Jump to content



UAlbany Athletics- America East-
SOCIAL MEDIA: UAlbany Facebook- UAlbany Instagram- UAlbany Twitter- UAlbany Blog-
MEDIA: Albany Student Press- America East TV- ESPN3- Schenectady Gazette- The Team 104.5 ESPN Radio- The Team 104.5 ESPN Radio Archive interviews- Times Union College Sports- Times Union Sports- WCDB- WOFX 980-
FALL SPORTS LINKS: CAA Football-
WINTER SPORTS LINKS: College Insider- Pomeroy Ratings- Real TimeRPI-
SPRING SPORTS LINKS: Inside Lacrosse- Lax Power Backup Stick-
OTHER FORUMS: America East Forum- Any Given Saturday Forum- Championship Subdivision forum(1-AA Discussion) The Hen House - Siena Forum- Stony Brook Forum- Vermont Forum

UAlbany to build Football Stadium


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 224
  • Created
  • Last Reply

In the T-U's 'Talking Points' today (not online), one writer supports the stadium but complains about using an out-of-state design firm.

 

I knew that would pop up sooner or later. On the other hand..if we hired a local firm that had a more expensive bid..people would complain that the state university is spending more than it should. Pretty much lose-lose there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I completely agree with Danefan. Naysayers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some just need to be educated, others are just malcontents. Our goal should be to persuade.

 

I just wish people could see what I see when I'm in Lansing, Boise, Athens, San Diego etc. UAlbany is no different than the universities in those towns. Those people support and rally behind their home town university. Does it just take time? Is it that we're in the shadow of NYC? Why does Albany feel so different?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I completely agree with Danefan. Naysayers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some just need to be educated, others are just malcontents. Our goal should be to persuade.

 

I just wish people could see what I see when I'm in Lansing, Boise, Athens, San Diego etc. UAlbany is no different than the universities in those towns. Those people support and rally behind their home town university. Does it just take time? Is it that we're in the shadow of NYC? Why does Albany feel so different?

 

For one thing in none of the other towns does the newspaper cover the little community college at the expense of the real college/university.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just received from the President's Office:

 

To the Campus Community:

 

I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify some of the information that has been circulating in the media regarding our initiative to repair and improve UAlbany’s athletics and recreation fields and facilities.

 

For some years the University's athletics facilities have been in serious disrepair. The track facility does not meet minimum NCAA standards and is in such poor condition that it cannot be used by our track and field teams for home meets. The football team shares the same substandard facility. Constructed as part of the original campus in the 1960s, the football field was built before the University had a football team, and hasn’t since been upgraded to meet today’s building, competition, and access code requirements. Like many of the campus's original facilities, it is in need of vital upgrades.

 

The 2004 UAlbany Athletics and Recreation Master Plan has guided the University’s approach to upgrading these and other athletics facilities. Several concepts have been developed. We are currently involved in the design stages of a repair and upgrade project. Its three main components are:

 

* Repair and replacement of the track to meet standards for NCAA competition and safe recreational use.

* Relocation and upgrading of the football field to a modest multi-use facility for soccer, football, and University and community events, seating about 6,000.

* Construction of a gated and lighted artificial turf field for use by recreational clubs and student intramural teams.

 

The funds set aside for these repairs were part of state appropriations that date back to 2006, designated for general campus upgrades and renovations. The project will be funded by a combination of these state-appropriated critical maintenance and capital funds, and private donations and other philanthropic gifts. There is no specific "stadium" budget, as has been implied. This is a multi-faceted upgrade project addressing long-standing deficiencies of the aging and nearly untenable athletics facilities, for which state funding has already been made available.

 

As the design progresses, the full cost of the upgrade project will be determined. It is important to note that funds designated for capital repairs and buildings are completely separate from our operating budget, which is used to operate the day-to-day academics and business of the University.

 

As described in various campus community briefings, our goal is to locate the refurbished athletics facilities near the athletics complex. The track will remain at its current location. The multi-use playing field facility will be relocated, pending completion of final soil and structural analyses, to the area immediately south of the Bubble, adjacent to SEFCU Arena. The student club and intramural artificial turf field will be situated to the east of the tennis courts, south of Dutch Quad.

 

There has been some question about the land in Guilderland known as the Holt-Harris property, a nine-acre property contiguous with the south side of the campus between University Drive and Western Avenue. The property is for sale and the University is interested in purchasing it at a fair price. We believe it will serve as a useful parcel for future planning purposes. We have no specific plans for it.

 

As you know and have observed around campus, we are renovating and upgrading all facets of our infrastructure to address deferred maintenance and reconfigure spaces to modernize our research and student support facilities. These athletics repairs are an important component of the overall upgrade and repair strategy for the entire campus, but just one part of this carefully coordinated capital plan.

 

For more information on the University's facilities improvement plan, visit our Office of Facilities Management website at http://www.albany.edu/facilities/

 

Sincerely yours,

 

George M. Philip

President

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"The track facility does not meet minimum NCAA standards and is in such poor condition that it cannot be used by our track and field teams for home meets" which didn't prevent them hosting UConn last year, but I get his point.

 

So if it's going to host soccer: Football is 53 1/3 yards wide, NCAA minimum for soccer is 70 yards for new facilities, plus throwin area on the sidelines; add another 20 feet for 'spectator restraint area'; I hope they don't push the grandstand too far from the football field.

 

Otherwise my only complaint is that this didn't come out three days ago with Luntta's statement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another article. This one is after President Philip's email announcement. I'm pretty annoyed at the headline. I don't think President Philip is "touting" anything. I think he was addressing the hysteria of a major state university upgrading a 1960s era field to very modest modern standards.

 

The TU really knows how to annoy me.

 

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/UAlbany-president-touts-athletic-project-1468320.php

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Who is the editor there?

 

Hank Domin

454-5334

hdomin@tinesunion.com

 

I Emailed him a couple of times when the TU coverage really pissed me off. Last time was when they put a frannie (at Iowa update)article on the front page over UA-Vermont and RPI hockey defeating the number 1 hockey team at the time Yale back on 1/30. I got a $iena apologist answer justifying lame coverage back then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...