The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has approved a $63 million expansion and renovation of the west end of Sanford Stadium, the University of Georgia's football venue in Athens.

The Athens Banner-Herald reports the expansion is one of the largest building projects undertaken by the university.

The $63 million project will cost about 31 percent more than the university's 122,500-square-foot Science Learning Center, which opened last year.

In addition to new locker rooms and other features, the Sanford Stadium project includes a new video board. At 100 feet by 52 feet, the new video board will be about 50 percent larger than the existing 75-by-46-foot board.

The 15,000-square-foot locker room will have team lockers, showers, a sports medicine area, an X-ray room, nutrition support and other areas.

It also will have a 10,500-square-foot hospitality lounge with 500 seats. A new plaza of 11,500 square feet for fans sitting in the west end zone area will include new concession areas and restrooms.

The athletic association’s board approved the project in February

The project will take about 17 months to complete. Work is expected to begin next month so it will be finished in time for the 2018 football season.

The university plans to provide $10 million for the project; it hopes to raise $53 million in donations for the rest.