NCAA Softball Regional Championship: Auburn vs. South Alabama
Auburn fans cheer during a fifth inning rally against South Alabama Sunday, May 17, 2015, during the NCAA Regional Softball Championship game at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)
Interest has never been higher for Auburn softball.
Auburn snapped a school record with 500 season tickets sold for the 2016 season earlier this week, just a few days removed from the Tigers' run to the semifinals of the Women's College World Series.
The uptick in ticket sales, along with multiple sellouts and over-capacity crowds in the postseason, has athletics director Jay Jacobs considering expansion at the 1,500-seat Jane B. Moore Field.
Whether Auburn decides to add club-level suits remains to be seen, but plans are underway for expansion. Jacobs compared the plans to those already being made for a potential renovation at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
"We'll do the same thing for softball if we thought our clientele would be into purchasing those," he said. "Right now, we just need seats."
More temporary seating could be installed. Auburn added 350 temporary seats for the Alabama series, and recorded crowds of 1,700 or more in its final four games at home.
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Auburn lists $15 million for a potential softball facility on its list of capital projects for the future, according to documents provided to Auburn University's Board of Trustees. About $5 million of the project would be funded through bonds.
Jacobs explained expansion at Jane B. Moore Field could be difficult because of the lack of space beyond the outfield walls. Auburn could potentially explore options elsewhere on or off campus for a new stadium, but nothing is formal at this point.
"Let's not box ourselves in on one particular thing," Jacobs said. "We began to look at our overall strategic plan, our overall plan for softball, you want to have the architect draw it so you have the chance to add suites."
Jacobs said upgrades at the softball and baseball stadiums are "somewhat ahead" of the Tigers' initial plans for a new athletics complex.