Final steel beam going up at McLane Stadium

As soon as weather allows, construction workers at Baylor’s McLane Stadium are prepared to mount the facility’s last piece of structural steel, marking another milestone toward the project’s completion.

[PHOTOS/VIDEO: Baylor photos || Baylor Athletics video|| Waco Tribune-Herald video feature and photo gallery  || KCEN video || 18-month timelapse of McLane Stadium work]

Administrators say the stadium is about 60% complete, and that with 600+ men and women working seven days a week, McLane Stadium will undoubtedly be ready in time for Baylor’s 2014 season opener. Members of the media were invited to visit the Bears’ future locker room, the new stadium’s recruiting center, and even step out on the field Thursday.

“With each successive visit to McLane Stadium, it becomes easier to envision real-life football going on there,” notes the Waco Tribune-Herald‘s Brice Cherry. “Football is coming to the banks of the Brazos, and it’s easier to see that by the day.”

Mark your calendars for August 31, when the Bears host SMU. See you there!

Sic ’em, Bears!