JSU to bid stadium expansion and upgrades; total athletic improvement 60 million

[Cocky]

http://www.gojaxstate.com/forum2/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4980

[CSUBUCDAD]

Dang man, and we are still trying to figure out if we need lights or not?? Man I will be glad when we can throw some real money in Buccaneer field.

[Lionsrking]

http://www.gojaxstate.com/forum2/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4980

Construction is quite expensive...we're putting the finishing touches on a parking garage/pressbox/club suite addition to our stadium, plus we're building a new weight room...total cost is somewhere around 14 million. Just a few years ago, we could have spent the same amount or just a little bit more and gotten complete stadium facelift with expansion, plus a weight room. It's amazing you guys are spending that kind of money and are only expanding. It's the times we live in I guess.

[furman94]

Does Dr. Gary Clark look at other programs in the South? He has a freaking DOCTORATE and doesn't know how to put money into FOOTBALL?

[TTUEagles]

I'm jealous...I wish TTU would get off of their arse and begin the new football building/weight room etc. They've been raising money/talking about it for 4-5 years now and needed it 20 years ago. count your blessing, JSU!

[Cocky]

It has taken us quite a while to get the BOT in place to support athletics but we are there. The bad part is my RV lot approximately 100 feet from the stadium will be sacificed. Hopefully the move won't be too far.

[Lionsrking]

It has taken us quite a while to get the BOT in place to support athletics but we are there. The bad part is my RV lot approximately 100 feet from the stadium will be sacificed. Hopefully the move won't be too far.

Nothing like a little sacrifice for progress.

[Cocky]

http://www.jaxnews.com/news/2008/images/jnbuilding071608.jpg

Rendering from the outside of the football stadium

[Lionsrking]

http://www.jaxnews.com/news/2008/images/jnbuilding071608.jpg

Rendering from the outside of the football stadium

I just skimmed over the article but sounds as if tying it into student housing was how you got it passed. We did a similar deal with our new press box/club level, except we tied it in with a student parking garage.

[Cocky]

Yes, the housing didn't hurt.

[appfan2008]

any images of the stands or just that outside one?

[Gamecocks99]

any images of the stands or just that outside one?


At least someone has a vision for the future xnodx

[Cocky]

If our Baseball coach gets a nice stadium look out he could turn us into a power. Exciting days ahead for JSU.

[McNeeserocket]

http://www.gojaxstate.com/forum2/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4980

I want to word these questions in a diplomatic way, but I am afraid that no matter how I ask them it will not be received in the vein I mean it.

First off, the improvements are beautiful. Congrats!

How does JSU justify adding 5000 seats to a stadium that as far as I am aware is not presently filled with fans on a regular basis (I am basing this on first hand knowledge from when you were in the Southland Conference)? Since leaving the Southland Conference, have you gained substantial fan support? Is there enough present fan support for stadium expansion, or are you projecting that your planned move to FBS will bring extra fan support?

As I said above, I do not want to offend you, but asking these questions is only meant to enlighten me (and some others) as to how you feel the improvements are needed and/or justified.

Do you feel that once the moratorium on moving up to FBS is lifted in 2010 that JSU will be ready to make the move up with these and other improvements?

[JaxSinfonian]

As I said above, I do not want to offend you, but asking these questions is only meant to enlighten me (and some others) as to how you feel the improvements are needed and/or justified.

Rocket, your questions are completely valid, so don't sweat it. I'll answer them as best I can.

Your memory of our SFL days is worth bringing up; yeah, the stands were rarely packed back then. That was probably the worst period in the history of JSU football, and I thank God it's over. The first two years in the OVC we did something we didn't do a lot of in the Southland: win. Back-to-back conference titles in '03 and '04 improved our attendance greatly. When we opened the '05 season at home against Furman, Paul Snow Stadium was nearly packed (probably would have sold out if it had been a Saturday) and the atmosphere was electric.

Of course, the coaching staff has failed to maintain that type of success. We haven't had a losing season since then, but three 6-5 campaigns have taken a lot of excitement out of the air, and butts out of the stands.

Do we need another 5,000 seats? If we'd kept winning titles and started going deep in the playoffs and started marketing the program better, maybe. But I guess the seats will be nice to have. The stadium could use an update, and 5k is a reasonable number. If we're really doing this FBS thing we'll need to get capacity to 30k (won't we?), and we sure don't need that now.

The university leadership is taking the "build it and they will come" approach, I think. But I believe they'll also need to invest in putting a better team in that stadium and better market their product so they can sell tickets for those seats. I haven't seen any evidence of plans for that.

As for fan support for the expansion, I think it's best to say there's little fan opposition to it. Some are excited; others are scratching their heads. There is an element on campus (not sure how large) who question any spending on football. And their arguments are not without merit. It's worth noting that in the same trustees meeting that spawned this topic, the board trimmed $1 million from faculty & staff payroll to deal with state budget cuts. JSU already had a lot of work to do to get the whole campus and the community feeling good about JSU football and supporting it with their attendance at games. I fear the job is even harder now.

[Appstate29]

how awesome would it be to be a student living in the football stadium! Talk about convenient!

[Cocky]

It the RP effect. And the excitement of a new AD.

No, really the move to FBS will happen wether the fans are for or against. The upgrades are need to the stadium if we are making the move and the opportunity is now if we planning on selling ourselves to any conference.

If the move doesn't happen we will be in a position of having one of the nicer stadium in FCS so it's a win win.

[Lionsrking]

how awesome would it be to be a student living in the football stadium! Talk about convenient!

We had dorms in our stadium for years, until we built new ones. Now it's office space. LSU had dorms in Tiger Stadium as well.

[Lionsrking]

It the RP effect. And the excitement of a new AD.

No, really the move to FBS will happen wether the fans are for or against. The upgrades are need to the stadium if we are making the move and the opportunity is now if we planning on selling ourselves to any conference.

If the move doesn't happen we will be in a position of having one of the nicer stadium in FCS so it's a win win.

Amazing the inflation we've had in the last 25 to 30 years. The Carrier Dome in Syracuse was built in 1980 for about 10 million dollars less than what you guys are spending to build a dorm and add 5,000 seats. FCS schools that are harboring any hopes of moving up in the next five to ten years better start expanding now or it's going to be too cost prohibitive.

[JaxSinfonian]

FCS schools that are harboring any hopes of moving up in the next five to ten years better start expanding now or it's going to be too cost prohibitive.

Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. Schools will find the money. Have you compared 1980 tuition to what people are paying for college today?

[Cocky]

Amazing the inflation we've had in the last 25 to 30 years. The Carrier Dome in Syracuse was built in 1980 for about 10 million dollars less than what you guys are spending to build a dorm and add 5,000 seats. FCS schools that are harboring any hopes of moving up in the next five to ten years better start expanding now or it's going to be too cost prohibitive.

The 60 mil number includes some other improvements. It is not just the dorm and football stadium expansion.

[Lionsrking]

The 60 mil number includes some other improvements. It is not just the dorm and football stadium expansion.

I wasn't using the 60 million number, I was using the 37 million or whatever it was according to the article.