51ºÚÁÏ

COLUMBIA, Mo. — When fans return to Missouri’s Memorial Stadium for the 2025 football season next week, it’ll look different. Think construction with a side of bacon-wrapped hot dogs.

Those are among the key changes to the game-day experience during a season in which Faurot Field’s north concourse will remain actively under construction.

Construction, which has taken place 24 hours a day at times to stay on pace for completion ahead of the 2026 season, remains on track.

“It is moving forward really well,� athletics director Laird Veatch said Monday.

The ongoing $250 million renovation of the stadium’s north end has been impossible to miss as crews have assembled the above-ground steel skeleton of the structure that will eventually close off that part of the facility, and its appearance will be strikingly different once games begin.

The grassy hill and white-washed Rock M are gone, replaced by dirt, steel and heavy machinery.

As a result, there won’t be a video board on the north side of the stadium this season, with the south end zone’s big screen serving as the only one. A small scoreboard and separate play clock will show game time, scores, the down and the distance, but they’re intended for players on the field more than fans in the stands.

Sorting out a temporary video board for the north end zone was “cost prohibitive — really not a good investment of resources,� Veatch said.

Stadium capacity will be lower than usual for the 2025 season, particularly because general admission tickets for the hill no longer exist. Veatch said his staff doesn’t know the exact capacity number at this point. In the past, with the hill available, 62,621 fans could fit inside the stadium.

And because of the construction, the north concourse is inaccessible, which means the MU athletics department has encouraged fans to enter the stadium on the side where their seats are located because crossing between the east and west stands won’t be as easy as it was before.

“It’s going to be much more difficult to enter and get from one side to the other,� Veatch said.

Walking up to the stadium from the north — think taking the pedestrian tunnel under Stadium Boulevard, for those familiar with the area — will still be possible but a tighter squeeze given the staging area for construction equipment. Given the project’s timeline, crews will still be working up until gates open two hours before kickoff.

That’s 30 minutes earlier than usual, which is intended to allow fans to enter the stadium earlier and avoid the congested entries that could come with the detours and closed-off areas.

The athletics department has also encouraged fans driving to Columbia from the 51ºÚÁÏ area to leave earlier than normal given the lane expansion work taking place on Interstate 70 between Kingdom City and Columbia.

Most, if not all, Missouri home games are expected to sell out again this season. Fewer than 500 tickets remain for the Tigers’ Aug. 28 season opener against Central Arkansas. That game’s evening kickoff will test the navigational changes to attending games at Faurot Field.

Once fans are in their seats, a handful of other changes are in store for 2025.

MU added a custom LED light system to the stadium during the offseason that will come into play for choreographed light shows before the game, during timeouts and following key plays.

Expect more fireworks on game day. Memorial Stadium has “enhanced and increased pyro� on hand, per an athletics department announcement.

Hot dogs, popcorn, chips, 16-ounce sodas and 12-ounce water bottles will be available for a reasonably priced by stadium standards, $2.99 each at six concessions locations. For the more adventurous eaters, a “BBQ bacon-wrapped Conecuh Sausage dog� will be available behind Section 121 on the west side.