L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium

The University of Louisville hired CMTA to renovate and expand the 140,000 SF L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium and its supporting facilities. Leveraging our 20-year partnership with the university, CMTA completed several projects aimed at increasing the stadium’s capacity, modernizing its athletic amenities, and enhancing its energy efficiency.

To increase the stadium’s capacity, CMTA designed the North End Zone expansion, which added 6,000 seats. The expansion featured field-level luxury suites, new lodge boxes, and a club suite, enhancing the overall fan experience. The stair towers constructed to support the expansion were used to incorporate new video scoreboards, which necessitated adjustments to the stadium’s sports lighting.

The project also expanded and renovated the Schnellenberger building, adding 44,000 SF to the existing 45,000 SF facility. Renovations modernized the football weight room, team meeting rooms, therapy areas with hydrotherapy pools, team lounges, offices, and fan club areas. New LED lighting was installed throughout the facility. CMTA also integrated the XOs System for game film sharing among coaches and players, alongside new broadcast infrastructure for three new camera locations.

Additionally, a new 55,000 SF Thorntons Athletic Academic and Nutrition Center was added under the stadium’s South End seating and terrace. This “floating building” houses a large dining hall, athletics offices, meeting rooms, study lounges, and a large auditorium for student-athletes.

The expansion effort involved working around the existing utilities serving the stadium, requiring extensive work to relocate the 15 kV electric utility, as well as the sewer, gas, water, and communications lines. To minimize facility downtime, utility shutdowns were strategically scheduled to occur overnight and during weekends, aligning with football staff travel times. This meticulous coordination required detailed planning throughout the design phase and the release of early bid packages, ensuring seamless integration with coaching and recruiting travel schedules.