Ole Miss Baseball Pauses Swayze Field Renovations

A Pause in the Action

In light of forthcoming landscape shifts in collegiate athletics, Ole Miss baseball is opting to shelve its proposed refurbishments for Swayze Field, according to athletic director Keith Carter. This development was revealed during an alumni gathering on Tuesday. Carter remarked, “We have great facilities right now. We’re going to continue to maintain and renovate and do those types of things, but probably for the next couple of years, you won’t see anything major.”.

The Reason Behind the Pause

Revenue sharing in college athletics, its expected adoption, and resultant financial insecurities largely influenced the decision to halt the planned upgrades. Per a court-approved settlement, Power Five institutions are expected to pool together for 24% of the staggering $2.8 billion in damages payable to former and present collegiate athletes, an amount to be subtracted from the NCAA’s disbursals to schools. With an initial cap of circa $20 million annually, revenue sharing heightens the impending fiscal constraints.

By the autumn of 2025, these schools will start sharing their revenue with their athletes, concluding the long-standing tradition of amateurism in college athletics. Carter stated, “We’re going to continue to invest in everything, but right now with NIL and (revenue) sharing, we’re just going to kind of focus on that.”

About the Project

The baseball project, which got the green light from Mississippi IHL in January and revealed by Ole Miss in February, had planned to introduce 450 premium seats in a novel club section, an updated entrance gate, and a plaza to honor the Rebels’ historic 2022 national championship team. Budget documents indicate that the project was nestled in a broader stadium renovation plan worth $30 million.

However, the Ole Miss athletic department reported a deficit of over $8 million in the fiscal year just ended. Carter assured the public in January after the report’s release that the department was working on a comprehensive approach to escalate revenues and curtail expenses.

Forward-Looking Statements

In January, Carter acknowledged the urgency of the situation, saying, “I feel like we have had to make up some ground, and we’ve had to kind of do that quickly. Most of it is in football, honestly. When you think about that, and we’re saying ‘Hey, we’re going to go all in on football. We’re going to commit to a coach. We’re going to commit to a winning structure.’ I think we’ve seen the results of that.”