CFB Arms Race

[ScarletDave]

It seems like now more than ever schools are renovation/expanding football stadiums in crazy ways and huge scales. For those of you who haven't been following behind the scenes, as it seems every month a new school announces expansion projects, here are a few of the new stadiums we'll be seeing either this season or the next.

Texas A&M (Broke ground last summer)
Before

After

Oklahoma (After this season)
Before

After

UCF (2015)

Cincinnati (Broke ground last fall)

Colorado State (After this season, new on-campus)

Boise State (2015)

UNLV (2017)

Arkansas
Before

After

Miss State (Broke ground)

Aurburn (2017, including largest videoboard in CFB)
Before

After

LSU (Completed this season)
Before

After

Ole Miss (2017, comes with a new arena)
Before

After

Louisville (2017, phase 2 - endzone

Kentucky (Broke ground, reducing capacity)

And, of course, we all know about Baylor, Washington, and OSU (completed).

And others North Texas (2011) Georgia Southern (2015), and James Madison (2016).

 

[Leonard23]

We need a new gigantic videoboard on the north side.

 

[anon_ivydyf0amkzay]

OUs project has been significantly curtailed due to $$...notice how it looks like an "OU"??

I fully expect Texas to someday go to 120k...if they close their open end zone that's what it would be...since A&M is bigger, that's not gonna sit well with them...poor steers! The auburn project looks impressive...

 

[rubaseball78]

Not football. Watching women's super regionals softball today. During Missouri / ucla game, they mentioned Missouri is building new 16 million dollar softball stadium And only 8 years after building their last stadium.

 

[RU205]

These schools get money from alumni and private donors. RU alumni don't donate at this level.

 

[anon_ivydyf0amkzay]

Not football. Watching women's super regionals softball today. During Missouri / ucla game, they mentioned Missouri is building new 16 million dollar softball stadium And only 8 years after building their last stadium.

Softball in the SEC is serious business...A&M is planning luxury boxes for its new softball stadium...SOFTBALL!!

 

[huskersalways]

Softball in the SEC is serious business...A&M is planning luxury boxes for its new softball stadium...SOFTBALL!!

Nebraska has had suites at baseball and softball for a long time. Football, Basketball, Wrestling, Volleyball, Baseball, and Softball all have suites. Volleyball and Wrestling share the same arena some times but they don't play where hoops does. I'm not sure if the new soccer field or tennis courts have suites or not. Track does not.

 

[JQRU91]

Not football. Watching women's super regionals softball today. During Missouri / ucla game, they mentioned Missouri is building new 16 million dollar softball stadium And only 8 years after building their last stadium.

Guess it's nice to have that SEC money start pouring in.

 

[anon_ivydyf0amkzay]

Nebraska has had suites at baseball and softball for a long time. Football, Basketball, Wrestling, Volleyball, Baseball, and Softball all have suites. Volleyball and Wrestling share the same arena some times but they don't play where hoops does. I'm not sure if the new soccer field or tennis courts have suites or not. Track does not.

Basketball, wrestling and volleyball is all the same venue...but I understand you must do your usual NU brag job...congratulations on ruling the sports world in the state of Nebraska...stiff competition no doubt!

 

[RUsilencer]

Facilities and bigger stadiums are only half the battle. The other battle that nobody sees is the battle of money and jobs. You are being totally naive if you don't believe money (in the form of athletic apparel or straight cash) isn't being exchanged. What's now even worse is the networking opportunities to get connected people jobs. We didn't lose Haskins purely on the fact that Maryland was a better choice for him....

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

We can't do any of that stuff anytime soon without changing the donor culture here and with getting the full Big Ten payout.

We can do smaller projects until then.

 

[huskersalways]

Basketball, wrestling and volleyball is all the same venue...but I understand you must do your usual NU brag job...congratulations on ruling the sports world in the state of Nebraska...stiff competition no doubt!

No basketball is in Pinnacle Bank Arena. Volleyball is in The Devaney Center which was converted to Volleyball only and seats 8900 now vs 12,000 when hoops played there. Wrestling uses volleyball arena for bigger matches but also uses The Colosium which used to have volleyball in it but is for wrestling some only now.
Volleyball is very big at NU. It is one of 2 volleyball programs that are profitable in college volleyball.

 

[ag67]

IMO it is really outrageous that it has come to this. I love college sports, but there are so many better uses for these huge sums of money. When it becomes more of a matter of who can spend the most money rather than the other relative advantages that each school offers, it is the worst of all worlds IMO.

 

[miketd1]

You don't need top of the line facilities. You need functional upgrades. If we ever invest in new practice facilities, use Iowa or the Seahawks as the template. Really nice without being over the top.

 

[RUsilencer]

Facilities are just a cover. Facilities matter for a good chunk of recruits. When it comes to 4 or 5 star players, it goes deeper than facilities.

 

[derleider]

Its all of the TV Money pouring in. Huge money for everything - facilities, coaching, recruiting, training. Plus the schools on the outside see the jackpot and want in, so they spent too. No one really wins here except contractors, coaches, and TV execs.

 

[BoroKnight]

Not all of those pictures are of stadium projects that actually will happen. Some are just fantasies -- such as UNLV's, in particular. They need it desperately, but as of now, no shot in hell. I'm sure a few of the others also are just wishful thinking. Doesn't change the fact that the arms races is way out of hand and we are way behind the curve.

 

[RUfinal4]

Nebraska and most of the SEC are in area with little pro competition. While businesses in our area take clients to Mets, Yanks, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, and Philly games most of those schools are the only game in town.

Michigan / Mich St (Detroit), Ohio St (Cincy / Cleveland), Pitt (Pittsburgh), MD (DC and Baltimore), UCLA (Los Angeles), Cal (San Francisco), BC (Boston), Ga Tech (Atlanta), LSU (New Orleans), etc... are the schools we need to compare ourselves to.

Of the list above Detroit, Los Angeles, DC, San Francisco, and Boston are the only cities that also have a pro team for the NFL, MLB, NBA, and MLB like the NY / Philly area does.

 

[BeantownKnight]

Some of these changes I don't even understand - like UNLV's. Does that video board span the entirety of one sideline? And, it would put it into better perspective to see the changes for Boise State. I'd like to see "before/after" graphics for all of these.

 

[Bamm Bamm Rubble]

Nebraska and most of the SEC are in area with little pro competition. While businesses in our area take clients to Mets, Yanks, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, and Philly games most of those schools are the only game in town.

Michigan / Mich St (Detroit), Ohio St (Cincy / Cleveland), Pitt (Pittsburgh), MD (DC and Baltimore), UCLA (Los Angeles), Cal (San Francisco), BC (Boston), Ga Tech (Atlanta), LSU (New Orleans), etc... are the schools we need to compare ourselves to.

Of the list above Detroit, Los Angeles, DC, San Francisco, and Boston are the only cities that also have a pro team for the NFL, MLB, NBA, and MLB like the NY / Philly area does.

Which is why college basketball and football should all be play opposite the professional calendar. College basketball is a better fit for The Fall with The Tournament in during the holiday season. College football should kickoff in a spring format and it's bowl and playoff season in late June and 4th of July weekend.

 

[Bamm Bamm Rubble]

Rutgers is in position to generate a lot of money from private donors but needs to hire a coach that'll makes its brand "must see TV". I've said before and I'll say it again: Rich Rod wants to head back east! Scott Frost can make RU into Oregon East. Chip Kelly is just down The Turnpike for advise if Scotts playbook needs tweaking.