Changes are taking shape at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and BYU is using the 2026 season as the launch point for a broader facelift.
The Cougars said Saturday that several renovations at their home field are now complete, headlined by a revamped home locker room and new premium seating spaces aimed at recruits, guests and corporate partners. One more major addition is still on the way in 2027.
BYU’s primary gameday locker room has been overhauled with new lockers, updated technology and improved player amenities. The home space had lagged behind for years, especially compared with the school’s other locker rooms.
The day-to-day locker room on campus was already redone in 2021, when the student-athlete building got a 75-yard-long space patterned after the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. That was the first major renovation to the building since it opened in 2004 and was paid for through the SAB maintenance endowment fund created before construction. The visiting locker room beneath the west stands was also fully renovated before the 2024 season.
Now the focus shifts to the east side of the stadium, where BYU has built a new recruiting lounge under the stands near the home locker rooms. The space is designed to serve recruits and their families on game day and will include seating, food and drinks, plus entertainment options. It also features visible PACS branding, continuing the longtime corporate sponsor’s presence on the sidelines.
Premium seating is expanding as well. A new upper-concourse hosting area between the west and north stands will be known as “LaVell’s Lounge,” honoring the late LaVell Edwards. Sponsored by Qualtrics, it replaces the old Gridiron Grill West and is set up as a space for athletic department guests and corporate sponsors, with expanded concessions, new seating, televisions and other amenities.
The biggest long-term project is the PACS Pavilion, a future two-story premium club seating area planned for the northwest platform. BYU spent the offseason removing and rebuilding the infrastructure connecting the north and west stands to create a deeper foundation for that project. Construction is scheduled to begin after the 2026 football season.
Most of the work is in place for the Cougars’ 2026 opener, set for Sept. 5 against Utah Tech at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN+. One piece of the overhaul, though, won’t arrive until 2027.
BYU also added a banner recognizing the program’s Pop-Tarts Bowl appearance and 25-21 win over Georgia Tech last December, along with other bowl-game achievements.
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BYUs New Big Man Could Change More Than The Frontcourt
Jaxon Kohlers decision to join BYU gives the Cougars a frontcourt piece with far more range than the usual post addition. After four seasons at Michigan State, where he averaged 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds last season, Kohler arrives with a reputation for scoring inside, stepping into midrange looks and even stretching out to the three-point line, all while bringing strong free throw shooting and a feel for making plays for others.
For BYU, the fit could ripple beyond the paint. He is expected to spend more time at center, which should give the Cougars a different look offensively and potentially open up more lineup options around him. The intriguing part is not just what Kohler adds in the lane, but how his skill set might change the way BYU can space the floor and use its big men moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Is Getting National Hype Around A Key Big 12 Hope
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The bigger takeaway for BYU is how much this latest spotlight reinforces the sense that the program has real backcourt buzz. Sweeney also called Wright a candidate to lead the Big 12 in scoring, while several other Utah-connected names made the broader watch list, including BYUs Collin Chandler and Bruce Branch III, plus former Utah players Kanon Catchings and Keanu Dawes. For the Cougars, the early national chatter around Wright is the sort of sign that suggests expectations are rising fast. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Fans Have An Early Reason To Love This Incoming Class
A wave of BYU football commits is already making its presence felt as their senior high school seasons get underway, giving Cougars fans an early glimpse of the class before those players ever arrive on campus. Ezra Sanelivi stood out in particular, breaking loose for two long rushing touchdowns and finishing his opener with 133 yards, a strong start that has only added to the buzz around the incoming group.
He was far from alone, either. Blake Wong, Uhila Wolfgramm, Moa Havili, Jaxson Rex, Jeremiah Williams, Peyton Higginson, Tytan DeJong, Kyle Babrotzky, Lakepa Satuala and Jag Ioane also turned in notable performances in their own games, a reminder that this class is not being built around one headline name. For BYU, the early returns are encouraging, even if the bigger question is how all of that prep success will translate once these commits are wearing Cougar blue. [Read more 🡒]
