Football Alumni Weekend

[alum73]

I wasn't able to make the get together last night, or the golf today. Were there any items of interest to tell us?

[danefan]

Nothing crazy but a few tidbits:

 

Stadium

Stadium is the University's #1 funding priority in the 2009 budget and Coach Ford sounded more than confident that we will get all of the money we asked for and we will break ground next spring with about a 2 year construction time frame. That puts completion for the 2011 season. Fordie said that Philip is on board 100% with that being the case.

 

Heery International has been on campus many times (including last week) with multiple plans and ideas. Site alternatives included near the softball field, near the baseball field, over University Field but spun with the end zones facing the PE and Science Library, and finally over the current soccer field. The decision came down to two locations really - near softball field and over the soccer field. From Heery's point of view the softball field was the best place. The University decided against it because they felt the political pressure the local neighborhood residents would put on it would be too great.

 

So it appears the location of the stadium will be over the soccer field. This should be good because it won't be too disruptive for the two years it will take to be built. The soccer teams can play on University field or the intramural field can be converted to a game field for the time being until a permanent replacement is built.

 

They are now trying to decide what level the field should be at. Right now the soccer field is below grade compared to SEFCU. They will either build it at the same level as the lacrosse field or at the current level of the soccer field.

 

 

Scholarships

We currently have all 30 scholarships out. Only 1 kid is on full scholarship - the kid from Guilderland who Fordie was very excited about. No indicaton of what his feelings were about the slow increase the NEC has approved. There was some rumblings that we cannot handle 63 rides right now because of Title IX. Another women's sport will have to be added before we get there. I guess it would likely be crew. That seems to be what other schools have done.

 

Conference

Nothing overt was discussed but I quietly heard some rumblings that the CAA North teams aren't really into a 14 team conference. Nothing is happening in the near future though.

 

Anyone else who was there can add their thoughts.

 

One other thing was that there was a good amount of $ raised at the reception. I would estimate in the neighborhood of $20,000. One donor wrote a check for $10,000 and another for $5,000. That's always a good thing.

[UAalum72]

They are now trying to decide what level the field should be at. Right now the soccer field is below grade compared to SEFCU. They will either build it at the same level as the lacrosse field or at the current level of the soccer field.

You mean raise the field 8 or 10 feet up to lax field level? That sounds like an awful lot of dirt to truck in and compact, or else a four-acre raised platform for the playing surface. Neither sounds cheap. I'd guess mostly the same level with extra drainage built in.

[GreatDanes06]

Nothing crazy but a few tidbits:

 

Stadium

Stadium is the University's #1 funding priority in the 2009 budget and Coach Ford sounded more than confident that we will get all of the money we asked for and we will break ground next spring with about a 2 year construction time frame. That puts completion for the 2011 season. Fordie said that Philip is on board 100% with that being the case.

 

Heery International has been on campus many times (including last week) with multiple plans and ideas. Site alternatives included near the softball field, near the baseball field, over University Field but spun with the end zones facing the PE and Science Library, and finally over the current soccer field. The decision came down to two locations really - near softball field and over the soccer field. From Heery's point of view the softball field was the best place. The University decided against it because they felt the political pressure the local neighborhood residents would put on it would be too great.

 

So it appears the location of the stadium will be over the soccer field. This should be good because it won't be too disruptive for the two years it will take to be built. The soccer teams can play on University field or the intramural field can be converted to a game field for the time being until a permanent replacement is built.

 

They are now trying to decide what level the field should be at. Right now the soccer field is below grade compared to SEFCU. They will either build it at the same level as the lacrosse field or at the current level of the soccer field.

 

excellent news. I'm guessing they have multiple designs for the amount of funding they will receive? I am extremely happy that our interim president is 100% on board. The big question I have is parking? The stadium will cut into the current SEFCU parking lot correct? A the same time, are they going to be adding parking upgrades around the stadium?

 

Overall, I like what i hear

[danefan]

They are now trying to decide what level the field should be at. Right now the soccer field is below grade compared to SEFCU. They will either build it at the same level as the lacrosse field or at the current level of the soccer field.

You mean raise the field 8 or 10 feet up to lax field level? That sounds like an awful lot of dirt to truck in and compact, or else a four-acre raised platform for the playing surface. Neither sounds cheap. I'd guess mostly the same level with extra drainage built in.

 

 

It was actually a little confusing as to what they were saying. I think they really are trying to tie the stadium directly into the RACC. Specifically at the point where the main entrance to the RACC is (the platform area between the PE Building and the RACC). Listening to them talk about it, I was envisioning walking through that area and directly into the corner of the stadium. I'm sure the fine details like that will change 100 times before now and spring 2009.

[danefan]

excellent news. I'm guessing they have multiple designs for the amount of funding they will receive? I am extremely happy that our interim president is 100% on board. The big question I have is parking? The stadium will cut into the current SEFCU parking lot correct? A the same time, are they going to be adding parking upgrades around the stadium?

 

Overall, I like what i hear

 

It appears at this point that they have already had multiple plans and appear to have come to somewhat of a decision as to the location. But yes, when you are dealing in upwards of $50 million of funding I'm sure they have to present multiple options for those "just in case" scenarios.

 

As for parking, the design I was referring to (on top of the soccer field) would not run into the RACC parking lot. That would leave the RACC parking lot, Dutch Quad, and Indian Quad for parking lots in close proximity. In addition to that you are looking at the Intramural Field (in between the tennis courts and the soccer field) and what is now University Field for tailgating. A lot of university stadiums end up with parking in locations that aren't parking lots (read fields) on gameday only. I wouldn't be surprised to see that. Its also feasible you we could see a parking garage in the RACC parking lot or even in Dutch or Indian Quad. Not asthetically ideal, but we may need it.

[danefan]

Also, I forgot that they said the plans right now are to have the intial capacity at 11,500 easily expandable to 25,000 and doable beyond that if necessary.

[GreatDanes06]

if the plans include building a track around the football field, i am up for them ripping university field and making a parking facility or anything else they want...

 

at the same time, I think the idea of starting with 11,000-in-change seats is a solid start. I think you see how attendance is for these games and how successful the program can become and what money they bring in. If its clear that attendance can and will go up (remember, this is the capital district) and they program is bringing in money, then based on funding, you can build up. I'll take a 5,000 seat stadium to replace University Field at this point. 11,000 is just an added bonus if you ask me.

[Clickclack]

I don't believe the new stadium will have a track around the field. I hope it doesn't....It kind of cuts the crowd off from the field.

 

danefan,

 

Some time ago the University released a computer rendered pic of what a new stadium could possibly look like. Is Heery taking that idea and running with it or will they be proposing something completely different? Where did that pick come from, were we at some point working with a different architectural firm?

[danefan]

Nothing I have seen has indicated that the stadium will have a track around it.

As I understand it the plan has always been to build the stadium and then build a new separate track/athletics (soccer, etc.) field. The current track we have has to be ripped up anyway. it is not official distance and cannot hold NCAA sanctioned events.

[danefan]

danefan,

 

Some time ago the University released a computer rendered pic of what a new stadium could possibly look like. Is Heery taking that idea and running with it or will they be proposing something completely different? Where did that pick come from, were we at some point working with a different architectural firm?

 

 

I don't believe the computer rendering was developed by Heery. My only basis for this is that the announcement about Heery coming on board came this April, a long time after that rendering was completed.

 

With that being said that rendering was a very "typical" stadium design that is popping up throughout schools like ours. UC Davis just built a stadium that is almost indentical to our rendering except only the lower section was built.

 

 

I cannot remember the other firm the department was working with, but I think it was the group from Boston that handled the original master plan.

[Clickclack]

danefan,

 

Some time ago the University released a computer rendered pic of what a new stadium could possibly look like. Is Heery taking that idea and running with it or will they be proposing something completely different? Where did that pick come from, were we at some point working with a different architectural firm?

 

 

I don't believe the computer rendering was developed by Heery. My only basis for this is that the announcement about Heery coming on board came this April, a long time after that rendering was completed.

 

With that being said that rendering was a very "typical" stadium design that is popping up throughout schools like ours. UC Davis just built a stadium that is almost indentical to our rendering except only the lower section was built.

 

 

I cannot remember the other firm the department was working with, but I think it was the group from Boston that handled the original master plan.

 

 

Beautiful!

[Dane96]

You want to see what we can get for 11,500 seats MINUS the sick building (it is an arena)-- Google Cy-Fair Texas' Berry Stadium.

[danefan]

You want to see what we can get for 11,500 seats MINUS the sick building (it is an arena)-- Google Cy-Fair Texas' Berry Stadium.

 

And that's a high school

 

[Dane96]

And that same granstand is duplicated on the other side. I would like that but subtract 5 rows from each side...put them in one endzone and shrink the them from the 70 yards it stretches to 60 yards....and have a 14 row end-zone.