OWNER

Arkansas Razorbacks Football

CONFERENCE

SEC

VENUE(S)

Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium

DESIGNERS

Populous

Shield Lockers

MANUFACTURER

Shield Lockers

COMPLETION DATE

2017

FEATURES/SCOPE

90 Solid surface gameday football lockers

40 Red-shirt locker cabinets

23 Hybrid coaches lockers

PLAYER LOCKER SIZE

36" W x 20" - 40" D x 97" H

MODERNIZING OVER 100 YEARS OF FOOTBALL HERITAGE

In 2016, the University of Arkansas and KC-based sports design firm Populous approached Shield about a solid surface game day locker that could help Razorbacks football reach the next level of gameday experience.

Challenge accepted.

The University of Arkansas was in the midst of a renovation project at the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium that sought to increase seating capacity, create more club level suites, and reinvigorate the gameday locker room of the football team. The design vision was entrenched in understanding the emotion behind peak moments during pregame and half-time, where coaches have limited time to rally the entire team in a single room, or deliver critical game-changing insight. They also understood that first impressions can have a big impact in the highly competitive world of collegiate recruiting.

Shield worked collaboratively with Populous and the university’s athletic department to deliver 90 player lockers truly unique to the Razorbacks. The locker room is shaped like a football, and the design team wanted to keep this sleek look without doubling up material or adding clunky filler. What’s more, the locker’s sides are designed to look like the tusk of the Razorback. Shield’s in-house engineering came up with a solution to make each locker a trapezoid shape, adding a few degrees more than square which allowed each locker to share the gray Razorback tusk divider and complete the arc of the room seamlessly. This and other design details illustrate the versatility of solid surface, delivering unique design solutions without compromising durability or crippling budgets.

In total, over 150 lockers found their new home in the new Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium endzone renovation, redefining how modern aesthetics and innovation-driven design can complement over a century of football heritage.