Other Uses For A New Football Stadium?

[eulessismore]

I'm quite certain that a new football stadium will be built; as to the time line, seating capacity, and design elements, it seems like anyone's guess is as good as the next. The only thing that kind of bothers me about modern football stadium construction is the trend towards single use (although I did notice that Stanford has commencement at theirs, weather depending). Having some personal history with the fabulous UNT School of Music, I can't help but feel that a stadium doubling as a music venue is not that far fetched.

On the other hand, who would think that a school where music is such a big part of things would have a stadium such as Fouts, where that no amount of money thrown at it has done anything to improve acoustics; one of my coworkers mentioned that although there was some kind of fee increase to improve Fouts in recent years, the tendency for sound to simply evaporate is still quite noticeable. One other thing I'd like to see, but don't know enough about the transit planning in Denton and Denton County to make informed comments on, is some kind of transit link, whether just using new stadium parking as a remote parking lot with shuttles into the main campus area, or ideally, a regional rail station, with commuter rail such as the Trinity Railway Express that now connects Dallas and Fort Worth (I love taking that train to work every day, and often think back to people saying that would never work in this area).

So, any thoughts (even is it's just "hey, that'll never work), other ideas? We might bring some fencesitters onto the new stadium concept if there were other benefits proposed.

[UNTflyer]

Marketing it as a music venue is a wonderful idea. Denton was recently called "The Next Austin", and rock concerts or music festivals would be a great boost for the university.

[GreenAlums]

There is not another good venue for any kind of big concerts in Denton or Denton County other than the Speedway. It sure seems like we could work a deal with the city/county for a stadium that would house or accomodate other money making propositions. Of course, we would have to help the city of Denton figure out how to do something like this.

[eulessismore]

There is not another good venue for any kind of big concerts in Denton or Denton County other than the Speedway. It sure seems like we could work a deal with the city/county for a stadium that would house or accomodate other money making propositions. Of course, we would have to help the city of Denton figure out how to do something like this.

To me, it would be a real shame if we didn't try something like that. The last time I went to a Jazzfest in Denton (ok, it was 2001), the Civic Center Park seemed strained to accommodate those attending at certain times.

[UNTflyer]

Can you imagine how the Denia residents would react to this?

[Green Gas]

Can you imagine how the Denia residents would react to this?

Gas'm, they are screwed!

[NTPhiKap99]

Gas'm, they are screwed!

Some have to be sacrificed for the greater good.

[FirefightnRick]

Damn I was talking about this very thing earlier today to SUMG and ADLER. To me working into the design some sort of Amphitheater in the exact place that the Greeen Brigade will set up would be incredibly beneficial in several ways. Don't build standard bench/stadium seating with railings that make it difficult to get music equipment in and out of like all the other stadiums but make it a type of orchestra pit layout so that it more accomodates the band. Then incorporate a facility in proximity to store their equipment so that it doesn't have to be hauled back and forth. This would tie into our athletics and music programs together and separate us from the standard. If we want to be THE music school this would certainly help set us apart. Also if we were to make it more music friendly we might be able to more convince the state in considering it part of a classroom venue and obtain state funds for part of the project?

A 35,000 seat Amphitheater?

Rick

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

--Bomb Testing sight........ opps you said new stadium.... not the old one.

[untcampbell]

When North Texas added its school of hospitality management (hotel/restaurant), I proposed building a U-shaped stadium and filling the open end with a hotel. All guests staying on the stadium side of the building are included in attendance. Each room has a balcony, and Marriott or Hilton pays for part of the building of the stadium. Can you say naming rights?

[filmerj]

Think Pizza Hut Park, But Better! I think getting the music school involved is a great idea, they could hold special outdoor 4th of july concerts and stuff. It would drive up the cost to have all the things they would need to sound good in a stadium, but maybe that way we can find a music donor.

[CorinthEagle]

I believe when the FedEx Forum was built in Memphis the city applied for federal funds saying it was a transportation hub. There was supposed to be a bus depot on the site. If I remember right, it's "technically" there but it doesn't get used.

[greenjoe]

I like Campbell's idea of the hotel in the end zone. But is there enough room between the proposed stadium and the current Radison Hotel ?

Seems to me that we could use the hotel rooms as luxury boxes on game days and regular rooms overlooking the stadium on non-game days.

Perhaps a wing on the current Radison Hotel. Radison Stadium ?

GO MEAN GREEN

[shaft]

Maybe it can host other sporting events like soccer, baseball or have a big track that runs around the inside of it.

[jdennis82]

what level of event are we talking? anything big enough to fill an arena would easily rather go to dallas.

[Eagle1855]

gladiatorial contests!

[Guest 97and03]

gladiatorial contests!

"Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?"

[FirefightnRick]

what level of event are we talking? anything big enough to fill an arena would easily rather go to dallas.

I would nearly pay double for any event over having to actually go to Dallas.

Rick

[eulessismore]

what level of event are we talking? anything big enough to fill an arena would easily rather go to dallas.

Since I've worked for the City of Dallas for many years, I hate to disagree with you, but I think many in this area have the same opinion as FirefightnRick, who posted: "I would nearly pay double for any event over having to actually go to Dallas." When you think about the time to drive from many parts of this area, even including parts of North Dallas, it might be as fast (and probably easier) to drive to Denton than to Dallas for many.

And, looking at the web site for Frisco's Pizza Hut Park, there must be some market for arena sized concerts outside of Dallas; they have Kenny Chesney and Jimmy Buffett booked into that approximately 20,000 seat venue over the next couple of months. If students were to get in free or nearly so to such events, 35,000 seats could nearly be filled, plus students might embrace an athletic (athletic/music?) fee more readily.

I was really thinking of an added use as music venue more to host concerts performed by or for the students, but the more I learn, the less far fetched a combined football stadium/music venue seems.

And another idea from the Pizza Hut Park web site; hosting high school football playoffs.

[UNTflyer]

Somebody call Don Henley's agent.

[eulessismore]

Somebody call Don Henley's agent.

Darn, I was thinking the same thing yesterday. Another thing we could do is have a festival featuring many of the great folk musicians who went to UNT. I bet Ray Wylie Hubbard would show up!

[Green Mean]

If you build a venue correctly and with innovation, there is no reason why you cant use it for many purposes. This is a area of 6+ million people so if the right event came to Denton, people would go there as well as to Dallas, Arlington, and Fort Worth. You can have football, concerts, festivals, and many things more. Its about planning and how you structure the facility. Only having football in mind would be rediculous unless we were a bigtime BCS school.

[NT80]

Stadiums can be finished out in various ways.....

http://www.usatourist.com/photos/inside/football1b.jpg

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/calendar/venu...ardsstadium.jpg

http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles...ering1_0905.jpg

Edited February 27, 2008 by NT80

[UNTflyer]

As for a transit hub, I think it will be no more than a bus stop for the DCTA and UNT shuttles. You can't really justify the cost of cutting a rail line to the stadium. If anything, I'd rather see one go through the east side of campus.

[hickoryhouse]

When North Texas added its school of hospitality management (hotel/restaurant), I proposed building a U-shaped stadium and filling the open end with a hotel. All guests staying on the stadium side of the building are included in attendance. Each room has a balcony, and Marriott or Hilton pays for part of the building of the stadium. Can you say naming rights?

i personally think that is a fantastic idea. The SMHM school needs one of those to find a larger identity in the field which it is desperately trying to do. Raddison is refusing to spend any money on the denton property because it doesn't generate enough revenue to make it an economically viable idea. Naming rights would be good due to the oft mentioned highway location and with this idea not only does the athletic program get a donor that it desperately needs (Hilton, Marriott, Holiday Inn, etc) and so would the SMHM school! It would be a win win for all involved and not only would it help the athletic program it would also help the young, up and coming, and increasingly more respected SMHM school!

Now could we find a hotel chain willing to spend that kind of money? that is a totally different question.