Football's future upgrades

[GoJacks]

Re: Football's future upgrades

That is really good news. I know it is only paint but it will spruce up the place in the short term. I believe the lockerrooms are also getting painted. If they did the east side and whole place looked somewhat new I think alot of people (A.K.A. football coaches, players, fb alumni, parents and recruits) would be very happy with the direction SDSU is taking with upkeeping its facilities.

I know I would be up for a volunteer day or something to go out and help paint or something. I thought a group of people used to get togther periodically and pick up trash on campus. It would great to start this stuff again. I well maintained, clean and manicured campus helps with the image of SDSU.

[joeboo22]

Re: Football's future upgrades

I figured we should relive this thread. This is how I would renovate CAS

1. North End zone building.... I would tie in some type of raised platform have some picnic tables and have it be a place to visit and watch football
2. South End zone seating... I would tie some bleachers into the scoreboard. Terry said that there were some bleachers there for this weeks game I would make them pernament and try to tie them into the scoreboard to make it look nice. It appears that end zone seating is a popular place to watch football.
3. East side seating.... I would put nice bleachers on a cement platform. I would put boxes that would be leased/rented out.
4. West side seating.... Completely redo the main grandstand and put in state of the arch press boxes. (these would be for coaches, media and then maybe a few to be rented out.

I would want seating capacity on west and east side to be at the 15,000 range and with endzone seating/standing have capacity in that 18,000 range.

I would do it in phases so we can keep capacity and home field advantage.

As far as field turf I am starting to think that CAS needs it, but if they put it they can only play football I hate watching games when the field has soccer or lacrosse markings on the field turf.

[BitsTD]

Re: Football's future upgrades

When doing all these upgrades it would be nice if they would keep the people with children in mind. I like standing in the north endzone so that my girls can run around, but when they put the bleachers there it makes it hard. I know they should be watching the game or not go, but we all like to be there, plus they are 4 and 1 1/2 years old.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Football's future upgrades

I figured we should relive this thread. This is how I would renovate CAS

1. North End zone building.... I would tie in some type of raised platform have some picnic tables and have it be a place to visit and watch football
2. South End zone seating... I would tie some bleachers into the scoreboard. Terry said that there were some bleachers there for this weeks game I would make them pernament and try to tie them into the scoreboard to make it look nice. It appears that end zone seating is a popular place to watch football.
3. East side seating.... I would put nice bleachers on a cement platform. I would put boxes that would be leased/rented out.
4. West side seating.... Completely redo the main grandstand and put in state of the arch press boxes. (these would be for coaches, media and then maybe a few to be rented out.

I would want seating capacity on west and east side to be at the 15,000 range and with endzone seating/standing have capacity in that 18,000 range.

I would do it in phases so we can keep capacity and home field advantage.

As far as field turf I am starting to think that CAS needs it, but if they put it they can only play football I hate watching games when the field has soccer or lacrosse markings on the field turf.

The plan as I understand it: Rumor has it that the north end zone building is very near an announcement. It will include some meeting rooms on the upper floor(s) that can serve as luxury boxes during games. Next after that, and I'm not sure the timeline, a new east-side grandstand. When that's done, they'll tear down the old west grandstand and build one identical to the east side. Then we'll have an entirely new Coughlin. Total seating will be in the 16,000 range. I don't know about field turf.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Football's future upgrades

When doing all these upgrades it would be nice if they would keep the people with children in mind. I like standing in the north endzone so that my girls can run around, but when they put the bleachers there it makes it hard. I know they should be watching the game or not go, but we all like to be there, plus they are 4 and 1 1/2 years old.

Good point. I have a 3-year-old, and he can't sit still for more than two minutes at a time. It's good to have some green space.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Football's future upgrades

Heck in those early games I would rather stretch out on the grass, even if my kids aren't with me.

[RowdyRabbit]

Re: Football's future upgrades

When doing all these upgrades it would be nice if they would keep the people with children in mind. I like standing in the north endzone so that my girls can run around, but when they put the bleachers there it makes it hard. I know they should be watching the game or not go, but we all like to be there, plus they are 4 and 1 1/2 years old.

Some of my best memories growing up is going to 'Rabbit footballs games with my dad and brother (and a ton of kids in my class). Dad would watch the game, but until we got to the age where we cared what the Jacks were doing, we'd go play football on the east side of the stadium.

Man, that was fun!

[thebluehatman]

Re: Football's future upgrades

Personally, I like to roam to whatever end zone the Jacks are going to at that point of the game. Staying in the stands isn't my style for football, where as basketball you are about as close as you are going to get to the action. Plus if I remember my camera some of them shots from the endzone look pretty cool. If they close of the endzone standing area I'd be bummed. The feel of the grass compared to the hard bleachers and concrete nothing is better.

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: Football's future upgrades

OK, since Augie had somebody pony up 6.1 million dollars for a new stadium, I know there are probably some SDSUFANS.Com posters that can reach into their deep pockets for a little donation.

[thebluehatman]

Re: Football's future upgrades

The collegian has an opinion piece about football upgrades this week.
http://www.sdsucollegian.com/media/s...-2993461.shtml

The Issue:

Coughlin-Alumni Stadium in need of renovation or replacement.

The Stance:

Coughlin does not reflect SDSU's Division I Status.

With every football game, the need for a new football stadium becomes more apparent.

During the past few years, fans have had trouble finding a seat in the stadium. At every game, you can see rows of people lining the chain-link fence that surrounds the field. The problem is more evident this season; fans who would normally have set up camp in the Backyard either have to leave campus or fight the mob to catch a glimpse of the field because of the tailgating policy change.

Coughlin-Alumni Stadium is not just a problem for fans. The Jacks' locker room is small and reminiscent of those seen in small-town high schools. The opposing team has to walk to the HPER center to find their locker room. The condition of our facilities makes SDSU look bad to future Jackrabbits and to visiting teams and their fans.

They could look at how other Gateway schools have improved their facilities. Western Illinois University has a new stadium and their ticket prices are comparable to ours.

[filbert]

Re: Football's future upgrades

Once again . . .

Renovation of CAS is on the Athletic Department's flight plan. I believe it'll come after the Fieldhouse (aka Student Athletic Development Center), and that building is finding its way into this year's media guides (such as the Football guide).

The conceptual plan I've seen for CAS has two 7,000 seat grandstands on the W and E, with a two-level press box/suite structure on the west side, and a future expansion to create a horseshoe with stands around the south end, which would probably bring capacity close to 20,000. With the fieldhouse on the north end of the stadium, I think it will be pretty cozy.

Also, off the Beef Bowl crowd, I've had the thought that if we keep seeing crowds of 15,000 or more, the full horseshoe might get built sooner than later.

[CatchEmAll]

Re: Football's future upgrades

So, as I read that article the writer(s) have no real solution to the "problem" other than, a. sell beer at the games (couldn't see that one coming), or b. tap our already tapped out corporate sponsors for the money.

Here's the reality, there is no quick and easy solution to the stadium problems. There will be no state funding. We won't ask students to pay for it. Our donor base is being asked to fund scholarships, which are needed to have student-athletes to fill the stadium. We are in a small market and our corporate sponsors do not have unlimited funds to spend on a new stadium when we've already got them pegged for the scoreboard upgrades that have taken place. We do NOT have a football culture that NDSU has that would fund a new stadium thru guaranteed sell-outs every Saturday thereby letting the department know there is revenue coming in every Saturday. And unfortunately we don't have the magical donor like Auggie that can pony up the money all at once. So, unless someone wins the Powerball and is willing to donate it's a moot point for now.

We all know that CAS needs upgrades. I don't have a solution. And no one else seems to have a good, realistic one either. So quit bitching about it until a feasible solution presents itself.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Football's future upgrades

So, unless someone wins the Powerball and is willing to donate it's a moot point for now.

As luck would have it, I am willing to both win the Powerball AND donate to SDSU when I do win. I know, SDSU is lucky to have me as an alum.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Football's future upgrades

So, as I read that article the writer(s) have no real solution to the "problem" other than, a. sell beer at the games (couldn't see that one coming), or b. tap our already tapped out corporate sponsors for the money.

Here's the reality, there is no quick and easy solution to the stadium problems. There will be no state funding. We won't ask students to pay for it. Our donor base is being asked to fund scholarships, which are needed to have student-athletes to fill the stadium. We are in a small market and our corporate sponsors do not have unlimited funds to spend on a new stadium when we've already got them pegged for the scoreboard upgrades that have taken place. We do NOT have a football culture that NDSU has that would fund a new stadium thru guaranteed sell-outs every Saturday thereby letting the department know there is revenue coming in every Saturday. And unfortunately we don't have the magical donor like Auggie that can pony up the money all at once. So, unless someone wins the Powerball and is willing to donate it's a moot point for now.

We all know that CAS needs upgrades. I don't have a solution. And no one else seems to have a good, realistic one either. So quit bitching about it until a feasible solution presents itself.

There are a couple of implications in the article that are false:

1. That the administration doesn't know Coughlin is on its last legs.
2. That it's a similar problem (with a similar solution) to the one at Augie.
3. That it's not a high priority.

Of course all of those things are untrue. The administration knows it's a problem. Stop by Associate AD Rob Peterson's office and you'll see a conceptual drawing of a new stadium on the wall. It's a priority, and it's well-known to the administration. They're working on these things every day.

As for the "If Augie can do it, why can't we?" question: No, we don't have a $6.1 million donor. Even if we did, we can't build a 16,000 to 20,000 seat stadium for that. Think more in the range of $20 million to $30 million. The scale of the problem and its solution are completely different than Augie's small and simple 6,500 seat stadium.

[SFJACK]

Re: Football's future upgrades

As luck would have it, I am willing to both win the Powerball AND donate to SDSU when I do win. I know, SDSU is lucky to have me as an alum.

I am also willing. Looks like the odds of SDSU getting a new stadium are improving.