F A U Gets On Campus Stadium Approved

[MeanGreen61]

September 18, 2007

FAU on-campus stadium APPROVED

> Posted by Ted Hutton at 2:25 PM

This just in: By unanimous vote, the BOT has approved plans for a $62 million, 30,000-seat on-campus stadium to open September 2010.

The vote was no surprise, but it took forever to get there. Nearly five hours of presentations, speeches, most b-o-r-i-n-g but I guess necessary. There were a couple nice hilites.

Couple heros for stadium backers: BOT chair Norm Tripp, who really did get choked up when he gave his speech, which was comparable to anything I have heard from The Voice.

"When [the state] gave us a university, they didn’t tell us we had to be a second rate university forever. We have the right to make this a world class institution right now. We have a right to bring to this university a full experience. We have the right to become a world class university."

Great stuff, and there was more.

And Craig Dunlap (see below).

WORD OF CAUTION: There is still work to do. The stadium is supposed to be self sufficient, so the money needs to come from sale of naming rights, suites, club seats, other sponsorships, donations, etc.

FAU has about a year to get the money lined up. Is there a chance they won't get it? Slim one, but I really, really doubt anything can stop this now.

More later, but I have to interview some folks. I do work for a newspaper.

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE, STADIUM PHOTOS AND MEETING PHOTOS

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports/college/fau/blog/

Edited September 18, 2007 by MeanGreen61

[greenminer]

I vaguely recall us talking about getting a stadium in the near future? Can someone confirm this, or am I crazy?

[Quoner]

I vaguely recall us talking about getting a stadium in the near future? Can someone confirm this, or am I crazy?

2010 is a laughable timeline - like that's possible.

Ha, I say, Ha!

[chrisfisher]

September 18, 2007

FAU on-campus stadium APPROVED

Awesome FAU! Congrads!!

Edited September 18, 2007 by chrisfisher

[stebo]

The way that the State of Florida work is pretty simple, they have to approve a plan by the State in order to get state funding. What the have over NT is the presumed research clause; which basically allows one University to use another's research and plans. So FAU will be using the same pre-fab type of stadium that UCF did. If not, they would have to start from scratch. This way they can use student fees to pay for the stadium, being self sufficient just means that it will pay for itself - even if the income is from student fees as well as corporate sponsorships. Of course, like all stadiums - you have to break ground and be ready to open before any corporation is going to give you any money. Anyways, here is the rendering for the FAU stadium... kind of like UCF's stadium... definitely a step up from Lockwood. Very similar to what FIU is building right now.

[ADLER]

It's very similar to SMU's stadium design except the SMU stadium has the lower seating area recessed into the ground because of city code restrictions. The metal seating and brick facade are similar.

Edited September 19, 2007 by ADLER

[fauowls44]

2010 is a laughable timeline - like that's possible.

Ha, I say, Ha!

FAU will use the same company that just built UCF's stadium. It took them 18 months to complete. They say FAU's stadium will follow the same timeline. It's steel construction, so it is faster and cheaper to build. By comparison, a regular stadium would normally take around 3 years, give or take a few months.

[UNTflyer]

Yup, it looks a lot like UCF's new stadium. Aluminum bleachers with a brick facade.

[Green Mean]

Seems like everybody is having stadium approved talks but NT but its okay....I guess time and patience is the best result of anything and I will say why not save the best for last.

[UNTflyer]

Note... $62 million for a 30k stadium. Probably end up being $80 mil.

[UNT_playmaker]

FAU averages 10,000 people a game, and they are building a 60+ million plus dollar stadium with over 30,000 seats

THINK BIG PEOPLE

[FirefightnRick]

Notice the fans are closer to the field than the corporate suites and press box?

Rick

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I would be interested in knowing how much UCF and FAU actually talked about their new stadium and plans for it to their fans before they announced it. It just seems like to me we are either dragging our feet on it, or not working as hard towards it as they want us to believe.

[UNTflyer]

I would be interested in knowing how much UCF and FAU actually talked about their new stadium and plans for it to their fans before they announced it. It just seems like to me we are either dragging our feet on it, or not working as hard towards it as they want us to believe.

This article is from 2005.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education...0,1223728.story

[stebo]

The Florida schools have something that we don't - the right to use state funds to build and bond a stadium. FIU is building theirs right now, but it is only going to seat 20K next year. As far as costs go - UCF pitched a $45 million dollar stadium with 45K seats... the costs went WAY over and came in at $62 million; but they got their 45K seats. It was an unprecedented move, nobody had ever built an entire football stadium from a pre-fab kit - so costs were a big question mark. You can see that UCF hasn't really been able to spruce their stadium up so far, it is essentially a shell with a jumbotron. With more money, they can brick up some of that metal and make it look better. Since the bricks will just be cosmetic, it won't cost too much - they just couldn't go any more over budget then they already were.

FAU spending $62 million on a 30K seat stadium from the same company will be every bit as nice as Ford is to SMU. They will have the money to do the cosmetic things that UCF couldn't afford. I would take the FAU approach. Sure, UCF filled it this one time for UT; but they will likely not touch the upper deck for many games for the rest of the year. I think that NT should really look into this type of stadium - with lots of cosmetic work done (much like the FU's have done). For now, we have a pig with a fresh coat of lipstick on it.... but the FU's didn't even have a pig to put lipstick on going into their last 4 seasons. For them it is a matter of need, they desperately need on campus stadiums. Dolphin Stadium is where FAU played Minnesota - about the as close to Boca Raton as Waco is to Dallas. Their other option is Lockwood Field, which was used for a military base or something at one time. It is supposedly an abandoned high school stadium. It is like 30 minutes from their campus - and is considered to be their "home" stadium for the moment. Uh yeah, I would say that FAU has a real need for a new stadium, their first stadium!

[GoMeanGreen1999]

The Florida schools have something that we don't - the right to use state funds to build and bond a stadium. FIU is building theirs right now, but it is only going to seat 20K next year. As far as costs go - UCF pitched a $45 million dollar stadium with 45K seats... the costs went WAY over and came in at $62 million; but they got their 45K seats. It was an unprecedented move, nobody had ever built an entire football stadium from a pre-fab kit - so costs were a big question mark. You can see that UCF hasn't really been able to spruce their stadium up so far, it is essentially a shell with a jumbotron. With more money, they can brick up some of that metal and make it look better. Since the bricks will just be cosmetic, it won't cost too much - they just couldn't go any more over budget then they already were.

FAU spending $62 million on a 30K seat stadium from the same company will be every bit as nice as Ford is to SMU. They will have the money to do the cosmetic things that UCF couldn't afford. I would take the FAU approach. Sure, UCF filled it this one time for UT; but they will likely not touch the upper deck for many games for the rest of the year. I think that NT should really look into this type of stadium - with lots of cosmetic work done (much like the FU's have done). For now, we have a pig with a fresh coat of lipstick on it.... but the FU's didn't even have a pig to put lipstick on going into their last 4 seasons. For them it is a matter of need, they desperately need on campus stadiums. Dolphin Stadium is where FAU played Minnesota - about the as close to Boca Raton as Waco is to Dallas. Their other option is Lockwood Field, which was used for a military base or something at one time. It is supposedly an abandoned high school stadium. It is like 30 minutes from their campus - and is considered to be their "home" stadium for the moment. Uh yeah, I would say that FAU has a real need for a new stadium, their first stadium!

Well this gives me a little more hope - I didn't realize the differences between the states. I have to say, UCF's stadium didn't impress me. I did like some of the drawings that someone posted on here last year of possible designs for our new stadium.

[ADLER]

Notice the fans are closer to the field than the corporate suites and press box?

Rick

That's because FAU intends to stay in Division 1.

Why would anybody ever consider doing anything different?

[MGW]

Awesome FAU! Congrads!!

Spelling -5

[GangGreen]

Spelling -5

Spelling A-hole = A+

[chrisfisher]

Spelling A-hole = A+

Your right. The spelling Nazi's are at it again. I couldn't say what felt any better than you did

Edited September 19, 2007 by chrisfisher

[Quoner]

Your right. The spelling Nazi's are at it again. I couldn't say what felt any better than you did

That's right! Up your's spelling! We've kicked your ass and we're moving on to grammar!

[greenjoe]

But back to the topic

I'm pleased for FAU. Theirs is a model we should follow. Start a program 5 or so years ago, and approve construction this week. Good for them.

Is the FAU stadium the one that is being called "the house of mean ?" I just can't believe we're sitting on our hands long enough that upstart football programs, that we have yet to defeat, are going to come in and take away a nickname that certainly should be ours.

BEAT FAU

Join the Mean Green Club

Buy Season Tickets (the home season is just getting started)

GO MEAN GREEN

[MGW]

Your right. The spelling Nazi's are at it again. I couldn't say what felt any better than you did

Misuse of "your" - 15

Misuse of "Nazi's" -10

And though you call me a nazi, let it be known that I simply consider myself a defender of the academic work product that should come from UNT. No offense intended. You're still at a 75. That's passing.

GO MEAN GREEN!

Edited September 20, 2007 by MGW