Georgia State’s football team has a home

[jaxstatealum]

The University Foundation purchased 3.8 acres of land at 188 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive for $6.6 million. The plot is a few blocks away from the university. The only thing on the land now is a vacant commercial building.

The Panthers’ new football-only complex will include a 100-yard turf field, a 50-yard grass field, and a building for offices, training rooms, locker rooms, weight room, etc.

Georgia State will begin play in 2010.

[Dane96]

Confused-- Are they building a stadium here...or is this just the practice facility?

[jaxstatealum]

Not sure either. That was the extent of the article in the Atlanta paper. That's an awful lot of money for just a practice field and some offices...

[PaladinFan]

I was wondering what they'd do. My guess was they would try to find a home in the Georgia Dome. Other universities professional facilities (Temple and USF come to mind).

For those that don't know. GSU is smack in the middle of downtown Atlanta.

[Franks Tanks]

Confused-- Are they building a stadium here...or is this just the practice facility?

That will be the practice facility and office space. They have already sealed a deal to play home games in the Georgia Dome.

[appfan2008]

I dont know why but they seem to think that the dome is the best place for them which i dont understand... I personally think they ought to build themselves a 20-30k seat stadium on that land instead of playing in the huge and what will be largely empty ga dome

[mcveyrl]

I dont know why but they seem to think that the dome is the best place for them which i dont understand... I personally think they ought to build themselves a 20-30k seat stadium on that land instead of playing in the huge and what will be largely empty ga dome

I agree. You could have a large FCS crowd and the dome will still look pretty empty.

[appfan2008]

i have played many times in there when there were about 10k people in there for highschool band competitions in there... and that thing was EMPTY with 10k... I know GSU could and will do better than that but seriously they never come near the 70k that that thing holds...

[mcveyrl]

i have played many times in there when there were about 10k people in there for highschool band competitions in there... and that thing was EMPTY with 10k... I know GSU could and will do better than that but seriously they never come near the 70k that that thing holds...

Yea, even if they shut down the upper level (which they would definitely do), it will be tough.

[PTW16]

I dont know why but they seem to think that the dome is the best place for them which i dont understand... I personally think they ought to build themselves a 20-30k seat stadium on that land instead of playing in the huge and what will be largely empty ga dome

Yes, but with land such a valuable (read: incredibly expensive) around that area, where would they practice?

I like the idea of playing in the Georgia Dome. Crowds may not be great but how many kids on this level will ever have the opportunity to play in an NFL Stadium?

[introvertedGSUfan]

I was wondering what they'd do. My guess was they would try to find a home in the Georgia Dome. Other universities professional facilities (Temple and USF come to mind).

For those that don't know. GSU is smack in the middle of downtown Atlanta.

Well I thought that the Hawks still played at the dome, but they don't anymore apparently, so it's just the falcons. Someone listed that it will have Georgia State football as one of its tenants.

My mother went to Ga State and my dad went to nearby tech. Georgia State, like Georgia Southern, has grown tremendously in the past 10 years. Obviously they have no undeveloped land around them like we do so they just buy up old office buildings and whatnot around them.

[appfan2008]

Yes, but with land such a valuable (read: incredibly expensive) around that area, where would they practice?

I like the idea of playing in the Georgia Dome. Crowds may not be great but how many kids on this level will ever have the opportunity to play in an NFL Stadium?

you practice on the field you play on at the new stadium that i am suggesting they build where they just bought land for their practice facility...

[introvertedGSUfan]

Yes, but with land such a valuable (read: incredibly expensive) around that area, where would they practice?

Exactly!!! You guys speculating probably have never grew up in Georgia or been there dozens of times. Georgia State is in the middle of downtown not too far from Georgia Tech. All the land in those areas costs some serious money, especially if you want to tear down an old building and build a new facility.

[Ronbo]

Davis just spent about 50 million for a 12,000 seat stadium. Anyone know if Georgia State could have done that?

[mcveyrl]

Exactly!!! You guys speculating probably have never grew up in Georgia or been there dozens of times. Georgia State is in the middle of downtown not too far from Georgia Tech. All the land in those areas costs some serious money, especially if you want to tear down an old building and build a new facility.

EDIT: Isn't that what they're doing? Only they're building a practice facility instead of a playing facility.

I've been to downtown Atlanta many times and know the need for space. But, it would seem to me in the scheme of things that if my program were going to shell out 6.6 million for real estate, I would build more than just a practice facility. Why not build a nice fieldhouse and a suitable size stadium with fieldturf where you can practice and not mess it up?

I think it makes it tough on recruiting. It's nice that you play in the Georgia Dome, but when the QB signals echo during the game, I don't think recruits are going to be impressed.

[813Jag]

Yes, but with land such a valuable (read: incredibly expensive) around that area, where would they practice?

I like the idea of playing in the Georgia Dome. Crowds may not be great but how many kids on this level will ever have the opportunity to play in an NFL Stadium?
Don't they play state title games in the Georgia Dome? What about using the stadium Morris Brown played in?

[813Jag]

Exactly!!! You guys speculating probably have never grew up in Georgia or been there dozens of times. Georgia State is in the middle of downtown not too far from Georgia Tech. All the land in those areas costs some serious money, especially if you want to tear down an old building and build a new facility.
I lived in Marietta for a year and a half and know space is tight in that area.

[introvertedGSUfan]

Don't they play state title games in the Georgia Dome? What about using the stadium Morris Brown played in?

They don't play the title games there, just the semi-finals for each school division (A - AAAAA).

[813Jag]

They don't play the title games there, just the semi-finals for each school division (A - AAAAA).
I couldn't remember.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

It must be a practice field. You just can't make much of a stadium on 3.8 acres. The biggest FCS stadiums take up about 8 acres. If they are even thinking of going to the FBS one day they are going to need to at least build something on par with the best stadiums in the FCS.

[jaxstatealum]

Yea, but it would seem to me that IF the intention is to go FBS one day then they would have looked for more acreage. Do it right the first time so to speak.

As it is they are going to have to bus them all over the dang city.

[Franks Tanks]

It must be a practice field. You just can't make much of a stadium on 3.8 acres. The biggest FCS stadiums take up about 8 acres. If they are even thinking of going to the FBS one day they are going to need to at least build something on par with the best stadiums in the FCS.

It IS a practive field, it says so in the article.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/10/27/daily34.html

They will practice there and have the games at the Georgia Dome.

[gsu1moretime]

idk... ga state has the 2nd largest school in ga... behind uga and infront of ga tech, southern and kennesaw.... it will be interesting with the 30,000 students and alumni to see how they can fill out the dome.. maybe they do like jacksonville (jags) block off seats with tarps and have ga state panther logo on it?

[PaladinFan]

Also worth noting that GA Tech's stadium has been on that plot of land for probably 100 years. Atlanta grew up and around GT. It would be much more expensive for Ga State to try to plop a stadium down in a major urban center.

Which conference are they joining? or will it be an independent type thing.

[Franks Tanks]

Also worth noting that GA Tech's stadium has been on that plot of land for probably 100 years. Atlanta grew up and around GT. It would be much more expensive for Ga State to try to plop a stadium down in a major urban center.

Which conference are they joining? or will it be an independent type thing.

CAA-- they are already a member

[blur2005]

Which conference are they joining? or will it be an independent type thing.
Georgia State joined the CAA a couple years ago as an all-sports member that didn't play football. Now Georgia State and Old Dominion are both adding football, with rumors of VCU considering the idea. Things will be interesting for the conference down the road.

[seantaylor]

idk... ga state has the 2nd largest school in ga... behind uga and infront of ga tech, southern and kennesaw.... it will be interesting with the 30,000 students and alumni to see how they can fill out the dome.. maybe they do like jacksonville (jags) block off seats with tarps and have ga state panther logo on it?

The difference is that more than half of State's students are commuter students, who live nowhere near the campus. I think the average age of their students is over 30.

[blueballs]

The most similar situation I can think of that Georgia State should look to is UCF. There are many similarities... start up situation, commuter school, urban area with good TV market, overshadowed by SEC state university a few miles up the road, etc etc

UCF has done an admirable job of making the jump, albeit with a lot of growing pains and they spent a TON of dough. Whether Ga St can raise $$$ the way UCF was finally able to will detemine their success.

The one thing Ga St has working against it is UGA and especially Tech being so close, especially if Paul Johnson turns Tech into a top 15-20 program, which I think will happen. That will suck the oxygen right out of the GaSt effort.

[PaladinFan]

Georgia State joined the CAA a couple years ago as an all-sports member that didn't play football. Now Georgia State and Old Dominion are both adding football, with rumors of VCU considering the idea. Things will be interesting for the conference down the road.

How many teams is the CAA going to take on in football? It's coming to the point where your north and south divisions aren't even going to play each other.

I don't know if they'd ever do it, but Ga State might one day be a logical fit for the SoCon.

[GSUhooligan]

How many teams is the CAA going to take on in football? It's coming to the point where your north and south divisions aren't even going to play each other.

I don't know if they'd ever do it, but Ga State might one day be a logical fit for the SoCon.

Furman, Elon, Wofford and (now) Samford won't allow it.

xdeadhorsex :D :D :D :D

[blur2005]

How many teams is the CAA going to take on in football? It's coming to the point where your north and south divisions aren't even going to play each other.

I don't know if they'd ever do it, but Ga State might one day be a logical fit for the SoCon.
It would be logical for Georgia State to be in the SoCon but the more academically renown institutions won't allow it.

When AGS was discussing heavily the economic realities college sports will now be facing, transportation costs were often brought up. The CAA currently stretches from Boston to Atlanta as an all-sports (non-football) conference and when Georgia State football arrives, it will stretch from Maine to Georgia in football. All in all, for lower budget athletic departments like those in this division, it doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm confident that when ODU and Georgia State come online in the full, the football CAA will break off between all-sports members and football-only. Not that I'm in favor of that - I just think it's unavoidable as the conference will become too ungainly to function. You can't have a Big East basketball situation in football. Really the Big East shouldn't exist as it does in basketball either.

[PaladinFan]

I don't necessarily think that is the case. Georgia State has a law school, various graduate degrees, and (as a Georgia Residence) I've always seen it as a respectable academic institution.

[MplsBison]

Throw in VCU and GMU possibly adding football and you've got the CAA looking like:

Hofstra (Football)
Delaware (Football)
Northeastern (Football)
W&M (Football)
JMU (Football)
Towson (Football)
ODU (Football)
GSU (Football)
VCU (Football)
GMU (Football)
Drexel
UNC Wilmington

With Football only members of:

UMass
URI
Maine
New Hampshire
Villanova
Richmond


I don't see why the New England state schools can't pair up with Albany and Stony Brook and make a conference.

Obviously Nova and Richmond want to stay in the CAA.



There's even been talk of UNCW adding football. Probably not at Drexel though.

[gophoenix]

Furman, Elon, Wofford and (now) Samford won't allow it.

xdeadhorsex :D :D :D :D

I keep saying. Georgia State and Coastal Carolina will be in the Southern Conference by 2011. Mark my words.

[Cocky]

They don't play the title games there, just the semi-finals for each school division (A - AAAAA).

Didn't they change that this year? I thought 2008 was going to be the first year of the finals in the Dome.

[Cocky]

Does Atlanta have a pro soccer team? If so maybe they could build and share a stadium.

[henfan]

It would be logical for Georgia State to be in the SoCon but the more academically renown institutions won't allow it.

When AGS was discussing heavily the economic realities college sports will now be facing, transportation costs were often brought up. The CAA currently stretches from Boston to Atlanta as an all-sports (non-football) conference and when Georgia State football arrives, it will stretch from Maine to Georgia in football. All in all, for lower budget athletic departments like those in this division, it doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm confident that when ODU and Georgia State come online in the full, the football CAA will break off between all-sports members and football-only.

I'd respectfully disagree. One thing a larger conference does is guarantee competitive home games for schools who'd otherwise have a difficult time landing economically sound home-home OOC deals. A smaller conference typically means having to schedule more OOC games. Not the position you want to be in if you're AD at UMaine or UNH, for example.

GA State additional is going to have little effect on the NE schools, since the Panthers will likely be placed in the South Division. Adding ODU & GSU isn't likely to increase the number of flights the NE schools have to make southward or vice versa. In fact, the CAA may decide to move 'Nova to the North split and play one less intradivisional game (6 inter- and 2 intra-divisional games.) That means less, not more, miles for schools at the furthest reaches of the divisional footprint. You'll see how it shakes out after the pow wow in the new year. Concessions will be made to keep everybody happy and keep this conference together.

GA State isn't going to the SoCon for a lot of reasons, not the least which is their core membership in the CAA. Until the SoCon plans to expand their Olympic sport league to 13 or 14, it's silly to even mention this.

Beside that fact, the SoCon's profile has changed considerably in the last 20 years. They haven't added a large public university to their roles since 1997 or a large public with FB since 1991. Their direction is decidedly in favor of small, private schools like Wofford, Elon and Samford.

[SoccerSmells]

This may have been asked before, but why don't they just play in Morris Brown's old stadium (olympic field hockey venue in '96), which is right down the street from the Dome? That place is actually very nice, and about 15,000 seats if I remember correctly. MBC played there until they closed their doors in 2003. It was a very nice I-AA/FCS stadium.

[jaxstatealum]

It was mentioned and I agree. It would make a lot of sense... maybe that's the problem xwhistlex