Article on Baseball Stadium

[NTEagle08]

Possible NT baseball stadium in talks

September 02, 2004

Negotiations are currently under way between NT and the Denton Collegiate Baseball League to bring a 1,500-seat baseball stadium to the university at virtually no cost. NT athletic director Rick Villarreal has been in talks with John Hampton, part owner and general manager of the DCBL since January. Villarreal hopes that by the end of this week both parties will "feel a lot better" about the potential agreement to bring the stadium to NT.

If the stadium were constructed, it would provide a home for NT's "nomad" baseball team, as Villarreal described them at the last NT Board of Regents meeting. Currently NT's baseball team is affiliated with recreational sports instead of NT athletics; if the stadium is constructed, it could be the first step toward realigning the team under the athletics department, and possible NCAA accreditation. NT has not had a NCAA baseball team since the early 1980s.

"If you're going to be competitive in this state you have to have the 'big three' (football, basketball, and baseball)," Villarreal said. "Getting a facility that doesn't cost anything would be good for the program."

At the Aug. 26 board meeting, Villarreal was asked how long it would take for NT baseball to gain NCAA accreditation if the stadium is constructed. A definite timeline was not given.

"We want to build the program at a pace that isn't detrimental to the program," Villarreal said.

The DCBL would raise all funds to build the stadium if an agreement is reached. Hampton estimates the minimum construction costs for the facility would equal approximately $750,000, but his goal is to raise up to $6 million over the next three years. If that goal is reached, Hampton said the stadium could be expanded to seat 7,000.

"We want to make sure that whatever we do, we make it excellent," Hampton said. If a deal is made, property rights for the stadium would be given to NT after its construction. NT would then lease the stadium back to the DCBL at a nominal fee. If the DCBL should choose to discontinue using the stadium at any point, NT would continue to have ownership of the facility.

There are three tentative stadium designs being reviewed by Hampton; the one chosen will depend on the amount of funds available for construction costs. One of the plans would model the complex after Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y., home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

All facilities committee members of the board gave approval to continue negotiations with the DCBL for placing the stadium on what is known as the Newton Rayzor site, a 10-acre stretch of land west of Bonnie Brae Street. This would place the stadium on the western edge of the area known as Eagle Point, home of NT's sprawling, uncompleted athletic center.

Villarreal said if the deal goes through, it would be a powerful recruitment tool for potential students who want to play baseball at NT. The Sunbelt Conference is currently rated 6th in the nation for baseball, and Villarreal has been receiving "inquiries everyday" from potential NT recruits who want to play for a NCAA team.

"If this happens, as a campus we're going to have a really unique situation," Villarreal said. "We will be able to bring a lot of recruitable students to our facilities and they will understand that NT is committed to a top athletics program."

[Zeke]

The Denton Collegiate Baseball League?? hehe, that name is so made up.

[NT80]

Hampton estimates the minimum construction costs for the facility would equal approximately $750,000, but his goal is to raise up to $6 million over the next three years. If that goal is reached, Hampton said the stadium could be expanded to seat 7,000.

[res1dg16]

the stadium could be expanded to seat 7,000.

Why?

[PlummMeanGreen]

I think this baseball stadium to be built at UNT's Eagle Point is an absolute coup for our alma mater and that is whether it seats 500, 1,000 or more.

Can you close your eyes and just visualize what Eagle Point is going to look like in the next 5 years?

Edited September 3, 2004 by PlummMeanGreen

[MeanGreenThing]

This is going to be amazing and basically a huge stepping stone to getting baseball back on this campus. A no cost stadium seating up to 7000 on your campus is going to look real funny with no team in green in it. This is about as hard a kick in the pants you can give administration for getting that other bball back to Denton.

[snowball]

They need to take better care of the womens sports first before they start thinking about adding baseball! Supposely that is in the plans at Liberty Christian for next year, we'll see.

[UNTFan23]

They need to take better care of the womens sports first before they start thinking about adding baseball! Supposely that is in the plans at Liberty Christian for next year, we'll see.

It will happen. The reason it's taken so long is that Liberty has had problems finding new land and then getting it developed. I want to say that the NT softball team will be playing on their new field this spring.

Besides, we're a few years out from fielding a full fledged NCAA baseball team.