Oregon State Director of Athletics, Todd Stansbury announced Monday that Gill Coliseum would be undergoing a series of renovations and enhancements in the coming months.

The renovations to Gill Coliseum will include a state-of-the-art sound system, new seats in the lower bowl and an upgrade to restrooms on the first level. Ralph Miller Court will be rotated 180 degrees with television cameras now facing Oregon State’s raucous student section, the OSU BeaverDam, for basketball games.

Gill Coliseum is home to five Oregon State sports -- men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling.

The Oregon State women’s basketball team advanced to the Final Four for the first time in program history last season, while the men’s basketball team made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 26 years. The gymnastics program has gone to 42 consecutive regional championships, the wrestling team has won five straight Pac-12 Championships and the volleyball team reached the NCAA Sweet 16 two years ago.

“At no time has the excitement about our teams that compete in Gill Coliseum been higher; now is the time to capitalize and move forward in the investment in our programs,” Stansbury said. “The quality of our game-day experience for our great fans, particularly the Beaver Dam, to the student-athletes is an emphasis. It is vitally important that we showcase Oregon State Athletics in the best way possible to the nation and that is why I’m excited to announce our continued efforts to transform Gill Coliseum.”

The approximate $2 million privately-funded project includes a new sound system with loudspeakers installed in a distributed configuration around the arena; higher-quality padded seats with cup holders and higher sight lines in the lower bowl; and an upgrade of men’s and women’s first-level bathrooms. Ralph Miller Court will also feature a new design.

“We are very excited about the upcoming renovations to Gill Coliseum,” men’s basketball coach Wayne Tinkle said. “It’s great that it’s a multi-purpose arena that houses five different sports. This will be a huge impact to all of our programs and allow us to continue to build off the success we’ve all had. Not only is this a tremendous commitment to our student-athletes, but also to our incredible fan base, enhancing their game day experience.

“It will be neat to put the cameras on the student section. They’ve committed to us and so we are giving back to them. What greater thrill for our students to know that they can come into Gill and be front and center and shown on TV. That’s quite a reward back to them.

“This is a fantastic upgrade for our fans’ experience,” gymnastics coach Tanya Chaplin said. “All of these new and improved amenities will truly benefit all of the fans of Beaver Nation in Gill Coliseum.”

The renovation is scheduled to begin later this month and is slated for completion prior to the 2016-17 men’s and women’s basketball seasons.

“The upcoming upgrades to Gill Coliseum will enhance an already great venue for college sports,” women’s basketball coach Scott Rueck said. “These changes will allow us to provide an even better fan experience, not just for basketball games but for all events in Gill. I am excited about this most recent show of support that our administration has shown to our sports programs and our fan base by committing to these projects. I can’t wait to share the updated Gill Coliseum with Beaver Nation this season.”

Last year Gill Coliseum hosted 61 Oregon State athletic contests with 40 of those televised nationally. The venue has also hosted several postseason events the past five years, including NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament games, Pac-12 Gymnastics and Wrestling Championships, and NCAA Gymnastics Regionals.

“Events in Gill Coliseum are great forms of entertainment and our fans deserve the best possible experience,” volleyball coach Mark Barnard said. “Our student-athletes feed off the atmosphere; that will be greatly increased with these improvements.”

“Anytime you can enhance the experience for fans it pays huge dividends,” wrestling coach Jim Zalesky said. “The continued improvements to Gill Coliseum will only make it more attractive from many different standpoints. I can’t wait to experience it firsthand.”

Oregon State Athletics is continuing a master plan and fundraising model for enhancements to the men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms.

“I’m also excited about the coming renovations to our locker room, which is much-needed and crucial to our current players and future prospects, as well,” Tinkle said. “With the commitment to these renovations, we feel like we will be at the top of the Pac-12 with all of our facilities. It’s very important for our recruits to see the support our administration is giving to our program.”