THE SIDELINES : Naval Academy to Refit Stadium

Refurbishing a battleship was never like this.

The Naval Academy hopes to add 48 luxury sky-boxes to 32-year-old Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium by the start of the 1991 football season, according to Athletic Director Jack Lengyel.

The Naval Academy Athletic Assn.--the privately funded organization that operates the Navy sports program--signed an agreement Thursday with University Partners to market the boxes and a new club-level seating area. Construction will begin after the 1990 season if commitments have been received for 80% of the new seats.

Navy, which has not had a winning season since 1982, wanted a revamped stadium to go with its revamped schedule for the 1990s. The Midshipmen have discontinued longstanding series with Eastern powers Syracuse and Pittsburgh, and will play only two home games this fall against Division I-A teams--Boston College and Akron.