My U-Field upgrade idea

[danefan]

I'll preface this by saying I have no knowledge of anything in works. After having spoken to a bunch of alumni and fans at the game this weekend and the party afterwards everyone seemed to agree that spinning the field is the way to go. Especially if you experienced the wind on Saturday.

 

So, this is just my idea which is also based on the fact that I'm bored.

 

Here's what I threw together this morning.

 

This is based on Hofstra's stadium without the endzone seating or the additional away seating they have. Hofstra's stadium holds 15,000. This idea puts the endzone right up next to the current home side bleachers. These could be used for a student section. This allows the university to keep everyone entereing through the PE building and also allows the current lockerroom and tunnel setup to remain the same. Plus keeping the PE connected to the Stadium will incorporate the architectural aspects that are common throughout campus (archs, etc.)

 

With what I took out, and including keeping the current UField bleachers as the student section, this view should show approximately 7,000 seats.

 

I'm not sure it would be possible to do all of this next year for $5 million. In fact I have no idea what this would cost. There wouldn't be a ton of excacation work to do, but just when I was doing this I realized some extra costs. For example, we'd need a new scoreboard and new lights. Plus, I i'm not sure what the cost of a pressbox is, but we'd need a new press box too. Maybe this view without the away side bleachers could be done next year. That would be about 5,000 seats, but it would be a step in the right direction.

 

I've also included the track where I think it would go. Everything should be pretty close to scale.

 

[danefan]

Oh and please ignore the fact that based on the shadows there appears to be two suns in the sky. The world is not ending, I'm just not that good at Photoshop.

[UAalum72]

I've played with this a little, too. I think you might have to dig out the hill some, possibly with a retaining wall, and maybe even move the road on the north end.

 

We know the turf field itself is around a half mill.

 

The current visitors' bleachers are 30 yards wide and seat between 750-850. Four such sections on each side would run goalpost to goalpost and total between 6-7,000. We also know that the rented bleachers they put up for the lacrosse NCAAs went up in about a week. They were only half the size we'd want, but another low-budget possibility if we're sure they'd be short-term

[danefan]

I've played with this a little, too. I think you might have to dig out the hill some, possibly with a retaining wall, and maybe even move the road on the north end.

 

We know the turf field itself is around a half mill.

 

The current visitors' bleachers are 30 yards wide and seat between 750-850. Four such sections on each side would run goalpost to goalpost and total between 6-7,000. We also know that the rented bleachers they put up for the lacrosse NCAAs went up in about a week. They were only half the size we'd want, but another low-budget possibility if we're sure they'd be short-term

 

I'm a dork and I actually walked off the yardage this weekend. If you put the field all the way to the home side, you'd only be cutting into the hill for about 5 yards (and that would just be to ensure there is enough room after the endzone. I'm imaging a brick retaining wall similar to Georgia Southern. That hill would be a cool place to move the flag poles and would also be some nice hill seating for overflow.

 

And I also sized the field turf here to be the exact same size as the current UField. I was able to overlay the yard lines exactly and then spin it.

[uofalbany]

 

I'm a dork and I actually walked off the yardage this weekend.

 

We already know, bro. No need to mention it.

Just kidding

 

Turned out good.

As I told you on IM, I really like the North/South flipping of the field.

Keeping the AD building and current seating as the student section would

instantly take care of one whole end of the facility, with no expense.

 

With the science building off in the distance, it would be a great backdrop to the

northern endzone as well.

 

Slapping a retaining wall, using the hill for extra grass seating is a great idea. The flags would look damn good there. As for the scoreboard, for the time being, couldn't we keep the actual scoreboard, and just move it? A minimal expense.

 

I hesitate to get too elaborate, as I don't want this to be the permanent football facility. I'd like to get 10k seats, 5k on both sides, in an economical, low budget manner. Then, we'd have a facility that resembles a stadium, but without the state of the art cost. Then start using the 5 million per year, towards constructing a real stadium.

 

Did someone say that relocating the track facility would cost 1 million?

 

96 had said before that under 10 million could get us the relocated track and some type of raised bleacher setup to accomodate the 10k I believe. What was it that he said?

 

Really depending on our determination for a REAL stadium down the road...

 

maybe we should keep the the field 'type' as it is... and use the cash that would

have been spent, to lay down a turf field in a NEW stadium down the road.

[uofalbany]

Everything is dependent on what the people in charge think and feel.

[danefan]

If they spin the field and move the track, then we'll know the state-of-the-art stadium pipedream is done. If they spin the field and then build a stadium, the new North-South UField would be worthless.

 

If they leave the track and put some seating around it, then the new stadium is still possible. Then at least they'll have a track stadium.

[danefan]

Really depending on our determination for a REAL stadium down the road...

 

maybe we should keep the the field 'type' as it is... and use the cash that would

have been spent, to lay down a turf field in a NEW stadium down the road.

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

All depends on if they spin the field and whether they leave the track. If they leave the track and running E-W, then I say leave the grass. When a stadium is build down the road, then the infield grass on track can be used for throwing events.

 

If they spin the field or take the track out, then I say put down fieldturf. It would probably be cheaper in the long run to have fieldturf, especially if they plan on making it an intramural field (assuming a "real" stadium is built down the road).

[Clickclack]

If they spin the field and move the track, then we'll know the state-of-the-art stadium pipedream is done.

 

+1....I agree! If they take the steps to move the track and spin the field then we can probably kiss the visions of a brand new state of the art stadium goodbye.

[danefan]

BTW, now that I've got this set up we can play around with "could be" scenarios.

 

There is a ton of potential for this N-S sight. For example check this out - This new sight, with 3/4 of Montana's stadium. My guestimate is that this is about 25,000 seats.

 

[uofalbany]

Would there be any difference in track construction cost if we moved the track in front of the softball field, in comparison to remaking the entire track where it is now?

[danefan]

Would there be any difference in track construction cost if we moved the track in front of the softball field, in comparison to remaking the entire track where it is now?

 

 

I don't think so. If the track was regulation I'd say yes, because then all we'd need was to resurface the track. The current track, however, isn't regulation and thus would need to be completed ripped up and remeasured.

[uofalbany]

What I do know is this:

 

The track program should have their state of the art facility.

We are close to being top 25 in the nation. They've earned the

right to have a brand new, regulation facility. With seating to handle BIG crowds when we hold BIG events.

 

Question is: if we do move the track elsewhere, will we invest into substantial seating?

 

As for the football facility, whatever we WILL have in the LONG TERM, should be

a facility without a track, with seating close to the sidelines.

[danefan]

What I do know is this:

 

The track program should have their state of the art facility.

We are close to being top 25 in the nation. They've earned the

right to have a brand new, regulation facility. With seating to handle BIG crowds when we hold BIG events.

 

As for the football facility, whatever we WILL have in the LONG TERM, should be

a facility without a track, with seating close to the sidelines.

 

Agreed. Just so you know, I pulled the track from the University of Arkansas. Its one of the nicest in the country.

[Dane96]

What I do know is this:

 

The track program should have their state of the art facility.

We are close to being top 25 in the nation. They've earned the

right to have a brand new, regulation facility. With seating to handle BIG crowds when we hold BIG events.

 

As for the football facility, whatever we WILL have in the LONG TERM, should be

a facility without a track, with seating close to the sidelines.

 

Agreed. Just so you know, I pulled the track from the University of Arkansas. Its one of the nicest in the country.

 

 

While I think T&F should have stands like UF or Arkansas (about 8k) for their accomplisments, I dont think you will ever get a meet with that many people up here.

 

I think what we have at JFF (2,000 Seats) with room for upwards or opposite side expansion to 8k total would suffice.