University Field (Ford Field) Upgrade

[uofalbany]

Ideas of Danefan:

 

I think we (us and the university) should now move onto Plan B - upgrades to Unviersity Field.

We should be able to raise $10 million privately between individual and corporate donors and add that to some money from the city and county and I think we can still come up with a modest stadium that will suit us going foward for at least 10 years.

 

we cannot afford to sit around and wait another year. Earth needs to be moved and recruits need to see it moving.

 

1. Either fix the track or get rid of it. I am in favor of fixing it, adding more lanes and making it the top track & field facility in the northeast. The state track & field meet should be in one place every year and it should be at UAlbany.

 

2. Start bowling in University Field on the Visitors side. One tier should be able to hold about 5,000 people from end-zone to end-zone. The first row of stands has to be high enough to be able to see over the track and the players on the sideline.

 

3. Finish the lockerroom renovation which will include upgraded meeting and film rooms and a better visitors lockerroom.

 

4. Field turf.

 

5. Scoreboard with jumbotron and video replay ability.

 

6. Now, if the politicians get off their a$$es and realize what this can do, then next year we get an additional $15 or so million to upgrade what is now the home side. The stands can come down from the top of the PE building directly to the side of the track, taking the road out of play. That will easily add an additional 7,000 to 10,000 seats.

 

We need to do something and if it involves years building in stages, then so be it. Sitting and waiting to have the "Crown Jewel of the NEC" is counterproductive in my opinion.

 

 

I have stumbled upon an interesting site - the southern bleacher company site:

 

http://www.southernbleacher.com/

 

Even more interesting, the stadiums that they have produced with bleachers... including these high schools:

On the following webpage, pay close attention to Web City R-7 School district with its 4,000 seat Bleacher Stadium.

 

http://www.southernbleacher.com/facilities.php?category=9

 

 

Through digging, I have found that southern bleachers bid to the school district was only $866,000 for the Cardinal Stadium:

 

http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_sto...tml?start:int=0

 

 

Now, I agree with Danefan for the most part.

 

-Keep the track and repair, field turf, scoreboard, locker room upgrades..... all when the timing is right... but first,

 

-Throw up about 10000-15000 bleacher seats all around University field as it is... nothing more. Make it attractive but very basic and inexpensive.

 

-If the visitors side (currently) has 6000 seats, and the end zones get 3000 each.... we can make the visitors side the HOME side.

 

-Based on Web City's costs for their 4000seats, 12000 seats around University field would cost 2.5 million + inflation.. The AD probably has a few million through fund raising already.

 

-When the day comes, the University will receive Huge Money for a Multi Purpose Stadium... then we will have university field as a secondary stadium, for Track and Field and soccer. Maybe it would then make a really nice soccer stadium, and our soccer program will flourish.

 

-We need seats now, not in a year, not in 2 years! We can get something done to make University field resemble a football stadium. Coach Ford, the University, UAlbany athletes, and we alumni deserve something NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[danefan]

My god this could go up on visitors side now with entrances at the road level that is between the science library and the hill now. I wonder what this one costs?

 

 

 

[uofalbany]

That Stadium is:

 

Trojan Stadium in Chambersburg, Penn. The stadium has a total seating capacity of over 7,000.

 

The construction began in April and was completed in time for the first home football game in early September. WOW.

 

http://newsblaze.com/story/200609291523000...p/topstory.html

 

The cost was 6.5million... having lots of custom detail etc...

 

All we need is attractive and basic..

 

The Web City stadium is quite attractive and cheap!

[danefan]

That Stadium is:

 

Trojan Stadium in Chambersburg, Penn. The stadium has a total seating capacity of over 7,000.

 

The construction began in April and was completed in time for the first home football game in early September. WOW.

 

http://newsblaze.com/story/200609291523000...p/topstory.html

 

The cost was 6.5million... having lots of custom detail etc...

 

All we need is attractive and basic..

 

The Web City stadium is quite attractive and cheap!

 

 

The $6.5 million also included the turf field and track which together is likely to be over $2 million alone.

[uofalbany]

That Stadium is:

 

Trojan Stadium in Chambersburg, Penn. The stadium has a total seating capacity of over 7,000.

 

The construction began in April and was completed in time for the first home football game in early September. WOW.

 

http://newsblaze.com/story/200609291523000...p/topstory.html

 

The cost was 6.5million... having lots of custom detail etc...

 

All we need is attractive and basic..

 

The Web City stadium is quite attractive and cheap!

 

 

The $6.5 million also included the turf field and track which together is likely to be over $2 million alone.

 

 

Something attractive and economical could be assembled on University Field, something that can be visually comparable or much better than USB, in this fashion.

 

I totally agree with you. The first row needs to be high enough off the ground to see over the teams, and so they can see the whole field.

 

Something needs to be done before the start of this football season. We've neglected our undefeated NEC Champion football team long enough.

 

We've had alot of success in all sports without facilities. Imagine what we'd do with them!!!!!!!

[Classof72/74]

Maybe I'm just a glass half-empty type of person, but the news reports that Gov Paterson wants a 10-15% CUT in next year's budget makes me dubious about the new stadium getting funded in 08-09.

 

Better to get moving on upgrading what we've got, especially if it can come under the guide of "needed maintenance upgrades" rather than "capital projects".