The new buildings will house a student center on the west side, the anthropology and psychology departments and a digital media center on the east side and music and sacred music departments on the south side, leaving the side facing Touchdown Jesus unchanged.

Rev. John Jenkins, the university's president, called it "the most ambitious building project in the 172-year history of Notre Dame," saying more space was needed to accommodate the university's broadening research activity.

"What's exciting about this project is it brings together athletics, faculty and academics, research and a student center, so it's an integrated model," Jenkins said.

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick said mixing athletics, student life and classrooms is what Notre Dame should do.

"It's such a powerful symbol given what's going on in college athletics right now, that you can take the stadium and say we believe in the integration of athletics into academics, and here's the living proof of it," he said.

The plans were presented to the university's board of trustees during their meeting Wednesday in Rome. The university announced in May it would conduct a feasibility study.

Jenkins said that the university now must raise the money, and that he didn't know how long that would take. He said construction would begin next year at the earliest and would take nearly three years to complete.

The buildings on the east and west sides will rise nine stories and include premium seating, increasing the capacity of Notre Dame Stadium from 80,795 to more than 84,000, although widening seats could cut down the capacity. The press box will move from the west to the east side.

The south building will be six stories high and include a hospitality area. The student center will include a recreation center and allow the university to turn the existing Rolfs Sports Recreation Center into the practice home for the men's and women's basketball teams.

As for adding video boards for instant replay or switching to an artificial playing surface — two issues that divide fans — Jenkins said there's no decision on that yet. Swarbrick said a decision on the playing surface will be made soon, given that new grass had to be installed three times last season because of repeated problems.

The stadium opened in 1930, when Knute Rockne was coach, and had a capacity of 59,075 until it was expanded in 1997.

The university said the club seating areas could also be used for academic events, classes, conferences and career fairs.

Jenkins said adding buildings to the stadium helps avoid campus sprawl, by adding much-needed space to an area he described as a "crossroads," helping the university maintain a pedestrian campus.

The university has expanded its research efforts in the past decade and recently announced plans to hire 80 faculty in chemical and biomolecular engineering, nanotechnology, analytical chemistry and biochemistry, economics and nuclear physics.

"Our research activity has just really taken off, particularly in science and technology, which require lab space. So there is just more activity in that area that needs space," Jenkins said.

Jenkins said the project shows Notre Dame isn't being complacent.

"We really have a vision to dream big and look at possibilities that haven't yet been realized. I see this as part of that ongoing effort to dream bigger," he said.


TCU’S FIELDS ATTACKED


TCU defensive end Devonte Fields has declined to press charges after telling Fort Worth police that he was beaten and robbed by three armed suspects.

Coach Gary Patterson says Fields was the victim but he's OK and attended classes and workouts Tuesday, hours after the incident. A police report said Fields at one point struggled with a gunman and the weapon fired. Nobody was shot and the suspects fled.

Police said the attack happened at the player's off-campus residence when Fields went outside to start his car. A cellphone, a video game system and some clothing items were stolen from his home.

TCU personnel examined Fields, who declined further medical attention.


TIDE GET BIG COMMITMENT


For Marlon Humphrey, there really didn’t seem to be much of a reason to wait any longer.

The son of former Alabama running back Bobby Humphrey did Wednesday what everyone expected: He committed to the Crimson Tide.

Humphrey announced his decision on Twitter.

Rated the No. 12 overall player in the country by 247Sports.com, Humphrey is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback out of powerhouse program Hoover High School (Ala.).

Humphrey was also considering Florida State.

With the additon of Humphrey, Alabama has the nation's third- and fourth-best corners in the country. Tony Brown is enrolled at Alabama and ranked as the No. 9 overall player in the country by 247Sports.com.

Bobby Humphrey rushed for 3,420 yards and 33 touchdowns at Alabama from 1985 to 1988. He played four seasons in the NFL with the Broncos and Dolphins. He made the Pro Bowl in 1990 with the Broncos when he ran for 1,202 yards and seven scores. He finished his career with 2,857 rushing yards, 15 rushing TDs and two receiving scores.


OLE MISS PLAYER CHARGED


Mississippi freshman defensive back Bobby Hill has been indefinitely suspended after being arrested and charged with sexual battery.

The 19-year-old Hill was arrested by Oxford police on Tuesday, according to jail documents.

Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said in a statement released through the school that he is "aware of the situation" and that Hill has been "indefinitely suspended from all football activities while the process moves forward. We take this very seriously and will make decisions once the course of action is complete."

The 6-foot, 170-pound Hill played in 10 games last season, mostly on special teams, and made one tackle.


BAYLOR STADIUM WORKER DIES IN FALL


A Baylor University stadium construction worker was killed and a co-worker was treated for hypothermia after an accident that plunged both into the Brazos River.

Waco police said the two men were working on a pedestrian bridge over the river on Tuesday. They were pulled into the water when some construction equipment to which they were harnessed fell from a floating dock.

Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton says one man unfastened his safety harness and made it to the surface. He was treated and released from a hospital. Divers found the body of the other man, 55-year-old Jose Dario Suarez from Manor, Texas, on Tuesday night.

The new 45,000-seat, $260 million McLane Stadium is being built on a 93-acre site near the river.

Contributors: Ken Bradley, The Associated Press