OU fans who walk into Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday for the Orange Bowl will know the place has been renovated.
A privately-funded, $350 million renovation began in January 2015 but wasn’t completed until the 2016 season, a year after OU’s Orange Bowl game against Clemson. The upgrades included video boards in each corner of the stadium, more suites and an open-air canopy over most of the seats.
Hard Rock Stadium’s capacity dropped from 75,000 to 65,000, but the new look is much more modern and gives the stadium a contemporary feel. In fact, this is the 32nd football season for Hard Rock Stadium, which replaced the old Orange Bowl as home to the NFL Dolphins.