All the discussion about a new stadium has me wondering whether it would actually hurt the program in the long run.
As we all know, recruiting is the lifeblood of a program. So the question has to be: What is better for recruiting: to have 25,000 actual fans in a new, but small stadium, or to have 15,000 in the dome?
I don't know the answer for sure, but this concerns me and I wonder what the new stadium advocates think.

Are these what we want?




This is probably the best from an aesthetic point of view, but, IMO, has too many end zone seats and still looks "minor league" to me:


How could we recruit against the likes of LSU, Georgia, South Carolina, etc. with a stadium like that?

I definiatly think a new stadium would be more then beneficial to our recruiting. Because it would be OUR stadium and we wouldn't have to worry about if our logo's were marked on the feild are not. Plus it would show an enormous amount of commitment by the athletic department. I could go on an on about how great TULANE STADIUM 2 would be but I'm getting tired so I'll just leave it at this: new stadium by 2007 is what we should shoot for.

Just an outside opinion ... but nothing is more "minor league" than another teams logo at mid-field on your home field ... even if its a pro team, thats just more lame. Everytime I watch a South Florida home game, thats what goes through my head

Much is being said concerning the location of the hypothecized new footbal stadium. After listening to many varied opinions I have come to the conclusion that I would prefer to consider the available space adjoining the Saints facility on Airline Hwy. It is becoming clearer every day that the Saints will be leaving New Orleans. Tulane could then arrange with the appropriate government agencies to acquire use of the Saints facilities. That would give Tulane a facilities upgrade second-to-none in major college athletics.

The concern would be locating too far from the campus. Such a location might hinder attendance. The fact is that locating in Jefferson would increase attendance. There are tens of thousands more Tulane fans in Jefferson than there is in New Orleans, including the Tulane campus. Yet the location would not be too distant to preclude students from attending.

Consider two other factors. First, the entire athletic complex could be utilized by Tulane. Including the softball fields. That would give Tulane the opportunity to begin a ladies softball program without a burdensome cash outlay. Second, availability of adjacent properties could be purchased by Tulane to build student dorms and satilite classrooms. Bus service from the dorms and classrooms to the campus could be made available, a la medical complex.

The sports facility would provide Tulane with everything it is lacking and desires to take the program to the highest levels. And the satelite classrooms and dorms would allow Tulane to become more closely identifiable with the community. It would also allow Tulane the ability to offer admissions to more local students, thereby increasing community attachment to the university.

Home of the Wave Wrote:Are these what we want?

Oregon State is building a much nicer bigger stadium much like a dome.

Observer Wrote:After listening to many varied opinions I have come to the conclusion that I would prefer to consider the available space adjoining the Saints facility on Airline Hwy.

While I'm not a big proponent of a new stadium, I think that you may be on to something here.
If not on or near campus, this may be the best option. Better than City Park because of the proximity to a larger base of fans, especially families. Look at what a boost it gave the Zephyrs to move there from UNO many years ago.
And even if the Saints don't leave, the location is still a good one. I live uptown, and I can tell you that it is not so inconvenient to get there via Earhart Expressway.
Who owns the land you're speaking of?

Jefferson Parish purchased that tract of land, LaSalle Tract, from it owner a number of years ago. There are plans for a civic theatre on a portion of the property between the baseball field and the softball diamonds. There are plans to retain some green space. The setting would be ideal. Esecially when the Saints leave.

Here is an excellent piece on the subject taken from the Tulane Forum:


Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2004 11:08 am Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

here is an article that appeared in the Miami Herald today, apparently the Florida Marlins are demanding that the State build them a new ballpark or they will leave (they currently play in a Stadium they share with the Dolphins). So far, the State has refused and so the Marlins are talking to......Las Vegas.

South Florida shouldn't pay for stadium

By DAVID J. NEAL

There's nothing wrong with some Marlins officials shooting out to Las Vegas to trade smiles with the local muckety-mucks there. It's business.

Las Vegas has been mushrooming for years. Soon, they will want that big-city showpiece, a major-league sports franchise. The Marlins are a franchise in search of a stadium. So, they did the business version of meeting for drinks after work........

If the Marlins want to go to Vegas, let them go. If they want to stay here, let them build their own stadium.

I don't want the Marlins to leave. I don't want any sport to leave. I have been here since 1989, and I'm not going anywhere.

As a lifelong sports geek, it's Sunday brunch buffet having them all here: the NFL, the NHL, the NBA, Major League Baseball, college and college-affiliated sports, horse tracks, big-time golf, tennis and auto racing events. All have fan bases, which aren't always reflected in a local media sometimes still stuck in South Florida's pigskin-ponies-and-putts era.

But, they're businesses. They sell an entertainment rock that cooks pure emotion to produce a good trip or a bad trip. Either way, the feeling is ephemeral and truly affects few day-to-day lives.....

Using public funds to perpetuate such a narrow scope business is the least productive type of corporate welfare.

INVEST WISELY

Subsidizing the arts might not be a wise idea, but it's a better one. Like it or not, sports fans, art outlives sports. The best of almost every art form is appreciated longer and influences more people than the best of our games (sadly, this is also true for mediocre art).

Our educational system drives away many professionals who are willing to start families and has scared off some businesses considering using South Florida as a base. Our various infrastructure problems could crush our quality of life if not solved soon.

And we're talking about putting up more than half the funding for a $420 million stadium that will eventually cost $500 million just to keep a baseball team here?

Back when Office Depot Center was still in the discussion stages, a Panthers executive shook his head at beat reporters for not beating the new arena drums harder. I told him I had seen too much of South Florida's underbelly to argue millions should be put toward an arena.

If anything, I said, spend some jack on education so some of these kids can go out and earn their own instead of eventually knocking me in the head to get mine.

That arena really has worked out for Broward County, eh?

And the first person to mention ''revitalization'' gets slapped for insulting the public's intelligence. Wasn't Miami Arena supposed to ''revitalize'' Overtown? A few buildings aside, that area still looks and feels like the worst parts of Detroit.

Get around the country and you will see the Miami Arena failure repeated enough other places to sneer at talk about ''revitalization.'' Speaking of Detroit, it has two relatively new stadiums downtown that have done nothing to remove the area's Stalingrad feel. ''Abandonment'' characterizes Buffalo's downtown more today than when HSBC Arena opened there in 1996.

This has been a big, thriving city with or without our games. Maybe Vegas, always thriving, now becoming big, feels it needs the validation of a major-league team.

Fine. Let Vegas kiss up the dollars. If it happens there, let the Marlins stay there.


just another POV on the subject.....as well as a Cautionary Tale that TU might be smart to consider if they think that putting a stadium in a blighted area will result in that area's "revitalization"

Not to mention that such a location would do nothing to bring in Tulane fans from the burbs. Those fans have disconnected from New Orleans decades ago.