here are twp pieces of the stadium puzzle (long)
- Thread starter Las Panteras
- Start date
Details, details, details!
I put barbeque grills together ( + other things ) without reading the directions. I just look at the pictures.
It never ends well!
I don't think we are building a stadium, but I will agree there is almost no value to contracting Populus if doing a survey or estimation for a football stadium is not a huge part of that. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if it was just another idiotic decision (or lie) by Scott Barnes.
I hope you realize that Populus is an architectural firm that builds more than just football stadia. Pitt has a major need for athletic facilities upgrades and a facilities master plan is under development, as they typically are every 10 years, by the university. I assume many don't get that because you hire a firm (with a regional HQ in Pittsburgh) that specializes in athletic facility planning in development, that it doesn't necessarily mean they are looking to build a stadium.
Also, no where near the list of facilities needs: a football stadium.
paco, my question was just this. What athletic facilities is pitt in need of? Any specific info? Like I said, I believe we are without any sort of track and field complex. is the field house in need of an upgrade? Are there other sports without a home?
That's all im looking for, just specifics.
No one in athletics, or that has anything to do with athletics, actually thinks that at all.
It ain't happening.
I don't think anyone has the specifics yet. My guess is they are looking at track and field, and also any upgrades to existing facilities or future plans for upgrades. Even newer facilities like the Peterson Sports Complex, what can be done to make that better and move those programs to the next level.
That is my guess.
just when I give up and start quoting big lebowski, do I get an answer. thank you @ThePanthers, much appreciated.
They have so many things that are needed. Outdoor track, indoor track, tennis complex, band complex, diving well at Trees...those are just the list of things of immediate need that they've been contemplating for over a decade. Some of those things were in the last facilities master plan that is over a decade old. They also never completed the Petersen Sports Complex to the level they wanted (a second floor on the operations building to move baseball, soccer and softball operations out of the Field House). The PSC was built bare-bones to begin with so it could be upgraded all-around. Trees, as the primary student recreation complex, needs major upgrades as it greatly lags behind most peer universities' student rec centers. The wrestling facilities in the Field House sorely need a major overhaul. They need to figure out what to do with the Field House and the Cost Center because they either need expanded and major overhauls or knocked down to start from scratch. Pitt is way, way short on practice fields for varsity athletics. The UPMC SPC and the Pete need continual renovations. The practice facility at the Pete probably needs an expansion. For sure the UPMC SPC does if it can even be done. They also talked about major exterior linkages and improvements to the upper campus sports facilities for over a decade.
OK, so in short, everything.. Seriously, thanks Paco, that was the info I was looking for.
a lot of green space right outside the Pete's side doors. Dont think you'd need to hit up mr hedge fund, CMU business school guy for finances to build off of that, pretty easy project one would think...
Lets start using that ACC money boys..
Thanks CP. I knew about the track and field and the band complex. Also those other facilities need the upgrades as well. That is what I was referring to along with the SPC.
I've been to a few baseball and softball games at the complex and you are correct, it is bare bones. And like you said, was built that way with improving in the future. Those need major upgrades to be competitive IMO.
I've seen the complexes at Clemson and UVA this year. Night and day. The SPC is nice, mainly because it is new, and definitely a HUGE improvement from what we had, but we still need work.
That is another thing that I totally forgot about. Just production facilities expansion and upgrades as well. Each school is responsible for those things as well for the upcoming ACC Network, etc. That is going to be a few million in upgrades. I believe UVA just signed off on a $6M upgrade for their production facilities. All ACC schools are going to have to do something similar.
For those that are "football or bust" and dont' care if the other facilities and programs go to crap, those programs are a big part of the ACC and the expectations are that all programs are competitive. Some of the improvements we have are a reason we are in the ACC. Football definitely plays the biggest part with basketball second, but the other programs are just as important.
I've been to a few baseball and softball games at the complex and you are correct, it is bare bones. And like you said, was built that way with improving in the future. Those need major upgrades to be competitive IMO.
I've seen the complexes at Clemson and UVA this year. Night and day. The SPC is nice, mainly because it is new, and definitely a HUGE improvement from what we had, but we still need work.
That is another thing that I totally forgot about. Just production facilities expansion and upgrades as well. Each school is responsible for those things as well for the upcoming ACC Network, etc. That is going to be a few million in upgrades. I believe UVA just signed off on a $6M upgrade for their production facilities. All ACC schools are going to have to do something similar.
For those that are "football or bust" and dont' care if the other facilities and programs go to crap, those programs are a big part of the ACC and the expectations are that all programs are competitive. Some of the improvements we have are a reason we are in the ACC. Football definitely plays the biggest part with basketball second, but the other programs are just as important.
A lot of that ACC money is going to be funding higher coaches salaries, recruiting, scholarship funding, the additional funding for student athletes that were just passed, etc. Some will go towards facility improvements, but there is where alumni donations come in big time.
The capital projects.
Absolutely, I would think ACC Network production facilities would be incorporated into the Pete. I could be wrong, but I think Pitt may be slightly ahead of some others when it had the PantherVision thing running for a couple years, but they need actual studio space. In fact, the communications department should be involved because you have things like Pitt Tonight that also really need studio space and that has really taken on a life of its own. But they also need to upgrade the other facilities to prepare for those broadcasts.
People that think it is football or bust are right. Football will always get the lion's share, followed by basketball, and that is how it should be because on those two sports rest the future of the athletic department. However, what is not happening is building a stadium. There isn't a need, and it flat out is never going to happen in Oakland. Practice facilities will be looked at continually though. Pitt is playing massive catch up for its other 16 varsity sports though, and these projects are long overdue.
No doubt Pitt is in need of the facilities/improvements you stated. And Populous will certainly provide a report on those facilities. However, if you have the world'd leading stadium building company spending 9 months on your campus, it is completely irresponsible to not have them provide a stadium feasibility study even if it is to just shut people up. Heinz Field sucks and Pitt owes its customers who see on-campus stadiums going up all over the place more facts that show we cant buy some land, tear it down and build a stadium.
Or maybe it's so unrealistic or not even close to a priority that they don't wanna piss money away doing a feasibility study.
I certainly do. I also see the facilities upgrades that are already planned and facilities in place and believe Pitt has made proper commitments in many areas. However, I think the best thing for this Athletic Department is to focus on the revenue producing sports and not on adding or expanding for Olympic sports, many of which have no tradition at Pitt and have extreme barriers to becoming anything beyond mediocre. People don't like to hear that, but if it is above and beyond ACC requirements or Title IX balance, it shouldn't be a focus, unless you have a donor(s) specifically supporting it IMO.
If Pitt can't afford to pay the maintenance costs on a stadium, then they can't afford any of those improvements.
In fact, if it weren't a requirement for being in a major conference, Pitt shouldn't even worry about the other sports that have zero chance to earn revenue.
And that would be irresponsible. Populous is already here studying softball locker rooms. Pay them to get it in writing just how unrealistic it is. That way its right there for any stakeholder to see.
Why? And who are the stakeholders? Pitt athletics is not a public company.
Only nimrods push that agenda. Let them yap. They'll be too busy to kick their dog.
Pitt does focus on the revenue producing sports. It has for its entire history which is why their facilities have been so poor and the programs neglected. Here's the problem, those other facilities are actually needed. A football stadium is not. Period. There is still inordinate money being plowed into football.
The rest of your post about barriers for Olympic sports is garbage. Pitt has to start acting like a big boy athletic program like the rest of the Power 5. You know how many P5 programs have 0 NCAA team championships in any sport in their entire athletics history?
well we all love our football and hoops but a healthy, well rounded athletic dept is a good thing. I think some are taking the position of "screw the Olympic sports' because it's robbing one to pay for the other. I doubt that's the case. I doubt that if we screw the gymnastics team or wrestling team, we can get better resources for football and win that coveted 10th regular season game..
If the study comes out and they don't call for or even address a new on campus football stadium it will be all the proof that people with more than half a brain need to realize that an on campus stadium is not feasible. Which, of course, will mean that many here won't get it.
