Tech's Stadium Expansion

[KRAM1]

I really don't want to get the stadium thing going again, BUT...did you see where Texas Tech said they will "announce its expansion plans to Jones AT&T Stadium at a news conference this afternoon"?

Two things about that "announcement:

1) Name: Jones AT&T Stadium - they have a big time corp. sponsor in place adding mega dollars to the kitty; and

drum roll please....

2) "Fund raising for the expansion is two-thirds complete".

Gee, you mean they kept the plans under "official" wraps with no big media announcement UNTIL they had two-thirds of the money "in hand" already???? Wow, what a concept!

Not to "knock" all those who believe UNT will not have a stadium by 2010 and that UNT is doing nothing to get the stadium going, etc., etc. (those in the high whine catagory), but it seems our friends at Tech (yes, most every Tech fan in the country already knew about the expansion plans (sort of like at UNT) and the folks at UNT are follwing the same path in regards to a BIG OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.

Maybe that strategy is not so "unusual" at all. Even the "bigger boys" do it. maybe there is a solid reason. WOW! Yes, Virginia, UNT WILL have a new stadium by 2010 and just because there has been no big time media announcement does not mean that things are not progressing in a positive manner toward meeting that goal. Ask the fans at Tech!

GO MEAN GREEN!

[drex]

KRAM1 and I agree on many things, but this is not one of them.

[KRAM1]

drex...what's not to like?

[Huff]

I think the biggest difference in Texas Tech and North Texas is the attitude of the leadership of the two schools and the areas they serve. This has been true for a long time. Tech and Lubbock go to work and get things done. North Texas and Denton sit on their tails and do little or nothing. Many years ago, Jones Stadium in Lubbock and Fouts Field in Denton were similar (not identical - but similar) in size and appearance. Tech's stadium did not have a track and had some old wooden bleachers in the south end of the stadium. They knew that this would not work for them for where they wanted to go. They did something miraculous. They cut the east side of their stadium into sections, jacked up the sections, built railroad tracks under the sections, put special cars under the sections, and MOVED THE SECTIONS BACK. They then reattached the sections of the stadium. They then dug down in front of the two sections of stands and enlarged their stadium. That is just one example of the way the folks in West Texas GET THINGS DONE. That is just a tad different from the attitude that I have seen in Denton over the last forty-five years and another reason that I DO NOT BELIEVE that we will be playing in a new stadium in 2010. Call me negative if you wish, I prefer to think of myself as being realistic. To paraphrase the fellow in the movie who said "Just show me the money" I would tell you "Just show me the stadium".

[Green Nightmare]

Kram

I see the logic you are applying, but Huff is right. The TT administration has continually delivered upgrades and new facilities to the fan base. So the fan base trusts them to work these things behind the scenes. Our administrations in the past have failed us miserably. So they need to show us something. Then the nay saying will die down for future silent phases

[KRAM1]

I definitely agree that the "can do attitude and spirit" has been lacking with UNT and Denton as a partnership. This goes WAY back, and really is the result of the "town and gown gap" that has existed (and in some way still exists) between Denton and UNT. I moved to Denton in 1965, and started as a freshman at UNT in the fall of 1966. From that time until I went to grad school at Oklahoma State University I thought all towns and their resident universities acted the way Denton and UNT did toward each other (it was and continues to be a two-way street between Denton and UNT). Man, was I ever wrong with a capital "W"! Stillwater and OSU absolutely LOVE each other and realize that working TOGETHER is the the benefit of BOTH parties. And, work together they do. I assume the situation with Tech and Lubbock is quite similar, so I agree with the thought behind the posts by Huff and Green Nightmare.

However, times ad things are changing at UNT and in Denton. The "old guard" in Denton is being replaced by new and more forward thinking folks and the folks at UNT seem to be much more inclined to work with the city in trying to get things done. It's slow progress, but it is progress none the less, and if you have been around Denton and UNT for very long you definitely know and see what I am talking about here.

Yes, I understand the "show me the money" attitude. I have been there myself. I just now choose to believe that progress is being made and I choose to be on the optimistic side and not the negative or skeptical side of this issue. I guess I am "chilling out" some in my "old age", but it sure is a ton more fun to be positive and look for the bright spots. What I have found is that if you look for the negative, you will certainly find it, but if you look for the bright spots you will find those too.

See youat Fouts this year, but see you in the new stadioum in 2010! GO MEAN GREEN beat TULSA!!!!

[NT80]

Stadium expansion projects and pics:

Texas Tech: http://www.ellerbebecket.com/images/cms/m_cx02ttujs.jpg

Montana: http://www.grizzoulian.com/IMG_0313.JPG

Rutgers: http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/20...s%20Stadium.jpg

Texas: http://www.bevosports.com/images/dkr_expansion.jpg

Oregon State: http://www.stadiumpanoramics.com/images/co...tball_pictu.jpg

Texas A$M: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...l%3Den%26sa%3DG

Oklahoma State: http://members.aol.com/stwtownie/stadium.jpg

Miami-Ohio: http://www.miami.muohio.edu/University_Adv...ng-yager3lg.jpg

Louisville: http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Content.../Papa-Johns.jpg

Edited August 7, 2008 by NT80

[Green Nightmare]

However, times ad things are changing at UNT and in Denton. The "old guard" in Denton is being replaced by new and more forward thinking folks and the folks at UNT seem to be much more inclined to work with the city in trying to get things done. It's slow progress, but it is progress none the less, and if you have been around Denton and UNT for very long you definitely know and see what I am talking about here.

Yes, I understand the "show me the money" attitude. I have been there myself. I just now choose to believe that progress is being made and I choose to be on the optimistic side and not the negative or skeptical side of this issue. I guess I am "chilling out" some in my "old age", but it sure is a ton more fun to be positive and look for the bright spots. What I have found is that if you look for the negative, you will certainly find it, but if you look for the bright spots you will find those too.

See youat Fouts this year, but see you in the new stadioum in 2010! GO MEAN GREEN beat TULSA!!!!

KRAM

I choose to believe as well progress is being made, I just hate to get out in front of something like this. I have been telling people we are getting a new stadium since 2002. I think these types of inaction affect the die hards like us the most. I'm always over promoting UNT and they never deliver

SEe you at the game though

[Tramp96]

I thought this was going to be a post talking about the campaign Tech has initiated to do a mass-solicitation of donations from all levels:

Main stadium expansion site (notice link in bottom right to give to the campaign)

Stadium renderings, also with the link to give online

Promotional video for the east side expansion, also including the link to give online

Notice one common denominator with each website? I hope UNT does something similar.

[Guest Aquila_Viridis]

Do you think those enterprising people at Tech will help us steal SMU's stadium?

[houstonmeangreen]

I definitely agree that the "can do attitude and spirit" has been lacking with UNT and Denton as a partnership. This goes WAY back, and really is the result of the "town and gown gap" that has existed (and in some way still exists) between Denton and UNT. I moved to Denton in 1965, and started as a freshman at UNT in the fall of 1966. From that time until I went to grad school at Oklahoma State University I thought all towns and their resident universities acted the way Denton and UNT did toward each other (it was and continues to be a two-way street between Denton and UNT). Man, was I ever wrong with a capital "W"! Stillwater and OSU absolutely LOVE each other and realize that working TOGETHER is the the benefit of BOTH parties. And, work together they do. I assume the situation with Tech and Lubbock is quite similar, so I agree with the thought behind the posts by Huff and Green Nightmare.

However, times ad things are changing at UNT and in Denton. The "old guard" in Denton is being replaced by new and more forward thinking folks and the folks at UNT seem to be much more inclined to work with the city in trying to get things done. It's slow progress, but it is progress none the less, and if you have been around Denton and UNT for very long you definitely know and see what I am talking about here.

Yes, I understand the "show me the money" attitude. I have been there myself. I just now choose to believe that progress is being made and I choose to be on the optimistic side and not the negative or skeptical side of this issue. I guess I am "chilling out" some in my "old age", but it sure is a ton more fun to be positive and look for the bright spots. What I have found is that if you look for the negative, you will certainly find it, but if you look for the bright spots you will find those too.

See youat Fouts this year, but see you in the new stadioum in 2010! GO MEAN GREEN beat TULSA!!!!

You are so right KRAM1....I was in grad school at NT during the Fry days and I too have heard it all....all the BS....promise this ,promise that...but this time it is different. All you have to do is look at the things the Admin is doing...the hotel, the financial adjustments, the plans, surveys, the public commitments, etc to see this...it is very different and this stadium will happen and I do believe it will be by 2010....lets just hope they do it right because we have fallen soooooooo far behind...so many of the other 1a teams are in their 2nd or 3rd expansion phases (ie Texas Tech) and the gap just gets wider. Let's get moving!

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

I think the biggest difference in Texas Tech and North Texas is the attitude of the leadership of the two schools and the areas they serve. This has been true for a long time. Tech and Lubbock go to work and get things done. North Texas and Denton sit on their tails and do little or nothing. Many years ago, Jones Stadium in Lubbock and Fouts Field in Denton were similar (not identical - but similar) in size and appearance. Tech's stadium did not have a track and had some old wooden bleachers in the south end of the stadium. They knew that this would not work for them for where they wanted to go. They did something miraculous. They cut the east side of their stadium into sections, jacked up the sections, built railroad tracks under the sections, put special cars under the sections, and MOVED THE SECTIONS BACK. They then reattached the sections of the stadium. They then dug down in front of the two sections of stands and enlarged their stadium. That is just one example of the way the folks in West Texas GET THINGS DONE. That is just a tad different from the attitude that I have seen in Denton over the last forty-five years and another reason that I DO NOT BELIEVE that we will be playing in a new stadium in 2010. Call me negative if you wish, I prefer to think of myself as being realistic. To paraphrase the fellow in the movie who said "Just show me the money" I would tell you "Just show me the stadium".

.

-- You sound West-Texan...LOL... I had heard about this but not quite as much details. In West Texas there seems to be less talk and a lot more do, often with unusual solutions. The Biggest difference the Tech and North Texas is location... Tech is isolated from pro sports and even from other division I universities and the entire region is much more supportative and not just from alums. People think nothing of traveling 100-150 miles to attend a game. In the Dallas area most people think of 100 miles as a long way, out here you car is just getting warmed up. --I suppose unless you have lived here you don't really understand.

---HS school football out here often draw 12,000-15,000 fans.. I went to a Allen/Rockwell game lasst year (visiting son) and was suprised at the diffenece in "attitude" since both were ranked teams. Had it been here, we would have been struggling to even get a ticket.

Edited August 9, 2008 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66