Stanford Stadium, a time-honored part of the University’s landscape, may soon have a date with a wrecking ball, as it is scheduled to be retrofitted or even replaced with a state-of-the-art arena.

In an official statement, Alan Acosta, associate vice president for public affairs, called it a “long-needed renovation that will not only benefit Stanford Athletics, but the University at-large and the countless community residents who attend Stanford sporting events.”

The need for these changes has been clear for many years, Acosta wrote. But plans for the project are only beginning to be formalized.

Citing sources close to the athletic department, an article in yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle said the stadium would be demolished soon after the Cardinal plays Notre Dame on Nov. 26.

The article stated that the building project comes as a result of Stanford Stadium’s outdated bathrooms, its obsolete running track and a drop in attendance, which has made it difficult to fill the 85,500 seats. The new arena would only seat 55,000, The Chronicle reported.

However, the University has not announced a timeframe for the project, and Acosta said that the project is still in its “earliest stages.” The Stanford Board of Trustees and Santa Clara County must approve the plans before further steps are taken.

The original Stadium was constructed in 1921, born out of a competition with UC Berkeley to see which university could build a stadium first. Although Stanford won the contest and scored the christening touchdown on its home field, the Bears won the inaugural Big Game that year. The stadium has since hosted the World Cup and Olympic soccer matches, as well as Super Bowl XIX in 1985.