OXFORD | Construction for additional premium seating at Oxford-University Stadium will begin as soon as this coming season is complete.

The Mississippi IHL Board of Trustees, during its January 18 meeting, approved the $30 million project that will add 450-500 premium seats in a new structure down the third base line.

There will also be a new entrance to the stadium toward the left-field foul pole and an “All-American” Plaza that will feature a statue of former Rebel Tim Elko.

Construction is expected to be completed for the 2026 baseball season. Ole Miss will play in the existing stadium in the 2025 season, and construction will continue as possible around practices and games.

“It will be similar to the Dugout Club where you go inside for food and drinks and then have your seating outside,” Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter said. “You’ll be able to see out of the widows and see some of the action, and then there will be low seating at the top with an outdoor-suite concept that we don’t have right now, maybe 12 of them.

“We can generate a lot of revenue with it to pay the debt service on the project. Baseball has been a tough ticket, and our folks love premium, so it makes a lot of sense. Our baseball attendance numbers and demand are the real deal and a credit to the baseball staff and the fans.”

The Rebels have averaged around 8,500 seasons tickets sold the past seasons, with this project pushing that potential number closer to 9,000. Ole Miss baseball finished 2023 $166,126 over budget, one of very few programs to be in the black for the season.

That number didn’t include any debt-service expense, so with traditional reporting, this project would impact that number. However, Carter said the school will likely create a new line item moving forward for facility debt service that doesn’t fall under the respective sport’s expense numbers.

The initial expansion plan for O-U Stadium included outfield enhancements with a permanent structure for the Club 41-11 in right field and expanded seating for students and the fans in left field.

That phase is on hold until at least until this project is complete. The Club 41-11 is currently a temporary structure.

“We’re trying to figure out if there’s a need for (the Club 41-11) after we build this structure,” Carter said. “We’ll assess demand and see what it looks like. We may do the temporary one for a few years, and ultimately we’d still like to go back to our original plan and have a club section that overlooks our students.

“We want to expand the student section and left field for those folks. We still have a plan, but until we figure out where NIL is going, we’re pressing pause on the outfield stuff.”

Ole Miss opens the season February 16 for a four-game series at Hawaii. The Rebels’ home opener is February 21 against Arkansas State.