What kind of stadium does $60 million get you?

[Clickclack]

At the luncheon today..

 

Coach Ford was talking about the locker rooms, the weight rooms all being D1 but that our field is D3...he was asked about the stadium...and how it went through the Assmebly and never made it through the Senate (in regards to the budget process). He then pointed to Pres. Philip ...who said something like that there are plans B and C and that we will most likely not be able to get plan A due to the fiscal situation of the state.

 

I believe he said that the other plans would be more module and could be added to in the future. I didn't really catch the detail of what he said, so if someone who was there did please post it!!

 

Did he sound like plan A would never happen or not in the foreseeable future?

[MRSGDG]

At the luncheon today..

 

Coach Ford was talking about the locker rooms, the weight rooms all being D1 but that our field is D3...he was asked about the stadium...and how it went through the Assmebly and never made it through the Senate (in regards to the budget process). He then pointed to Pres. Philip ...who said something like that there are plans B and C and that we will most likely not be able to get plan A due to the fiscal situation of the state.

 

I believe he said that the other plans would be more module and could be added to in the future. I didn't really catch the detail of what he said, so if someone who was there did please post it!!

 

Did he sound like plan A would never happen or not in the foreseeable future?

 

hmm it sounded more like he wanted to let people know there are other plans incase plan A doesn't pan out..and in this economy the chances of that are getting smaller... but like I said I didn't catch the detail of what he said.....

 

there were other people from this board there so maybe they heard more and can post more clearly what he said....

[alum73]

It sounds like there would be improvements of some sort, which could be expanded upon in the future, but no particularswas mentioned.

[Dane96]

I would expect an annoucement in the near future....

[GreatDanes06]

just rip up University Field already and build on top of it.

[danefan]

just rip up University Field already and build on top of it.

Good guess. And it doesn't even need to be ripped up. I bet $10 mil would easily get 8,000 seats, field turf, a new track and upgraded press facilities.

5 years from now, drop another $10 mil and you've got 15,000 seats and suites. And poof, a very respectable FCS facility.

 

Now that the pipe dream is out the way, maybe we'll actually see some progress.

 

Thank you President Philip for tempering expectations.

[UAalum72]

just rip up University Field already and build on top of it.

Good guess. And it doesn't even need to be ripped up. I bet $10 mil would easily get 8,000 seats, field turf, a new track and upgraded press facilities.

If they build a new track, I'd wish they'd put it someplace else (behind the softball field, or around the soccer field). A regulation 8-lane track would put the seats even farther from the play, so better if we can put the new seating on top of the existing track.

 

But I thought I'd heard the track would be $5-6 million, unless that's for an entire T&F 'stadium'.

[danefan]

just rip up University Field already and build on top of it.

Good guess. And it doesn't even need to be ripped up. I bet $10 mil would easily get 8,000 seats, field turf, a new track and upgraded press facilities.

If they build a new track, I'd wish they'd put it someplace else (behind the softball field, or around the soccer field). A regulation 8-lane track would put the seats even farther from the play, so better if we can put the new seating on top of the existing track.

 

But I thought I'd heard the track would be $5-6 million, unless that's for an entire T&F 'stadium'.

That's got to be a whole new track facility. A new IAAF certified track runs less than $1 million from what I've read in the past. (see e.g. http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/school-bio/facilities-track.html) I don't mind a track, even though the home side would probably be a 10 lane straight-away. I would imagine any renovation at UField would actually move the seats closer than they are now. Now we've got the access road and the track in front of the field. Also the first row of any new bleachers would probably be raised off the ground 5 or 6 feet.

[B9j2j6s]

Couldn't they get rid of or, move the current visitor side bleachers build 8,000 new seats and a new press box? This would allow for the track to be expanded on the visitor side, and they would just have to move the fence over on the home side.

 

Couldn't be that expensive to put in 8,000 new seats. How much did the seats at the new lacross field cost? Add to that a new synthetic field, an 8 lane track, and score board. This would be a respectable stadium for football and track.

[danefan]

Couldn't they get rid of or, move the current visitor side bleachers build 8,000 new seats and a new press box? This would allow for the track to be expanded on the visitor side, and they would just have to move the fence over on the home side.

 

Couldn't be that expensive to put in 8,000 new seats. How much did the seats at the new lacross field cost? Add to that a new synthetic field, an 8 lane track, and score board. This would be a respectable stadium for football and track.

 

That's my preferred option for a couple reasons:

1. The north side now gets the majority of the sun, which would be better to have on the home side in November.

2. The easiest place to put TV cameras is on the PE building. If the north side is renovated, it would be what is seen on TV, which would be great.

 

8000 seats will definitley fit on one the one side. If the south side stayed the same as now, that would leave for an easy upgrade down the road if necessary.

 

As for the track, I think the track team deserves a 10 lane track or at least a 10 lane straight-away.

 

I can't imagine Phase 1 would cost more than $7 million all together.

[uofalbany]

 

Thanks to danefan, we've got this awesome visual of what could be done with University field.

 

I LOVE the look of this design.

 

Say the new track and new field turf are put in, and ONLY 3 sides ( North sideline, and both end zones ) are renovated the way it is depicted above.... How much do we think THAT would cost?

 

And how many seats would those 3 sides turn out to be?

[danefan]

 

Thanks to danefan, we've got this awesome visual of what could be done with University field.

 

I LOVE the look of this design.

 

Say the new track and new field turf are put in, and ONLY 3 sides ( North sideline, and both end zones ) are renovated the way it is depicted above.... How much do we think THAT would cost?

 

And how many seats would those 3 sides turn out to be?

 

The stadium I pulled that from is Norforlk State. They say it holds 30,000, but keep in mind, my handy work is not likely to scale.

 

As for cost I have no clue. I've been trying to search for comparable projects and I can't find anything really.

[Dane96]

What kind of lawyer are you? Your search skills are lagging, but it is a Friday!

 

I tease.

 

I cant say how I know because frankly it would get the person in trouble (not UA related)...but the average costs for a turf field is about $5-$7 a square foot. The average costs for straight-up steal bleachers for 15,000 seats is around $4.5 million.

 

Add on local costs, press boxes...etc...the school can get a very nice (read Hofstra-like) facility for around $10mm max.

[Clickclack]

I really dislike the track around football fields....any chance they can relocate the track and get the fans closer to the field...like Hofstra?

 

Do we know anything about the funding? Has the money been secured or is this something we'll have to run back to the state for?

[UA_MA_2000]

 

 

 

 

 

 

God, we Dane fans here in Albany don't ask for much---sans wins over Siena every year and conference championships in several sports---but if there is any way you could help us out with our stadium wishes, and if it's your will, we will promise to go to the home games, purchase season tickets, eat lots of dry pulled pork sandwiches, buy lots of raffle tickets for the tennis team, and even welcome Siena and Binghamton fans at our new stadium since you have taught us to love thy neighbor, even if thy neighbor sucks. Obama will be here next week; maybe you can let him see our "field" while flying over, resulting in some grant money to come our way. Just a thought, and please help our football team not turn the ball over 5 times this Saturday, because Coach Ford deserves better; Amen!

 

 

(UAMA2K: nothing else has worked; maybe some purple-and-gold prayers might be in order?)