Well, This Is Bad News/good News

Tramp96 · July 17, 2008

Point is, virtually no one is building from the ground up right now. If we had a decent, rennovation-ready place, you're talking something entirely different. But starting from dirt...that's an absolute bitch. If it's 2010, I'm stoked, and I'm there. If later, well, I can't imagine much later if RV and TD are throwing out a year publicly.

Actually, that is incorrect. Most schools will tell you that they would have much rathered built from the ground-up if they could have, but because of space issues and/or tradition, that wasn't feasible for most.

SMU built from the ground up.

Building from the ground up is cheaper and faster typically than trying to renovate an existing structure. But the catch is you have to have the space to build a new stadium while you still have your old one to utilize. Most schools don't have that luxury. UNT does.

If you talk to former Texas Tech President David Schmidlley, he would be the first to tell you that if Tech had chosen to build from the ground up a wholly new stadium instead of renovating the one they had, it would have been done much quicker and much cheaper than the renovation.

Eagle1855 · July 17, 2008

Villarreal also said that until a football stadium rises up on the old UNT golf course south of I-35W/I-35E, baseball is on hold.

I mean I understand it, it just sucks. Wish we had an alum that wanted to see baseball brought here that could write a check and make it so!

I was looking forward to when we were fielding a team this year. Awww crap.

2009... 2010...2020. Sorry, not buying any of it anymore.

TIgreen01 · July 17, 2008

This stadium news is BAD NEWS. I was told by RV in Austin that we would "be in a new stadium" by 2009....then it was changed to 2010....now we are saying ground breaking in 2010.....this is beginning to sound a lot like BS to me. Perhaps the blog really was "in the stadium" in 2010 instead of "ground breaking" in 2010. For grounding breaking in 2010...there seems to be a lot of "this can't wait" stuff going on at UNT...like...the Radison Hotel ...couldn't wait for a board meeting...had to get the OK from the board over a phone meeting....the drainage engineering being don right now...statements by Dodge about being in a stadium in 2010...just don't know...seems to be a lot of "hurry up" for a ground breaking 2 yrs off vs a ground breaking this year....sooooooo?

Agreed. Sounds like more of the same from our administration....

Edited July 17, 2008 by TIgreen01

Mean Green 93-98 · July 17, 2008

I mean I understand it, it just sucks. Wish we had an alum that wanted to see baseball brought here that could write a check and make it so!

If I am not mistaken, Mr. Goldfield offered to underwrite an entire UNT baseball team himself, but RV turned him down until they get a new football stadium.

Tramp96 · July 17, 2008

Keep in mind that the addition of baseball could require the addition of another women's sport for Title 9 purposes. So underwriting baseball might not be enough for UNT to afford to bring up another men's program since, most likely, another women's program would have to be brought up along with it.

You get the stadium built, however, and sell 20-30 luxury boxes plus a hundred or so Stadium club licenses, and you have new revenues that will help support the addition of two more squads.

Eagle1855 · July 17, 2008

You get the stadium built, however, and sell 20-30 luxury boxes plus a hundred or so Stadium club licenses, and you have new revenues that will help support the addition of two more squads.

Of course, if you don't... you've got a big bag of nothing full of FAIL. I hope the gamble pays off.

GoMeanGreen1999 · July 17, 2008

Keep in mind that the addition of baseball could require the addition of another women's sport for Title 9 purposes. So underwriting baseball might not be enough for UNT to afford to bring up another men's program since, most likely, another women's program would have to be brought up along with it.
You get the stadium built, however, and sell 20-30 luxury boxes plus a hundred or so Stadium club licenses, and you have new revenues that will help support the addition of two more squads.

If we can't raise the money from our existing alumni for the stadium costs, we are not going to sell 20 - 30 luxury boxes. Are things unravelling over there across the highway for someone?

mad dog · July 17, 2008

Well... its never too late to start installing that 2-4-5 defense...

Tramp96 · July 17, 2008

If we can't raise the money from our existing alumni for the stadium costs, we are not going to sell 20 - 30 luxury boxes. Are things unravelling over there across the highway for someone?

I'm an alum, season ticket holder, and a mid-range Mean Green Club member. I have yet to be asked to donate a dime towards a new stadium. Has anyone else?

Right now they are courting the big dogs, and during this time (if it's handled like other capital campaigns typically are), they will keep this close to the vest and not mention a peep to anyone. Once they reach a certain amount of committments, then they hit us publically with where they are and where they need to get, and basically open the campaign up to everyone else.

I'm optimistic that there has been more done in the background than we know (I have no idea if they have or haven't, just optimistic).

But I can tell you that luxury boxes sell. Selling those will be no work at all, and nothing like trying to raise committments at the start of a campaign. Luxury boxes are the cash cows of college athletic programs.

Edited July 17, 2008 by Tramp96

GoMeanGreen1999 · July 17, 2008

I'm an alum, season ticket holder, and a mid-range Mean Green Club member. I have yet to be asked to donate a dime towards a new stadium. Has anyone else?
Right now they are courting the big dogs, and during this time (if it's handled like other capital campaigns typically are), they will keep this close to the vest and not mention a peep to anyone. Once they reach a certain amount of committments, then they hit us publically with where they are and where they need to get, and basically open the campaign up to everyone else.
I'm optimistic that there has been more done in the background than we know (I have no idea if they have or haven't, just optimistic).
But I can tell you that luxury boxes sell. Selling those will be no work at all, and nothing like trying to raise committments at the start of a campaign. Luxury boxes are the cash cows of college athletic programs.

Luxery boxes are the cash cows of major college athletic programs where selling tickets is not a problem - are they cash cows for schools that only get 20k in attendence? Why court "the big dogs" when you have plenty of big money alumni to go get the money from? I have said this before and will say it again: the mere fact that you haven't been contacted should concern you. I am not an alum of Arkansas, nor a season ticket purchaser, or for that matter a Razorback foundation giver, but when they added the second level to the stadium, I was asked to donate money because I had "purchased" tickets within the last 10 years. Further more, my father who got his PhD there in the 70's was contacted to donate.

Edited July 17, 2008 by GoMeanGreen1999

Tramp96 · July 17, 2008

I hope they'll be sending us that solicitation soon. I'm just trying to be optimistic that the reason we haven't been solicited yet is because they are busy working on the big donations that will be the foundation of the campaign.

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic. Maybe I'm just being plain naive. But it beats the alternative!

GoMeanGreen1999 · July 17, 2008

I hope they'll be sending us that solicitation soon. I'm just trying to be optimistic that the reason we haven't been solicited yet is because they are busy working on the big donations that will be the foundation of the campaign.
Maybe I'm being overly optimistic. Maybe I'm just being plain naive. But it beats the alternative!

I hear you, it's just that we have been optimistic for 5 years now and it seems like we are hearing 90% today of what we heard 5 years ago.

SUMG · July 17, 2008

If the solicitations for money go the way other stuff does (that comes from this Athletic Department)

We'll get a solicitation on say.......Sept. 15.

And the deadline for the campaign will be..... say....Sept. 16

Green Nightmare · July 17, 2008

If the solicitations for money go the way other stuff does (that comes from this Athletic Department)
We'll get a solicitation on say.......Sept. 15.
And the deadline for the campaign will be..... say....Sept. 16

Underrrated

or there will be no mailer for solicitation, its the silent phase, just send in a check marked "stadium"

Edited July 17, 2008 by Green Nightmare

Green Nightmare · July 17, 2008

Right now they are courting the big dogs, and during this time (if it's handled like other capital campaigns typically are), they will keep this close to the vest and not mention a peep to anyone. Once they reach a certain amount of committments, then they hit us publically with where they are and where they need to get, and basically open the campaign up to everyone else.

Tramp

As someone who's been around since 2000. That line above has been uttered to many times to count. Why is it taking this long. Between the conf title run of 00-04 and the excitement with Dodge. Its time for him to answer or give us some concrete plans

SUMG · July 17, 2008

No that was prior to RV. So you are mistaken.
You are also all assuming that athletics has 100% control over the fundraising campaign and that no other offices (oh I don't know, let's say advancement) has any say.

I'll back up Green Nightmare on what he said. I'm not even sure that Goldfield was a multi-millionaire....back before RV. Unless, you're saying it was some other millionaire who offered up the $$ for a baseball program. Anyway, I've heard the same story that GN has.

GreenMachine · July 17, 2008

I'll back up Green Nightmare on what he said. I'm not even sure that Goldfield was a multi-millionaire....back before RV. Unless, you're saying it was some other millionaire who offered up the $$ for a baseball program. Anyway, I've heard the same story that GN has.

I thought Al Goldfield was the founder and ex-CEO of some cell phone company that had a house for sell in Denton county for something like $45M.

SUMG · July 17, 2008

What bothers me about the lack of communication from the Athletic Department is this:

We have folks clamoring for information....and yet we never get any. You do realize don't you, that a lot of those 'GUESTS" reading this board on a daily basis.....are Ath. Department employees....don't you? Some of those folks read this board, as much as we do.

They could easily use this place as a way to get out information to the masses. But, they don't. I guess that's because most of them refer to this as "the idiot board."

SUMG · July 17, 2008

I thought Al Goldfield was the founder and ex-CEO of some cell phone company that had a house for sell in Denton county for something like $45M.

He is. I'm just saying....I'm not sure that he was that rich....in the days before RV (pre 2001).

I'm just backing up what Green Nightmare said...as I had heard the same story. Whether it's true...I don't know. Just saying I had heard the same thing.

GoMeanGreen1999 · July 17, 2008

The Goldfield's have had money for years. In fact they are the ones that donated all of the money for the Goldfield Tennis Complex at North Lakes Park some 15 - 20 years ago. I don't think they own that huge house down south of the Rave theatre though.

SUMG · July 17, 2008

The Goldfield's have had money for years. In fact they are the ones that donated all of the money for the Goldfield Tennis Complex at North Lakes Park some 15 - 20 years ago. I don't think they own that huge house down south of the Rave theatre though.

Okay buddy...you would know.

I stand corrected. I thought they had just come into HUGE money in recent years.

flyeater · July 17, 2008

Actually, that is incorrect. Most schools will tell you that they would have much rathered built from the ground-up if they could have, but because of space issues and/or tradition, that wasn't feasible for most.
SMU built from the ground up.
Building from the ground up is cheaper and faster typically than trying to renovate an existing structure. But the catch is you have to have the space to build a new stadium while you still have your old one to utilize. Most schools don't have that luxury. UNT does.
If you talk to former Texas Tech President David Schmidlley, he would be the first to tell you that if Tech had chosen to build from the ground up a wholly new stadium instead of renovating the one they had, it would have been done much quicker and much cheaper than the renovation.

Way to make my point for me. I said virtually no one is building from the ground up NOW, as in 2008 and beyond. SMU isn't now. Tech doesn't bolster your argument; they renovated regardless of what they really wanted to do or not. The point is what the trend is now, not what other schools want or wanted to do. UNT wants to build a new stadium unlike the current trend, which is to renovate/add on. Therein lies two challenges: Building from scratch when costs are at an all-time high and when it's rare, and when you have an un-renovatable (made-up term) existing structure.

Edited July 17, 2008 by flyeater

July 17, 2008

Unless they've sold it (and I can't find anything to substantiate that), they still own that 48,000 SF monstrosity known as Champ d'Or in Denton. It was last offered at $35M.

I don't know much about Al Goldfield currently. It is rumored that after he sold his holdings in CellStar that he invested in oil and gas properties. I hope that some of those holdings are in Denton County since it is developing into a very productive natural gas field and Al and Shirley Goldfield are/have been friends of the University of North Texas.

At one time I heard that Goldfield was heading up a task force to try to solicit donations for our university and the stadium in particular. Has anyone heard anything on that?

ADLER · July 17, 2008

Okay buddy...you would know.
I stand corrected. I thought they had just come into HUGE money in recent years.

Alan Goldfield, founder and former chairman and CEO of CellStar, a distributor of mobile phones and accessories, and his wife, Shirley, are selling “Champ d’Or,” a 140- acre estate modeled after Vaux-le- Vicomte, the estate designed for Nicholas Fouquet, the finance minister of Louis XIV. That chateau inspired the design of Versailles.

Price: $59,550,000.00

Bedrooms: 6

Bathrooms: 6 full baths, 8 half-baths

Size: 48,000 square feet in main house, and a 16,000 squarefoot contemporary-style house

Features: A 78-foot-high foyer with domed ceiling; a double-height living room with balconies and windows offering views from the second floor; a media room with a velvet-curtained stage and opera-style boxes; ballroom; master bedroom with carved fireplace and a two-story closet modeled after the Chanel boutique in Paris; a tea room patterned after New York's Tavern on the Green. Also, a bowling alley, 15-car garage, tennis court with cabana, squash court and outdoor and indoor pools. The antique furnishings can be purchased for an extra $5 million.

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"Just a typical Denton County cottage"

Edited July 18, 2008 by ADLER

SUMG · July 17, 2008

Alan Goldfield, founder and former chairman and CEO of CellStar, a distributor of mobile phones and accessories, and his wife, Shirley, are selling “Champ d’Or,” a 140- acre estate modeled after Vaux-le- Vicomte, the estate designed for Nicholas Fouquet, the finance minister of Louis XIV. That chateau inspired the design of Versailles.
Price: $59,550,000.00
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 6 full baths, 8 half-baths
Size: 48,000 square feet in main house, and a 16,000 squarefoot contemporary-style house
Features: A 78-foot-high foyer with domed ceiling; a double-height living room with balconies and windows offering views from the second floor; a media room with a velvet-curtained stage and opera-style boxes; ballroom; master bedroom with carved fireplace and a two-story closet modeled after the Chanel boutique in Paris; a tea room patterned after New York's Tavern on the Green. Also, a bowling alley, 15-car garage, tennis court with cabana, squash court and outdoor and indoor pools. The antique furnishings can be purchased for an extra $5 million.
"Just a typical Denton County cottage"

Note to self: Come up with a French name for your house. It seems to add value.