Another Stadium Thread

Boomer23 · August 7, 2008

We are going to have a new stadium. It is coming.

Edited August 7, 2008 by Boomer23

untphd · August 7, 2008

Star Telegram Story
We are going to have a new stadium. It is coming.

Awesome. I like that paper more and more.

KRAM1 · August 7, 2008

Gee, does this "qualify" as the "announcement" folks have been wanting to hear? So, if it is now "out", why not have a big "to-do" at the Athletic Village (like the Kick-off Cookout) and have an announcement party? Could set up tables for folks to make donations and/or pledges to the stadium building fund along with food, beverages, season ticket sales, games, etc., etc.? Just wondering...

Mean Green 93-98 · August 7, 2008

I don't see the phrase "no matter how long it takes" as encouraging.

kj86 · August 7, 2008

I don't see the phrase "no matter how long it takes" as encouraging.

Agreed. I am much more encouraged that we've sold 6000 season tickets.

KRAM1 · August 7, 2008

Talk about looking for the negative anfd finding it!!! Ouch! <_< Come on, this is excellent news about a new stadium from the Prez herself, and all you can find is the phrase "no matter how long it takes"??? I see that as a committment to getting it done and a willingness to "hang in there" through success and challenge until it IS a reality. That, folks, is a positive, not a negative in my book. :rolleyes:

Mean Green 93-98 · August 7, 2008

Talk about looking for the negative anfd finding it!!! Ouch! Come on, this is excellent news about a new stadium from the Prez herself, and all you can find is the phrase "no matter how long it takes"??? I see that as a committment to getting it done and a willingness to "hang in there" through success and challenge until it IS a reality. That, folks, is a positive, not a negative in my book.

I'm not saying the quote means that a stadium is not coming soon. But the quote certainly provides no hope that a stadium is coming soon. Put that quote together with recent comments made by RV to the effect of, "If we do not get a new stadium now, I do not know when we will" (loose paraphrase). This is why I do not find that phrase, posted as the subtitle of the thread apparently as a source of encouragement, encouraging.

I appreciate your optimism, and I am not trying to be a downer. I am not saying that we will not be in a new stadium in 2010 or 2011. I have no real insider information one way or the other. Boomer23 is on campus, and obviously has a much better take on the student pulse than I do. I hope he is right, and he may well be. I'm glad that Prez Gretchen expresses a commitment to "hang in there," but I would be even more encouraged if she would have said, "We need to get a new stadium, and the time is now."

meangreendork · August 7, 2008

I think you guys are reading too much into it. She's stating a commitment to the building of the stadium. Odds are, that "no matter how long it takes" is really just another way to express that determination.

GoMeanGreen1999 · August 7, 2008

I'm not saying the quote means that a stadium is not coming soon. But the quote certainly provides no hope that a stadium is coming soon. Put that quote together with recent comments made by RV to the effect of, "If we do not get a new stadium now, I do not know when we will" (loose paraphrase). This is why I do not find that phrase, posted as the subtitle of the thread apparently as a source of encouragement, encouraging.

Don't listen to RV, listen to the President. She has far more ability to work with donors to get this project going.

KRAM1 · August 7, 2008

GoMeanGreen 1999...and your comment means what? I take it as a positive. What say you?

greenminer · August 7, 2008

Some of us aren't looking for negatives. I'm in the boat that sees some of you spinning things way out of control (positively).

Everytime you read a new stadium bit, ask yourself these questions:

Do we have the money?

And,

Do we have the money.

That's all there is to it. Super-military fundraising tactics aside, nothing goes anywhere until we have money. Regardless of what or when an announcement or statement is made.

ps: at work. haven't gotten to the article yet.

DeepGreen · August 7, 2008

Some of us aren't looking for negatives. I'm in the boat that sees some of you spinning things way out of control (positively).
Everytime you read a new stadium bit, ask yourself these questions:
Do we have the money?
And,
Do we have the money.
That's all there is to it. Super-military fundraising tactics aside, nothing goes anywhere until we have money. Regardless of what or when an announcement or statement is made.
ps: at work. haven't gotten to the article yet.

Show me the money, is what she's saying. $30,000,000 to be exact.

No matter how long it takes, I'm going to be a millionaire. 5-10-25 years? However long it takes. Pretty easy to say that and not know if it will really happen.

greenjoe · August 7, 2008

GREENMINER hit it right on the head.

"Do we have the money ?"

Well, probably not. Not right now. So I'm asking everyone to make a stadium contribution. Not instead of your Mean Green Club committment. In Addition to your Mean Green Committment. After all, who benefits from a new stadium ? We do. Who's team will play in the new stadium ? North Texas. And who is North Texas ? We are.

Simple. Quit waiting for Prince Charming to come riding up. He's not coming. It's up to us, the most ardent of Mean Green Fans.

Send enough to show you want a new stadium now. The prople in Athletics will have to deal with all this money and all these supporters demanding a new stadium And it will happen. And we'll be the reason.

GO MEAN GREEN

TIgreen01 · August 7, 2008

On a slight aside...I think this article's quotes help paint the picture as to what the Pres, RV and the SGA are planning.

From these quotes, I would guess that we are not putting a fee increase in front of the students (well, front and center anyways) to vote on. It's going to be phrased as, "do we need to stop using the Student Service Fees to fund athletics (yes/no)?" If yes, we must establish a separate athletic fund fee that cannot over-reach into money that might have gone to other departments like the SSF can. That will be the MAJOR part of this process. Making this vote MORE about separating athletics so that it doesn't feel like we're stealing from other departments by dipping into the student services fees. How can people argue against this? Even people that are anti-athletics will vote for it. For the first time since hearing about the vote, I have hope....this IS the right way to go about this. It is a win-win for everybody.

...also, I wonder if JUST having this dedicated athletics fund is enough leverage to be able to bond out the $30 million (or whatever amt. we are short of $30 mil needed to turn dirt)? Would we even have to increase the fees that go athletics? Also, what dollar amount would be diverted from SSFs to the new Athl. Fund? Basically, could this whole thing go down without a fee increase?

Edited August 7, 2008 by TIgreen01

Stan R · August 7, 2008

On a slight aside...I think this article's quotes help paint the picture as to what the Pres, RV and the SGA are planning.
From these quotes, I would guess that we are not putting a fee increase in front of the students (well, front and center anyways) to vote on. It's going to be phrased as, "do we need to stop using the Student Service Fees to fund athletics (yes/no)?" If yes, we must establish a separate athletic fund fee that cannot over-reach into money that might have gone to other departments like the SSF can. That will be the MAJOR part of this process. Making this vote MORE about separating athletics so that it doesn't feel like we're stealing from other departments by dipping into the student services fees. How can people argue against this? Even people that are anti-athletics will vote for it. For the first time since hearing about the vote, I have hope....this IS the right way to go about this. It is a win-win for everybody.

Soooo... You're saying they will vote to separate the fees and create a new fee "in concept". :unsure:

NT80 · August 7, 2008

No one in NT administration right now can come out and say with certainty that we will have a stadium by 2010 (or any other firm date)until a student fee passes or a donor(s) gives $30 mm whichever is first. Dr. B can say we need one, TD can say he was promised one, and RV can say he thinks about it 24/7 but none can guarantee it until the students vote "yes" and the BOR and Texas Legislature also sign off on it. So, find a student and bribe them!! :rolleyes:

mad dog · August 7, 2008

I do think this is great positive publicity. Anytime you can get the message out, it is a good thing. But that is all it is: publicity. Let us not confuse it with substance

As I've said before, I just have chosen to get off the roller coaster ride that these announcements bring. And I don't think you would find one person in the Athletic Department that would blame us for being a little worn out at the constant flow of pump fake announcements. I'm just not getting emotionally invested in anything anyone says short of "we have $30 million in the bank and are breaking ground." I've just heard the same line too many times with no payoff to reasonably expect that this time it is any different. I hope I am wrong.

PHSCoach · August 7, 2008

e)until a student fee passes or a donor(s) gives $30 mm whichever is first. Dr. B can say we need one, TD can say he was promised one,

I don't think that is what she said..."She reiterated that UNT won’t break ground until $30 million is raised or pledged" — half of the projected $60 million cost.

Most of the student fee will pay the interest on the 30,000,000 bond and the neg. in the ath. program currently has.

Edited August 7, 2008 by PHSCoach

UNTflyer · August 8, 2008

Basically, could this whole thing go down without a fee increase?

No, it can't.

Yes, there will be a vote this semester.

Yes, it will be for either 1) a dedicated athletics fee and setting that fee higher than the $6/hr currently paid through the SSF or 2) a simple increase in the SSF.

What do I prefer? The dedicated fee. If we're going to count on the support for a raise in the SSF anyways, might as well go all the way with it.

UNTflyer · August 8, 2008

Most of the student fee will pay the interest on the 30,000,000 bond and the neg. in the ath. program currently has.

Yup. Assuming $30 million bonded at 8% for 10 years, the annual payment would be $4,367,796. That would require a $5/hr increase to cover the stadium and have a little extra left over to throw into the kitty.

NT80 · August 8, 2008

I don't think that is what she said..."She reiterated that UNT won’t break ground until $30 million is raised or pledged" — half of the projected $60 million cost.
Most of the student fee will pay the interest on the 30,000,000 bond and the neg. in the ath. program currently has.

Bonding it out is the same as raising it in university lingo. Yes vote = bond = stadium.

NT80 · August 8, 2008

I have never heard raising it to mean bonding it out. Where exactly would the other 30 million come from? You will need to use nearly every dollar of ticket and other revenue to cover the bonds. That leaves 30 million still not accounted for.

The other $30 mm is expected to come from us fans, donors, sponsors, naming rights, corporations, koolaid stands, etc.

Edited August 8, 2008 by NT80

UNTflyer · August 8, 2008

I have never heard raising it to mean bonding it out. Where exactly would the other 30 million come from? You will need to use nearly every dollar of ticket and other revenue to cover the bonds. That leaves 30 million still not accounted for.

Not true. Depending on how long the bonds were issued, a $4-6/hr student fee would cover the bonds.