A discarded ticket stub is seen in dirt is churned up on the hill near the south end zone at Cajun Field Tuesday where trees and shrubbery have been removed as renovations to the stadium begin. Leslie Westbrook March 11, 2014 / Leslie Westbrook, The Advertiser

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Demolition work began Monday on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Cajun Field as a part of the Athletics Facilities Master Plan.

The beginnin

g of a massive renovation to the 43-year-old football stadium, Monday’s work included removing flag poles and shrubbery from the south end zone and will later include the removal of concrete and a scoreboard that hasn’t been used for more than a decade.

Work will continue through the spring and summer as a construction team rounds the south end zone to create bowl-style seating and connects the two sides of the stadium with seating for 5,000. Additional renovations will include new restrooms and concession stands.

This phase of the football stadium renovation is expected to be completed by the first Ragin‘ Cajuns home game against Southern University on Aug. 30.

“We are very excited that they have actually started,” said John Dugas, associate athletic director for international operations for UL. “Being a lifelong resident of Lafayette and calling this university my home, I know how excited the public is about this project.”

Cajun Field currently has a capacity of 31,000. The last time the Ragin’ Cajuns played Southern at home, more than 40,000 fans filled the stadium, according to Dugas.

The first phase of the renovation project, which also includes improvements to the indoor practice facility and the construction of a new facility for the UL track and soccer programs, is being done by The Lemoine Company of Lafayette at a cost of $21 million.

The work is being paid for by Ragin’ Cajuns Athletic Foundation bonds financed over 30 years, according to Bill Crist, facility manager for UL.

“This one was done by the RCAF with the intention of jumpstarting the fundraising part of the project,” Crist said. “It’s a small portion of a large project.”

Subsequent tiers of the Cajun Field project and other UL athletics projects will be paid for through fundraising, according to Crist and Dugas.

Currently, athletics is in the “quiet phase” of fundraising, which is comprised of getting commitments from high-level RCAF donors. After getting a better idea of how much money is needed, UL Athletics will then set a fundraising goal, which could be anywhere from $60 million to $150 million, according to Dugas.

That’s also when the campaign will be made public. Although there is no definite time line set, the public campaign could begin as soon as during the upcoming football season.

“The public is anxious to see this going,” Crist said. “And we’re just as anxious to see it going, but we’re just ensuring that it’s done right and will make everybody proud.”

In addition to the complete renovation of Cajunfield, improvements are planned for the baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis, track and golf facilities, in addition to renovations to the Earl K. Long Gymnasium, the Athletics Practice Facility and the Academic Center. A new sports plaza is also part of the plan.

The total conceptual budget for all athletics facilities renovations is $114.7 million, according to the master plan.

The next phase of the Cajunfield renovation will likely take two seasons to complete, according to Dugas, but work will not begin until money has been raised.

“I honestly think that when people walk in for the first time and see the new seats and new areas, it will give people a taste of what’s coming. People will say, ‘They’re really doing it. It’s really happening,’” Dugas said.

“I think some of our fans have grown a little skeptical that it’s going to happen. This will be a preview of good things that are around the corner.”