OT - facilities - Jets practicing at Cortland

[reeder]

Not to beat a dead horse, but

 

I was watching the NFL network last night as they were talking about the Jets QB competition. They were at SUNY Cortland covering the Jets and that was a nice facility. The Jets were practicing in the stadium and that was a nice D3 stadium... I think UA would take that in a heartbeat...

[UAalum72]

McGuire from Cortland : Barksdale happy with a long shot

[purplehaze]

Not to beat a dead horse, but

 

I was watching the NFL network last night as they were talking about the Jets QB competition. They were at SUNY Cortland covering the Jets and that was a nice facility. The Jets were practicing in the stadium and that was a nice D3 stadium... I think UA would take that in a heartbeat...

A Football Stadium like Cortland has would go well on our campus.

[danefan]

Not to beat a dead horse, but

 

I was watching the NFL network last night as they were talking about the Jets QB competition. They were at SUNY Cortland covering the Jets and that was a nice facility. The Jets were practicing in the stadium and that was a nice D3 stadium... I think UA would take that in a heartbeat...

A Football Stadium like Cortland has would go well on our campus.

 

 

It is nice and it would go well, but its too small for us. It only seats 6500. Anything that gets built needs to be over 10,000 with expansion up to 20,000 easily possible.

[Clickclack]

[UA_MA_2000]

Not to beat a dead horse, but

 

I was watching the NFL network last night as they were talking about the Jets QB competition. They were at SUNY Cortland covering the Jets and that was a nice facility. The Jets were practicing in the stadium and that was a nice D3 stadium... I think UA would take that in a heartbeat...

A Football Stadium like Cortland has would go well on our campus.

 

 

It is nice and it would go well, but its too small for us. It only seats 6500. Anything that gets built needs to be over 10,000 with expansion up to 20,000 easily possible.

 

 

Agreed! If we are going to solicit the funds to build a stadium (and acquire/borrow those funds), I don't think it does much for us long-term to sell ourselves short and build a 6,500-seat stadium merely because it's much better than what we have now. With full scholarships and a new stadium, there is no reason why we can't be a consistent top 10 or at least top 20 team in FCS (I think).

 

Whatever stadium we end up with, I just hope that it is of the sort that can be upgraded in the future. At least then we give ourselves the possibility for future growth (rather than quelling it with the initial construction of a new stadium).

 

BTW, thx for the pictures Boisy, those are good ones.

 

I've always thought something like McGuirk Stadium (UMASS) would be ideal for us in terms of style and capacity. Couple that with grass slopes in the endzones for lawn seating (or tanning--whatever it takes to get the students out to games), and we have ourselves an even nicer facility than McGuirk (I'm not sold on the endzone walls that UMASS has, although it's better than nothing for that stadium).

 

 

[danefan]

This is my ideal stadium for now. No second tier yet. No huge press box or luxury suites. Just a nice simple stadium that has the ability to expand quickly with a second deck and huge press box.

 

Its UC Davis' new stadium. Seats 10,000 plus lawn seating.

 

[UA_MA_2000]

That's a cool stadium!! I love the "bowl"-type design and the lawn seating. I kinda like having a second tier for seating (or at least someday), but it would appear that an advantage to a stadium like UC-Davis's is that I would think the noise is kept "in" more because the field is below ground level and that upgrading is very easy (see below and the example of the Big House, which is currently being upgraded and will be upgradable to approximately 160,000 in the future).

 

My only hesitation---and I am by no means an authority on such matters---is that such a stadium is similar to, e.g., the Big House in Ann Arbor in that the field is below street/ground level. Indeed, I remember as a kid walking outside of that stadium and thinking that it wasn't that tall of a stadium (because the seating goes down into the earth, below street level, as I found out when entering the stadium for the first time).

 

So, it would seem that the problem with this sort of stadium (Ann Arbor; UC-Davis) is irrigation, water, etc. Ann Arbor has been fighting the water problem and attempting to use natural grass for years (without much luck). In this area (especially with the rain pattern we appear to be in now), we could have a real wet and soggy field, unless there is some fancy irrigation methods employed (of which I know nothing about).

 

Of course, the solution to the water problem would be turf (right?), but then there is the injury issue. I suppose there are all kinds of fancy, high-tech types of artificial turf these days, but someone else will have to offer their insight on this, because I just know little about the various types of fields. It does appear from the above picture that UC -Davis has artificial turf of some sort.

 

Perhaps we could have a purple turf field (like Boise State's blue field?)?

 

History of Michigan Stadium ("The Big House")

 

 

 

EDIT: I should also note that one of the articles I read mentioned something about a high water table around and/or below the Big House. I'm sure there are all kinds of geological issues to be taken into consideration with such projects---good thing I'm not in charge.

[danefan]

That's a cool stadium!! I love the "bowl"-type design and the lawn seating. I kinda like having a second tier for seating (or at least someday), but it would appear that an advantage to a stadium like UC-Davis's is that I would think the noise is kept "in" more because the field is below ground level and that upgrading is very easy (see below and the example of the Big House, which is currently being upgraded and will be upgradable to approximately 160,000 in the future).

 

My only hesitation---and I am by no means an authority on such matters---is that such a stadium is similar to, e.g., the Big House in Ann Arbor in that the field is below street/ground level. Indeed, I remember as a kid walking outside of that stadium and thinking that it wasn't that tall of a stadium (because the seating goes down into the earth, below street level, as I found out when entering the stadium for the first time).

 

So, it would seem that the problem with this sort of stadium (Ann Arbor; UC-Davis) is irrigation, water, etc. Ann Arbor has been fighting the water problem and attempting to use natural grass for years (without much luck). In this area (especially with the rain pattern we appear to be in now), we could have a real wet and soggy field, unless there is some fancy irrigation methods employed (of which I know nothing about).

 

Of course, the solution to the water problem would be turf (right?), but then there is the injury issue. I suppose there are all kinds of fancy, high-tech types of artificial turf these days, but someone else will have to offer their insight on this, because I just know little about the various types of fields. It does appear from the above picture that UC -Davis has artificial turf of some sort.

 

Perhaps we could have a purple turf field (like Boise State's blue field?)?

 

History of Michigan Stadium ("The Big House")

 

 

 

EDIT: I should also note that one of the articles I read mentioned something about a high water table around and/or below the Big House. I'm sure there are all kinds of geological issues to be taken into consideration with such projects---good thing I'm not in charge.

 

 

Any stadium that is built (including any renovation to University Field if that were to happen) would include a Field Turf (or similar type) field. Almost all NFL, NCAA and high schools are going to field turf in the northeast. That stats I last heard was that a field turf field pays for itself in 7 years in the northeast because of the no-maintenance aspect. There are no longer the injury issues with turf of the past.

 

I believe the site plan work that was already done by University concluded that a bowl stadium (below ground level) was the way to go.

[UA_MA_2000]

At the risk of continuing to go OT, this picture (architect's drawing) aptly shows what my above post discussed with regard to the Big House being below street level. Amazing how you walk in near the top of the stadium. The brick structure is a part of the new renovations to the Big House.

 

[UA_MA_2000]

That's a cool stadium!! I love the "bowl"-type design and the lawn seating. I kinda like having a second tier for seating (or at least someday), but it would appear that an advantage to a stadium like UC-Davis's is that I would think the noise is kept "in" more because the field is below ground level and that upgrading is very easy (see below and the example of the Big House, which is currently being upgraded and will be upgradable to approximately 160,000 in the future).

 

My only hesitation---and I am by no means an authority on such matters---is that such a stadium is similar to, e.g., the Big House in Ann Arbor in that the field is below street/ground level. Indeed, I remember as a kid walking outside of that stadium and thinking that it wasn't that tall of a stadium (because the seating goes down into the earth, below street level, as I found out when entering the stadium for the first time).

 

So, it would seem that the problem with this sort of stadium (Ann Arbor; UC-Davis) is irrigation, water, etc. Ann Arbor has been fighting the water problem and attempting to use natural grass for years (without much luck). In this area (especially with the rain pattern we appear to be in now), we could have a real wet and soggy field, unless there is some fancy irrigation methods employed (of which I know nothing about).

 

Of course, the solution to the water problem would be turf (right?), but then there is the injury issue. I suppose there are all kinds of fancy, high-tech types of artificial turf these days, but someone else will have to offer their insight on this, because I just know little about the various types of fields. It does appear from the above picture that UC -Davis has artificial turf of some sort.

 

Perhaps we could have a purple turf field (like Boise State's blue field?)?

 

History of Michigan Stadium ("The Big House")

 

 

 

EDIT: I should also note that one of the articles I read mentioned something about a high water table around and/or below the Big House. I'm sure there are all kinds of geological issues to be taken into consideration with such projects---good thing I'm not in charge.

 

 

Any stadium that is built (including any renovation to University Field if that were to happen) would include a Field Turf (or similar type) field. Almost all NFL, NCAA and high schools are going to field turf in the northeast. That stats I last heard was that a field turf field pays for itself in 7 years in the northeast because of the no-maintenance aspect. There are no longer the injury issues with turf of the past.

 

I believe the site plan work that was already done by University concluded that a bowl stadium (below ground level) was the way to go.

 

 

Awesome! Good information. I didn't know about the field turf, etc. I'm glad we're going with a "bowl"-type design (eventually ... ).

[danefan]

BTW, the UC Davis stadium cost $31 million. $16 million was provided by the State of CA and the remaining $15 million was privately raised. It also took 20 months to build.

[Clickclack]

Would it be safe to assume that at this point no further progress has been made on the construction of a new stadium? Just wondering

 

By the way....I didn't mean to imply that I am in favor of "settling" for something that would not meet our needs. I agree 6500 seat brand new facility would probably be outgrown very quickly. I totally agree with danefan on the point he made, get something that fits our needs.

[danefan]

I think its safe to assume that the stadium is going nowhere until at the earliest April when the budget comes up again.

 

On a somewhat related note:

 

Chancellor Zimpher was on campus again Saturday. This time she was likely to see what a horrendous facility we have as she attended Giants camp.

 

 

I hope Dr. M walked walked her slowly by UField.

[Clickclack]

I think its safe to assume that the stadium is going nowhere until at the earliest April when the budget comes up again.

 

On a somewhat related note:

 

Chancellor Zimpher was on campus again Saturday. This time she was likely to see what a horrendous facility we have as she attended Giants camp.

 

 

I hope Dr. M walked walked her slowly by UField.

 

Hopefully she was up on her immunizations...otherwise, hopefully she didn't sit on the rusty bleachers.