PUBLIC STADIUM RELEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dane96]

Is this a step for RPI moving towards DI?

 

Thats a pretty sweet rendering. I'd love to have another local team to play in football.

 

I mentioned this about a year ago...and everyone thought I was nuts. I happened to see these plans (I FORGET WHERE) a while back....more extensive pics.

 

There are three problems with RPI going DI.

 

-They refuse to lower academic standards (and when you arent Duke, Stanford, Vandy, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Cal, etc...you arent going to be a Tech school with a good DI sports program) -They dont give much back to the City of Troy (bad relationship). They received 360mm a few years ago...and gave Troy something like 100k.

-They would need to do something about hoops (Houston is ill-suited for that...and the current gym SUCKS) and I cannot see them getting the dollars to build both a football stadium and hoop facility in time. You think it is bad at Boston U....forget it...RPI would be financially waxed by this.

 

I was just downstairs with a guy whose cousin played football at UA, while he played at UMASS. He is from Troy. HE LAUGHED AT THE RENDERING.

 

Strategically, they had to announce this because of UA's push for the almighty local dollar, however I am not to worried about the competition for corporate dollars. RPI has a long way to go before they can match UA or Siena...though if they put their minds to it and get some relationship with Troy...it could be done.

[olddog71]

Is this a step for RPI moving towards DI?

 

Thats a pretty sweet rendering. I'd love to have another local team to play in football.

 

I mentioned this about a year ago...and everyone thought I was nuts. I happened to see these plans (I FORGET WHERE) a while back....more extensive pics.

 

There are three problems with RPI going DI.

 

-They refuse to lower academic standards (and when you arent Duke, Stanford, Vandy, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Cal, etc...you arent going to be a Tech school with a good DI sports program) -They dont give much back to the City of Troy (bad relationship). They received 360mm a few years ago...and gave Troy something like 100k.

-They would need to do something about hoops (Houston is ill-suited for that...and the current gym SUCKS) and I cannot see them getting the dollars to build both a football stadium and hoop facility in time. You think it is bad at Boston U....forget it...RPI would be financially waxed by this.

 

I was just downstairs with a guy whose cousin played football at UA, while he played at UMASS. He is from Troy. HE LAUGHED AT THE RENDERING.

 

Strategically, they had to announce this because of UA's push for the almighty local dollar, however I am not to worried about the competition for corporate dollars. RPI has a long way to go before they can match UA or Siena...though if they put their minds to it and get some relationship with Troy...it could be done.

 

I'm wondering if this maneuvering is a ploy to be proactive on RPI's part. The big sport at that school is hockey. There have been serious attempts in the recent past to push the Division I sport down in level to brin this sport more in line with RPI's other sports. If the school were forced to choose in all its sports to go to the higher level, the transition might be easier with this program of upgrading faciliities already in place. These plans give the school more serious options.

 

Dane, you are right. The current basketball facilities are certainly substandard. I thought that already about the place back in the 70's when UAlbany was playing RPI regularly, and I'm not sure much in the building has changed in the last 30 years.

 

There would also be other very serious improvements to facilities if RPI were to make the leap to Division I caliber sports.

 

In any case, the improvements planned raise the overall level of playing facilities in the Capital District. This area becomes more attractive to hosting other athletic events, such as the Empire Games.

[UAalum72]

The Stadium document also says Phase 1 includes a 1,200-spectator basketball facility - not Division I caliber.

 

While looking for that doc I came across the RPI athletics Master Plan. It was also drawn up by Sasaki (in 1998) and mentioned the inadequacy of '87 gym, but I didn't see anything about a football field.

[UAlbany09]

7,500 is more than triple RPI's current football attendance, so 10-12,000 seats for our stadium looks comparable.

 

I'm sure they will fill it up for their games against Union. I went to the RPI-Union game last season when they had a NCAA tournament bid and conference championship on the line, and I have to say it was a pretty good atmosphere for DIII football.

[Ruler]

Didn't a 7-4 UA team that beat Delaware have a home game that same weekend? I am pretty sure we are a FCS team not DIII

[UAlbany09]

Didn't a 7-4 UA team that beat Delaware have a home game that same weekend? I am pretty sure we are a FCS team not DIII

 

no, this was the season before we beat Delaware.