CSU football stadium update from the Fort Collins rag.

[Cowboy Junky]

Wow, they're winning the stadium battle about as often as they win the Border War. Don't miss the comments at the bottom. The Fort Collins residents are really behind this project. Ramnation has some great threads right now. They're discussing what a dump the AA is compared to Moby.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20131010/OPINION04/310100023/Soapbox-Distrust-CSU-stadium-plan-growing-promises-fall" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[fromolwyoming]

I visited ramnation once, and to this day, think that abomination of a forum should be burned. Don't they know there are far better forum formats now? Its not 1997 anymore.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

I visited ramnation once, and to this day, think that abomination of a forum should be burned. Don't they know there are far better forum formats now? Its not 1997 anymore.

But they really wish that it was still 1997. That's when the one football coach in the history of CSU coached there.

 

[McPeachy]

I hate CSewe just as much as the next guy, in many ways. But this stadium (at CSewe) needs to happen for them. It will be a major catastrophe for CSewe, the MWC, and eventually UW, if it doesn't.

Plus, I like to see the UW AD squirm with angst and terror thinking they may have to make changes to "just keep up".

 

[Cowboy Junky]

I hate CSewe just as much as the next guy, in many ways. But this stadium (at CSewe) needs to happen for them. It will be a major catastrophe for CSewe, the MWC, and eventually UW, if it doesn't.

Plus, I like to see the UW AD squirm with angst and terror thinking they may have to make changes to "just keep up".

It will definitely be a disaster for CSU, but I don't think it would be a disaster for the league and I know it wouldn't be a disaster for Wyoming.

It might be a bigger disaster if they do build it though. Imagine the hippie outcry when they build a 240 million dollar stadium, continue to finish the season 3-9, and put the same 16,000 asses in the seats that they do now. That might actually be more fun to watch then seeing them flounder to build this thing for the next 20 years.

 

[McPeachy]

It will definitely be a disaster for CSU, but I don't think it would be a disaster for the league and I know it wouldn't be a disaster for Wyoming.

It might be a bigger disaster if they do build it though. Imagine the hippie outcry when they build a 240 million dollar stadium, continue to finish the season 3-9, and put the same 16,000 asses in the seats that they do now. That might actually be more fun to watch then seeing them flounder to build this thing for the next 20 years.

I don't know...

Put the CSewe shoes on your (our / my) feet. What if UW was trying to fundraise for a multi-purpose 50K+ seat dome - that would serve multiple sports throughout the "weather challenging times" (football, soccer, basketball practice courts, tennis, swimming & diving, track & field, and other club sports like softball, baseball, rugby, lacrosse, etc.). Placed where the current tennis courts / cowboy field / track & soccer fields are located...with walk ways and tunnels from the current areas / facilities. What would that do for the student - athlete / recruiting, & enrollment? Personally, I think that would be a win-win-win, and would put UW in a place we have not been since the 50's - 60's.

CSewe is doing just that. They are doing something monumental - taking the #1 revenue sport out of the prairie shit location and putting it on campus.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

This has been debated before in Laramie. I think the saying goes, "If you're going to build a dome in Laramie, you're going to have to build a dome over the interstates that go to Laramie."

By the time CSU does build this we should be finishing the AA and Corbett Pool, which will cost us about 40 million. Where do we go after that, because a dome isn't going to happen, and even if it did, we're not going to put more then 25,000 in it, even during our best seasons. The only thing it might push us to do is to renovate the west side. Would new concessions on the west side of the stadium give us an advantage over CSU's brand new stadium?

 

[McPeachy]

This has been debated before in Laramie. I think the saying goes, "If you're going to build a dome in Laramie, you're going to have to build a dome over the interstates that go to Laramie."

By the time CSU does build this we should be finishing the AA and Corbett Pool, which will cost us about 40 million. Where do we go after that, because a dome isn't going to happen, and even if it did, we're not going to put more then 25,000 in it, even during our best seasons. The only thing it might push us to do is to renovate the west side. Would new concessions on the west side of the stadium give us an advantage over CSU's brand new stadium?

I tossed the dome out there - as something very forward thinking. I don't agree with the saying (above), but I do think it is WAY out of the box for anything Wyoming at this time. I imagine having a facility like that, the infrastructure to support it would need to be there first (hotel rooms, etc) - and that isn't going to happen. At least not in my lifetime.

That said, I would like to see UW build for the future a bit more, instead of the dummied-down version we have seen the last 10 years. Horseshoe the south side, with luxury boxes and 10K additional seats.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

This has been debated before in Laramie. I think the saying goes, "If you're going to build a dome in Laramie, you're going to have to build a dome over the interstates that go to Laramie."

By the time CSU does build this we should be finishing the AA and Corbett Pool, which will cost us about 40 million. Where do we go after that, because a dome isn't going to happen, and even if it did, we're not going to put more then 25,000 in it, even during our best seasons. The only thing it might push us to do is to renovate the west side. Would new concessions on the west side of the stadium give us an advantage over CSU's brand new stadium?

I tossed the dome out there - as something very forward thinking. I don't agree with the saying (above), but I do think it is WAY out of the box for anything Wyoming at this time. I imagine having a facility like that, the infrastructure to support it would need to be there first (hotel rooms, etc) - and that isn't going to happen. At least not in my lifetime.

That said, I would like to see UW build for the future a bit more, instead of the dummied-down version we have seen the last 10 years. Horseshoe the south side, with luxury boxes and 10K additional seats.

I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility for Wyoming. I just don't think it's realistic yet. The entire state is going to have to continue to grow(although we are one of the fastest growing states), Laramie is going to have to reach their stated goal of 50,000 Laramie residents, and Cheyenne and Casper are going to have to get much larger. If all that happens, we could support 40,000, but we're looking 20 years down the road.

For now, if CSU builds that stadium and fills it, we're kind of f'd in the facilities race.

The only we could really respond with is more luxury boxes and press boxes on the west side to generate more revenue, but I don't think that's possible unless we tear down the field house.

 

[whyoh]

This has been debated before in Laramie. I think the saying goes, "If you're going to build a dome in Laramie, you're going to have to build a dome over the interstates that go to Laramie."

By the time CSU does build this we should be finishing the AA and Corbett Pool, which will cost us about 40 million. Where do we go after that, because a dome isn't going to happen, and even if it did, we're not going to put more then 25,000 in it, even during our best seasons. The only thing it might push us to do is to renovate the west side. Would new concessions on the west side of the stadium give us an advantage over CSU's brand new stadium?

I tossed the dome out there - as something very forward thinking. I don't agree with the saying (above), but I do think it is WAY out of the box for anything Wyoming at this time. I imagine having a facility like that, the infrastructure to support it would need to be there first (hotel rooms, etc) - and that isn't going to happen. At least not in my lifetime.

That said, I would like to see UW build for the future a bit more, instead of the dummied-down version we have seen the last 10 years. Horseshoe the south side, with luxury boxes and 10K additional seats.

i've always thought they should just horseshoe the upper stands on the south end.....you would be able to keep the trees and it would be a really unique stadium feature

 

[whyoh]

This has been debated before in Laramie. I think the saying goes, "If you're going to build a dome in Laramie, you're going to have to build a dome over the interstates that go to Laramie."

By the time CSU does build this we should be finishing the AA and Corbett Pool, which will cost us about 40 million. Where do we go after that, because a dome isn't going to happen, and even if it did, we're not going to put more then 25,000 in it, even during our best seasons. The only thing it might push us to do is to renovate the west side. Would new concessions on the west side of the stadium give us an advantage over CSU's brand new stadium?

I tossed the dome out there - as something very forward thinking. I don't agree with the saying (above), but I do think it is WAY out of the box for anything Wyoming at this time. I imagine having a facility like that, the infrastructure to support it would need to be there first (hotel rooms, etc) - and that isn't going to happen. At least not in my lifetime.

That said, I would like to see UW build for the future a bit more, instead of the dummied-down version we have seen the last 10 years. Horseshoe the south side, with luxury boxes and 10K additional seats.

I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility for Wyoming. I just don't think it's realistic yet. The entire state is going to have to continue to grow(although we are one of the fastest growing states), Laramie is going to have to reach their stated goal of 50,000 Laramie residents, and Cheyenne and Casper are going to have to get much larger. If all that happens, we could support 40,000, but we're looking 20 years down the road.

For now, if CSU builds that stadium and fills it, we're kind of f'd in the facilities race.

The only we could really respond with is more luxury boxes and press boxes on the west side to generate more revenue, but I don't think that's possible unless we tear down the fieldhouse.

mathematically, a full War Memorial is a larger percentage of the wyoming population than a full memorial stadium in lincoln is of the nebraska population

 

[McPeachy]

I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility for Wyoming. I just don't think it's realistic yet. The entire state is going to have to continue to grow(although we are one of the fastest growing states), Laramie is going to have to reach their stated goal of 50,000 Laramie residents, and Cheyenne and Casper are going to have to get much larger. If all that happens, we could support 40,000, but we're looking 20 years down the road.

For now, if CSU builds that stadium and fills it, we're kind of f'd in the facilities race.

The only we could really respond with is more luxury boxes and press boxes on the west side to generate more revenue, but I don't think that's possible unless we tear down the fieldhouse.

I think we are only f'd in the facilities race, because we chose to be that way. Tommy Boy has a hardon for basketball (and always has), so dumping funds into the AA renovation is not surprising (although it isn't that fantastic of a renovation anyway). I bet if it were up to Tommy Boy, we would be a hoops only school (like a Butler or Creighton) - that is his MO and where he belongs. We need our version of Jack Graham. Buchanan retiring was / is one of the best things to happen to UW & UW athletics...so maybe, just maybe, things will take a different shape in the next 3-5 years.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

That brings up a good question though. When this athletics plan is finished(AA, golf IPF, and Corbett Pool) where do we go next. A horseshoe isn't necessary yet, although I would love to see it. The west side of the War needs the restroom/concessions love that the east side got.

If I had a huge chunk of change, I would build more luxury boxes/press box/club seating on the west side. I think to do that you have to tear down the field house. So it would be a combo project: new press box/luxury box/club seating and a new 4000 seat multi purpose gym for women's hoops, volleyball, wrestling, indoor track and field to replace the field house.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility for Wyoming. I just don't think it's realistic yet. The entire state is going to have to continue to grow(although we are one of the fastest growing states), Laramie is going to have to reach their stated goal of 50,000 Laramie residents, and Cheyenne and Casper are going to have to get much larger. If all that happens, we could support 40,000, but we're looking 20 years down the road.

For now, if CSU builds that stadium and fills it, we're kind of f'd in the facilities race.

The only we could really respond with is more luxury boxes and press boxes on the west side to generate more revenue, but I don't think that's possible unless we tear down the fieldhouse.

I think we are only f'd in the facilities race, because we chose to be that way. Tommy Boy has a hardon for basketball (and always has), so dumping funds into the AA renovation is not surprising (although it isn't that fantastic of a renovation anyway). I bet if it were up to Tommy Boy, we would be a hoops only school (like a Butler or Creighton) - that is his MO and where he belongs. We need our version of Jack Graham. Buchanan retiring was / is one of the best things to happen to UW & UW athletics...so maybe, just maybe, things will take a different shape in the next 3-5 years.

The AA needs it. We really don't have much left to do to the War without spending a massive chunk of change. We did just spend 12 million on an IPF for football and 30 million on stadium improvements for the War.

I guess I don't understand what facilities needs the War has with the exception of renovating the west side of the stadium. I would like to see a horseshoe, but we don't need 10,000 more seats right now, we need to fill the 10,000 empty seats we have. We could do the press box thing, but is there demand for more luxury boxes and what advantage does building a new press box have. We could create a new price point with some kind of club seating on the west side, but what's the demand for that?

Maybe I'm missing something, but what does the War need right now besides concession and restroom renovations on the west side?

 

[whyoh]

That brings up a good question though. When this athletics plan is finished(AA, golf IPF, and Corbett Pool) where do we go next. A horseshoe isn't necessary yet, although I would love to see it. The west side of the War needs the restroom/concessions love that the east side got.

If I had a huge chunk of change, I would build more luxury boxes/press box/club seating on the west side. I think to do that you have to tear down the field house. So it would be a combo project: new press box/luxury box/club seating and a new 4000 seat multi purpose gym for women's hoops, volleyball, wrestling, indoor track and field to replace the field house.

you'd have more luck chopping down the trees than you'd have tearing down the field house

 

[McPeachy]

That brings up a good question though. When this athletics plan is finished(AA, golf IPF, and Corbett Pool) where do we go next. A horseshoe isn't necessary yet, although I would love to see it. The west side of the War needs the restroom/concessions love that the east side got.

If I had a huge chunk of change, I would build more luxury boxes/press box/club seating on the west side. I think to do that you have to tear down the field house. So it would be a combo project: new press box/luxury box/club seating and a new 4000 seat multi purpose gym for women's hoops, volleyball, wrestling, indoor track and field to replace the field house.

Scratch off that golf thing - that was completely funded by private donors. Yes, I agree it is a waste of money, but WTF.



You pointed out one of my biggest whine's - the (lack of) forward thinking within UW athletics - the "what next". Honestly, shouldn't UW already have that penciled in somewhere, shouldn't UW already have it's wish list? Are they all sitting around that large conference table in the UniWyo, looking at eachother, and saying after Corbett & the AA, "we good"? Gary Barta (and Lee Moon laughingly) had all the current renovation penciled in 5-15 years ago. And we can even go back further than that...

 

[WyoBrandX]

I'm trying to find the article now, but not having much luck. In the last week or so, LEDC published that they had agreed upon growing Laramie to 50k in the next decade. They felt anything larger than that and the town loses its small time feel, but would bring in better economics to the area. The town should be pretty self supported at that size.

I think if they hold true to their word, you really have to start thinking about things like a dome. A good product on the field, no reason to complain about the cold (they really should run busess all over town for the game day), and enough residents to fill the thing whether the roads are good or bad, you might have found a sucessful formula.

 

[fromolwyoming]

I'm trying to find the article now, but not having much luck. In the last week or so, LEDC published that they had agreed upon growing Laramie to 50k in the next decade. They felt anything larger than that and the town loses its small time feel, but would bring in better economics to the area. The town should be pretty self supported at that size.

I think if they hold true to their word, you really have to start thinking about things like a dome. A good product on the field, no reason to complain about the cold (they really should run busess all over town for the game day), and enough residents to fill the thing whether the roads are good or bad, you might have found a sucessful formula.

So, growing by 20,000 people in 10 years? It took 10 years to grow by 3,000 people, according to the census that was taken in the last year or two.

 

[McPeachy]

So, growing by 20,000 people in 10 years? It took 10 years to grow by 3,000 people, according to the census that was taken in the last year or two.

Question for you - what really is the population of Laramie? With students & without.

I hear (and read) so much about that topic...I have no clue.

 

[fromolwyoming]

So, growing by 20,000 people in 10 years? It took 10 years to grow by 3,000 people, according to the census that was taken in the last year or two.

Question for you - what really is the population of Laramie? With students & without.

I hear (and read) so much about that topic...I have no clue.

Well, thats according to the official census, with Laramie's population being just slightly over 30,000. If its counting students or not though, I don't know. Everything I've come across doesn't say that one way or the other.