FAU football stadium to boost Boca after tomorrow’s opening

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FAU football coach Howard Schnellenberger and a rendering of the new FAU stadium

Florida Atlantic University’s new $70 million football stadium is set to open tomorrow in Boca Raton, and according to the Sun-Sentinel, its poised to have a big impact on both the school and the surrounding city.

The school has already expanded in advance of the opening, adding two dorms and 1,200 more students to the on-campus population. Further, enrollment and the number of applications for acceptance have reached record heights.

Coach Howard Schnellenberger compares it to downtown Louisville, which underwent a transformation after the University of Louisville unveiled its new football stadium.

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School trustees see intercollegiate sports, and especially football, as an avenue to national recognition for the Boca Raton school, and the city itself.

“It goes well beyond football. A stadium is an economic driver, not just for game day. It enhances the university, and a thriving university is an asset to the city it is in. This is huge for Boca Raton,” said Armand Grossman, an FAU Board of Trustee member and a commercial real estate broker and developer who lives in Boca Raton.

Last month, the school inked Delray Acura and Delray Honda as sponsors of the two club levels. [Sun-Sentinel]