Jacksonville St Stadium Upgrades

[TexasTerror]

Just curious, what's going on at Jacksonville St?

I see they have some pictures of some upgrades, but there isn't really any good information (atleast that I could find) which talks about exactly what the Gamecocks are getting at their stadium...

Anyone have information they're willing to share?

[JaxSinfonian]

Now being completed at Paul Snow Stadium is a video/scoreboard project. A board with video capability has been installed over the east end zone seats. There's a thread about that here (http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21373&highlight=jacksonville+state), with the architects' renderings. University photos of the project in progress are here (http://www.jsugamecocksports.com/article.asp?articleid=84471). Other photos are here (http://www.jsufan.com/scoreboard/index.html). There also will be a new board in the west end zone by the field house to replace the existing board.

That's all that's going on right now.

The university also has had preliminary plans drawn up for an expansion that would bring the capacity to about 30,000 and add skyboxes to the south side. Presumably that would be the new "home side" for the stadium. There's a rendering of those new south side stands and boxes out there somewhere ... it's been posted here and at gojaxstate.com, but I can't seem to find it. That's all just a nice idea until somebody comes up with the cash.

Meanwhile, JSU installed a new Field Turf surface prior to the 2005 season. Also, renovations to the field house were completed before the 2006 season.

EDIT: Articles about the stadium expansion are here, (http://www.gadsdentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060806/NEWS/608060335&SearchID=73278380985588) and here (http://www.gojaxstate.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2201&highlight=stadium+expansion).

[Saint3333]

I'm so happy the SoCon admitted Samford instead. Who wants a program that actually promotes football...xoopsx

[Fresno St. Alum]

30k would be awesome. can you guys fill it or at least put 24-25k in the stands?

[appfan2008]

I read the article that you had at the bottom and some of those goals are pretty impressive... GA dome, top 5 by 2009, home and home with uab?

man those are some pretty serious goals

[Cocky]

The recent new hire's job is to sell the luxury boxes. If you talk to members of the BOT the expansion is going to happen. The money is suppose to be coming from Sen. Shelby from what I understand. Unless we have goals to move to FBS we have no reason to expand to 30,000 even if we can get the money.

[AppMan]

I'm so happy the SoCon admitted Samford instead. Who wants a program that actually promotes football...xoopsx

Obviously not the SoCon Commish!

[813Jag]

That's good news. It's great to see so many projects being done. Hopefully they will start on ours.

[NSUDemon98]

Now being completed at Paul Snow Stadium is a video/scoreboard project. A board with video capability has been installed over the east end zone seats. There's a thread about that here (http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21373&highlight=jacksonville+state), with the architects' renderings. University photos of the project in progress are here (http://www.jsugamecocksports.com/article.asp?articleid=84471). Other photos are here (http://www.jsufan.com/scoreboard/index.html). There also will be a new board in the west end zone by the field house to replace the existing board.

That's all that's going on right now.

The university also has had preliminary plans drawn up for an expansion that would bring the capacity to about 30,000 and add skyboxes to the south side. Presumably that would be the new "home side" for the stadium. There's a rendering of those new south side stands and boxes out there somewhere ... it's been posted here and at gojaxstate.com, but I can't seem to find it. That's all just a nice idea until somebody comes up with the cash.

Meanwhile, JSU installed a new Field Turf surface prior to the 2005 season. Also, renovations to the field house were completed before the 2006 season.

EDIT: Articles about the stadium expansion are here, (http://www.gadsdentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060806/NEWS/608060335&SearchID=73278380985588) and here (http://www.gojaxstate.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2201&highlight=stadium+expansion).

30,000 capacity? Sounds like the administration has plans to follow the path of Troy St. and go I-A.

[JaxSinfonian]

The money is suppose to be coming from Sen. Shelby from what I understand. Unless we have goals to move to FBS we have no reason to expand to 30,000 even if we can get the money.

I don't think the federal government will be paying all (or even most) of the cost of a football stadium expansion. If sales of the boxes is to pay for the rest, those will be some pricey seats, I think.

On capacity, 30,000 was the number being talked about early on, when that (now missing) rendering turned up. Looking back at the two stories I linked above, I see they both say 20,000. Plans may have been scaled back to reality, I guess.

Obviously, 30k is stretching it. We're getting decent crowds these days, but we're not filling the Snow up at 15k. If expanding and adding the boxes convinces more moneyed fans to come to games and leave checks behind, it'll be worth it. With that cash, hopefully, we can build a program that will get 20,000 screaming people in the stands.

[Cocky]

I don't think the federal government will be paying all (or even most) of the cost of a football stadium expansion. If sales of the boxes is to pay for the rest, those will be some pricey seats, I think.

On capacity, 30,000 was the number being talked about early on, when that (now missing) rendering turned up. Looking back at the two stories I linked above, I see they both say 20,000. Plans may have been scaled back to reality, I guess.

Obviously, 30k is stretching it. We're getting decent crowds these days, but we're not filling the Snow up at 15k. If expanding and adding the boxes convinces more moneyed fans to come to games and leave checks behind, it'll be worth it. With that cash, hopefully, we can build a program that will get 20,000 screaming people in the stands.

The wellness center and some other classrooms are to be located in the bottom of the expansion. This is suppose to keep the expansion within the scope of some funding. I'm not very knowledgeable on the qualifications of funding, but just passing along what some BOT members are saying. My gut feeling is still, this is moving towards FBS football.

I will show up no matter what, as I'm a JSU fan not a fan of FBS or FCS.

[JaxSinfonian]

30,000 capacity? Sounds like the administration has plans to follow the path of Troy St. and go I-A.
See notes on capacity above. Some conspiracy theorists at gojaxstate.com are convinced there's a secret plan to go FBS. If so, it's pretty secret. No administrators or trustees have uttered a recorded word about it. Even the guy they just hired from Troy - Shultz - said in a story from the Troy Messenger (http://www.troymessenger.com/articles/2007/04/16/sports/sports02.txt) he hasn't been told there's a plan to move up. Of course, he hasn't been told there isn't a plan, either:


“That's what I asked - and I haven't got a straight answer yet,” he laughed. “But whether they want to go I-A or be one of the best I-AA programs in the country every year, I've been through what they're about to do.”