Is it time to get serious about a New Stadium?

NT80 · June 1, 2006

Timing is everything, and I'm not getting any younger! Build it!!

Outside winning ALOT, nothing stirs a fanbase ($) and earns a program attention more than the prospect of a new venue.

I've heard estimates from $30 mil to 60 mil for our new stadium. I would like to examine what we already have for the new stadium, what is necessary and what is excessive (could wait till later).

I propose a 40,000 seat stadium for now. 40K will allow us to host ANY 1-A program in the country. It should be stressed to be expandable (upper deck on top of the suite level) if a future need arises. 30,000 sideline seats (15K on each sideline) plus a total of only 10K endzone seats = 40K total. We use/move our existing 10,000 aluminium seats and make a completed horseshoe on the north endzone, estimated 7,000 seats. Put a brick facade around the exterior to give it a finished look and hide the support structures and then you also have underneath space/rooms for an opponent locker room and refs lockers. Then use the remaining 3,000 seats to fill in the open space on either side of the AC players exit, but not taller than the AC deck, to complete a bowl look (again with a finished exterior).

The other very IMPORTANT feature is for the field-level to be dug out as deep as possible to allow for the 15,000 seats on each sideline to be a Single Level, the top as close to ground-level as possible. This is very do-able with 15,000 seats per sideline and the natural slope already of Eagle Point; Fouts now has 10,000 seats per sideline. Then a concourse level (suites/pressbox) starting near ground level and above all stands seating. It would look something like the lower level plus first suites level of Texas Stadium, without the upper bowl and higher suites. You walk off the street down into the stands or up to the suites/pressbox, club level. This would allow for minimum concrete/steel structure to be needed as ground/earthen support would be used as much as possible. Think like Grand Prairie's Gopher Bowl but on a larger scale.

We already have:

- the new stadium land/site, paid for, zoned, and demolition-free.

- parking available at Fouts, the AC, and at other Eagle Point dorms/facilities.

- a moveable video board and two (2) scoreboards.

- home locker room, training room, meeting/press rooms, laundry facility.

- 10,000 aluminum endzone bench seats and support structures.

- upgraded stadium lighting (and poles if needed).

- environmental, traffic, noise, drainage and soil studies previously completed

What is necessary (estimated costs, guessing; no I'm not an engineer):

- final architects/engineering plans, permits and inspections (500K?).

- site grading, utilities, foundation and pilings (3 mil.?).

- steel and concrete supports and structure for 15,000 sideline seats per side and moving/re-installing the aluminum bleachers (7 mil.?).

- pressbox and suite level shell structure between the 20 yard lines each sideline to start, expandable as needed, suites finished out as paid for by donors (5 mil.?).

- opponents and ref locker rooms (under north endzone stands?), concession stands, rest rooms, other infrastructures as needed (5 mil.?).

- new turf and subsurface (1 mil.).

- finish out, exterior solid facade, 30K bench seating, landscaping/paving as needed (8 mil.?).

- Total = $29.5 mil., just a guess.

What is excessive:

- upper decks, expensive and not wanted by fans

- permanent chairback seats ( this could be paid for by a season ticket holder/donor fee later in special prime sections, say rows at a time).

- more than 40K seating, for now

- more parking, see most on-campus stadiums

- more concrete/steel, dirt support is cheaper

Time is limited before the next round of conference reshuffling. It will be on a smaller scale and be more competative between the have-nots to move up. The fight for spots in a better conference (CUSA, WAC, MWC) will come down to location, facilities, and support ($ and attendance).

What we really need for football and the overall program to advance:

- A 40K seat venue that has modern conveniences, sight-lines, and says 1-A.

- Better home OOC opponents to spur attendance and revenue $upport.

- A better conference (CUSA, MWC, etc.) to host known conference opponents.

A new Stadium is not a want, but a NEED, for the fans and for the program's future.

Now....how do we finance it and when do we really start asking for the $$ ?

Edited June 1, 2006 by NT80

June 1, 2006

Jeff, I agree with your posts perhaps more than any other individual on this board but I have to waffle a little on this one.

I've got one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel so I'd like to see something done post haste myself. But....I do like the plan that's on the board (and in the video) now.

It only calls for an initial stadium of 32,000 with later additions to 50,000. I think that would be adequate until we can move up in conference. Would it attract Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M or LSU to Denton? No. Then again, I don't think that a 40K stadium would either. What it might attract though is the rest of the Big XII and some of the SEC. If we can average near that capacity then I'd think that any of the non-automatic BCS would also be interested. I really do like Rick's design plan and the architecture is already done. He says that he can have that stadium in place in 18 months from the first shovel of dirt.

Another factor affecting the timing of this project is this coming season's record. If it's another 2-9 or 3-8 it's going to be an extremely tough sale, especially if the present coaching staff remains intact. On the other hand, another conference championship, along with at least two OOC wins, might be a good jump start.

I know that Sig caught some flak for his naive approach to solving the season-ticket sales. His solution, while it cannot be done in renegade fashion, is the quickest way to a new stadium. If we could all pitch in and get 10-12,000 season ticket sales, then I strongly believe that stadium revenue bonds would be forthcoming. The problem is, it's going to take a vastly improved team (or a new coach) to get the project moving. I know.....it's never been done before but that doesn't mean that we can't. I'm willing to throw out some ideas and a lot of hard work to see if we can get something rolling.

FirefightnRick · June 1, 2006

user posted image

Sept 23, 2001. Houston vs tU at UH's O'Quinn/Robertson Field/stadium. Attendance: 31,784

And yes, it's PAST due time for a new stadium at NT.

Rick

Edited June 1, 2006 by FirefightnRick

NT80 · June 1, 2006

Nice pic of UH's stadium Rick. That's all we need is a single-level stands with 15K per sideline instead of the 10K Fouts has, and CLOSER to the field. Move the existing endzone seats into the new location and you now have a 40K fan-friendly facility.

Edited June 1, 2006 by NT80

NT80 · June 1, 2006

But....I do like the plan that's on the board (and in the video) now.
It only calls for an initial stadium of 32,000 with later additions to 50,000. I think that would be adequate until we can move up in conference. Would it attract Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M or LSU to Denton? No. Then again, I don't think that a 40K stadium would either.
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I agree we only need "build" 30,000 seats, we already have an additional 10,000 seats that can be moved in as endzone seats. Let the newly constructed and best seats be on the sidelines. Fans do not want to be in and we don't need the expense of a distant upper deck, single-level sideline stands are best.

As for hosting large programs with only a 40,000 seat stadium, TCU is hosting OU soon as well as other top programs with their 40K facility. Vanderbilt and Oregon St do it every year.

The only thing stopping us from building is ourselves. Our support is not getting any stronger that I can see anytime in the near future. The new locker room at the AC may become outdated before we ever have a stadium attached to it the way things are going.