POCATELLO — Idaho State University over the next two years will vastly improve the fan experience at Holt Arena with a multimillion-dollar gift from Idaho Central Credit Union, the school announced Monday.

ISU President Kevin Satterlee revealed the Holt Arena renovation project during his annual fall address to faculty and staff Monday morning at the Frazier Hall auditorium. Additionally, Satterlee spoke about a new, two-year campaign to raise $20 million for student scholarships and thanked ISU employees for thriving during a difficult year marred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Monday’s address was Satterlee’s first in-person meeting with all faculty and staff since the pandemic began.

“A couple of months ago, when I realized we were going to have a fall address in person, in this historic theater, in this oldest building on campus, I started to tear up, not figuratively, but literally,” he said. “Things have changed a bit since then. We all have masks, but we’re here. We’re together.”

Satterlee said the two-year “Leave Your Legacy. Start Theirs” scholarship campaign aims to help ease the financial pressure for students to attend Idaho State. All gifts go directly to students in need to keep them, their ideas and future contributions a part of the Bengal community. The campaign is expected to conclude in fall 2023.

ISU Athletic Director Pauline Thiros says ICCU is fully funding the upgrades to Holt Arena, which she described as “jaw-dropping,” adding that the school is still working to finalize how much the project will cost. School officials are expected to present the final estimated cost to the Idaho State Board of Education during a meeting in Pocatello next week.

The first phase of the project involves installing a fully-branded turf that meets the latest specifications and standards for performance and safety. The turf will remain green but will feature new branded logos, endzones, field markings and numbering. The turf is expected to be installed before the start of the Fall 2022 football season.

The next phase of the project is expected to reach completion by August 2023 and will involve replacing all of the multi-colored seats with new seating, adding elevators on the north side and creating donor hospitality suites, club space, and premium seating options between both 30-yard lines.

“We fully anticipate completing our next two football seasons in Holt Arena without any disruptions,” Thiros said. “The turf will be installed prior to the 2022 season and the rest of the upgrades will begin after completing the planning, design and bid processes sometime in the spring 2023 and reach completion come fall. We do anticipate some disruptions to the spring 2023 football season, but thank goodness we have the ICCU practice field outside and some latitude to when we conduct our spring football season.”

All of the tunnels and entryways into the facility will also get a facelift that will include making them more accessible for fans with disabilities, Thiros added.

The announcement comes a year after ISU celebrated the 50th anniversary of Holt Arena. Over the years, the 12,000-seat venue has been home to university commencements, championship football and basketball games and concerts. Holt Arena has also been an important venue for the community, hosting high school football games, graduations, rodeos and more, including a 1974 visit from then-Georgia Governor and future U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

The facility was the vision of former ISU Athletic Director Milton “Dubby’’ Holt, who saw the unique dome as a solution to get more fans to football games by playing at night in a covered arena. The arena, originally known as the Minidome, cost $2.8 million to construct and was funded through student fees after the student body voted to support the project. The doors opened to fans on Sept. 26, 1970.

“Holt Arena is the most iconic building on our campus, and I am incredibly excited that this tremendous investment will solidify its legacy for the next 50 years,” Thiros said. “These enhancements will not only dramatically improve the game-day environment, but are paramount to elevating the program and the experience of our student-athletes. ICCU is making it possible to execute one of the first of many, much-needed major capital improvements to the athletics facilities at Idaho State.”

The expected upgrades to Holt Arena is the second recent project funded by ICCU. Last month, the university broke ground on the $11.5 million ICCU Bengal Alumni Center, which is being constructed just north of Holt Arena. The new 26,281-square-foot building will serve as a meeting place and events center for alumni, students and friends of the university, and it will be the home of the ISU Sports Hall of Fame. Construction on the center is expected to be completed by spring 2023.

“It’s no secret that we love ISU, and this investment shows our commitment to the university and our community,” said Kent Oram, President and CEO of ICCU. “For more than 50 years, the Holt Arena has brought people together for many amazing events. Accessibility is so important and will allow everyone the ability to attend events here. We are proud to make this investment on behalf of our members and team members, many of whom are graduates or students of Idaho State. Go Bengals!”