The new football season is just over a month and a half away, and the lack of any sign of lights has some fans worried.
But Ball State's Director of Engineering and Facilities Management Jim Lowe says these worries are completely unfounded.
"We have had no problems," he said. "Not at all."
The lights, which were ordered after funding was secured, are currently under construction and will arrive within two weeks.
"The poles are currently being constructed," Lowe said. "The lights are currently on order, so are the shrouds, the lamps if you will, and they should arrive around July 20th or 27th."
Lowe also said that there is no danger of Ball State missing the deadline to light the September 2 game against Boston College.
"It will take about ten days for them to install once the equipment comes in," he said. "From what I understand the process is very quick."
Six poles will be erected in the coming weeks, four on the west side and two on the east side of Ball State Stadium.
According to Dale Koppin, the senior project manager of the Ball State project, the lights will come in five pieces which will be constructed on-site. The lights, lamps, and all electrical units will be installed on the ground, and should take a very short time to construct.
"I would probably think they could assemble two poles a day, so I'd say three days [to construct the poles]," Koppin said.
Once the poles are constructed, they will be placed on top of the concrete base and raised.
"The next step is standing the poles," Koppin said. "They can do two or three a day, depending on weather conditions. If it's windy, it just hinders the pole raising. We use a crane, and the crane operators don't like the wind."
Ball State Stadium will begin to get a new look on July 26th, which is when construction will begin. Both Koppin and Lowe estimate about 10 work days or two weeks to complete construction, making a tentative completion date of August 8. Football practice begins August 9.
"We have a substantial completion date of August the 20th," Koppin said. "We should easily meet that."
Koppin says he doesn't think anything is delaying the construction of the lights.
"I certainly do not," he said.9925+â-ê|?*football lights update 7.15DNEditorial992SORT™+â-ä2AUDT
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