construction will go through the 2027 season. “So we’ll have everything put in a safe place for fans to be able to get in and still be able to enjoy the 2027 season.
“There’ll be temporary provisions for the broadcast, for the press, for that box that’s being in the process of being rebuilt at that time, ” he said. “And then everything will be open for a grand opening of the new West Tower for the 2028 season.”
Also included in the team are Legends Global, representing WVU Athletics, and the SLAM Collaborative, project architects.
Mull said next steps in the process include awarding and coordinating the subcontractors. “Through the whole schedule, quality, safety, and cost tracking through the life of the project is the expertise that we bring. Part of why we formed this joint venture, Barton Mallow has worked a lot on a regional and national basis doing this type of renovation for a lot of peer universities, large, large college stadiums.”
He said, “We’re passionate about what we do and what we build. But to be able to do it at a place like WVU is just extra cool. So our team’s excited.”
Garcia said that for him, this project completes a circle, because he remembers seeing his first WVU football game as a kid — against Virginia Tech, led by quarterback Michael Vick (who moved on to a pro career with the Falcons, the Eagles and, briefly, the Steelers).
“Just being able to take all those memories you’ve got at Mountaineer Stadium. And now fast forward to today, and you’re a part of something so great that’s going to be just something that Mountaineer fans look at for the foreseeable future that can make everyone proud. And just being a part of it, it really does make the whole thing come full circle. So we’re honored that WVU has selected our partnership.”
According to WVU, the current press box was opened in 1980 and saw some renovations in 2017 and 2018. A 2024 market feasibility study showed significant fan interest in additional premium offerings.
The WVU Board of Governors approved the Athletics Master Plan in November 2025, which included the vision for the West Tower project. Last February, the BOG approved the design development phase.
WVU told the Dominion Post that WVU Athletics will return to the BOG later this year after additional fundraising, sales, and design efforts have led to a refined total project cost and plan of finance for the project, to request authorization to proceed.
The total estimated cost is $156 million.
The project website includes comments from WVU President Michael Benson and Athletics Director Wren Baker.
Benson said, “The new West Tower is a long overdue and necessary investment that will ensure continued growth of WVU Athletics and WVU Football. Serving as the ‘front door’ for national networks with improved broadcast capabilities, the West Tower will also provide in-demand premium seating in updated spaces for our fans, who’ve been calling for new options for years, while generating additional revenue. I believe this is a vital project that will allow Milan Puskar Stadium to maintain its standing as a premier sports facility far into the future.”
Baker said, “We are very excited about our West Tower project. When completed, this project will give our fans the premium seating options they desire and expressed interest in when we did our surveys several months ago. Growing our premium seating offerings is also critical to producing long-term revenue streams that are vital to our future growth and success.
“This is an ambitious project that will require great effort to get accomplished, ” he said. “The end result will enhance the game-day experience at Milan Puskar Stadium and give fans access to new seating options and amenities while also making Milan Puskar stadium more viable for concerts and other events. We are excited about this project because it will benefit WVU in a multitude of ways for many years.”