Otago Cricket Association chief executive Ross Dykes thinks so. Otago hosts Auckland in a Plunket Shield match at the venue tomorrow.
The ground has been out of action since the end of last season while development work was carried out and Dykes talked the Otago Daily Times through the changes yesterday.
The first noticeable change is the expanded wicket block, further away.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori once described the boundaries at the picturesque ground as "farcical", and indeed they were.
The shortest boundary was a mere 53m. But the sight of a thick edge flying over the third man boundary for six should be a distant memory.
With the partial demolition of the former Dunedin Art Gallery located at the northwest end of the ground, the playing surface has been expanded.
It is now a hit of 65m to reach that same corner of the ground - 22.6% further than at this time last year.
"It is a pretty standard boundary for a good test cricket ground," Dykes said.
"And it gives us the security of saying there is no reason now why this ground cannot be considered of test status."
While lengthening the boundary gives the venue credibility, there more significant changes have taken place. The wicket block has been extended from five to eight strips and had to be repositioned.
It has been relaid using superior Kakanui clay, which it is believed will retain moisture longer and provide for better pace and bounce.
But no-one really knows how the new pitch will play, so there is a degree of interpretation.
"All indications are that it has been pretty successful but we will have to wait and see," Dykes said.
"But I'm very confident that Tom [Tamati, the groundsman] has got it pretty right.
He hasn't had as much sun as he would like but I have no doubt that he will produce a good quality pitch, because he has done that for two years with what he has had to work with.
The only thing we have to accept is, while the sand-based outfield consolidates, the outfield might be a fraction slow and a fraction uneven."
The jury is out tomorrow but the University Oval has been the sort of ground at which teams have looked to insert the opposition and make the most of some bowler-friendly conditions.
Cloud cover has played a part in some low scores at the venue but the pitch has attracted stinging criticism, particularly from former Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell.
The week before the venue hosted its first test in January 2008, O'Donnell described it as a "disgraceful wicket" and suggested it was dangerous.
Those fears proved unjustified but the pitch has never been a belter. The other major issue facing the venue was the drainage, which had also been addressed, Dykes said.
The University Oval is on reclaimed land and the venue's drainage system attracted national criticism when rain left the playing surface sodden during the test against the West Indies in December 2008.
But "comprehensive" work has been done and Dykes confidently stated "the drainage problems will not exist any longer".
The ground has been crisscrossed with extra drains, which have been covered by a bed of sand, and a pump has been installed to cope with those wet Dunedin summer days. While the playing surface is larger, the ground's capacity has not improved greatly.
Dykes believes, with extra temporary seating, the ground could hold up to 5000 people - that is up from about 3000 to 3500.
The media centre has been moved back and there is the ability to attach extra rooms on either side, more than doubling the capacity from about 12 to as many as 28, Dykes said.
The sightscreens have also been shifted and expanded to accommodate the three extra strips.
