New CSU On-Campus Stadium (Denver, Fort Collins: construction, high school, university)

[nebloke]

I graduated from CSU back in the late 80's and love my alma mater and Fort Collins. I'm from the northeast and moved back to the NYC metropolitan area after graduation and unfortunately haven't made it back to Fort Collins in about 20 years. Everyone tells me it's still a great place but that it's growna lot.

I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are about CSU's plans for a new on-campus stadium. As an alumni and a football fan, I am a huge supporter. CSU's football program has long been a source of much embarrassment with the exception of a few short years under Sonny Lubick back in the mid 90's. Right or wrong, this lack of competitiveness on the football field has a huge impact on how outsiders view CSU despite its excellent academic reputation. CSU should strive for excellence in everything it does and athletics should be no exception.

Hughes Stadium is dump, it was a dump 25 years ago when I was a student there. It's out in the middle of nowhere and it's a hassle to get to and from, especially if you would like to enjoy a beer or two at the game and have to worry about a DUI. This is probably the biggest reason (besides losing) why attendance there is so low.

Kudos to AD Jack Graham and President Tony Frank for understanding how hugely beneficial a winning football program can be for a major University and for taking bold steps to improve the program like hiring a big name coach from the University of Alabama and getting a new on-campus stadium built. A winning football program and a great game day atmosphere would be great for CSU and it would be great for Fort Collins.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by nebloke

I graduated from CSU back in the late 80's and love my alma mater and Fort Collins. I'm from the northeast and moved back to the NYC metropolitan area after graduation and unfortunately haven't made it back to Fort Collins in about 20 years. Everyone tells me it's still a great place but that it's growna lot.

I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are about CSU's plans for a new on-campus stadium. As an alumni and a football fan, I am a huge supporter. CSU's football program has long been a source of much embarrassment with the exception of a few short years under Sonny Lubick back in the mid 90's. Right or wrong, this lack of competitiveness on the football field has a huge impact on how outsiders view CSU despite its excellent academic reputation. CSU should strive for excellence in everything it does and athletics should be no exception.

Hughes Stadium is dump, it was a dump 25 years ago when I was a student there. It's out in the middle of nowhere and it's a hassle to get to and from, especially if you would like to enjoy a beer or two at the game and have to worry about a DUI. This is probably the biggest reason (besides losing) why attendance there is so low.

Kudos to AD Jack Graham and President Tony Frank for understanding how hugely beneficial a winning football program can be for a major University and for taking bold steps to improve the program like hiring a big name coach from the University of Alabama and getting a new on-campus stadium built. A winning football program and a great game day atmosphere would be great for CSU and it would be great for Fort Collins.

I'm completely in agreement. I thought Hughes was a dump the first time I set foot into it in 1992 - and it wasn't even 25 years old at the time. I'll never forget having to park in the middle of a field for the game because there was ZERO paved parking at the stadium.

The folks who are against the stadium don't seem to grasp that, like it or not, quality athletics are a way for a non-descript school like CSU to attract nation-wide attention. CSU cannot solely rely on its academic performance to draw money into the university because it's not on the same level as a USC, NYU, Stanford, or Harvard.

If they can build the stadium without socking it to the taxpayers or students, and they can fill the stadium by having a solid, contending football team, I'm all for it. CSU's best athletic program right now is women's volleyball, and when Jack Graham asked Tom Hilbert opinions on how to make the athletic department better, Hilbert's answer was simple - fix the football program.

[JJ Johnson]

They decided that they're building that stadium no matter the opinions or concerns of the community, or who ends up paying for it. It's not open to discussion. It's been a done deal for a long time.

Having a shiny new stadium really means little to the quality of the football program, though. The football team may easily remain the same third or fourth rate program that it's been for years. They'll put more butts in the stands by making it a nicer place where more students will be willing to get to, but that's about it.

[sammy87]

It'll help the school and program. It's the best way for CSU to attract out of state students and better athletes. Many may disagree but for a state school, football is king. If CSU can be on top of their conference and win a bowl game here and there against bigger divisions, it will help grow the school. That money will build better buildings, facilities, get more grants and research money ect...NCAA football is a cash cow, CSU knows this. Having a stadium on campus will be great for the local businesses as well.

[Sunderpig2]

There are a lot of people who don't care for sports, never watch them, and shouldn't be forced to pay for something that's a special interest.

Facilities that are outdoors - and open to the elements - are going to get tarnished. Might as well get used to that, focus on the field (instead of staring at the stadium), and make do with what's already available.

[sammy87]

The current stadium is in a bad spot. THink of all the alumni every other Saturday that will go to the game, pay for parking, pay go grab a beer before the game somewhere, then grab dinner after. The bigger the crowd, more publicity, better athletes, better program, tv coverage, bowl games ect.....That money will flow into FOCO and the town will benefit. The team gets better, they get better opponents, they then get visiting fans to spend their cash in the town. As of now a CSU game looks like a high school game.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Sunderpig

There are a lot of people who don't care for sports, never watch them, and shouldn't be forced to pay for something that's a special interest.

Facilities that are outdoors - and open to the elements - are going to get tarnished. Might as well get used to that, focus on the field (instead of staring at the stadium), and make do with what's already available.

Nobody is being forced to pay for the stadium. President Frank has said all along if CSU can't get enough in private donations to build the stadium it won't be built, and the Board of Governors agrees with that position.

The current cost estimate is $226.5 million, and the university has set a goal of 50% in donations before ground will even be broken. Why $113 million and not the full amount? Revenue from the stadium itself will be used to cover payments on any money borrowed for construction. Even the most conservative revenue projections indicated this would be possible.

Businesses all over the city support the move. Hughes does not generate much in ancillary revenue on game day because its location makes it a commuter stadium. Folks coming in from Denver go to the stadium, watch the game, and go home. Having the stadium closer to Old Town and Campus West will give stadium-goers easily accessible options for pre and post-game dining and shopping which means more money in their coffers.

[barefootmeg]

I thought that originally Frank said that the stadium would be entirely paid for with private donations. But then I heard half of it would be. And last I heard he was adding classrooms into the design so that he could more easily justify spending general fund monies on the project. It sounds like the money just isn't flowing in like Frank had hoped.

[Josseppie]

I went to CSU FC and I think the stadium is needed. I live in Pueblo and, also, went to CSU Pueblo and they built a football stadium on campus and today its a much different campus because of that and I think the same thing would happen in Fort Collins.

This statement is true here: Build it and they will come.

[coloradoalimony]

Building a stadium is an ego trip by the athletic department. It is such a transparent money grab that it is laughable. Now they want to put a few classrooms in the building so they can get money from the general fund, since no way will they ever raise enough to build it through donations.

The justification that if they have a nice football stadium they will have better teams, and will attract more students is a joke. Here is a great example: Ask yourself if you would be any more likely to send your kid to Fresno State because of their football team. They are 11-1 and have had good teams for years. Do you have any idea what their stadium looks like? Of course not. Would you push to send your kid to Fresno State because they are 11-1? Of course not.

Stadium projects like this are never built for their initial cost, have huge ongoing maintenance costs, and do nothing but enrich the construction concerns and put the coaches into nicer offices. In the case of CSU, there is no way it will be built without general funding from the university.

GO back and read the news stories when Hughes was built. I guarantee they were saying the EXACT same thing about that one when it was built.