This football season just became even more important

[af102]

We all want to break ground on the new baseball stadium in June of next year, but $20 million isn't an insignificant amount to raise by then. What gets the old money flowing better than anything else? Winning. Auburn was able to pay for their new basketball arena the year after they won the national title in 2009/10. Alabama has renovated/expanded parts of the football stadium at least twice since 2009. They have also dumped $30+ million into their baseball field.

If we are even in the race for the western title come mid October, the money will start flowing. If we make it to Atlanta, they will probably have $20 million by Christmas. Combined football (ATL and beyond), basketball success (NIT or bubble NCAA) plus landing Malik, and a deep postseason baseball run would pay for the entire thing by the end of baseball season.

If you weren't convince that we needed to completely demolish the stadium and start from scratch, Alabama is spending $30-35 million on a renovation that will maybe bring them up to the level of Ole Miss's stadium. We are building the best stadium in the country for $40 million (or a little more).

 

[engie]

Money flows for baseball with us regardless of other sports. The people writing those checks all remember when it was all we had...

I doubt they keep us updated on how much has been raised -- but I'd be surprised if we don't have the full $20mil to go ahead and announce the ground breaking(at the end of the 2015 baseball season) before the end of this football season...

 

[patdog]

I don't see any way we break ground in less than a year. I think May 2016 is the earliest we could break ground on this project. Also, I suspect the final price tag for the stadium that was presented will be closer to $50M than to $40M.

 

[Confucius Say]

I did not see the presser, just the video. Are we tearing down the existing dudy noble completely and starting from scratch? If so, 40 million seems really cheap to me to build the new one.

 

[Hammer Down]

I don't see any way we break ground in less than a year. I think May 2016 is the earliest we could break ground on this project. Also, I suspect the final price tag for the stadium that was presented will be closer to $50M than to $40M.

Agreed. If all goes as planned, we will probably be hosting a regional in May of 2016, so I suspect it starts right after that.

 

[aTotal360]

Hell, we should host the SEC tournament.

 

[engie]

I don't see any way we break ground in less than a year. I think May 2016 is the earliest we could break ground on this project. Also, I suspect the final price tag for the stadium that was presented will be closer to $50M than to $40M.

It's been in the works for over a year already. We're alot further along that Stricklin gave away in his interviews and he has assurances on a big portion of that first $20mil to get the "ground broken" on the front end. If we break ground in June, it would have been about 20 months after the design teams were hired....

Ultimately, I've heard from several people that should know that we're trying hard to make a completion date prior to the 2017 season -- and the only way that is feasible is if they knock out half of it this offseason -- play 2016 in Dudy Noble -- then knock out the other half...

 

[jb1020]

Are the Seals not baseball fans?

They could hand over that first $20mil and would have the crews waiting for the last pitch of 2015.

 

[patdog]

Good point that we've probably already raised a fairly significant part of the $20M. And I don't think there's any doubt it will take 2 offseasons to get it completed. There's a lot to be done in 9 months though if we're going to start this next year.

 

[fishwater99]

It's been in the works for over a year already. We're alot further along that Stricklin gave away in his interviews and he has assurances on a big portion of that first $20mil to get the "ground broken" on the front end. If we break ground in June, it would have been about 20 months after the design teams were hired....

Ultimately, I've heard from several people that should know that we're trying hard to make a completion date prior to the 2017 season -- and the only way that is feasible is if they knock out half of it this offseason -- play 2016 in Dudy Noble -- then knock out the other half...

So we will play on the field with a limited capacity for 2 years?
That's a small sacrifice for the final product we will get.

 

[patdog]

I don't think they've said one way or the other. It looks to me like they're going to use the current grandstand and extend the lower seating on down a bit & also down the lines a bit, then knock out the upper part and put in a completely new upper deck. I'm no construction expert, but that's what it looks like to me.

 

[dawgstudent]

Only one year if that does happen. 2016 season would be only season with limited capacity.

 

[patdog]

I don't think capacity is going to be limited much even that one season.

 

[esplanade91]

They could hand over that first $20mil and would have the crews waiting for the last pitch of 2015.

The Seals were all on the football team. All of them.

I think the best bet is to hound the basketball crowd looking for a new sport to call home.

 

[engie]

The Seals were all on the football team. All of them.

I think the best bet is to hound the basketball crowd looking for a new sport to call home.

Baseball doesn't need the basketball or football crowds at MSU. It is it's own monster. Particularly when it comes to Dudy Noble. We can raise money in that sport like nobody else...

Not that it wouldn't be great to have both of those groups -- but the baseball fundraising arm is kinda separate from the other two...