UC to start designing Nippert expansion
Feb. 18, 2013 6:47 PM, |

Written by
Cliff Peale

The University of Cincinnati is about to spend its first $2 million on design for a new pavilion at Nippert Stadium, a project it’s actively pitching to other athletic conferences.

In January, UC sent a video description of the $70 million project to all of the Atlantic Coast Conference presidents, the latest sign that it’s still campaigning for a spot in that league.

“Located in the heart of our campus, Nippert shines as one of the nation’s oldest college football venues,” UC President Santa Ono wrote. “I invite you to watch the enclosed DVD to learn more about our exciting plans.”

Ono also continues to participate actively in planning for a new television contract for the Big East Conference, according to e-mails obtained by the Enquirer through the Ohio Open Records Act.

After announced defections from seven basketball-playing schools, plus Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Louisville, Notre Dame and Rutgers, the Big East is struggling to remain a viable part of the nation’s big-time sports stratosphere.

UC has been pitching itself as a potential ACC member since last fall. It earns only $6.7 million a year from its Big East television contract and could double or triple that take in the ACC.

UC’s governing trustees will vote Tuesday on the design money for Nippert Stadium.

The renovation is a key part of the plan, allowing UC athletics to generate millions of dollars that it could reinvest in scholarships and facilities.

The project details include:

• Cost: $70 million to $75 million

• Scope: Adding about 1,200 box seats, 44 loge boxes and 28 private suites

• Timing: Completion targeted for August 2015

• Funding: UC would borrow the money and pay the bonds using private gifts and ticket revenue from the athletic department. It has said no general tuition funds will be used.

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What I gathered was the second to last line that we now have a target for completion....

Did you, per chance, read the rest of the forum before posting?

http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=608095&page=6

(02-18-2013 11:18 PM)ctipton Wrote:  Did you, per chance, read the rest of the forum before posting?

http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=608095&page=6

Yep. Hello, hello, anybody home? Think EcFlay, think!




It's stupid and maybe it's just me, but everytime I see "EcFlay", I can't help but think "McFly" so that seemed weirdly appropriate.

Just tryin' to add a little levity.

Yeah , not sure the reason why the Enquirer is rehashing old news on the Nippert expansion on Feb 19 and putting on their home headline page. Maybe because it officially goes to a board vote today . >>UC’s governing trustees will vote Tuesday on the design money for Nippert Stadium.<< and putting the ACC spin on it .

BTW these losers who comment on Enquirer news stories are clueless.

>>>>
Dan Glassmeyer · Top Commenter
If they don't increase the seating capacity by several thousand more seats up to 50,000 or more seats, UC is wasting their money. What they should have done years ago was build a brand new stadium that held at least 50,000 seats!
Reply · 2 ·
· 4 hours ago

Tim O'toole · Top Commenter
With 50,000 they could attract LSU, ALABAMA,and even that team from Columbus. (OSU Bobcats)

You are correct, this should have been done when they were admitted to the BE.
Reply ·
· about an hour ago

Michael E. Keating · Top Commenter · Cincinnati, Ohio
while attendance is important, i would think that a look at the collective academic rankings of ACC schools and how those seeking ACC membership shape up. The ACC is the only FBS conference to place seven member institutions among the top 44; the next highest conference placed four. The ACC is also the only FBS conference with over half of its members in the top 50 and is one of only two conferences with all its members in the top 106.

Duke boasts the league’s highest ranking at 8th and is joined in the Top 30 by Virginia (24), Wake Forest (27) and North Carolina (30). Also in the Top 50 are Boston College (31), Georgia Tech (36) and Miami (44). Beyond the top 50 is Maryland (58), followed by Clemson (68), Virginia Tech (72), Florida State (97) and NC State (106).

Future member institution Notre Dame is ranked 17th, while Pittsburgh and Syracuse both placed 58. Including these three schools, the ACC has 11 schools among the Top 58. The next highest FBS conference has six.

True some of those schools, currently in the ACC, are soon leaving, but let's compare UC's ranking....2012 143rd

There is hope...Louisville was ranked 160 and they are in....they also have a big stadium with luxury boxes....
Reply ·
· 31 minutes ago

Ryan Buschmeyer
the reality is that conference affiliation has more to do with athletics than with academics. I think the exception to that rule is Missouri entering the SEC. Prior to their entry (with Texas A&M), the SEC only had two AAU member schools (Vandy and Florida)...with the addition of A&M and Missou, they have doubled that number. While A&M does have the athletic pedigree to enter the SEC, Missouri clearly does not. That was a shot over the bow at the Big10...
Reply ·
· 25 minutes ago

Sean Hayes · Top Commenter · Maineville, Ohio
Parking is the biggest issue with Nippert. Until this is solved, families with kids will be deterred. Clifton is not the safest city in the world.
Reply ·
· 56 minutes ago

Gilbert Narley · Antioch College
This really should have been done when we entered the Big East. If we had used our extra BE money to do this we would not have to play catch up now and beg other conferences to accept us.
Reply ·
· 12 hours ago

Ted Folz · Top Commenter · Cincinnati, Ohio
LOL, going to look even worse with 15k attendance.
<<<<<

how does one gain "Top Commenter" status I wonder

Ted Folz · Top Commenter · Cincinnati, Ohio
LOL, going to look even worse with 15k attendance.



@Ted Folz

Hey numnuts when is the last time we had 15K at a game at nippert? If you are meaning, our future conference blows and thus we will only draw 15k, why don't you wait and see what happens with realignment first idiot...

(02-19-2013 09:10 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  Ted Folz · Top Commenter · Cincinnati, Ohio
LOL, going to look even worse with 15k attendance.



@Ted Folz

Hey numnuts when is the last time we had 15K at a game at nippert? If you are meaning, our future conference blows and thus we will only draw 15k, why don't you wait and see what happens with realignment first idiot...

Sean Hayes · Top Commenter · Maineville, Ohio
Parking is the biggest issue with Nippert. Until this is solved, families with kids will be deterred. Clifton is not the safest city in the world.

@Sean Hayes

Hey numnuts, trying parking your minivan full of your wife and 5-10 year olds in one of the many garages surrounding campus . Good luck walking to the stadium tho , you might get shot at since you are in the "city" of Clifton.

Hey this is kinda fun.

(02-19-2013 08:50 AM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  [/i]

>>>>
Tim O'toole · Top Commenter
With 50,000 they could attract LSU, ALABAMA,and even that team from Columbus. (OSU Bobcats)

That's when I stopped reading.

(02-19-2013 09:27 AM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:  

(02-19-2013 08:50 AM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  [/i]

>>>>
Tim O'toole · Top Commenter
With 50,000 they could attract LSU, ALABAMA,and even that team from Columbus. (OSU Bobcats)

That's when I stopped reading.

I guess they would love to leave their 100K seat stadiums to play an away game at a 50K seat stadium

Brett McMurphy @McMurphyESPN
UC president sent video description of projected $70M stadium improvement, holiday cards to ACC Presidents, Cincinnati Enquirer reports


McMurphy picks up Enquirer story and we go national.

(02-19-2013 09:17 AM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  

(02-19-2013 09:10 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  Ted Folz · Top Commenter · Cincinnati, Ohio
LOL, going to look even worse with 15k attendance.



@Ted Folz

Hey numnuts when is the last time we had 15K at a game at nippert? If you are meaning, our future conference blows and thus we will only draw 15k, why don't you wait and see what happens with realignment first idiot...

Sean Hayes · Top Commenter · Maineville, Ohio
Parking is the biggest issue with Nippert. Until this is solved, families with kids will be deterred. Clifton is not the safest city in the world.

@Sean Hayes

Hey numnuts, trying parking your minivan full of your wife and 5-10 year olds in one of the many garages surrounding campus . Good luck walking to the stadium tho , you might get shot at since you are in the "city" of Clifton.

Hey this is kinda fun.

Exactly. God forbid the precious snowflakes have to walk the mean streets of CCM.
Excuses, excuses.
Bring your budles of joy to Philly for a day. Clifton is the garden of eden.

(02-19-2013 09:32 AM)righthook Wrote:  I guess they would love to leave their 100K seat stadiums to play an away game at a 50K seat stadium

They'll leave, but it's going to be for marquee matchups or those that generate huge revenue (see: Alabama vs. Michigan).

(02-19-2013 11:20 AM)Beelzebubba Wrote:  

(02-19-2013 09:17 AM)Bearcat2012 Wrote:  

(02-19-2013 09:10 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  Ted Folz · Top Commenter · Cincinnati, Ohio
LOL, going to look even worse with 15k attendance.



@Ted Folz

Hey numnuts when is the last time we had 15K at a game at nippert? If you are meaning, our future conference blows and thus we will only draw 15k, why don't you wait and see what happens with realignment first idiot...

Sean Hayes · Top Commenter · Maineville, Ohio
Parking is the biggest issue with Nippert. Until this is solved, families with kids will be deterred. Clifton is not the safest city in the world.

@Sean Hayes

Hey numnuts, trying parking your minivan full of your wife and 5-10 year olds in one of the many garages surrounding campus . Good luck walking to the stadium tho , you might get shot at since you are in the "city" of Clifton.

Hey this is kinda fun.

Exactly. God forbid the precious snowflakes have to walk the mean streets of CCM.
Excuses, excuses.
Bring your budles of joy to Philly for a day. Clifton is the garden of eden.

@Sean Hayes - I've seen many many families at Nippert. So, I guess those individuals found parking and this alleged crime in the "city of Clifton" a non-issue.

I haven't had a problem parking for a game in .... well...... never .....

Parking at UC for a game at Nippert or 5/3 is a million times easier than going downtown to a Reds or Bengals game. Actually is easier than most college stadiums too.

Sadly, these comments are typical for a large portion of the "Tri-State"; most of whom have not even been to campus since the late 80s-early 90s. When I look at UC's conference predicament I blame nobody but the people who live in the community. The university and the athletic department has done its part.

This reminds me of a recent conversation I had with a co-worker who's son is a UC student. He bought tickets for himself and his grandfather to go to a recent MBB game as a Christmas present. Apparently grandpa was was so anxious and worked up about venturing to Clifton for the game and finding a place to park, not get beaten or mugged, etc...that he was making "dry runs" from Amelia to UC to check things out and develop some sort of strategy. Finally the grandson gave up and just drove out and picked him up then drove him back home after the game. Poor guy. Where do people get these crazy ideas from? It's just an urban college campus, not the bomb cratered streets of Aleppo.

(02-19-2013 12:01 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Sadly, these comments are typical for a large portion of the "Tri-State"; most of whom have not even been to campus since the late 80s-early 90s. When I look at UC's conference predicament I blame nobody but the people who live in the community. The university and the athletic department has done its part.

"When in doubt, blame the customers." is the mantra of failed enterprises everywhere.

Santa J. Ono ‏@PrezOno

The University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees approves design phase of the new Nippert Stadium. Now is the time. This is the place

(02-19-2013 01:15 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  This reminds me of a recent conversation I had with a co-worker who's son is a UC student. He bought tickets for himself and his grandfather to go to a recent MBB game as a Christmas present. Apparently grandpa was was so anxious and worked up about venturing to Clifton for the game and finding a place to park, not get beaten or mugged, etc...that he was making "dry runs" from Amelia to UC to check things out and develop some sort of strategy. Finally the grandson gave up and just drove out and picked him up then drove him back home after the game. Poor guy. Where do people get these crazy ideas from? It's just an urban college campus, not the bomb cratered streets of Aleppo.

A lot has changed in the past decade. The outskirts of campus weren't exactly somewhere most people would want to be after dark back then.

(02-19-2013 01:16 PM)Bearhawkeye Wrote:  

(02-19-2013 12:01 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Sadly, these comments are typical for a large portion of the "Tri-State"; most of whom have not even been to campus since the late 80s-early 90s. When I look at UC's conference predicament I blame nobody but the people who live in the community. The university and the athletic department has done its part.

"When in doubt, blame the customers." is the mantra of failed enterprises everywhere.

I do not see one's observations regarding the ignorance of Cincinnatians as "blaming the customers." By the way - in our society "ignorance is not a defense" is the mantra relied upon by those who are well informed and not mental midgets.

(02-19-2013 01:36 PM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:  

(02-19-2013 01:15 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  This reminds me of a recent conversation I had with a co-worker who's son is a UC student. He bought tickets for himself and his grandfather to go to a recent MBB game as a Christmas present. Apparently grandpa was was so anxious and worked up about venturing to Clifton for the game and finding a place to park, not get beaten or mugged, etc...that he was making "dry runs" from Amelia to UC to check things out and develop some sort of strategy. Finally the grandson gave up and just drove out and picked him up then drove him back home after the game. Poor guy. Where do people get these crazy ideas from? It's just an urban college campus, not the bomb cratered streets of Aleppo.

A lot has changed in the past decade. The outskirts of campus weren't exactly somewhere most people would want to be after dark back then.

Yes it has. You should stop by sometime.