Just wondering if (assuming they can afford it) most universities would prefer to have their own on-campus (or nearby) football stadium, as opposed to renting someone else's.

Here's an article on how the University of Minnesota is leaving the Metrodome and buiding a 50,000 seater of their own.

<a href='http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5309609.html' target='_blank'>http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5309609.html</a>

Hey I Love my USF Bulls in Raymond James Stadium. We don't need an "on-campus" stadium for a few years. Ray-Jay is a State of the Art Stadium. It is one of the finest in the NFL. Any "on-campus" stadium would be a step down.

I like ray-jay, but it is too big for what we need. The empty seats don't look to good on TV, but then again with the cost of building a new stadium and our program is on the rise, pretty soon we will get 40,000 in ray-jay without a problem.

No.

Schools that play in NFL Stadiums

Minnesota - HHH Metrodome
Pittsburgh - Heinze Field
San Diego State - Qualcomm Stadium
South Florida- Raymond James Stadium
Tulane - Louisiana Superdome

Quote:the planned red-brick, open-air stadium near Williams Arena on the Minneapolis East Bank campus.

going to be some cold games up there near the end of the year

Quote:Schools that play in NFL Stadiums

Minnesota - HHH Metrodome
Pittsburgh - Heinze Field
San Diego State - Qualcomm Stadium
South Florida- Raymond James Stadium
Tulane - Louisiana Superdome

-- Don't forget that Temple plays in the Linc


Jackson

Jackson1011 Wrote:

Quote:Schools that play in NFL Stadiums

Minnesota - HHH Metrodome
Pittsburgh - Heinze Field
San Diego State - Qualcomm Stadium
South Florida- Raymond James Stadium
Tulane - Louisiana Superdome

-- Don't forget that Temple plays in the Linc


Jackson

Now they are the poster child for what is wrong with sharing a stadium with a pro team.

Bottomline: College teams should have a stadium oncampus. It helps with unifying the students into a cohesive student body. Alumni love going back to the ole campus. USF and Pitt are missing this important element. It will hurt them.

TexanMark Wrote:

Jackson1011 Wrote:

Quote:Schools that play in NFL Stadiums

Minnesota - HHH Metrodome
Pittsburgh - Heinze Field
San Diego State - Qualcomm Stadium
South Florida- Raymond James Stadium
Tulane - Louisiana Superdome

-- Don't forget that Temple plays in the Linc


Jackson

Now they are the poster child for what is wrong with sharing a stadium with a pro team.

Bottomline: College teams should have a stadium oncampus. It helps with unifying the students into a cohesive student body. Alumni love going back to the ole campus. USF and Pitt are missing this important element. It will hurt them.

I can see that with Pitt, but has USF been around long enough to have alumni yet?



Just kidding.

But I am a firm firm firm believer that college football should be played on college campuses.

Maybe it works for Pitt, and occasionally UC uses Paul Brown Stadium, but by and large it's not good.

As you say, there's something about being on campus. Pointing out the spot to your son that you and your buddies would sit and ogle the girls from at lunch each day.

...and then there was the Rhine Room.

My favorite class. Brewing 101.

I'm still suprised that the Panthers moved out of old Pitt Staduim and into Three Rives and later Heinz Field....I agree that something is certinaly lost when schools play there games off campus...and old Pitt Staduim probably had more tradition then anyother field in the east except Beaver Staduim in Happy Valley..




Jackson

Is it all about "stadium location"?

Then where do you classify UConns Rentslar Field. I think that the stadium is 40 miles from campus. They sell it out. Not "on campus". The Univ of Miami (Fla) plays at the Orange Bowl, approx 15-20 miles from campus. The OB is no longer shared with a pro team but it is still not on campus. When UMiami wins the stadium is full. South Carolina is not an "on campus" stadium and they pack it.

I think that each and every school / stadium is an individual situation. I don't think that you can make a "blanket" statement.

Raymond James Stadium is approx 15 miles from USFs campus. You would be really hard pressed to build an on campus stadium that could match the plush professional stadium.

JMHO....

My only problem with USF playing in Raymond James is attendance....if the Bulls are averaging 50,000 per its fine....but when the attendance #s are in the high 20ks...it doesn't look good....I would much rather be UC and averaging 29k in a 40k seat staduim then USF averaging 29k in a 80k seat staduim

-- How does parking/concessions work for the Bulls....do USF keep the cash for themselves or do the Bucs get a %?


Jackson

Ty-Bull Wrote:Is it all about "stadium location"?

Then where do you classify UConns Rentslar Field. I think that the stadium is 40 miles from campus. They sell it out. Not "on campus". The Univ of Miami (Fla) plays at the Orange Bowl, approx 15-20 miles from campus. The OB is no longer shared with a pro team but it is still not on campus. When UMiami wins the stadium is full. South Carolina is not an "on campus" stadium and they pack it.

I think that each and every school / stadium is an individual situation. I don't think that you can make a "blanket" statement.

Raymond James Stadium is approx 15 miles from USFs campus. You would be really hard pressed to build an on campus stadium that could match the plush professional stadium.

JMHO....

UConn is a similiar situation and they would benefit by being oncampus, IMHO. They don't share it with a pro team though. Of course, every situation is different but USF really needs an oncampus stadium. You need to have one to help unify your student body. Miami game day sux--you drive to an old pro stadium and tailgate near a ghetto.

I think RayJay is a great venue but nonetheless it is a pro stadium. You can't build tradition in a place you borrow.

A UConn stadium on campus was never going to happen. As long as the state was paying for it, they weren't going to put it out in the middle of nowhere in Storrs, CT. They wanted to have some kind of additional benefit for the economy of the downtown Hartford area. It also helped that the aircraft company, Pratt & Whitney donated a parcel of land to build the stadium on.

Murph1 Wrote:A UConn stadium on campus was never going to happen. As long as the state was paying for it, they weren't going to put it out in the middle of nowhere in Storrs, CT. They wanted to have some kind of additional benefit for the economy of the downtown Hartford area. It also helped that the aircraft company, Pratt & Whitney donated a parcel of land to build the stadium on.

Agreed I fully understand the politics and if any other school was in UConn's shoes they would've done the same. Nonetheless, UConn will suffer some by not having the stadium oncampus. I expect weaker student support.

Murph1 Wrote:Just wondering if (assuming they can afford it) most universities would prefer to have their own on-campus (or nearby) football stadium, as opposed to renting someone else's.

Here's an article on how the University of Minnesota is leaving the Metrodome and buiding a 50,000 seater of their own.

<a href='http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5309609.html' target='_blank'>http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5309609.html</a>

The University of Minnesota has had a number of problems with the Metro Dome.

They have had to move a number of games (one with Michigan) from Saturday to Friday PM so that the Twins could play in the playoffs for television..

Three teams in one stadium is tough.

Jackson1011 Wrote:I'm still suprised that the Panthers moved out of old Pitt Staduim and into Three Rives and later Heinz Field....I agree that something is certinaly lost when schools play there games off campus...and old Pitt Staduim probably had more tradition then anyother field in the east except Beaver Staduim in Happy Valley..

Now I agree it had tradition.... but second only to Beaver Stadium in tradition in the east???

Keep in mind all these I'm about to list opened decades before Beaver Stadium.. in some extreme cases, getting close to a century:
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field
Neyland Stadium
Doak Campbell Stadium
Memorial Stadium [Clemson, SC]
Harvard Stadium
Yale Bowl

georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:

Jackson1011 Wrote:I'm still suprised that the Panthers moved out of old Pitt Staduim and into Three Rives and later Heinz Field....I agree that something is certinaly lost when schools play there games off campus...and old Pitt Staduim probably had more tradition then anyother field in the east except Beaver Staduim in Happy Valley..

Now I agree it had tradition.... but second only to Beaver Stadium in tradition in the east???

Keep in mind all these I'm about to list opened decades before Beaver Stadium.. in some extreme cases, getting close to a century:
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field
Neyland Stadium
Doak Campbell Stadium
Memorial Stadium [Clemson, SC]
Harvard Stadium
Yale Bowl

Come on man do some research--Doak Campbell opened as a 15,000 stadium in 1950. Hardly historic

Clemson's opened in 1942

Ben Hill opened in 1929 getting better but still after Beaver Stadium<a href='http://www.psu.edu/psusportsinfo/football/stadium.html' target='_blank'>Beaver Stadium</a>

Quote:Now I agree it had tradition.... but second only to Beaver Stadium in tradition in the east???

--Good Lord....calm down that ACC ego of yours GT swagger....when I said east I meant north of the mason dixion line and east of the Ohio River...

-- And yes....I still think Pitt staduim/Beaver Staduim were the Mt. Everests of staduim's in the east...and after looking up the stats...Pitt stadium....1925-1999....home of seven national championship teams and countless all Amercians probably should get the nod as the most historic....I think it was a mistake for the Panthers to tear it down

Jackson

I'd say Neyland Stadium (1921; UT's Neyland Record: 403-95-17) has more tradition than Pitt and Beaver but isn't really in the East and thus has little validity and reason to be in this thread, just thought I'd share a southerner's perspective. The only reason I'd say Neyland has more tradition is b/c of UT's record, the history of the facility, gameday atmosphere and traditions, the fact that it's the face of UT football, a landmark of southern football and Sporting New's #1 stadium, albeit this is a biased statement.

Some light on other points. Beaver Stadium was built in 1960 (http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/Big10...ndex.htm), thus I wouldn't really call it historic. It has great history, but it's not historic along the likes of the Yale Bowl or Harvard Stadium. It's a very nice stadium (not a fan of the unusual design) and has a great view of the Nittany Mountains.

I would say that Clemson Memorial Stadium has more history than both even though it's younger than Pitt Stadium. The history and reason of its location alone is worthy for one of the most historic fields in eastern/ACC football lore (http://clemsontigers.collegesports.com/s...all.html). Add to that the running of the hill and Howard's Rock and you have one action packed, history-filled college gameday atmosphere and stadium.

I whole-heartedly agree though that Pitt should have just pumped some money into Pitt Stadium and played there, it was a great and historic ballpark. Sad, but money is name of the game and Pitt probably had a better financial future at Heinz Field.

Miami is a great program, but has always had a hard time filling the Orange Bowl for games (except a Florida, Florida State or occasional VT). They've usually pulled 55-60,000 a year, not bad for a private school (http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/Internet/atte...ANCE.pdf). They pulled in 59,134 this year and that's about what they pull every year...They pulled in 47,162 when they won the national title (http://www.ncaa.org/stats/football/1/200...ANCE.pdf).

Not posting to ruffle feathers, just adding a different perspective and stating some facts. I've been to/visited several Big East ballparks; Louisville, Cincy, Syracuse and West Virginia. I thought all had their own special features and liked all four. I liked the layout of PJCS and Mountaineer Field and thought the Carrier Dome was a unique atmosphere and Nippert Stadium was a great piece of Bearcat football history. Good Luck to all in the Big East, y'all will have one of the more competitive leagues in the country and Louisville's going to be a great addition (Cincy and USF are too!). Cheers, Go Vols.

You can argue about when Beaver Stadium was really built...From the History of Penn State at their official http://www.psu.edu website:

The first game at 500-seat Beaver Field was played on Nov. 6, 1893 against Western University of Pittsburgh (later to become the University of Pittsburgh). The game, won 32-0 by Penn State, was delayed two days because of bad weather and played on a Monday afternoon.

New Beaver Field, located adjacent to Rec Hall, was opened in 1909 with the Nittany Lions defeating Grove City, 31-0. The area also contained facilities for baseball, lacrosse, soccer and track. New Beaver Field was the Nittany Lions' home through the 1959 season, after which the 30,000-seat stadium was dismantled and moved in 700 pieces one mile to the east end of campus. The old stadium was reassembled with 16,000 additional seats to form Beaver Stadium.

The stadium is named in honor of James A. Beaver. A lawyer in nearby Bellefonte at the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted as a second lieutenant in the Union Army and rose to the rank of brigadier general prior to his discharge in 1864. Beaver, who died in 1914, served as a superior court judge, governor of Pennsylvania and president of the University's Board of Trustees. He is credited with being among the most influential leaders in the development of the University at the turn of the century.