UAlbany to build Football Stadium

[sarge965]

Purple field = gimmick

 

What is needed is a real marketing plan, starting with the students and staff of the University. "If you build it, they will come," is Hollywood fantasy. The newness of the stadium (no matter the color of the turf) wears off very quickly. What will put butts in the seats is a good product, which we already have, and a real marketing program. Personal contact with individuals and groups not just radio, tv and print adds. There needs to be as much work put into getting fans in the stands as the team does to prepare for each game. UAlbany excels on the field and fails miserably in the use of resources to "sell" the games. If this does not change - make the turf white - sine the stadium will become a white elephant.

[danefan]

Scheduling is also very important.

 

No one cares about playing Sacred Heart and Robert Morris.

 

Playing schools that people know adds to the draw. It would be nice to open the stadium against, Colgate, Cornell, Yale, etc. Someone beatable but with name recognition.

 

We should also be playing Sat night games at home until its too cold. You will get more area interest if the games don't conflict with the local high school games. The target audience is the same.

[MRSGDG]

Some more information on the current project:

There are three parts:

1) Track

2) Turf field for student use only which will be located near the tennis courts near Dutch

3) Multi-Use sports complex

 

The complex will be used for football, soccer and the community. It will be turf and will face North-South, it will be modular, ADA compliant and it will have a capacity of 6500.

 

The entire three phases/parts will cost $18-24M. 25% of those funds ($5.25M) will come from Development/Private fund raising.

 

They are moving the location of our football field for two main reasons:

1) To make it North-South

2) To allow the track and field team to still use a natural grass field.

 

Information on the Original Old Stadium Proposal for those still interested:

$54-64M with a capacity of 24,000.

[KingDane]

Thanks for the good comments. I knew someone would already know exactly what schools have tried this. A red field does seem over the top. Also would agree with the need for topnotch leadership and marketing. But all of these things, including the stadium, are part of a greater problem with UA in that it continues to have too little relationship to the community. The gap between "town and gown" is enormous. It may relate to the geographic isolation or the need for independent governance or a link to a med or law school plus many other factors. Moreover the loss of Bob Ford will mean a lot more than football. He singlehandedly made more community connections through his players and coaches than the rest of the administration, faculty, students and alumni combined. Ironically the stadium proposal not only comes at a bad time because of economic problems but because the world of college football is in transition. The field is an embarrassment, there is a real opportunity to move up in conference and take the program to the next level and make money in the process. I also believe NYC fans and media are longing for a college football team to get behind. Hofstra is done, Columbia is a joke, Fordham is too little and Wagner is mired like us. Syracuse is largely televised already but the move out of the Big East won't help. Rutgers and Connecticut may have the largest NYC rooting interest.

 

Of course these are the kinds of issues that are of little interest to the casual fans (including students) who will be needed to put fannies in the seats and make the program work. The Purple Growl and other marketing devices may need to be all improved as part of the move forward but a purple field and other things that may seem frivolous to the intense inhabitants of the blogoshphere may just work. By the way, in terms of the NCAA, this is one of those things where you're better off asking for forgiveness than permission.

 

Its not uncommon for a sound, long-term business plan to begin with free coupons, gimmicks, etc. For immediate attention, the purple field would gain UA the spotlight. I can't remember the national media ever televising the opening of new small-midsize venue. The unwrapping of the Bob Ford stadium, the BoFo, with a purple field and contrasting gold seats would gain national attention.

 

Businesses often flop after a sensational grand opening. I'm not suggesting this replaces long-term and topnotch leadership and marketing, I'm just saying this might immediately put them on base instead of just coming up to bat.

[Clickclack]

The decides it...we'll call the new place BoFo!

[danefan]

There is merit to a gimmicky opening. The problem is I think the long-term negatives of a purple field greatly outweigh the short-term benefits.

 

Scheduling and winning are the two most important elements to building a following, IMO.

[UAalum72]

Central Arkansas already has a purple field with alternating gray sections.

 

[MRSGDG]

UAlbany bid to buy land parcel rejected

http://www.timesunio...ted-2225125.php

[madDOG]

Thanks for the good comments. I knew someone would already know exactly what schools have tried this. A red field does seem over the top. Also would agree with the need for topnotch leadership and marketing. But all of these things, including the stadium, are part of a greater problem with UA in that it continues to have too little relationship to the community. The gap between "town and gown" is enormous. It may relate to the geographic isolation or the need for independent governance or a link to a med or law school plus many other factors. Moreover the loss of Bob Ford will mean a lot more than football. He singlehandedly made more community connections through his players and coaches than the rest of the administration, faculty, students and alumni combined. Ironically the stadium proposal not only comes at a bad time because of economic problems but because the world of college football is in transition. The field is an embarrassment, there is a real opportunity to move up in conference and take the program to the next level and make money in the process. I also believe NYC fans and media are longing for a college football team to get behind. Hofstra is done, Columbia is a joke, Fordham is too little and Wagner is mired like us. Syracuse is largely televised already but the move out of the Big East won't help. Rutgers and Connecticut may have the largest NYC rooting interest.

 

Of course these are the kinds of issues that are of little interest to the casual fans (including students) who will be needed to put fannies in the seats and make the program work. The Purple Growl and other marketing devices may need to be all improved as part of the move forward but a purple field and other things that may seem frivolous to the intense inhabitants of the blogoshphere may just work. By the way, in terms of the NCAA, this is one of those things where you're better off asking for forgiveness than permission.

 

Its not uncommon for a sound, long-term business plan to begin with free coupons, gimmicks, etc. For immediate attention, the purple field would gain UA the spotlight. I can't remember the national media ever televising the opening of new small-midsize venue. The unwrapping of the Bob Ford stadium, the BoFo, with a purple field and contrasting gold seats would gain national attention.

 

Businesses often flop after a sensational grand opening. I'm not suggesting this replaces long-term and topnotch leadership and marketing, I'm just saying this might immediately put them on base instead of just coming up to bat.

 

Gray campus with a giant purple field. Please no.

[APA73]

The Central Arkansas field looks better than I imagined. And we wouldn't even need the gray stripes. Who ever said gimmicks are bad things? Pur-po at Bo-Fo! Go Grape Danes!

[Clickclack]

I'm usually a traditionalist but that Central Arkansas field looks interesting. If it was something subtle and not what Boise has I'd might consider it.

[danefan]

The audio from the Oct. 13th Council meeting is up.

 

http://www.albany.edu/council/recordings/council-audio-10-13-11.mp3

 

A lot of very interesting discussion on SUNY 2010, SUNY consolidated of administration (multi-campus Presidents) and the "don't call it a stadium".

 

There was no announcement intended on the stadium. Heery screwed it up.

 

No real news that we don't know.

 

Financing is in place. 25% of the $25 million has been obtained in private donations.

 

Timeline for athletic facility: one more approval stage. Governor Paterson had approved it, but now Cuomo needs to sign off (wasn't expected but they are complying with the request). Construction to start this winter and there is still hope to open it in 2012, but its likely to be for homecoming and not the season opener.

[Michigan_Dane]

Thanks for posting this link. Very interesting.

 

The audio from the Oct. 13th Council meeting is up.

 

http://www.albany.edu/council/recordings/council-audio-10-13-11.mp3

 

A lot of very interesting discussion on SUNY 2010, SUNY consolidated of administration (multi-campus Presidents) and the "don't call it a stadium".

 

There was no announcement intended on the stadium. Heery screwed it up.

 

No real news that we don't know.

 

Financing is in place. 25% of the $25 million has been obtained in private donations.

 

Timeline for athletic facility: one more approval stage. Governor Paterson had approved it, but now Cuomo needs to sign off (wasn't expected but they are complying with the request). Construction to start this winter and there is still hope to open it in 2012, but its likely to be for homecoming and not the season opener.

[danefan]

Btw- I just realized that I mixed up SUNY 2020 with Project 2010.

 

Let's hope SUNY 2020 is more successful.

[danefan]

Why is it that I could never even imagine our administration coming up with something like this?

 

 

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16209&d=1319490945