Royal-memorial Stadium

ADLER · August 11, 2008

I saw this Royal-Memorial Stadium model on another site:

Ultimate buildout with south endzone enclosed(~114,000)

114,000 seats? That's a fairly large stadium.

Overall, and excellent design with a lot of lower bowl seating.

Green Mean · August 11, 2008

UT is such an awesome model to follow when it comes to college sports. I really envy their whole athletics program because they win and are successfull in just about anything they do. Hats off too UT, 114K people at a football game wont be a problem. Hats off to guys over there that KNOW how to run an athletics program.

Eagle1855 · August 11, 2008

Hats off to guys over there that KNOW how to run an athletics program.

What's funny is, they have really made most of their strides in the last decade. They didn't always have the place as packed as it is now and UT basketball was nothing to talk about before Barnes. Mack Brown has been a tremendous fundraiser. Hopefully Dodge can do some of the same for us, albeit on a slightly smaller scale.

FirefightnRick · August 11, 2008

UT is such an awesome model to follow when it comes to college sports. I really envy their whole athletics program because they win and are successfull in just about anything they do. Hats off too UT, 114K people at a football game wont be a problem. Hats off to guys over there that KNOW how to run an athletics program.

It's gotta be fairly easy to succeed when your the wealthiest public university in the land and can afford to pay the most for the best of everything, including people who know how to professionally run a successful program as well as buy the wins as they have done for decades. If you admire the New York Yankees for making a mockery out of professional baseball, then tU has got to be your program in college...and Ohio State as well. I don't remember exactly how the story goes but tU was set up long ago through donations of land that had oil on it. That comes with the territory of being on the ground floor in the state. Lucky them. I don't envy a program like them at all but I do understand there's always going to be those who are gleamy eyed by them and always will be. I prefer to envy a program that started with much to nothing and earned their way up like a Marshall of the '90's or Boise State who was right down here with North Texas just a short time ago. Or even South Florida who started out even lower than North Texas and has now made their way into a BCS program. It won't be long until FAU, FIU and Troy joins them I'm afraid? Those are the programs North Texas needs to follow.

Rick

Edited August 11, 2008 by FirefightnRick

Eagle1855 · August 11, 2008

Had to know that post was coming from FFR... UT's #1 fan.

Nobody is envious (except maybe yourself), people were just commenting on how nice their stadium expansion project is/will be. I don't think anyone was trying to fellate the entire UT-system, but I wouldn't mind having a smidge of the success they've enjoyed over the past few years.

I do agree with you on the USF and Boise front. But that's a tired, beaten topic of discussion for me. I'll leave it to greater minds (ie: anyone else).

Edited August 11, 2008 by Eagle1855

LongJim · August 11, 2008

It's gotta be fairly easy to succeed when your the wealthiest public university in the land and can afford to pay the most for the best of everything, including people who know how to professionally run a successful program as well as buy the wins as they have done for decades. If you admire the New York Yankees for making a mockery out of professional baseball, then tU has got to be your program in college...and Ohio State as well. I don't remember exactly how the story goes but tU was set up long ago through donations of land that had oil on it. That comes with the territory of being on the ground floor in the state. Lucky them. I don't envy a program like them at all but I do understand there's always going to be those who are gleamy eyed by them and always will be. I prefer to envy a program that started with much to nothing and earned their way up like a Marshall of the '90's or Boise State who was right down here with North Texas just a short time ago. Or even South Florida who started out even lower than North Texas and has now made their way into a BCS program. It won't be long until FAU, FIU and Troy joins them I'm afraid? Those are the programs North Texas needs to follow.
Rick

The PUF is a non-factor in UT and aTm athletic success. Both of those programs are successful because the alums give back.

I lived 25 miles from Tampa (USF) for 5 years in 1988-1992. UCF (Orlando) as well. Both USF and UCF have been sleeping giants for a long time. The closer parallel at this point for UNT is UCF. Their faculty and student apathy toward athletics was legendary. Regarding USF--They had a 10K plus basketball arena 20 years ago. The USF Sun Dome.

Saw Poison and Kiss there! LICK IT UP!!

Their football facilities were not there in 1988, but as soon as the alums started giving, stuff happened for them. It doesn't matter who UNT models themselves after. If it's USF--fine. They're doing what aTm and UT did decades ago. We're just seeing it finally happen for them.

Here's a latest USF gift. Amazing what happens to your facilities when alums get on board.

Overnight sensations.

Regarding UCF:

Winning and major moves tend to raise donations to UCF's athletics program.

"Raising money for UCF's sports programs used to be a struggle.

During the 1998 fiscal year, 1,000 people made donations totaling $544,000 -- low figures for a university as large as UCF.

But the financial picture looks much rosier these days. Last fiscal year, 4,100 people gave $7.1 million to the athletic program, and now school officials hope that their football team's successful 2007 season will lead to even greater contributions.

"Our fund raising is at a completely different level than it was when I first got here in 1999," said Tim Leonard, the school's associate athletic director for development. "The biggest difference is just the credibility of the program. People just perceive us differently. If we can just keep on winning, I think things will just take off."

Josh Robbins; Orlando Sentinel"

Edited August 11, 2008 by LongJim

GoMeanGreen1999 · August 11, 2008

I have always wondered when they would enclose the whole stadium. I think they sellout their games now at like 97,000? I don't think they would have a hard time filling up 114,000.

FirefightnRick · August 11, 2008

The PUF is a non-factor in UT and aTm athletic success. Both of those programs are successful because the alums give back.

You cannot dismiss the fact of their early wealth attained from being on the ground floor and the advantages it help them build. And sure they have success because their alumns give back, but do you think the alumns would have given back without the inclusion of their conference and the wins? Both benefitted, as OU and the other 15 to 25 power schools did, of hoarding players from everyone else back when it was allowed?

As I have said, you can fold it however you like, but like the Yankees in the MLB, they have made a mockery out of college athletics throwing any amount of money to win.

Rick

Green Mean · August 11, 2008

It's gotta be fairly easy to succeed when your the wealthiest public university in the land and can afford to pay the most for the best of everything, including people who know how to professionally run a successful program as well as buy the wins as they have done for decades. If you admire the New York Yankees for making a mockery out of professional baseball, then tU has got to be your program in college...and Ohio State as well. I don't remember exactly how the story goes but tU was set up long ago through donations of land that had oil on it. That comes with the territory of being on the ground floor in the state. Lucky them. I don't envy a program like them at all but I do understand there's always going to be those who are gleamy eyed by them and always will be. I prefer to envy a program that started with much to nothing and earned their way up like a Marshall of the '90's or Boise State who was right down here with North Texas just a short time ago. Or even South Florida who started out even lower than North Texas and has now made their way into a BCS program. It won't be long until FAU, FIU and Troy joins them I'm afraid? Those are the programs North Texas needs to follow.
Rick

UT is using and maximizing their resources just to try to make the best out of their athletics program. Whatever money they have, donors they get and whatever else they do is all legal and they are not doing anything wrong. Ok so its a crapper that they make a lot of money out of that oil deal/donation or what not but I wouldnt blame UT for that. The truth of the matter is that UT would still be where they are today with or without that money because UT is the face and state school of Texas. USF is a great model too and so are other schools...but to me its all about sustainability...Texas is generally a powerhouse year in year out and really that goes across the board for just about the rest of their sports. Little ole North Texas on the other hand are always the ones coming up with excuses of how much of a miserable athletics program we have, how the SWC did not want NT and kept us out, how we bitch and fault SMU for anything wrong at NT athletics. Give me a break...frankly whatever has happened and whatever will happen at NT for the rest of its existence will be due to NT's doing. Hell we even envy a program that didnt even exist a little over a decade ago but surprassed NT and are light years ahead of us. I dont fault the Yankees making a mockery out of baseball...to be frank they are following all the rules that are given to them...blame the MLB for creating the type of environment that currently exists in baseball. Do I like it? Not really. Do I wish the baseball landscape was different? Absolutely. But hell they are following the rules that are given to them. Oh and the Yanks havent won the whole thing in quite a long time so there are valid opposing points to your views as well in that regard.

LongJim · August 11, 2008

You cannot dismiss the fact of their early wealth attained from being on the ground floor and the advantages it help them build. And sure they have success because their alumns give back, but do you think the alumns would have given back without the inclusion of their conference and the wins? Both benefitted, as OU and the other 15 to 25 power schools did, of hoarding players from everyone else back when it was allowed?

For the sake of argument, let's put the PUF out of the equation, as what does that have to do with UCF's and USF's current success or their alums giving back to their university? What advantage do UCF and USF enjoy that UNT does not? Surely it's not the PUF? What is the thing all of those schools have in common?

1855 makes a good point when he mentioned that it really comes down to fund-raising. Hopefully UNT is seeing an ever-increasing surge with TD in charge. I hope so.

As I have said, you can fold it however you like, but like the Yankees in the MLB, they have made a mockery out of college athletics throwing any amount of money to win.
Rick

"They" being Texas alums, and their deep pockets. I'd love for UNT to get into the NCAA's comedic act then, because $ is what it takes year in and year out.