The M Club Pavilion located outside of the football stadium will be renovated beginning this week.

The memorial bricks dedicated to former Marshall athletes, the flagpole and the pavilion itself will all be upgraded. Flower beds will be added next to the bricks, as well.

“It’s what these people deserve. They’ve given a lot and they’re invested and some of those bricks are placed for people who are deceased or no longer with us and you want a place that’s a nice memorial,” said Laura Der, Big Green Scholarship Foundation Assistant Director of Development.

The M Club pavilion was created after the establishment of the M Club, which is an organization for former athletes, coaches, managers and other staff previously involved in Marshall Athletics. The pavilion has been used as a popular football tailgating spot for M Club members for twenty years. The area began as a card table and a patch of grass in 1996 and expanded to the pavilion and wall that is seen today.

“The M Club is rallying around this project because that’s their home on game day,” said Der. “It’s time for an update and it’s time to revamp it and make it what it needs to be,” said Der

Premier Professionals Inc. is the contracting firm that will do the renovations. The project will cost roughly $10,000 and is privately funded.

“We’ll start the renovations at the end of this week and wrap up at the end of next week,” said Michael Bartholomew, owner of Premier Professionals. “Before the first home game, it’ll all be done.”

There will be a showcase tailgate for M Club members on Sept. 10, the day of the first home game.

Rick Farlow can be contacted at [email protected].