Just How Much Stadium Do You Get For 55-60 Million?

[houstonmeangreen]

Good question. Any recent stadiums build for this kinda cash...anyone? Hope it is done right.

[GreenAlums]

Good question. Any recent stadiums build for this kinda cash...anyone? Hope it is done right.

Good question. I think Texas Tech spent about $61M just to renovate thier stadium and I don't think they added any seats. More nice skyboxes but no increased set count. Now, can we start from ground up on a new facility and spend less money than a renovation and get what we want? Not sure, but I am excited about a new stadium! I think the recruits know about it too. If TD doesn't use that carrot I would be surprised. Something is working!

[Coffee and TV]

Not much at all. Pizza Hut Park is built for soccer/concerts with a 20,500 capacity. It cost about $100 mil. Of course they do have the numerous playing fields that do surround it, but they aren't anything fancy.

[LongJim]

UCF's new stadium was built for an amount in that ballpark.

Edited December 11, 2007 by LongJim

[NCMeanGreen]

UCF's new stadium was built for an amount in that ballpark.

That would be perfect...and would fit in nicely with the rest of the facilities over at the Mean Green Village. It sounds like for $60 million, they got the stadium, roads, other infrastructure, AND severla athletic fields. We would not need the athletic fields, and infrastructure should not be too bad.

[Spaceraider]

Good question. Any recent stadiums build for this kinda cash...anyone? Hope it is done right.

Akron is starting construction in January (next month) to be ready for home opener in 2009 on a $61.6M stadium...(original constructions estimates were $55M just 5 months ago) for a 30,000 capacity stadium.

[trud1966]

One of the construction costs for this project that I'm curious about is the earthwork and grading. If you've even been over to the proposed site, there's a pretty significant slope/elevation change. You always hope for nice piece of flat land to build on, but nothing is ever completely flat. But this site will require a very large amount of earth to be cut away and/or several retaining walls. Sometimes the stadium itself can become part of the retaining wall. Short of the long, the additional earth work alone will eat up some dollars that some other stadiums might get to use for aesthetics.

Edited December 11, 2007 by trud1966

[adman]

Not much at all. Pizza Hut Park is built for soccer/concerts with a 20,500 capacity. It cost about $100 mil. Of course they do have the numerous playing fields that do surround it, but they aren't anything fancy.

I beg to differ with your "they aren't anything fancy" statement. Those fields are top flight. You may just look and see a dozen or so soccer fields but they are way more than that. About half of them are sand fields that can handle and drain over 12 inches of rain an hour. All of the fields, sand and non-sand, are tiff bermuda (can you say golf green?) plus there is one artificial turf field. And they are all lighted. They also all have drainage "ponds" that capture the rain the fields can't absorb and then are used to water the fields at a later date. It's not as though someone just scrapped the dirt and threw out some seed. Now are they $40 Million worth of fields? Probably not. Could they have cost $10 Million. I wouldn't be surprised. If you ever get a chance to play on those fields or even just walk barefoot acroos them do it. They really are amazing.

(I also think they had to do massive infastructure improvements seeing how nothing was there prior to the park. Roads, drainage, sewer, water etc. With our stadium we will at least have sewer and water nearby to tie in to.)

[yyz28]

Just give me a carbon copy of Rutger's stadium and I'll be happy... KILLER!

[DeepGreen]

I still like East Carolina's stadium the best. Doubt we can get a concrete stadium for $55-60 million. About all we can hope for is something like UCF's erector set stadium. Still better than Fouts.

ECU Stadium

Edited December 11, 2007 by DeepGreen

[Mean Green 93-98]

A follow-up question: How much easier will it be to raise a little less money for a decent, practical stadium versus raising more money for a jaw-dropping awesome stadium that will excite fans--and donors--more?

[emmitt01]

If you ever get a chance to play on those fields or even just walk barefoot acroos them do it. They really are amazing.

I have played on them and they are absolutely top of the line. There is a reason the Dallas Cup is played there.

[Coffee and TV]

I beg to differ with your "they aren't anything fancy" statement. Those fields are top flight. You may just look and see a dozen or so soccer fields but they are way more than that. About half of them are sand fields that can handle and drain over 12 inches of rain an hour. All of the fields, sand and non-sand, are tiff bermuda (can you say golf green?) plus there is one artificial turf field. And they are all lighted. They also all have drainage "ponds" that capture the rain the fields can't absorb and then are used to water the fields at a later date. It's not as though someone just scrapped the dirt and threw out some seed. Now are they $40 Million worth of fields? Probably not. Could they have cost $10 Million. I wouldn't be surprised. If you ever get a chance to play on those fields or even just walk barefoot acroos them do it. They really are amazing.

(I also think they had to do massive infastructure improvements seeing how nothing was there prior to the park. Roads, drainage, sewer, water etc. With our stadium we will at least have sewer and water nearby to tie in to.)

They are top notch, no doubt. I've played on them as well. But like you said, $10 mil is a lot closer estimate than $40 mil. You take those fields out and just leave the parking lots and its still a $90 mil 20,500 capacity stadium.

[KingDL1]

I beg to differ with your "they aren't anything fancy" statement. Those fields are top flight. You may just look and see a dozen or so soccer fields but they are way more than that. About half of them are sand fields that can handle and drain over 12 inches of rain an hour. All of the fields, sand and non-sand, are tiff bermuda (can you say golf green?) plus there is one artificial turf field. And they are all lighted. They also all have drainage "ponds" that capture the rain the fields can't absorb and then are used to water the fields at a later date. It's not as though someone just scrapped the dirt and threw out some seed. Now are they $40 Million worth of fields? Probably not. Could they have cost $10 Million. I wouldn't be surprised. If you ever get a chance to play on those fields or even just walk barefoot acroos them do it. They really are amazing.

(I also think they had to do massive infastructure improvements seeing how nothing was there prior to the park. Roads, drainage, sewer, water etc. With our stadium we will at least have sewer and water nearby to tie in to.)

I also believe that cost figure includes the price of the land itself. The land that facility sits on is premium land, that would be great for retail and other uses, I imagine the price per foot was not cheap.

[houstonmeangreen]

Akron is starting construction in January (next month) to be ready for home opener in 2009 on a $61.6M stadium...(original constructions estimates were $55M just 5 months ago) for a 30,000 capacity stadium.

I agree with spaceradier, if you could get a stadium like Akron's for 55-60 million with maybe 35,000 seats....unbeatable.

http://www.uakron.edu/stadium/images/Stadi...hWestCorner.jpg

http://www.uakron.edu/stadium/images/Stadi...bLevelLobby.jpg

http://www.uakron.edu/stadium/images/StadiumPressTower.jpg

[ShopMeanGreen]

The Akron stadium looks a lot nicer than the UCF one, so what's the deal, land cost construction cost or something else we don't know about? I would guess everything in Florida is more expensive. I would definitely take the Akron stadium even if only 30K seats. Fill it up and then you will have more money to expand. I like the idea of tickets being a little harder to come by instread of a 60% filled stadium.

[GreenAlums]

The Akron stadium looks a lot nicer than the UCF one, so what's the deal, land cost construction cost or something else we don't know about? I would guess everything in Florida is more expensive. I would definitely take the Akron stadium even if only 30K seats. Fill it up and then you will have more money to expand. I like the idea of tickets being a little harder to come by instread of a 60% filled stadium.

Agreed! I don't care much at all for the UCF stadium. Looks old style and not very inviting at first glance. Akron looks easily expandable and much more modern. But then again, what are we looking for? A bump in the ticket price would likely be OK the first year to give TD and Co. a chance to turn the program in to a winner.

Edited December 11, 2007 by GreenExes

[adman]

I also believe that cost figure includes the price of the land itself. The land that facility sits on is premium land, that would be great for retail and other uses, I imagine the price per foot was not cheap.

Excellent point.

[adman]

I agree with spaceradier, if you could get a stadium like Akron's for 55-60 million with maybe 35,000 seats....unbeatable.

http://www.uakron.edu/stadium/images/Stadi...hWestCorner.jpg

http://www.uakron.edu/stadium/images/Stadi...bLevelLobby.jpg

http://www.uakron.edu/stadium/images/StadiumPressTower.jpg

I really like how they are intergrating either classrooms or dorms into the site. Smart.

[ShopMeanGreen]

Excellent point.

Hasn't the University owned that land forever?

[Coffee and TV]

I also believe that cost figure includes the price of the land itself. The land that facility sits on is premium land, that would be great for retail and other uses, I imagine the price per foot was not cheap.

That's why they play in Frisco, because they got such a sweet deal on the land. Not to mention a little help from Frisco ISD.

Is there any reason why we couldn't do the same with Denton ISD? What stadium do the two high schools currently play in? Couldn't we get DISD to chip in $15 mil and allow them to use our field on Thursdays and Fridays?

[adman]

Hasn't the University owned that land forever?

I believe he was talking about the land Pizza Hut Park is on.

[emmitt01]

That's why they play in Frisco, because they got such a sweet deal on the land. Not to mention a little help from Frisco ISD.

Is there any reason why we couldn't do the same with Denton ISD? What stadium do the two high schools currently play in? Couldn't we get DISD to chip in $15 mil and allow them to use our field on Thursdays and Fridays?

We tried to go down this road about 5 or 6 years ago. Instead Denton ISD built themselves a top of the line stadium out on loop 288 and said "no thanks" to NT.

[NT80]

The Akron stadium looks a lot nicer than the UCF one, so what's the deal, land cost construction cost or something else we don't know about? I would guess everything in Florida is more expensive. I would definitely take the Akron stadium even if only 30K seats. Fill it up and then you will have more money to expand. I like the idea of tickets being a little harder to come by instread of a 60% filled stadium.

Agree. UCF's is too symmetrical and boring. Akron's looks more customized.

Edited December 11, 2007 by NT80

[UNT Mean Green]

UCF's Bright House Networks Stadium is a glorified erector set....kind of like Penn State's stadium...

this is the first time I have seen drawings of the Arkon facility, and it looks beautiful! Very impressive!