UR get's $5M towards new stadium

[bostonspider]

Richmond announced a $5 Million Dollar donation towards the new football stadium on campus

From the UR Press release

"The Robins Foundation has awarded two grants totaling $8 million to the University to help construct an expanded on-campus stadium and new Westhampton Center.

A $5 million grant will be used to complete the fundraising efforts to expand the University’s existing on-campus stadium into a multi-sport venue serving our football, lacrosse, soccer, and track programs

The expanded stadium will hold a maximum of 9,000 spectators, approximately the same seating capacity of the Robins Center. The University is currently working with the city of Richmond to secure a special use permit in order to proceed with the construction process. University officials expect the stadium project to be completed in time for the football team’s 2010 home game opener. With the Robins Foundation grant, total funds raised for the stadium project now exceed $25 million."


http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/rich/graphics/aerialwithendzonestands-500.jpg

http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/rich/graphics/final-plan-copy-reduced-500.jpg

http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/rich/graphics/overall_FINALreduced-500.jpg

[MplsBison]

IMO, attempting to "compromise" a football stadium that has a track by putting some type of stands inbetween the bend of the track and the endzone is REALLY tacky.


Even more tacky than having a track around your football field.

[GannonFan]

Tacky?? Maybe, but how else do you suggest they get the number of seats they need? 9k isn't a lot of people, and they obviously don't want to make the stadium too large on either sides (it is right on campus - not sure if you've ever been there but the height of the stadium would be an issue asthetically) so putting some people in the endzone is an option. And with a track already around it, if you put the stands on the outside of the track in the endzone those people would be significantly far away from the game. With the constraints in mind, I see no problem with putting seats where they are going to put them - just adds to the cozyness of the field. I might even have to see the Hens play down there in 2010 when it's ready.

[danefan]

Does UR use the track for competitions? I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before.

[GannonFan]

Does UR use the track for competitions? I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before.

Indoor tracks often have obstructions between the "field" and the track.

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

Does UR use the track for competitions? I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before.

The track is there because we have an intercollegiate track team. UR hosts one meet during the season ... but to have a track program, you obviously need a track.

I suppose UR could tear up the track, find some place else to put the track, level the ground, lay a new track ... but we have now raised $25 million for the project. Is a few more million for the track project necessary? Moreover, there really isn't much room on campus for a track.

Feedback?

[danefan]

Indoor tracks often have obstructions between the "field" and the track.

No indoor track holding any sort of big meet that I've seen.


The track is there because we have an intercollegiate track team. UR hosts one meet during the season ... but to have a track program, you obviously need a track.

I suppose UR could tear up the track, find some place else to put the track, level the ground, lay a new track ... but we have now raised $25 million for the project. Is a few more million for the track project necessary? Moreover, there really isn't much room on campus for a track.

Feedback?

I'm not knocking it really, its just something I've never seen before. I has to be very distracting to run like that and tough for relay teams (especially shorter distance teams). The other question I have is whether the field events are held at a different location? Clearly football takes priority over track and UR, but a little slap in the face for the track team.

[DFW HOYA]

The track is there because we have an intercollegiate track team. UR hosts one meet during the season ... but to have a track program, you obviously need a track.

No, you don't... Imagine having a nationally track team with no indoor or outdoor track of its own since 1996... xsmhx

Seriously, aside from the generosity of the Robins Foundation and the Ukrop family, what is Richmond doing in its First Market Stadium fundraising that Georgetown has been unable to do for the past 8-9 years in getting its Multi-Sport Facility off the ground?

[th0m]

I don't know, but that endzone seating looks like it is temporary to me. When you look at the situation drawing that becomes clearer as well.

Good job on getting the money. I never thought Richmond would have a lot of trouble raising the funds for their new facility. Now get those permits and start building!

[MplsBison]

if you put the stands on the outside of the track in the endzone those people would be significantly far away from the game.


Agreed.


If they are going to have a track around the field, they're just going to have to Appalachian State it.


IE, build two giant grandstands on either side of the straightaways.

[ur2k]

That end-zone seating area may not even be part of the final design - these are just concept drawings. In that second rendering (overhead shot) the seating area is a dotted outline (i.e. not a permanent structure) there's writing in it that I can't quite make out but looks to possibly say 'additional expansion seating'. Do any of the Richmond folks know if there is a higher-resolution pic of the renderings anywhere (these are taken from the athletics website)?
As for the track, I think we are stuck with it whether we like it or not

[ur2k]

Also found this quote in a TD article from a few months back that on the school's stadium info site.

"When the stadium is enlarged, it will have permanent seating for about 7,000, "seasonal" seating — high-end bleachers — at one end of the stadium for about 2,000"

[MplsBison]

There's nothing inherently wrong with having a track in the football stadium.


It just means the school is too cheap to build the track team a track stadium.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Could somebody refresh my memory as to why the existing stadium - Richmond stadium in downtown - is not worthy to be the Spiders' home stadium? I understand attendance isn't great (geez, couldn't you get more than 7,652 for the W&M game?) but hemming yourself into 9,000 might not be a good idea either...

Are those attendance numbers accurate, or is creative accounting going on here? Did UR get more than 10,000, by anyone's reckoning, in any football game this year or years past?

[89Hen]

Could somebody refresh my memory as to why the existing stadium - Richmond stadium in downtown - is not worthy to be the Spiders' home stadium? I understand attendance isn't great (geez, couldn't you get more than 7,652 for the W&M game?) but hemming yourself into 9,000 might not be a good idea either...

Are those attendance numbers accurate, or is creative accounting going on here? Did UR get more than 10,000, by anyone's reckoning, in any football game this year or years past?
Too big, old and not on campus. xpeacex

[89Hen]

That end-zone seating area may not even be part of the final design
Agreed. But IIRC aren't the endzones at Zable Stadium inside the track too? If so, they aren't as bad as this rendering would have you believe. xpeacex

[Seawolf97]

First congratulations to the Spiders for the new facility. Anytime funds become available to build new stadiums or athletic buildings it is good news. I think any design can be modified to accomodate both football and track plus it is on campus. Good luck !

[JMUSaxMRD]

Richmond doesn't need a new stadium. I enjoyed their old one, which probably had more JMU than Richmond fans at their homecoming 2 years ago. I don't see the need other than it not being on campus. Expensive moving project.

[bostonspider]

Well the stated problems with UR stadium, too old, too big and not on campus are definitely valid, but the other issue is that UR does not own the stadium, and the City has threatened to kick them out at times, as they would like to maybe use the site for something else (i.e. Housing). UR would have to buy the stadium from the city and then put millions into renovating it. The neighborhood around the stadium has never been that great, and the neighbors don't really like having a stadium right there. So therefore UR feels that they need to move back to campus. Now UR has issues with their own neighbors, and therefore has proposed a stadium slightly smaller than our basketball arena (9,171 seats). I am sure this is being designed so that a few thousands seats can be added once it is built, and the traffic is understood. UR would also like to make the Football games a bit of a "tough ticket" to ensure people buy season tix, and plan ahead. As to the track, it would be tough to find an alternate spot for it, so it stays.

[DTSpider]

A quick summary. The City of Richmond owns the current stadium and told UR a few years ago that it would need to either buy the old stadium (with a price tag rumored to be $5 million) or move on campus. Best part was that if UR bought it, the City said it would enforce new building standards, which would require UR to spend roughly $7 million.

So, old stadium off campus for $12 million, or new stadium on campus for $18 million? UR went with the new stadium. Of course, the City has since put in tremendous efforts to delay the new project resulting in an additional cost of $7 million, to bring the total to $25 million.

[bostonspider]

Also as UR2k said, this might not be the final design. This is the second design that we have seen. Here is the "original":

http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/aspgallery/pictures/Ad_508_2.jpg

Compared to the "current":

http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/rich/graphics/aerialwithendzonestands-500.jpg

[ur2k]

Could somebody refresh my memory as to why the existing stadium - Richmond stadium in downtown - is not worthy to be the Spiders' home stadium? I understand attendance isn't great (geez, couldn't you get more than 7,652 for the W&M game?) but hemming yourself into 9,000 might not be a good idea either...

Are those attendance numbers accurate, or is creative accounting going on here? Did UR get more than 10,000, by anyone's reckoning, in any football game this year or years past?

Exactly as 89Hen stated above - too big, too old, not on campus.
Having a stadium on UR's campus will compleletely change the game-day experience around UR football. Add a little excitement and getting people back on campus on game-day will be a big plus. More students are also likely to attend. I guess the question is would you rather have a sold-out 9,000 seat stadium or a half-empty 22,000 seat stadium? I vote for the sold-out stadium. It just means that a lot more of us will have to pony-up for season tickets and local schools (cough JMU) can't get as many seats when they play us in RIC xwhistlex

Building a 9,000 seat stadium is the only way to get it built on campus. There are very rich neighbors in the surrounding neighborhood who will raise a big stink if they think there will be too much traffic associated with the stadium that will prevent them from driving their SUV's to soccer practice on Saturday morning. The Robins Center (b-ball) arena seats just over 9,100 so that seems to be the magic number since we can already host crowds that size on campus (even though we never sell-out these days)

There's a debate in Spiderville as to our accounting of fans going to games. Lately we've been suspiciously having crowds of under 9,000 (ie the UNH game this year had an announced crowd of 8,995). But our AD states that our reported attendance is now accurate and previously the numbers had been inflated. I personally think we've had larger crowds than announced but really haven't taken the time to count each person individually.

[89Hen]

I personally think we've had larger crowds than announced but really haven't taken the time to count each person individually.
IMO fans tend to overestimate crowds when the stadium isn't packed. People tend to spread out and it looks more full than it is. I know this happens at the Tub in the playoffs. While I think it's possible the school underreports because of financials, I don't think it's anywhere near the amount people say it is. Think about it... would your school really be that blatantly dishonest knowing it only takes one person to leak the info to get caught?

[ur2k]

IMO fans tend to overestimate crowds when the stadium isn't packed. People tend to spread out and it looks more full than it is. I know this happens at the Tub in the playoffs. While I think it's possible the school underreports because of financials, I don't think it's anywhere near the amount people say it is. Think about it... would your school really be that blatantly dishonest knowing it only takes one person to leak the info to get caught?

that's a good point - I really don't know. I personally really don't care about accounting for ticket sales as long as they get the stadium built on campus.

[GannonFan]

Having been to games at Richmond, I wholeheartedly agree with the Spider contigent here about the reasons to move to an on-campus site. The current site is sterile and just a blah gameday experience, and obviously with the moves by the city it's just too expensive to stay there when you can spend a little more and get a better, newer stadium that fits on campus. The campus at Richmond is by and far one of their best selling points so anything to help further that is a good thing in my book. Tailgating there should be a joy in 2010. xthumbsupx

[Eight Legger]

The campus at Richmond is by and far one of their best selling points so anything to help further that is a good thing in my book. Tailgating there should be a joy in 2010. xthumbsupx

That, and the fact that we're a top-40 liberal arts university in the US, a top-25 business school, Newsweek's hottest school in the country for international studies and a top-75 law school. Just sayin.

[dakotadan]

I know of 2 FB stadiums off the top of my head that have endzone seating inside of the track:

University of Nebraska Omaha (http://www.d2football.com/stadiums/nebraska-omaha/t62/)

Grand Valley State University (http://www.d2football.com/stadiums/grandvalley/t16/)

Granted they are both DII schools but they are both pretty nice stadiums.

[JMU-MRD-DAD]

It's a great move to have a new stadium on campus.

I just hope JMU can still get 5,000 tickets!!!!

[Tribe4SF]

W&M has seating inside the track on both ends of Zable Stadium. If you have to have a track, endzone seating helps cut down on the "spread out" feeling that a track can give.

Picture below captures the feel of having seats inside the track.