By Colleen Kane
Enquirer staff writer

OXFORD - When the Miami football team takes the field for its home opener against Indiana State on Saturday night, Yager Stadium will have a special glow. It's a glow that comes from a driven athletics director and the alumni he has asked for help, a glow that has been fed by increased national recognition of the football program in recent years.

And the stadium's new permanent lights and scoreboard might have something to do with it, too.

The RedHawks will showcase to the students and fans "phase two" of their three-phase campaign to renovate the 22-year-old Yager Stadium on Saturday. Phase one was the installation of FieldTurf last year. This year's second step consisted of new permanent lighting, a scoreboard and video screen that defensive coordinator Brian George said is "one of the coolest scoreboards I've ever seen," and the beginning of a new Cradle of Coaches plaza behind one end zone. The third phase will consist of new stands on the east side of the field and in the north end zone, to be completed by next season. An indoor practice facility and improvements to the press box and locker rooms are other possible future renovations.

"Dramatic. That's the word I use on a regular basis. The most dramatic changes in my 19 years here," Miami head coach Terry Hoeppner said. "Our players are excited about it. I'm sure the students when they see it, the former players, alumni, fans, they'll all be more than pleasantly surprised. They've exceeded our expectations.

"A lot of people are responsible, because it's all done with private funding. A lot of alumni stepped up to the plate. But (athletics director) Brad Bates spearheaded that. He's accomplished a lot in his short time here."

Bates came to Miami in December 2002 after many years at Vanderbilt and Michigan. He said part of the reason he was drawn to the RedHawks was the talk of the renovation campaign. Hoeppner tells the story of one of Bates' first days on campus, when he was shown a rough outline of what they had wanted done "since I was in junior high, I think," Hoeppner joked.

"(Bates) says to the architect, 'How soon can we get it? My time frame is ASAP,' " Hoeppner said.

A year and a half later, they're two-thirds of the way through their project. And other sports, such as softball and ice hockey, also are looking toward new facilities.

Bates didn't have figures immediately available, but nearly all of the improvements have been funded by private donations, such as the one that came from former Miami players Mark and Pete Mathers that went toward installing the FieldTurf. That fundraising has been made easier by recent success, which included finishing 10th in the final Associated Press poll under All-America quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last season.

"Miami has a wonderful story to tell," Bates said. "We have a rigorous academic environment ... and when a team emerges in the top 10, ranked ahead of Florida and Texas and Florida State, it ... shows that really good students can be really good athletes, too."

Ideally, the improvements would continue this circular trend that is present in so many successful programs. A successful year with high-profile players turns into TV time, which turns into increased donations, turns into renovations, turns into more high-profile players interested in the program, turns into more success, and so on. Hoeppner said it will be a few years before they'll fully be able to tell the effect the recent exposure and changes will have on the RedHawks' recruiting, but he said recognition among recruits across the country has increased.

The RedHawks will play three home night games, and one of them - Nov. 2 vs. Toledo - will be televised on ESPN2. Miami's games at Michigan and Marshall also will be televised.

"There has to be some tangible effect of us being on television, the winning, the success, the attention we got as a team and Ben being a first-round draft pick," Hoeppner said. "I think all of that contributes to an overall good feeling."

And Wednesday, as Miami strong safety Matt Pusateri stood on the new field, below the new lights and scoreboard, he agreed.

"It's exciting," Pusateri said. "It's going to be most exciting when we get to use it in a game."

Three phases to Yager Stadium

Phase one: Installation of FieldTurf (Completed in 2003)

Phase two: Permanent light, new scoreboard and video screen (Completed this year)

Phase three: New stands on east side of field and north end zone (Goal is to be finished by start of 2005 season)

2004 RedHawks

2003 RECORD: 13-1, 9-0, MAC champs (No. 10 in poll)

LAST BOWL: 2003 GMAC

SCHEDULE

Aug. 28: Indiana State

Sep. 4: at Michigan

Sep. 11: at Cincinnati

Sep. 18: Ohio

Sep. 29: at Marshall

Oct. 9: Kent State

Oct. 16: at Buffalo

Oct. 23: Central Florida

Nov. 2: Toledo

Nov. 13: at Western Michigan

Nov. 20: at Akron

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E-mail ckane@enquirer.com