Expanding the playing surface to accomodate a regulation soccer field.

$2M project paid for by FC Cincinnati, the USL soccer tenant. If FC Cincy leaves before their lease is up, they have to pay to restore the seating bowl to its original condition.

Article

So why would the stadium change that drastically after they just paid for that remodel?

The remodel was all about creating premium seating in the upper levels. It did not touch the lower bowl.

Additionally, I assume Cincy is looking for new revenue streams now that the Big 12 decided not to expand, and views the soccer conversion of Nippert to be a potential revenue stream in excess of the 1200 football seats they lost.

Finally, this may have a player safety element as well. Those corners were tight.

Cinci's USL Soccer Team easily lead the league in attendance with almost 17,300 fans per game...all while the league averaged just 3,400 fans per game.

UC is making some nice $$$ with all of those soccer fans (almost 260,000 total for 15 games)coming to their campus stadium during the mostly quiet/dead summer months.

Cincy is reducing seating for soccer. weak
Cincy having semi pro soccer play on campus. super weak.

Couldn't some super smart bearcat administrator thought of this before the remodel?

And sadly, one day, soccer will be the national pastime.

(01-14-2017 10:55 PM)UHRedcat96 Wrote:  And sadly, one day, soccer will be the national pastime.

#douchebagnation

(01-14-2017 10:55 PM)UHRedcat96 Wrote:  And sadly, one day, soccer will be the national pastime.

Rugby

(01-14-2017 10:49 PM)No Bull Wrote:  Cincy having semi pro soccer play on campus. super weak.

Any chance Cincy is getting a MLS team? Or maybe the Columbus Crew moves to Cincy or plays some games at Cincy?

If so, this project makes more sense.

The original plan for Temple's stadium was for the Union to play there. That was nixed when some politician got a sweetheart deal to build a stadium in Chester, which is way out of the way for everyone.

(01-14-2017 11:12 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  

(01-14-2017 10:49 PM)No Bull Wrote:  Cincy having semi pro soccer play on campus. super weak.

Any chance Cincy is getting a MLS team? Or maybe the Columbus Crew moves to Cincy or plays some games at Cincy?

If so, this project makes more sense.

Very good chance of MLS coming to Cincinnati, but it'll be an expansion, not a relocation. We're reportedly right on the cutline for the latest expansion and Carl Lindner (the owner) will foot the expansion bill personally with no civic funds for a stadium. Great move after how much Hamilton County is still stinging from the Paul Brown Stadium deal. That's the reason for this...There will be a big revenue bump after the initial three years of the 15 year lease and quite a few amenities have already been listed for improvement by FC Cincinnati which they will cover as a line item in the lease (new video/score board, improved locker rooms, new field surface, etc.). As a poster above mentioned, the renovation that UC did will not be impacted at all by this, as that was all premium seating improvements and this is removing "obstructed view" seating that we normally just gave as the visitor allotment and in turn area youth teams/companies when none of the visiting fans showed up.

Nice try CougarRed, I know how infatuated you are with our stadium capacity for some reason.

Problem with even more MLS expansion (more teams already being added), is the diluted international talent.

Even the league has major problems in "overstating" its popularity (actually proven by its almost non-existent TV ratings) is how approx 30% of MLS announced attendance were free tix distributed.

MLS math doesn't always add up
http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-...story.html

that's a pretty decent revenue stream to bring in. great idea IMO

Why does anyone except Bearcat fans care about the 1200 seats?

(01-15-2017 09:12 AM)oldtiger Wrote:  Why does anyone except Bearcat fans care about the 1200 seats?

Because our conference loses a school with 40k attendance (image is everything) and it puts Cincy under the 40k threshhold, which makes Bearcats fans worried it will make them look less attractive for P5 conference expansion.

(01-14-2017 11:34 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-14-2017 11:12 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  

(01-14-2017 10:49 PM)No Bull Wrote:  Cincy having semi pro soccer play on campus. super weak.

Any chance Cincy is getting a MLS team? Or maybe the Columbus Crew moves to Cincy or plays some games at Cincy?

If so, this project makes more sense.

Very good chance of MLS coming to Cincinnati, but it'll be an expansion, not a relocation. We're reportedly right on the cutline for the latest expansion and Carl Lindner (the owner) will foot the expansion bill personally with no civic funds for a stadium. Great move after how much Hamilton County is still stinging from the Paul Brown Stadium deal. That's the reason for this...There will be a big revenue bump after the initial three years of the 15 year lease and quite a few amenities have already been listed for improvement by FC Cincinnati which they will cover as a line item in the lease (new video/score board, improved locker rooms, new field surface, etc.). As a poster above mentioned, the renovation that UC did will not be impacted at all by this, as that was all premium seating improvements and this is removing "obstructed view" seating that we normally just gave as the visitor allotment and in turn area youth teams/companies when none of the visiting fans showed up.

Nice try CougarRed, I know how infatuated you are with our stadium capacity for some reason.

Most of the obstructed seat still remain in Nippert Those corner seats that were removed were not obstructed. The obstructed seats are the first three rows between the thirties on bout sides of the stadium were the players stand. The seats removed were removed strictly for the Linders and for there team. The Linders probably told UC if they didnt cooperate . Will you can guess the rest.

(01-15-2017 09:28 AM)kyucat Wrote:  

(01-14-2017 11:34 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-14-2017 11:12 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  

(01-14-2017 10:49 PM)No Bull Wrote:  Cincy having semi pro soccer play on campus. super weak.

Any chance Cincy is getting a MLS team? Or maybe the Columbus Crew moves to Cincy or plays some games at Cincy?

If so, this project makes more sense.

Very good chance of MLS coming to Cincinnati, but it'll be an expansion, not a relocation. We're reportedly right on the cutline for the latest expansion and Carl Lindner (the owner) will foot the expansion bill personally with no civic funds for a stadium. Great move after how much Hamilton County is still stinging from the Paul Brown Stadium deal. That's the reason for this...There will be a big revenue bump after the initial three years of the 15 year lease and quite a few amenities have already been listed for improvement by FC Cincinnati which they will cover as a line item in the lease (new video/score board, improved locker rooms, new field surface, etc.). As a poster above mentioned, the renovation that UC did will not be impacted at all by this, as that was all premium seating improvements and this is removing "obstructed view" seating that we normally just gave as the visitor allotment and in turn area youth teams/companies when none of the visiting fans showed up.

Nice try CougarRed, I know how infatuated you are with our stadium capacity for some reason.

Most of the obstructed seat still remain in Nippert Those corner seats that were removed were not obstructed. The obstructed seats are the first three rows between the thirties on bout sides of the stadium were the players stand. The seats removed were removed strictly for the Linders and for there team. The Linders probably told UC if they didnt cooperate . Will you can guess the rest.

The Lindners are a great partner with the university. They have been very philanthropic with their money. They just gave an astronomical amount of money to the business college. This looks like a win/win to me.

(01-15-2017 09:12 AM)oldtiger Wrote:  Why does anyone except Bearcat fans care about the 1200 seats?

Everybody cared and applauded when Cincy spent $87M to add 1100 club seats and 53 suites.

A year later, they lose 1200 seats and it's "off topic" on a conference board?

Come on OT. Don't be obtuse.

To me, it makes a lot of sense if they can turn the soccer field into more money than they lost by removing the seats. It's a gamble that the MLS is coming to Cincy, and I hope it works out for them. As a G5 conference, we all are searching for revenue anywhere we can find it.

(01-15-2017 10:57 AM)CougarRed Wrote:  

(01-15-2017 09:12 AM)oldtiger Wrote:  Why does anyone except Bearcat fans care about the 1200 seats?

Everybody cared and applauded when Cincy spent $87M to add 1100 club seats and 53 suites.

A year later, they lose 1200 seats and it's "off topic" on a conference board?

Come on OT. Don't be obtuse.

To me, it makes a lot of sense if they can turn the soccer field into more money than they lost by removing the seats. It's a gamble that the MLS is coming to Cincy, and I hope it works out for them. As a G5 conference, we all are searching for revenue anywhere we can find it.

Whether or not MLS comes, they're still averaging 17k for soccer in the summer and the university is making money on it. If/ when soccer leaves, FCC has to restore the bowl to the original configuration. If you go to the bearcat board, you'd see that bearcat fans do care and have been very much against it.

(01-15-2017 09:12 AM)oldtiger Wrote:  Why does anyone except Bearcat fans care about the 1200 seats?