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Re: Stadium update?

Stadium update?

We could get by with 15K seats in reality! I hope I'm shocked by the attendance tomorrow but I'm expecting empty seats across the field from me.

Either way, smitty's right, if there are shovels in the ground by Feb 09 we'll be alright…so no need to stress just yet.
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Re: Stadium update?

TeamBeer said

We could get by with 15K seats in reality! I hope I'm shocked by the attendance tomorrow but I'm expecting empty seats across the field from me.

Either way, smitty's right, if there are shovels in the ground by Feb 09 we'll be alright…so no need to stress just yet.

Are there no contingency plans to maybe just build the sections on the sidelines or something if the whole financing cant turn out the way they want it to.  Looking at the dimensions of the planned stadium if we just originally built the sections on the sidelines the thing would still hold 18-20k.  Honestly thats all thats needed for the near future.  Plus when seats start becoming hard to come by it usually begins creating more excitement and energy among fans and attracts more attention.  Then 5 years down the road they could just close in the endzone as originally planned. Personally I think it would still be a beautiful stadium without the full horseshoe design. There are many colleges that just use the traditional sideline stands design including BCS schools, in fact most programs our size use this design.  Hell we could even line the areas behind each endzone with royal palms hence the whole football in paradise theme.  Now that the Orange Bowl is done what other college football stadium in america are you gonna see that kind of a setting. I dunno, maybe its a dumb idea or maybe it just makes sense.
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Re: Stadium update?

RoscoeOwl said

TeamBeer said

We could get by with 15K seats in reality! I hope I'm shocked by the attendance tomorrow but I'm expecting empty seats across the field from me.

Either way, smitty's right, if there are shovels in the ground by Feb 09 we'll be alright…so no need to stress just yet.

Are there no contingency plans to maybe just build the sections on the sidelines or something if the whole financing cant turn out the way they want it to.  Looking at the dimensions of the planned stadium if we just originally built the sections on the sidelines the thing would still hold 18-20k.  Honestly thats all thats needed for the near future.  Plus when seats start becoming hard to come by it usually begins creating more excitement and energy among fans and attracts more attention.  Then 5 years down the road they could just close in the endzone as originally planned. Personally I think it would still be a beautiful stadium without the full horseshoe design. There are many colleges that just use the traditional sideline stands design including BCS schools, in fact most programs our size use this design.  Hell we could even line the areas behind each endzone with royal palms hence the whole football in paradise theme.  Now that the Orange Bowl is done what other college football stadium in america are you gonna see that kind of a setting. I dunno, maybe its a dumb idea or maybe it just makes sense.

I think some people will disagree, but I am with you.  I dont think the size of the initial stadium will negatively impact our program no matter how small it is (obviously +15,000 for DI attendance purposes).  They just need to have a stadium on campus, period.  I would actually prefer a smaller but nicer stadium.  I think the thing that matters most to our program after getting the stadium on campus is who we play in that stadium on campus…more I think about the more I know we need to get out of the Belt by 2010.  I think Conference USA would bring the teams here that people would rather go see us play, I just dont see FAU vs. UL Monroe ever exciting the average football fan (not that we are dominant over them, just that nobody knows who they are).  It would add the UCF game at that point as well and we need to get either USF or Miami on the schedule, I think at that point we would start to grow as long as we maintained at least a .500 record.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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Re: Stadium update?

I'm wondering if FAU won't build anything less than 20,000 seats for attendance purposes. If FAU builds 15,000 seats, and we need to average 15,000 fans a game…if we don't have a sell out EVERY GAME, then we won't average it.

Maybe the 20,000 number is so that FAU has some wiggle room with the numbers.

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Re: Stadium update?

The NCAA's minimum seating requirement is 30000:

Will Huskies Embrace Big Time Football? - New York Times

Now, obviously Lockhart does not seat 30000, so there must be some exception (I think it has to do with the 15k attendance, or maybe it was all thrown out).

However, let's keep lowering expectations… we're winning the race to the bottom!
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Re: Stadium update?

Lm77 said

The NCAA's minimum seating requirement is 30000:

Will Huskies Embrace Big Time Football? - New York Times

Now, obviously Lockhart does not seat 30000, so there must be some exception (I think it has to do with the 15k attendance, or maybe it was all thrown out).

However, let's keep lowering expectations… we're winning the race to the bottom!

The NCAA doesnt strictly enforce the 15k requirement, its a fact there are several schools that dont meet it every year. It used to be an issue buts its now gotten to the point where the NCAA just basically frowns upon it but doesnt actually do any type of enforcement.  You are right about the min 30,000 but their are also a few ways of getting around this requirement as well.  Just look at WKU and FIU niether of their newly constructed stadiums will hold no more than 25,000.  I dont look at it as lowering expectations.  Hell the way i see it somethings better than nothing.  Im not saying ditch the whole horseshoe design completely just break the construction up in 2 phases.  Put the sideline stands up give us something at least, then complete the rest a few years down the road or less.
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Re: Stadium update?

RoscoeOwl said

Lm77 said

The NCAA's minimum seating requirement is 30000:

Will Huskies Embrace Big Time Football? - New York Times

Now, obviously Lockhart does not seat 30000, so there must be some exception (I think it has to do with the 15k attendance, or maybe it was all thrown out).

However, let's keep lowering expectations… we're winning the race to the bottom!

The NCAA doesnt strictly enforce the 15k requirement, its a fact there are several schools that dont meet it every year. It used to be an issue buts its now gotten to the point where the NCAA just basically frowns upon it but doesnt actually do any type of enforcement.  You are right about the min 30,000 but their are also a few ways of getting around this requirement as well.  Just look at WKU and FIU niether of their newly constructed stadiums will hold no more than 25,000.  I dont look at it as lowering expectations.  Hell the way i see it somethings better than nothing.  Im not saying ditch the whole horseshoe design completely just break the construction up in 2 phases.  Put the sideline stands up give us something at least, then complete the rest a few years down the road or less.

Some schools last year averaged 7,000 per game with some games only getting around 2,500 in attendance. The average attendance should no longer be an issue for FAU. I think 20,000-25,000 seats with the option for expansion of 10,000 additional seats within 5-7 years or as need arises is more than sufficient for now.

GO OWLS!!!

2017 and 2019 Conference USA Champions
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Re: Stadium update?

owlfan1 said

Some schools last year averaged 7,000 per game with some games only getting around 2,500 in attendance. GO OWLS!!!

Really?  D1A?

Who??
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Re: Stadium update?

Florida_Owl said

owlfan1 said

Some schools last year averaged 7,000 per game with some games only getting around 2,500 in attendance. GO OWLS!!!

Really?  D1A?

Who??

If I recall correctly Kent State and San Jose State are two schools that averaged well below 10,000 with Kent State having a late season game with only about 2,500 in attendance.

GO OWLS!!!

2017 and 2019 Conference USA Champions
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Re: Stadium update?

Something is always better than nothing.  We have to have some amount of money raised by now, right?  Use that to build part of the stadium.  Lets start with the "home" side, and put some temporary bleachers up on the visitor's side.  I would love to have a full stadium next year, but in reality, it would be an empty stadium.  We can't consistently fill up Lockhart, nevermind a 30K seat stadium.  The "distance" argument doesn't work for me, Lockhart is not that far.  On campus would obviously be better, but it is not going to automatically bring in an additional 20K fans.  I say build what we can afford on campus right now, and add to it later.

FAU - We got Bowls!
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