Time for Plan B (stadium)

[danefan]

OK, unless there is something we don't know, UA did not receive any funding for the stadium in the budget (as expected).

 

I am not terribly upset, seeing as there wasn't much new construction funding for any school in the budget.

 

But, with that being said, anyone else think its time for Plan B?

 

I say put 5,000 seats on the visitors side of University Field and 5,000 on the home side. Renovate the track so our up-and-coming track team can host some meets and replace the field with field-turf.

 

Look at what $7 million bought the Middletown City School District (2 hours south of Albany):

(huge file, but worth the wait)

http://www.middletowncityschools.org/Athle...ews/Complex.pdf

 

The new stadium includes a IAAF certified track facility, FIFA 1-STAR field, and a state-of-the-art Eversan High Definition Video Scoreboard that features instant replay. A live feed has also been installed, allowing games and stadium events to be broadcast live on Channel 20 and Cable 6.

 

The FIFA 1-STAR field, installed by Sportexe, the company that carpeted the Super Dome in New Orleans (home of the Saints), LSU, Middle Tennessee State, and the University of Southern Mississippi, among other stadiums, is lead-free and is a custom blend of turf.

 

In addition, the new IAAF certified track facility includes a Beynon BSS 1000 Full Pour Track, with 48” lanes, and features the Finish Lynx Timing System with Chip Technology. Chip Technology generates immediate scoring for runners wearing chips in their shoes. Each individual time and/or team time and placing is automatically shown on the scoreboard.

[ATL_DANE]

I think the "big bang" approach has clearly failed. Asking for $60M isn't going to work at UAlbany. We just don't have the political support from our politicians.

 

I agree with Danefan. It's time for an incremental approach. If we asked for a few million here and then next year ask for a few million there you'd be more likely to get it. Stony Brook received a few million to enlarge their NEW stadium and they got it. Granted, LI seems to care about their SUNY Center but it’s an approach that seems to work.

 

I find it amazing that from Middletown NY to East Cobb GA and from Michigan to Texas there are hundreds of high schools with better facilities than UAlbany. UAlbany is a large state university in arguably one of the largest (20M Residents) and richest (GDP) states in the country. My high school was at least as nice. Can you imagine what the up roar would be if Compton had a better football field than UCLA? If East Lansing was nicer than Michigan State? News flash people. UA is a New York’s UCLA or Cal.

 

Drop the "big bang" approach and ask for a few million every year or other year. That is the approach that will work. Someone needs to get through to UAlbany and the Albany area politicians. Enough is enough.

[danefan]

I think the "big bang" approach has clearly failed. Asking for $60M isn't going to work at UAlbany. We just don't have the political support from our politicians.

 

I agree with Danefan. It's time for an incremental approach. If we asked for a few million here and then next year ask for a few million there you'd be more likely to get it. Stony Brook received a few million to enlarge their NEW stadium and they got it. Granted, LI seems to care about their SUNY Center but it's an approach that seems to work.

 

I find it amazing that from Middletown NY to East Cobb GA and from Michigan to Texas there are hundreds of high schools with better facilities than UAlbany. UAlbany is a large state university in arguably one of the largest (20M Residents) and richest (GDP) states in the country. My high school was at least as nice. Can you imagine what the up roar would be if Compton had a better football field than UCLA? If East Lansing was nicer than Michigan State? News flash people. UA is a New York's UCLA or Cal.

 

Drop the "big bang" approach and ask for a few million every year or other year. That is the approach that will work. Someone needs to get through to UAlbany and the Albany area politicians. Enough is enough.

 

Maybe they can squeeze $5-$10 million out of the general campus renovation item in the budget. It would be a renovation and one that is badly needed. The visitor's bleacher are honestly a danger. That, coupled with donations they have already received (not sure how much they have), should be more than enough to get 10,000 seats and field turf on University Field.

 

Lets face it, as much as it sucks, our Admins missed the boat on state funding for large athletic projects. Those days have come and gone. I can't imagine there will be major athletic funding for some years to come. It is just too politically risky right now for these guys, even if it would be an economicly positive project.

[danefan]

Even Charlotte is going to plan B.

 

From $45 million to $20 million plan.

 

The new plan would include a sports complex using a pre-engineered structure. The plan would also add approximately 11,000 bleacher seats to the 4,000 seats around the Belk track complex to create a football stadium.

 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/co...ory/640442.html

[uofalbany]

Maybe they can squeeze $5-$10 million out of the general campus renovation item in the budget. It would be a renovation and one that is badly needed. The visitor's bleacher are honestly a danger. That, coupled with donations they have already received (not sure how much they have), should be more than enough to get 10,000 seats and field turf on University Field.

 

A couple of years ago, giving Sefcu the naming rights of the RACC got us $2.75million.

 

How about forging ahead with this relationship, bringing it to the next level?

10million for 10 years of naming rights for the renovated football facility, calling it SEFCU Stadium?

[danefan]

Maybe they can squeeze $5-$10 million out of the general campus renovation item in the budget. It would be a renovation and one that is badly needed. The visitor's bleacher are honestly a danger. That, coupled with donations they have already received (not sure how much they have), should be more than enough to get 10,000 seats and field turf on University Field.

 

A couple of years ago, giving Sefcu the naming rights of the RACC got us $2.75million.

 

How about forging ahead with this relationship, bringing it to the next level?

10million for 10 years of naming rights for the renovated football facility, calling it SEFCU Stadium?

 

 

 

You would hope corporate naming rights will happen, especially given that we are the only show in town, but the economy coupled with the fact that there is no real guarantee attendance will increase is something that may hurt our prospects.

 

You and I think attendance will increase and so does the admins, but I'm not so sure their word is enough right now. I think they'd need to get a larger corporate sponsore to get $1 million per year deal. A sponsor where $1 million is a rounding error (AMD, IBM, etc....).

[Clickclack]

It's very frustrating when you hear NOTHING BUT CRICKETS from the people in charge of this project.

[danefan]

It's very frustrating when you hear NOTHING BUT CRICKETS from the people in charge of this project.

 

 

Crickets is an overstatement of the word coming from the university.

[Clickclack]

It's very frustrating when you hear NOTHING BUT CRICKETS from the people in charge of this project.

 

 

Crickets is an overstatement of the word coming from the university.

 

Actually, I'd like to correct my earlier statement. When you actually get some type of response, all you get is run around and something other then the truth!

[Phoenix]

Maybe they can squeeze $5-$10 million out of the general campus renovation item in the budget. It would be a renovation and one that is badly needed. The visitor's bleacher are honestly a danger. That, coupled with donations they have already received (not sure how much they have), should be more than enough to get 10,000 seats and field turf on University Field.

 

A couple of years ago, giving Sefcu the naming rights of the RACC got us $2.75million.

 

How about forging ahead with this relationship, bringing it to the next level?

10million for 10 years of naming rights for the renovated football facility, calling it SEFCU Stadium?

 

I hear banks are rolling in extra dough now...

[danefan]

Maybe they can squeeze $5-$10 million out of the general campus renovation item in the budget. It would be a renovation and one that is badly needed. The visitor's bleacher are honestly a danger. That, coupled with donations they have already received (not sure how much they have), should be more than enough to get 10,000 seats and field turf on University Field.

 

A couple of years ago, giving Sefcu the naming rights of the RACC got us $2.75million.

 

How about forging ahead with this relationship, bringing it to the next level?

10million for 10 years of naming rights for the renovated football facility, calling it SEFCU Stadium?

 

I hear banks are rolling in extra dough now...

 

 

Actually, Credit Unions are doing pretty well. Most were not effected by subprime lending practices and are now reeping the benefits of the mass flight of investors from wall street to safer, more liquid assets.

 

But, regardless it is not going to be easy getting large money corporate sponsorship right now.

[ATL_DANE]

Maybe they can squeeze $5-$10 million out of the general campus renovation item in the budget. It would be a renovation and one that is badly needed. The visitor's bleacher are honestly a danger. That, coupled with donations they have already received (not sure how much they have), should be more than enough to get 10,000 seats and field turf on University Field.

 

A couple of years ago, giving Sefcu the naming rights of the RACC got us $2.75million.

 

How about forging ahead with this relationship, bringing it to the next level?

10million for 10 years of naming rights for the renovated football facility, calling it SEFCU Stadium?

 

2 Points to make.

 

1) I think the administration needs to revisit their actions. What has worked? What has not worked? Unless, they know something they aren't making public then it time for a change. No more "Big Bang" approach. We need to ask for smaller amounts of money in regular intervals and work for constant improvement (the TQM approach). The incremental approach is slow and patchy but at least there is constant improvement. It's ridiculaous that hundreds of highschools have better facilities. Hundreds, not just a handful.

 

2) Naming rights is not a cure all. But I do think it is possible in the future to get some funding from naming rights. The economy will eventually turn around. If the tech companies like IBM or Global Foundries want to be "a community partner" or "raise awareness" then they may find it to be a good idea. Some of the smaller or foreign partners at Albany Nano may also see it as a wise investment to raise awarenss. I think it will take some time for the economy to turn around and it depends how hot Albany Nano is in two years when the economy is back on track. If it's a hot commodity then companies may want their name affiliated with the school in a big and public way.

 

Still... Point 1 still remains. Time for a change.

[uofalbany]

I had mentioned this before:

 

Renovate university field now... just the way danefan is suggesting.

Add 5k seats on the current visitors side, 5k on the current home side (extending up to the top of the athletic building), and put in a new track. (The track team has earned that!)

 

We use that renovation for football until we can accumulate enough money for the NEW stadium.

When we get the new stadium built, then the OLD renovated stadium is used for soccer and track.

 

But, to continue doing NOTHING is a joke.

Ford has earned it. The football team has earned it. Our facility looks like a joke. We should get down on our hands and knees and kiss Maine's feet for coming to our delapitated house next fall.

 

Danefan, a while ago, you had played around with a photo of the current facility, and overlayed bleacher seating around the sides of the field..... using a photo of another institutions seating..... do you still have that?

 

Too bad some athletic department officials don't sit around OUR roundtable here....

maybe we could contribute with all of the good ideas that are thrown around here.

[danefan]

I had mentioned this before:

 

Renovate university field now... just the way danefan is suggesting.

Add 5k seats on the current visitors side, 5k on the current home side (extending up to the top of the athletic building), and put in a new track. (The track team has earned that!)

 

We use that renovation for football until we can accumulate enough money for the NEW stadium.

When we get the new stadium built, then the OLD renovated stadium is used for soccer and track.

 

But, to continue doing NOTHING is a joke.

Ford has earned it. The football team has earned it. Our facility looks like a joke. We should get down on our hands and knees and kiss Maine's feet for coming to our delapitated house next fall.

 

Danefan, a while ago, you had played around with a photo of the current facility, and overlayed bleacher seating around the sides of the field..... using a photo of another institutions seating..... do you still have that?

 

Too bad some athletic department officials don't sit around OUR roundtable here....

maybe we could contribute with all of the good ideas that are thrown around here.

 

It is very rough and done in about 5 minutes. It is Norfolk State's stadium laid on top of University Field. The stadium as shown seats 30,000. Norfolk State has a track as well.

 

[danefan]

The other thing about renovating University field is that they could start immediatley and not force the football team to sacrifice any home games. Just start on the away side now. When the away side is finished, then start on the home side.

 

The track and field can be put down over the summer without trouble at all. Giving the bidding process delays I would still expect that they could get the field, track and away side finished by the 2010 season.

 

Here's the problem - a few people have put in a lot of hours and have been very dedicated to getting the stadium done, McElroy included. Are they willing to just abandon the project they spent so much time on? I know if I was in their position it would be difficult for me to just drop it. We sit here with no real personal investment into the stadium project. I honestly believe that is what is holding up the University Field renovation right now.

 

We haven't seen anything that would suggest there is promise to the stadium project. I know people from the athletic department read this board. Please please please, we beg you - make a move, no matter what the move is.