In less than two years, students can expect a newly renovated Camp Randall stadium, which will include a three-story addition to create facilities for student athletes to train and study.

The University of Wisconsin project to build a new “Athletic Village” to upgrade existing athletic facilities entered the first of three phases at the conclusion of the 2011-12 football season and will likely have cost $76.8 million upon its projected completion in 2014.

Athletic Department spokesperson Justin Doherty said the first phase of construction will create a tunnel from underneath the McClain Athletic Facility to the field level at Camp Randall, as well as replace the turf and adjust some minor seating problems inside the bowl.

Doherty said a lot of the facilities in the McClain Athletic Facility and related areas are significantly outdated at this point, and the goal of the project is to provide student athletes with upgraded locker rooms, weight rooms and athletic training centers.

Doherty cited UW’s need to stay competitive with other Big Ten schools as an added reason for the renovations. For example, the new weight room created through the project will be 17,000 square feet, as compared to the current 7,824 square-foot space.

Other upgrades will include the reconstruction of the north and northeast ends of Camp Randall, renovation of the second floor and east side and upgrading existing spaces such as shower areas and restrooms.

The renovations make up only part of the UW Athletics Facilities Master Plan, which was developed and put into action in 2008, according to Gary Brown, director of campus planning and landscape architecture.

The Master Plan also includes projects such as building the new men’s hockey practice facility, which is still underway, in addition to a new indoor swimming and diving complex and other future developments.

“It’s really geared toward student athletes and providing this for them,” Brown said.

Brown said along with facility upgrades, student athletes can also expect to see new tutoring services and academic support services, with the reconstruction providing space for these additional services.

The project’s total budget of $76.8 million came from UW Athletic Department program revenue as well as private gifts, Doherty said. The renovations will not require tax dollars from the state.

Although the initial phase is set to be completed in May, the final two phases will continue into 2014. However, Doherty said construction should not interfere with future athletic seasons as Camp Randall and its surrounding facilities will remain open during construction.

“We’ll still be conducting the football season,” Doherty said. “UW Athletics will make necessary adjustments for safety and efficiency during football season.”

Doherty said he also does not expect renovations to interfere with community life, explaining that students and community members should be aware that there will be construction but that it should ultimately not cause any problems.

If kept on schedule, the student athlete performance center project should be completed and open by Jan. 1, 2014.