New Stadium

[SFJACK]

Re: New Stadium

That would be sweet. Maybe we can build some mountains too!

Are you crazy!!! Do you know how much it would cost to build those mountains. Maybe we can get some inflatable mountains.

[Jacks-02]

Re: New Stadium

Are you crazy!!! Do you know how much it would cost to build those mountains. Maybe we can get some inflatable mountains.

Maybe we can get some inflatable billy goats to put on the mountain too...

[West-River_Jack]

Re: New Stadium

It's been kind of a slow day here so I started doing some Google searches on the costs of some sports stadiums. I found one company which sells prefabricated bleachers of up to 15 rows which would run about $75 per seat plus site prep and shipping. Of course, that's not what we want. So I looked a little more. It looks like Stanford's 50,000 seat stadium is something over $1,800 per seat. I think that Augie's is also in that range for a 6,500 seat stadium. Of course, if we want it real nice we could check into the plans for the new Yankee Stadium which will end up costing about $25,000 per seat. Inflation happens, so it looks to me like we have to plan to ante up at least $2,000 per seat and probably more by the time any new stadium construction can begin. I really don't know if we get to include the money already being spent for the Dykhouse facility as part of the 2 grand per seat or not.

P.S. Read these figures with caution. I am neither a math or economics major nor am I an architectural major.

[JackrabbitGuy]

Re: New Stadium

Wow. That means probably $50 Million just for a 25,000 seat stadium. I'm thining that in reality it is going to take some serious vision and planning to begin to create a scalable stadium that can be built piece by piece over a period of years. That vision may already be in place with the Dykhouse building being a great piece to build around.

It would seem to me (remember that I am not an engineer, architect, nor a doctor or an actor who plays one on TV) that in looking at that great link of the Utah State stadium that such a thing could be done piece by piece. Perhaps replace the existing west grandstand one year with a newer and better version, build on the east side a year or two later and then make plans to fill in the horseshoe by building around the south endzone after that.

I will empty out my penny jar and see what I can pony up to get this project started. Sorry, its not going to be a Dykhouse-like donation.

[jackmd]

Re: New Stadium

I believe the "campus master plan" includes improvements to CAS, I could be wrong. If I recall correctly those plans include a "grandstand" on the east side followed by remodeling/replacement of the current grandstand. With the Dykhouse center on the North end and the scoreboard on the south end I'm not sure of plans to complete a circle or horseshoe. Its definitely something that will get done and I rather enjoying talking about it.

[filbert]

Re: New Stadium

My understanding is that the phased approach is definitely in play.

Likely phases, IMHO:
1) build permanent grandstand on the east side, seating ~7,000;
2) tear down the old west side and put up an new grandstand, seating ~7,000;
3) if you need the additional capacity fill in the south side to make a horseshoe, bringing total seating into the 20,000 range.
4) Then you start on the upper deck.

Phasing a big engineering project usually does cost more in total than doing it all at once, but if you're cash-flow sensitive like SDSU and most schools are, it's the way you have to do it.

[propar80]

Re: New Stadium

I'd be willing to bet that a lot of the stadiums that we regard as "huge" started out looking a lot like CAS. I'd like to see pictures of ISU's Jack Trice 30 years ago, I have to wonder if it looks familiar.

So let NDSU, UNI, USD, UND and other Dome teams make fun of good old CAS, but in the back of their minds they're always wondering..."what are we going to do if we want to get more than 20,000(or 8K-10K) in USD/UND's case) people in here?"

CAS- "The Home of the SDSU Jackrabbits and the only place where we're proud to say..."We never Sell Out!!""

Go Jacks!!

[SturgisJeff]

Re: New Stadium

I remember when I was at State in the seventies they had a model of a new stadium. It was going to be on the site of CAS, a pit with the dirt piled around the stadium for the walls with all the concrete structure inside of the dirt walls, with any extra fill coming from the lake they would dig on the new 18 hole golf links. In addition to the stadium there would have been a performing arts center attached to it. The major donor changed his mind and put the money into cancer research after his wife died of cancer.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: New Stadium

Calling on collective wisdom of the board. The BOR indicated when SDSU went D1 that any expenses related to the switch had to be paid for without using any state money. If SDSU had stayed D2, CAS would have needed to be replaced in the near future. I believe this was discussed at the time, but do not recall how it went. Is state money available for replacing CAS?

[launcher46]

Re: New Stadium

There will definately be a new stadium in the next 10-15 years. I was told that sometime in that time span the current stadium will be condemned.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: New Stadium

My understanding is that the phased approach is definitely in play.

Likely phases, IMHO:
1) build permanent grandstand on the east side, seating ~7,000;
2) tear down the old west side and put up an new grandstand, seating ~7,000;
3) if you need the additional capacity fill in the south side to make a horseshoe, bringing total seating into the 20,000 range.
4) Then you start on the upper deck.

Phasing a big engineering project usually does cost more in total than doing it all at once, but if you're cash-flow sensitive like SDSU and most schools are, it's the way you have to do it.

Not to mention the initial phase will be more expensive to allow for future expansion. Footings, columns, and other structural members must be bigger to allow for expansion. All of this leads to a sometimes substantial increase in the cost of the initial phase, but is generally cheaper than trying to "beef" up existing members that are inadequate.

[JackrabbitGuy]

Re: New Stadium

Isn't it great that we get to speculate and dream of what may by in 10 years at SDSU. This is great fun to think about in between games this fall. Go Jacks. I can't wait for the day when we can see 25,000 in Brookings for a Jacks football game.

[Nidaros]

Re: New Stadium

Isn't it great that we get to speculate and dream of what may by in 10 years at SDSU. This is great fun to think about in between games this fall. Go Jacks. I can't wait for the day when we can see 25,000 in Brookings for a Jacks football game.

I think three consecutive seasons of 8 wins or more will get us 25,000 people sooner than later. It would be a great problem for SDSU to have. Major donors could speed the process up but, I tend to think we are committed to the phase plan mentioned by others.

[gabe01]

Re: New Stadium

I'd be willing to bet that a lot of the stadiums that we regard as "huge" started out looking a lot like CAS. I'd like to see pictures of ISU's Jack Trice 30 years ago, I have to wonder if it looks familiar.

So let NDSU, UNI, USD, UND and other Dome teams make fun of good old CAS, but in the back of their minds they're always wondering..."what are we going to do if we want to get more than 20,000(or 8K-10K) in USD/UND's case) people in here?"

CAS- "The Home of the SDSU Jackrabbits and the only place where we're proud to say..."We never Sell Out!!""

Go Jacks!!

Worrying about what to do if you want over 20,000 is a good problem to have. Probably won't have to worry for a while but given the high number of Bison fans who make the trip to Brookings, it's something that may happen next year.

UND's only holds 13,500. UNI's is 16,300. Not sure of the Dakota Dome's capacity but it's small. Fargodome is 18,700. Interesting you bring that up because they had an article in the Forum today stating NDSU is looking at ways to expand seating because 7 of the last 9 games sold out.

Now if you have games like the ass whooping of Youngstown your going to create some excitement! Impressive win guys!

[dvase]

Re: New Stadium

For what its worth, my two cents is that outdoor stadiums have a much better atmosphere than the sterile domes of USD, NDSU, etc.

However, I do realize the ticket revenue and mind-share lost because of people, like my wife, who dislike the idea of sitting on cold metal bleachers outdoors watching a football game in 30-degree weather.

Furthermore, I think a good outdoor stadium separates SDSU from the other competing football programs in the area (ie. USD, NDSU, UND, UNI), creating a tougher atmosphere (during inclement weather) and an impression that 'real men' play outdoors. Look at the UofM Gophers, who just recently went through a major fundraising campaign to move from the indoor Metrodome environment to an outdoor stadium of their own.