'The Palace Project' Moving Forward, Though Details Will Change, Oklahoma AD Roger Denny Says

NORMAN — “The Palace Project,” the extensive renovations on Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, will move forward, Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny said Thursday in a meeting with reporters.

But the details of what exactly the project will look like are still under evaluation, with Denny saying the retooled plans would be announced “in the months ahead.”

The project was announced in November and included renderings of the planned work.

Denny had yet to take over when the project was announced and had said in recent months that the project was being evaluated.

“That project is going to happen,” Denny said. “The question is just what it’s going to look like, what it’s going to consist of. … A lot of the elements that are there are really, really good elements for that project, for our program, for our fanbase, and for our community. …

“It will be a little bit different than what you’ve seen before. A lot of the elements there were really well thought out by our team. We'll continue to make sure that the stuff that makes sense is included in the project.”

The initial details of the project, which was expected to cost $450 million, included a renovated upper deck on the west side of the stadium with new suites, loge boxes, and press box and expanded concourses. It also included new lighting and speaker systems.

Two of the issues raised by some fans concerning the project was the reduction of the stadium’s capacity by approximately 7,000 and the moving of some long-time season-ticket holders sitting in the affected areas.

Denny addressed the latter Thursday, noting that he responded to feedback sought out by the department from ticket holders.

“I understand that’s a concern for our fans and a concern for people that have invested in that place and have been in those seats for a long time and have, to some extent, identity in where they sit in the stadium,” Denny said. “That's part of what makes this place great is folks have been in those seats for a really long time. So I understand the difficulty that's associated with the reseating in the stadium. But at the same time, we have to make sure that we are staying economically viable because the one thing we can't accept here is falling behind. …

“We're doing everything we can to make sure that every season-ticket holder to Oklahoma football has a place in the stadium and that will absolutely be the case and every place in the stadium will feel some element of improved experience.”

Denny said that in 2005, ticket revenue covered 160% of total football expenses.

“Twenty years later, our ticket revenue covers less than 75% of our total football spend,” Denny said. “This year, our ticket revenue will cover around 50% of our total football spend.

“I understand all of the emotion and the dynamic at play, but if we don’t find a way to change those trends, we won’t be able to sustain this program as a program that expects to go out and win championships year after year after year. That’s the reality that we’re confronting through this stadium renovation and will continue to address.”

Denny said every season-ticket holder would be contacted about the project.

"We have people that have treated us well for a really, really long time to not have those conversations. That doesn't make sense to me, so my expectation is that we'll talk to every single one of them and inform them of what the plan is but also let them know about what the options are and ultimately, I think, as we roll whatever the plans may be out, we're going to have to be a little more explicit this time around in making sure folks understand the improvements that are happening throughout the stadium, not just on the west side."

Construction on the project is slated to begin after the 2027 season with completion by the start of the 2029 season.

Denny said the timeline for the start of the project would remain the same, with construction beginning after next season. He said some utility work would be done after this season to prepare for the project.

Oklahoma Sooners Roger Denny — Oklahoma Athletic Director Roger Denny spoke with a group of reporters Thursday, outlining his plan for the department, facilities and more. | John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI

When Denny was introduced, he talked about the need to continually update facilities and not rely on major projects, like “The Palace Project” to be the only avenue for updating facilities. He reiterated that approach Thursday.

“That can’t be the end of it,” Denny said. “We have to get into that stadium every single year and make sure our building evolves with fan/consumer demand.”

Oklahoma has remade its football structure in recent years, adding general manager Jim Nagy and his staff, as the Sooners drastically changed the way the program operates in the wake of NIL and revenue sharing.

The athletic department as a whole operated at a nearly $44 million deficit in the 2025 fiscal year.

Even though the department receiving a full share of SEC revenue will help those numbers, many of the changes are being made to bring in additional revenue for the program.

“Not every bit of every decision is about the economics but we can't also ignore the economics,” Denny said. “That's too important for us to stay relevant and stay at the top in this business.”

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