Murray State’s CFSB Center Renovation Adding Premium Loge Boxes and a New Courtside Club
The eight-figure project is underway at Murray State, with the CFSB Center set for a lower-bowl rebuild, more than 1,000 premium seats, new loge boxes and a baseline bunker club for the 2026-27 season.
Murray State has begun its eight-figure renovation of the ,, advancing the first major overhaul of the arena since it opened in 1998. The project is scheduled to be completed for the 2026-27 basketball season and is centered on premium seating, upgraded fan amenities, and new revenue-generating hospitality products.
The premium inventory is a major part of the redevelopment. Murray State has said the project will add more than 1,000 premium seats, along with new loge boxes across the top of the seating bowl and additional courtside seating opportunities. The university has already started the premium seating sales process for loge boxes, offering five- and seven-year terms. Each loge box package includes four seats, four passes to the CFSB Club, the option to buy two standing-room-only tickets and one parking pass.
A new courtside bunker club is also planned along the baseline, giving the arena a more defined high-end hospitality product than it has offered previously. Murray State has described the space as a first-of-its-kind premium club for the venue, with a rustic Kentucky design, a full bar, food offerings, comfortable seating and direct views of the court. In its original concept release, the school also said the club would include a pregame team experience element.
“This eight-figure renovation will create new, reoccurring revenue streams and have a transformational impact on our student-athlete and fan experience, while creating one of the premiere basketball and entertainment venues in our region.” – Nico Yantko, Director of Athletics, Murray State
The lower level will shift from its current retractable bleacher setup to a horseshoe-shaped lower bowl with permanent seating, while the student section remains flexible for commencement, concerts, and other non-basketball uses. The new seats will also be larger than the current product and include cup holders, giving the arena a more contemporary baseline experience across the lower bowl.
The renovation also includes new LED ribbon boards, concessions, and retail upgrades, including grab-and-go stands intended to improve flow and expand offerings. Those changes are paired with a broader modernization push inside the building that Murray State has tied to both fan experience and the economics of college athletics.
With the seating structure completed, the university also plans to add one of what it describes as the country’s largest dedicated basketball performance spaces, with a nutrition oasis, rehab and prehab areas, hydrotherapy room, NIL studio or Nike Brand Lab depending on project phase materials, and player development and academic space. That gives the renovation both a front-of-house hospitality component and a back-of-house recruiting and athlete-development component.
“We are incredibly grateful for our Board of Regents and their commitment to our shared vision for excellence and their belief in our plans to turn the CFSB Center into one of the premiere venues in the Missouri Valley Conference and in the nation. This project will have a transformative impact on our student-athlete and fan experience, and provide new reoccurring revenue streams and creative unforgettable premium opportunities for our department as we continue to enter a new era of collegiate athletics.” – Nico Yantko, Director of Athletics, Murray State
For college venue operators, the project is a clear example of how mid-major basketball programs are using premium seating and club products to reshape older arenas without replacing them outright. At Murray State, the addition of loge boxes, a new courtside club, larger premium inventory and upgraded food-and-beverage service moves the CFSB Center closer to the hospitality model increasingly seen in newer collegiate and minor league venues.
