I made a quick run to McGuirk during a family obligation on Monday July 7th and checked on the McGuirk lighting project.
There is a short (nine image) Picassa web album here of the images I took during my visit. I'll also add a link in "2008 images' section of the sidebar.
I did not have my notepad with me so any errors in this blog post are totally my fault not the lighting company or the athletic dept.
If I understood correctly what the workers were telling me, there will be eight 110 foot light towers. Two behind each section of stadium seating and two behind each endzone.
The workers described the installation as similar to a project they had done at Springfield College.
They said the eight light towers will put a lot of light on the field.
They were also installing auxiliary lighting for the exits (fire laws require lighted exits) and that's where some of the additional cost occurs above and beyond just the light towers.
Also, some of the UMass players were running wind sprints in the stadium. The temperature was about 89 degrees and it was one of those oppressive humidity days in the valley. There was just no air at all. The players were encouraging each other and they were still at it when I left.
UPDATE I: The UMass athletic site has an article here . The lights are up!. I did get one thing wrong in the post above. There will be three sets of lights per side not four. So the total will be six banks of lights.
