JMU presents new stadium plans

[JMU2004]

Just released

http://www.nmnathletics.com.edgesuite.net/pics/400/SG/SGXMJCFCNTLAWFX.20080111165655.jpg

http://www.jmusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=71029&SPID=8113&DB_OEM_ID=14400&ATCLID=1366904

[whitey]

Wow. I never thought this day would come.

[bluehenbillk]

looks nice

[Franks Tanks]

I guess we can safely assume you are going to FBS--I doutbt a 42,000 seat stadium would be built for FCS football.

[DRDukes]

I think it was worth the wait. It looks impressive, and I would imagine that in Phase 2 we build an idential structure on the Godwin side.

[whitey]

I guess we can safely assume you are going to FBS--I doutbt a 42,000 seat stadium would be built for FCS football.

Eventually. That day is probably far off. Just because they are going to finish Phase I by 2011, doesn't mean they are going to start on Phase II as soon as the initial phase is complete.

[89Hen]

I guess we can safely assume you are going to FBS--I doutbt a 42,000 seat stadium would be built for FCS football.
Says cap will be 24,878 after this expansion. xeyebrowx

[Franks Tanks]

Eventually. That day is probably far off. Just because they are going to finish Phase I by 2011, doesn't mean they are going to start on Phase II as soon as the initial phase is complete.

This is true--wasnt sure if there were any FBS rumblings. What kills me is that JMU is actaully a school that I can see doing well in FBS in the right situation, and one of the FCS schools that can move up. Instead we get Buffalo and MTSU and Western Kentucky's of the world moving up--you know they are destined for failure.

[Tim James]

I never really thought of James Madison as a potential school to move up to FBS but they clearly have to be mentioned now. It will be interesting to see how their neighbors/rivals UR and W&M would react/respond to JMU moving up.

[Tim James]

Says cap will be 24,878 after this expansion. xeyebrowx

Thats still too big for FCS for a school like JMU.

[89Hen]

Thats still too big for FCS for a school like JMU.
How's that? JMU has a very similar profile to a UD or AppSt. 24+ is certainly not too big for either of them.

[ur2k]

I never really thought of James Madison as a potential school to move up to FBS but they clearly have to be mentioned now. It will be interesting to see how their neighbors/rivals UR and W&M would react/respond to JMU moving up.

We would react by saying "good luck" and enjoy the (insert low I-A conference here - Sun Belt, MAC, CUSA, etc)

[Tim James]

How's that? JMU has a very similar profile to a UD or AppSt. 24+ is certainly not too big for either of them.

UD and App St. have more fan support and are more consistant winners. It just seems kinda strange to me that a FCS school in a place like Virginia could ever average over 20,000 per game.

[mcveyrl]

Finally. These drawings have been in the works for 10 years!!

It looks great, I just hope we can fill it. I hope that we can get 19-20K in okay years and fill it up in good years.

Time will tell, but for now it looks good!

[JMUSaxMRD]

Man that is huge compared to the current student side... will look very lopsided.

[DRDukes]

UD and App St. have more fan support and are more consistant winners. It just seems kinda strange to me that a FCS school in a place like Virginia could ever average over 20,000 per game.


By the time Phase 1 is complete, JMU's undergrad enrollment is predicted to be between 18,500 and 19,500. In addition, a large portion of JMU's recent graduates (1990 - 2007) are living in the Washington DC and Richmond areas which is just a short hour and a half to two hour drive back to Harrisonburg. A few years ago when you drove along the 66/81 corridor from NoVa on a Saturday all you would see is VT Hokie flags flying. Over the past few years that has changed dramatically and there are more and more JMU cars heading back to the ‘Burg for a game.

I have no doubt that by the time Phase 1 is complete JMU will be able to have it full and rocking for all games in the 'Burg.

[appst97]

where's the track?

[mcveyrl]

where's the track?

been gone for a few years.

[rufus]

where's the track?
We built the athletic performance center on top of one end of the track back in 2004, so it's been out of commission since then. We built new track & field facilities in 2003, but now those are being torn down and rebuilt elsewhere to make room for dorms and academic buildings. We're also getting an indoor practice facility, new practice fields (1 FieldTurf, 1 natural grass), a new baseball stadium, a new softball stadium, a new soccer/lacrosse stadium, a new field hockey stadium, and new tennis courts. You can see plans if you go to https://vendor.epro.cgipdc.com/webapp/VSSAPPX/Advantage and search "Port Road Rec Fields". Supposedly there is a new basketball arena in the works, but no plans have been released for that project.

[jmu_duke07]

Says cap will be 24,878 after this expansion. xeyebrowx

Phase 1 is going to be 24,878.... their are going to be multiple phases. Pretty much going to be about 40,000 total after all phases are complete.

[JMUDuke2002]

Phase 1 is going to be 24,878.... their are going to be multiple phases. Pretty much going to be about 40,000 total after all phases are complete.

I have heard closer to 50K when all phases are complete. But this is great. I love it. GO DUKES!!

[89Hen]

UD and App St. have more fan support and are more consistant winners. It just seems kinda strange to me that a FCS school in a place like Virginia could ever average over 20,000 per game.
2004 Attendance
Appalachian State - 13,556
James Madison - 12,790

[JMUDuke2002]

UD and App St. have more fan support and are more consistant winners. It just seems kinda strange to me that a FCS school in a place like Virginia could ever average over 20,000 per game.

You don't think a school that is going to have over 21,000 students by 2012 wouldn't need such a large stadium? JMU is growing by leaps and bounds and so is our alumni base. I have no doubt it will be filled with 20K plus in the coming years, especially considering incoming students will be psyched to see it go up. Can't wait!

[JMU_Fan_2007]

If you do the math, the new end zone seats are 4200, which means 4900 new seats on the expanded side. That side is currently larger than the Godwin Hall side, so it probably has about 9000 seats, compared to about 7000 on the current Godwin side. So, the one new side of the structure probably seats about 14,000. If they built an identical structure on the other side as phase 2, the whole stadium would probably seat about 32,200. I assume they could eventually add to the end zone seats if desired.

Maybe not in the first few years, but JMU in 15-20 years, I think it's very reasonable to think that JMU would be able to sell out that many seats. The school is growing very quickly and will probably have 22-24k students by then. Virginia only has 2 I-A football programs right now, I think the recruiting base could definately support one or two more I-A programs. By comparision, North Caronlina is only a little larger and has 5 I-A programs. We'll see what happens, but no matter what, the stadium looks awesome.

Go dukes!

[JMU_Fan_2007]

2004 Attendance
Appalachian State - 13,556
James Madison - 12,790

2007 attendence
Appalachian State - 15,117
James Madison - 17,393

shows just how fast JMU is growing!

[89Hen]

2007 attendence
Appalachian State - 15,117
James Madison - 17,393

shows just how fast JMU is growing!
xconfusedx

AppSt - 24,219
JMU - 14,512

[JMU2004]

2007 attendence
Appalachian State - 15,117
James Madison - 17,393

shows just how fast JMU is growing!

do you mean enrollment?

[89Hen]

do you mean enrollment?
Ah, perhaps he did. xeyebrowx

[rufus]

After phase 1 the break down will look like this:

Big Side: ~15,678
Small Side: ~5,000
Endzone: 4,200

If phase 2 includes replacing the 5k side with a matching 16k side, then we would have around 35-36k.

[fjblair]

do you mean enrollment?

I think so, in which case JMU enrollment is booming. ASU for 2008 is projected to be around 16,500.

Nice stadium.

[JMU_Fan_2007]

xconfusedx

AppSt - 24,219
JMU - 14,512

According to wikipedia (if you trust wikipedia!), the numbers I quoted were for grad+undergrad.

[JMU-MRD-DAD]

Looks great.....I'm excited. I plan to keep my season tickets even after my son graduates.

I would expect season ticket prices to increase, but I find the current season ticket price to be VERY resonable.

Go Dukes

[JmuSkinsfan]

Considering that prior to winning the 2004 National Championship JMU rarely filled the current stadium, the last 3-4 years have seen rapid increase in attendance. MOST alumni who graduated in the 90's when JMU's enrollment was in the 10-12K range didn't attend games and for the most part don't return to Harrisonburg for games.

Since 2004 the students have been much, much more involved in support for the football team, and as the overall enrollment increases to 21,500 by 2013, the interest will continue to increase. As each graduating class enters the world of employment, they will begin to return as alumni and attend games. JMU is finally turning the corner and joining the UD and APp. states of the world in attendance. Each new graduating class has more and more interest in returning to Harrisonburg to attend games, unlike the pre- NC title game crowds..

[Fresno St. Alum]

I like the stadium. I don't know where they'd go if they moved up. FBS needs a conference split if any more teams want to move up.

[JmuSkinsfan]

I like the stadium. I don't know where they'd go if they moved up. FBS needs a conference split if any more teams want to move up.

No FCS team can move up to FBS until after 2013. Jackson State applied and got rejected and the FBS officials said no conference change will take place until 2013.

That being said, I think a power conference of FCS will move up around 2014-2016 to the FBS level and would include...

1. JMU
2. App. State
3. Richmond
4. Delaware
5. Georgia Southern
6. Furman
7. UMass
8. Elon?

Whatever the case, a group of FCS schools who are at the top of the division will move up

[rufus]

No FCS team can move up to FBS until after 2013. Jackson State applied and got rejected and the FBS officials said no conference change will take place until 2013.
Can we get a link for that story? That's the first I've heard of of the moratorium being extended from 2011 to 2013. That's also the first I've heard of Jackson State trying to move to FBS.

[Mountaineer]

Can we get a link for that story? That's the first I've heard of of the moratorium being extended from 2011 to 2013. That's also the first I've heard of Jackson State trying to move to FBS.

It is 2011 and it was Jacksonville State. xnodx :p

[Mountaineer]

Can we get a link for that story? That's the first I've heard of of the moratorium being extended from 2011 to 2013. That's also the first I've heard of Jackson State trying to move to FBS.

It is 2011 and it was Jacksonville State. xnodx :p

[JmuSkinsfan]

yeah, sorry, definitely screwed that up. I could have sworn it was 2013, but then again 2011 makes perfect sense.

Sorry for the confusion

[dgreco]

looks great.

[JMU_Fan_2007]

Here (http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=14368&CHID=1)is another detailed article about the expansion. One thing I like- the new stands will be 40 feet closer to the field. Sounds Loud!!

[appfan2008]

very nice looking expansion...

[Monarch History]

I agree with the other posts that congratulate JMU on great looking plans for your stadium's expansion. Can't wait to come and see it when ODU plays a full CAA schedule in 2011.

Way to go Dukes!xnodx

[catamount man]

Just released

http://www.nmnathletics.com.edgesuite.net/pics/400/SG/SGXMJCFCNTLAWFX.20080111165655.jpg

http://www.jmusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=71029&SPID=8113&DB_OEM_ID=14400&ATCLID=1366904

Sweet. Would love to see WCU and JMU meet on the field someday.

GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

[Eight Legger]

Intersting thought about a "power conference" of teams moving up to FBS; however, we will not be one of them. Not with a new stadium that will hold 9,000 and very little room to expand it beyond 15,000 or so. I suspect a few of those other teams are in similar positions, therefore no chance to move up. I would rather be at the FCS level anyway.

[blur2005]

I was very pleased to read this in the Daily News-Record. It's about time they finalized a plan to expand. I'm particularly glad they want to tear down each side over time and build them back up close to the field, removing the problem of the remains of the old track which set the stands too far back from the field. The next couple years are going to be really fun for Dukes fans.

[BDKJMU]

I guess we can safely assume you are going to FBS--I doutbt a 42,000 seat stadium would be built for FCS football.


"If the project is approved by the General Assembly, the university plans to begin construction on the stadium after the 2008 football season.

The first step would be to remove the portable bleachers in the end zone underneath the scoreboard (referred to as the north side of the stadium by JMU) and replace them with permanent aluminum bleachers by the 2009 season. The new bleachers would seat 4,200 people to bring capacity to 16,878.

New restrooms and concessions would be built underneath the stands.

After the 2009 season, the grandstand beside the parking deck would be demolished and rebuilt, and the first deck of what would be a two-deck grandstand would be built in its place, starting 40 feet closer to the field than the existing seats. A club lounge would be constructed atop the grandstand, serving alcohol and food to 1,000 fans who buy seats around the lounge.

Those changes are expected to be in place for the 2010 season.

After the 2010 season, the upper deck would be built over the existing parking deck. Just below the new deck, several luxury suites would be added, along with an expanded press box.

"This particular stadium brings a lot of venues to folks that we've never had before," Bourne said. "Premium seating, the club area, the suites. That's something that we just don't have."

Beyond that, Bourne and King also showed board members a plan of what additional expansion would look like if JMU wanted to "max out" seating capacity at the stadium.

To do that, they proposed that the grandstand beneath the current press box be demolished and rebuilt in the same, two-deck fashion as the other one. After that, an additional upper deck would be built beyond the end-zone seats beneath the current scoreboard, and that side of the field would be enclosed to create a 40,000-seat stadium.

Bourne, however, said that plan was for the distant future and probably wouldn't be completed until "after we're all gone."

http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=14368&CHID=1

40k sounds like a couple of decades away.

[AppMan]

2004 Attendance
Appalachian State - 13,556
James Madison - 12,790

A lot of water has gone over the dam since 2004.

[AppMan]

With ODU getting their program going and UNCC saying they want to start a program by 2012 I see the potential for a pretty cool conference coming into focus. Given the inherent problems with travel in CUSA and The Big East one day soon taking Memphis I can see the following being a possibility. But it won't be for the FCS.

ASU, Delaware, ECU, JMU, Marshall, ODU, Temple, UNCC.

[GannonFan]

With ODU getting their program going and UNCC saying they want to start a program by 2012 I see the potential for a pretty cool conference coming into focus. Given the inherent problems with travel in CUSA and The Big East one day soon taking Memphis I can see the following being a possibility. But it won't be for the FCS.

ASU, Delaware, ECU, JMU, Marshall, ODU, Temple, UNCC.

Certainly a possibility down the road. The Big East isn't really realistic for any of those teams (as you say Memphis is the one that could surely go that route). And the ACC and SEC would never take any of those teams. Without a conference to play in (CUSA isn't worth it and any other FBS conference either isn't good enough or geographically unrealistic) those schools grouping together could make sense. Heck, Temple used to be Delaware's biggest rival (it made our hatred of nova look like a civil disagreement) until Temple decided they didn't like losing to the little team down the interstate. xnodx

[Dane96]

NM

[Madisonian]

Should make for interesting recruiting in the future... I certainly am not looking for JMU to make the jump to FBS for many years (I hope). However, I think this stadium will ultimately put my fair Madison in a position to do so when the time is right. In the meantime, I'll be paying my support dollars.

[th0m]

I knew the announcement was imminent, but wow! Very pleased with everything, just a shame it will be a while for everything to be finished, but hey at least the plans are there ;) Looks very imposing, close to the field, steep, and a good capacity.

[whitey]

JMU: I-A Isn't In Plans (http://www.dnronline.com/sports_details.php?AID=14406&CHID=3)


James Madison's $52 million plan to renovate Bridgeforth Stadium does not mean the school is considering a move to Division I-A football, university officials said Monday. "Absolutely not," JMU vice president Charlie King said. "We wanted to have, if not the best, one of the best I-AA football facilities in America."


While a move to I-A is clearly not imminent, Bourne said the renovation plan gives JMU the flexibility to expand further if it becomes necessary, either for a move to I-A or just to accommodate a growing fan base while competing in I-AA. Long-range plans include the possibility of a double-deck grandstand on the north side of the stadium (the Godwin Hall side) that would boost capacity to 40,000.

[TheBisonator]

First you guys need to complete the 16,878 capacity phase. If I was a JMU fan, that would be the only thing I would be concerned about on a realistic level. Sure, it's awesome to fantasize and vision about larger stadia (It's even one of my hobbies!), but first thing's first. Get the ball rolling.

It would be awesome for FCS to have another team to average 20,000+ per game.

[JmuSkinsfan]

First you guys need to complete the 16,878 capacity phase. If I was a JMU fan, that would be the only thing I would be concerned about on a realistic level. Sure, it's awesome to fantasize and vision about larger stadia (It's even one of my hobbies!), but first thing's first. Get the ball rolling.

It would be awesome for FCS to have another team to average 20,000+ per game.

In time, we will easily eclipse that measure. A lot of alumni were holding out for a new stadium, or at least a sign of a commitment to the program before investing too much in the team (and these are the 80s and 90s alum who went here when football wasn't taken seriously and the overall enrollment was around 8-10k)...

Then you take into consideration that student interest in the team has changed two-fold since the 2004 NC season, as well as the fact that the overall enrollment is up to about 17,000 and is expected to increase to 21,500 by 2011, and you have yourself the perfect recipe for a 20,000++ attendance.

The attitude surrounding football here at JMU has changed drastically even since I've been here (3 full seasons) so I can't imagine that will do anything but increase, especially with incoming classes seeing the new stadium...

[NYJMUSupporter]

The new stadium will be huge for JMU. The administration is doing a great job of addressing all of our athletics facilities. I think the stadium is going to create an athletics hub in the center of campus, where alumni and students can come together to celebrate all things JMU. In addition to the football stadium, JMU is also building a new enhanced baseball and softball complex and is currently looking into building a new convocation center. They have already stated that they plan to turn our exisiting basketball arena into an indoor practice facility for JMU football. Add all this to the new Music Performance Center and it is a great time to be a JMU fan.

[JmuSkinsfan]

I'd argue that JMU is growing faster than any school in the country. Given our athletic upgrades, you also factor in the new Performing Arts Center, 2-3 more dorms, new dining facilities, as well as the new library...this place is exploding and almost literally overnight. To think, this school had an enrollment of around 10K as recent as 15 years ago