Got a track? There's hope.

[Ronbo]

I posted this in the rate your stadium thread but thought it would be a subject for it's own thread of discussion.

All you guys that fret about the track around your field there's hope. Look what Washington State did.


Here's one thing I don't understand: if a stadium already has a track, how would getting rid of it improve it? Short of moving the entire grandstand toward the field, there's really no way to give the stadium a more intimate feel.


Washington State was expanded in the 70's I think by removing the track, then digging down 16 feet. They expanded down rather than up, going from 26,000 to 40,000.

http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/wast/graphics/martin-stadium/stadium1978.jpg
With Track

http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/wast/graphics/martin-stadium/field-turf00.jpg
Work under way. New seating just below newly added stadium entrances.

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/wast/nonsport/facilities/wast-martin-stadium-250-05.jpg
Stadium today. Walla! No track and 14,000 new seats.

[813Jag]

No hope in Baton Rouge. That track isn't going anywhere. We've been waiting on our stadium project for years. Something of that magnitude will never happen at Southern. xnonono2x

[MplsBison]

Walla! No track and 14,000 new seats.

I hate to be a complete d**k, but it's "voilà". French for "behold".

[eagle1]

The price for excavating that much earth is unbelieveable but I sure wish that it would happen at EWU. Go Eagles!!!

[bisonguy]

The Buckeyes removed the track, lowered the field 14 feet, and added seating up the to field at Ohio Stadium in 1998.

[Eyes of Old Main]

Not a bad solution, but I'm sure it is very expensive.

[Golden Eagle]

Psh. I'll keep my track thank you very much.

[McTailGator]

The price for excavating that much earth is unbelieveable but I sure wish that it would happen at EWU. Go Eagles!!!


But when one considers real estate costs as well as the possible relocation of "other" facilities. The cost might not look all that bad.

Now I know that in some parts of the country BedRock might make this impossible (or very expensive), but much of the country is but a couple of Track Hoe's and Bull Dozer's away from reality.

LSU would do well to do the same thing. They have field level seats that are awefull. At at the price they charge for tickets the project would pay for it self in one year or less.

[dbackjon]

LSU would do well to do the same thing. They have field level seats that are awefull. At at the price they charge for tickets the project would pay for it self in one year or less.

Wouldn't that put the field below sea level? ;)

[McTailGator]

Wouldn't that put the field below sea level? ;)
Probably not. LSU's campus is kid of elevated. But McNeese's filed as well as UL-Lafayette's fields are both Below Sea Level.

[slycat]

texas st showed in their master plan to add a seperate stadium for track if needed (if we needed to remove the track to expand football). however from what i hear this is not possible in san marcos because we are on the edwards aquifer and the water table is high and the ground becomes limestone after a few feet. im sure many tests would have to be made in order to avoid these problems or it could get very costly.

[DFW HOYA]

Gee, I wish there was a track at Georgetown. It has to be the only nationally ranked track program without a track of its own, indoor or outdoor.

[McTailGator]

texas st showed in their master plan to add a seperate stadium for track if needed (if we needed to remove the track to expand football). however from what i hear this is not possible in san marcos because we are on the edwards aquifer and the water table is high and the ground becomes limestone after a few feet. im sure my tests would have to be made in order to avoid these problems or it could get very costly.


That is one of the reasons it might be a long time before we get Field Turf in "The Hole". Groundwater infiltration is already an issue is some places. The cost of putting it down at our house is double that of what all the other SLC schools are paying. Therefore we will have to go with the real stuff for now. But our real stuff is pretty nice too.

[ucdtim17]

They did the same thing at the coliseum in LA a few years ago. Husky Stadium in Seattle is the last Pac-10 stadium with a track and they are planning on removing it and lowering the field soon

[Jag4Life]

No hope in Baton Rouge. That track isn't going anywhere. We've been waiting on our stadium project for years. Something of that magnitude will never happen at Southern. xnonono2x

You should have listened to Jaguar Journal on the net yesterday. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW! xsmhx xsmhx xsmhx xsmhx

[813Jag]

You should have listened to Jaguar Journal on the net yesterday. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW! xsmhx xsmhx xsmhx xsmhx

What happened? xconfusedx

[Seawolf97]

Fortunately Stonybrook has a separate facilty for track and field with an all weather surface on the track.

[th0m]

JMU's Bridgeforth Stadium used to be an all-purpose stadium, but now is a pure football stadium. Since the end-zone structure was built (unlike what they did at Texas State) over the track, they decided to paint over the rest of the track when the new turf was put in. I'm pretty sure that the plan is to rebuild the stands closer to the field whenever expansion will take place. Due to a water-table issue, lowering the field is probably even more expensive than it already is.

[aggie6thman]

The price for excavating that much earth is unbelieveable but I sure wish that it would happen at EWU. Go Eagles!!!

We dug down for our new stadium instead of having to buy all of that steel. That is what costs a lot of money.

[aggie6thman]

I posted this in the rate your stadium thread but thought it would be a subject for it's own thread of discussion.

All you guys that fret about the track around your field there's hope. Look what Washington State did.

Washington State was expanded in the 70's I think by removing the track, then digging down 16 feet. They expanded down rather than up, going from 26,000 to 40,000.

I am so happy that we got rid of our track!

[Grizalltheway]

I hate to be a complete d**k, but it's "voilà". French for "behold".

Since when do you hate being a complete d**K?

[WUTNDITWAA]

Springs and rock under, well, The Rock. The track will stay until the East stands are torn down and field are moved a little toward the West stands -- much like what will probably happen at JMU.

[SoCon48]

Springs and rock under, well, The Rock. The track will stay until the East stands are torn down and field are moved a little toward the West stands -- much like what will probably happen at JMU.

One thing is for sure, moving down 16 feet would not almost double ASU's capacity anyway. If it did, we're sure losing a lot of seats in the 150 or so feet we now have.
Who cares about tracks one way or the other anyway? It's a non-issue.xcoffeex

[Mountaineer]

One thing is for sure, moving down 16 feet would not almost double ASU's capacity anyway. If it did, we're sure losing a lot of seats in the 150 or so feet we now have.
Who cares about tracks one way or the other anyway? It's a non-issue.xcoffeex

Well..there's something to be said for a beautiful stadium without a track hanging around mucking it up. :D

Day can't come soon enough for KBS, as far as I'm concerned.

[SeattleGriz]

I hate to be a complete d**k, but it's "voilà". French for "behold".

In the Palouse, its "Walla"... Frenchy

[SoCon48]

Well..there's something to be said for a beautiful stadium without a track hanging around mucking it up. :D

Day can't come soon enough for KBS, as far as I'm concerned.

At present, the track looks a hell of a lot better than the rest of the stadium.

[Mountaineer]

At present, the track looks a hell of a lot better than the rest of the stadium.

No argument there. xlolx

I'm not very optimistic about the construction work and progress. Guess we'll see..

I really wish we could find a new place to play for a couple of years, gut KBS, and start the place over. :(

[SoCon48]

I think it will eventually fall in line, but I think the AD will be surprised at the delays as we've wasted this good warm drought weather. Going to be mid-summer soon before rthe first bucket of concrete is poured. Too, with all the other little projects, he may just be surprised at the money shortfall before the big house is completed. Not only is the money being pre-spent but costs will rise while we wait.
2008 looks more and more like a pipe dream at this point.