In 1949, the north end of the stadium was enclosed, the playing area was lowered six feet with the elimination of the running track around the field.

The west side upper deck was added in 1975, featuring a lounge and a new press box, for a total capacity of 71,187 fans at a cost of about $5.7 million.

[6] Improved south end zone seating, including new coaches' offices and training facilities, was added in 1980 and the old turf was replaced with Superturf in 1981.

The Supreme Court upheld the original trial decision, confirming that the NCAA's television plan indeed violated the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts.

With the successful outcome of the court case against the NCAA, more late afternoon and night games were scheduled in Norman and television schedules changed during the season, requiring large portable light trucks to take up space on campus while waiting for the next televised game.

The turf's poor condition is widely believed to have contributed to a crash of the Sooner Schooner during a 1993 game against Colorado.

Restrooms were old and inadequate; paint was peeling off external walls and the areas under the stands (the east side in particular) were dark and smelled like dust.

The university began to get more freshman applications than it could house due in large part to the football team's success.

[15] Along with other campus improvements such as more and better student housing, the refurbishment and expansion plan for the stadium was accelerated to be ready by the beginning of the 2003 season.

The west side, long ignored except for the press box construction in 1975, received restroom and concession improvements.

The north and west entries were renovated to match the Cherokee Gothic look of most campus buildings, and other cosmetic enhancements were made to the press box.

A new war memorial, listing the names of Sooners killed while serving in the U.S. armed forces, was placed next to the reflecting pool in 2003.

Subjects included: Legendary coaches Heisman Trophy Winners Other National Award Winners College Football Hall of Fame Three-Time All-Americans Four-Time All-Conference Statistical Leaders Special Sooners NCAA Record 47-Game Win Streak Split-T Option Wishbone Triggermen Special National Championships In a February 2007 radio interview, OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione said that a new stadium master plan was in development.

Castiglione spoke about replacing the press box and expanding the south end zone seating but gave no timetable or other details.

[7] In March 2007, the OU Board of Regents approved an Athletic Department request for $10.3 million to replace the displays and the sound systems of both the stadium and the Lloyd Noble Center.

The final phase was completed prior to the 2008 season and included replacement of the stadium's south scoreboard and sound system within the existing structure.

[22] The renovation is expected to cost approximately $160 million and anticipated completion is just prior to the start of the 2016 football season.

Due to uncertain economic conditions, the board of regents decided to start with "Phase 1" (which will focus primarily on the south endzone, football offices, training center and weight room), and proceed to "Phase 2" (which will focus on the west side of the stadium, including the press box, club seats and new facade.