Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne met with the media on Monday to announce additional donations for the North End Zone project at Arizona Stadium.  

The athletic department received three significant donations that will help in the development of these renovations.

“”This is a very exciting day for our athletic department across the board,”” Byrne said.

The project received three separate donations, the first one for $11 million from a family that requested to remain anonymous. Byrne described the family as longtime supporters of the University, and its donation is the second largest gift in the history of the Arizona athletic department.

Jeff Stevens, who was sitting next to Byrne throughout the press conference, and his wife increased their donation by $2 million, up to a total of $12 million. The third donation came from well-known Tucson businessman Jim Click, who pledged $2.5 million to the project.

According to Byrne, these gifts will bring the total for the project up to $25.5 million. Other commitments and donations push that total closer to $27 million, and the department is confident that they will be able to reach $30 million soon.

After thanking numerous contributors, including UA President Robert Shelton, Byrne continued to describe the importance the North End Zone Project will have on the UA.

“”The North End Zone Project will obviously have an impact on our football program, but it also is going to impact all of our student athletes.””

The university announced plans for an enclosure on the north end of Arizona Stadium with a multi-floor, multipurpose structure 18 months ago. This announcement was a significant step toward gaining the finances for the project, which is estimated to cost around $72.3 million.

Byrne displayed three pictures of the planned exterior layout. He also said the expansion will include a weight room, medical treatment center, locker room, coaches office and multipurpose cafeteria area used for student-athletes every day. The hope is to eventually open the cafeteria to all students.

As for seating, the plan is to have a club area, club seating and a private club area for some supporters. Instead of metal bleachers, the initial plan is to have actual seats, but that has not been finalized.

The stadium’s concessions and restrooms will also be improved, “”which is something we always hear about on game day,”” Byrne said.

Going forward, Byrne said he’s optimistic the project can come to fruition.

“”If approved, our plan would be to break ground in January after the season is over. There would be a 15-18 month construction,”” Byrne said.