NORFOLK, Va. – In order to assure that the renovation of Bud Metheny Ballpark affects just one baseball season and not two, Old Dominion officials have decided to delay a planned $20 million makeover of the 40-year-old stadium.
Construction was to begin in January of 2024, with the Monarchs set to play the 2024 season off campus and the new stadium to open in 2025. But Dr. Wood Selig, ODU's director of athletics, said that timetable might be too tight for construction to begin on time.
The Monarchs will play on campus next spring, with construction to begin after the 2024 season has ended.
The 2025 season will be played off campus at a site to be determined. And while Dr. Selig said Harbor Park, home of the Norfolk Tides, and War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, home base for the Peninsula Pilots, are logical choices, ODU is also looking elsewhere to find the best temporary home possible for the Monarchs.
"There's a lot of preliminary work that still needs to be done," Dr. Selig said. "Just given the time it's going to take to formalize the stadium design and budget, we got a little nervous."
The General Assembly has also not agreed on a state budget, and while an agreement is expected, the stadium project can't move forward until the budget is finalized.
"We need to play it safe," Dr. Selig said. "There is no way we could confidently have a completed stadium by February of 2025 at the speed we are going now.
"We'll be open for business in 2026. That gives us the best chance to impact just one baseball season."
The new stadium will take a year to complete, but administrators are hopeful an aggressive work schedule might allow the stadium to open in the last weeks of the 2025 season.
Coach Chris Finwood said he agreed with the delay, which he called "a smart move," and is hopeful of playing some late-season 2025 games in the new stadium.
"I've been involved in most of the meetings we've had about the stadium and things are really progressing well," Finwood said. "I'm really pleased with everyone working on this project and the design work done so far.
"It would be great for our players if we were able to play some of our 2025 season in the new stadium. There's no guarantee, but that's something we hope can happen."
Rick French, ODU's senior associate athletics director for facilities and operations, said the University will work with the contractor and other stakeholders to ensure an "aggressive but calculated schedule" is followed.
Coach Chris Finwood, pictured with Dr. Wood Selig, called the delay "a smart move."
Opened in 1983, The Bud, as the stadium is affectionately called, was state of the art at the time but now is in serious need of a renovation. That became particularly obvious in 2021, when ODU was named a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament but was unable to host a regional because the stadium did not meet modern tournament standards.
Galvanized by the plight of the 2021 team, alumni gathered with the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation, ODU's fundraising arm, even before the 2021 season ended to begin a stadium fundraising campaign. The effort was quickly endorsed by the University.
ODU President Brian O. Hemphill, PhD., led much of the fundraising effort and closed a $2.5 million donation from businessman Dennis Ellmer and his wife, Jan. The new stadium will be known as the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex.
ODU has raised $18.5 million of the $20 million budgeted for the project, said John Vellines, an athletic development officer for major gifts for ODAF. The goal is to continue well past the $20 million mark to cover any cost increases that might be caused by inflation.
"Fundraising continues to go well," Vellines said.
The family of Dennis Ellmer has contributed $2.5 million to the project.
The most recent contribution was a $1 million donation from the family of Russ Turner, a former Navy Commander and ODU alumnus who is President of Norfolk-based Turner Strategic Technologies and owner and CEO of TST Construction.
It was the second-largest donation of the fundraising drive, which has included hundreds of donations, both big and small.
Turner, who flew helicopters in combat for the Navy, has been a big supporter of the football and basketball programs and is second vice chairman of the ODAF Board. He said he's been looking to broaden his support to other programs and that the stadium was a logical choice given that baseball is his favorite sport.
His oldest son, Ryan, who is a business partner, will contribute half of the $1 million. Turner said he told Dr. Selig in April that he would donate $1 million if his son agreed to donate half.
"I think Wood thought I was joking," Turner said. The next morning, his son texted a one-word reply: "Sure."
Turner then made the donation commitment to Dex Blank, an assistant athletic director for athletic development.
A new fan entrance to the stadium will be named for the Turner family, including his children, Ryan, Cody, MacKenzie and Kelsey, and his wife, Marilyn, an ODU alumnus who passed away in 2010.
Russ Turner
Populous, a Kansas-based architectural firm, is working with Moseley, a Virginia Beach architectural firm, to design the $20 million renovation.
The renovated stadium will have all new seating, as well as new locker rooms, coaches' offices, dugouts, a much-needed new press box and multi-media area, athletic training room, luxury suites and a luxury ground level club area behind home plate. The exterior of the stadium will in part be encased in "ODU brick," the same style of brick used by the University on most of its newer buildings.
Much of the focus on the stadium makeover is on fan amenities.
All stadium seating in the main bowl will be chairback, as well as outdoor club seating on the ground level. That's a huge a huge upgrade from the current facility which has all aluminum bleacher seats.
The popular Rally Alley on the right field side of the stadium will go largely untouched, as will the Paul Keyes Hitting Facility and bullpens.
The stadium is expected to seat 2,100 fans, with standing room expected to accommodate hundreds more. Updated and enhanced restroom and concessions facilities are included in the designs.
The new ground level club will have big-screen TVs, plush seating and an entrance to a covered outdoor terrace, with stand-up tables and chairback seats.
Dr. Selig said he hopes the new stadium will increase attendance and create more revenue for baseball.
"Over the years we've provided our fans with some great baseball, but what we haven't yet given them is a comfortable place to enjoy some of the best college baseball in the country," he said.
"That won't be the case once the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex opens. It's going to be such a wonderful place to watch and to play baseball. We already have a very loyal fan base and I'm confident the new stadium will help it to grow."
Brandon Armstrong, a project manager for ODU's design and capital construction office, is leading the project for ODU, along with French and Greg Smith, associate athletic director for facilities and event management.
Jeff Hyder and Patrick Ramirez are working on the design for Moseley and Populous, respectively.
As for playing another season at the Bud, said Vellines: "We're excited to have one more victory lap at the Bud."
For a presentation on the stadium project, and to learn about available naming rights opportunities, CLICK HERE.
Contact Minium at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
ODU to Delay Makeover of Bud Metheny Ballpark to Ensure Renovation Affects Just One Season
