I’m spending some time with family in Orlando this week and my cousin is a student at UCF who talked me into going with her to today’s game. Let me be very honest, Pitt is absolutely insane if it doesn’t build something similar eventually. The atmosphere there was absolutely insane. I was talking with some alumni at the tailgate and they told me it’s a 44-45K seat stadium built in 2007. It’s cost was 55 million bucks or 65 million today. I don’t know where people come up with 200-250 million....this stadium is truly spectacular. Apparently it’s had some issues and was called the bounce house because the stadium shakes when everyone jumps simultaneously. But, I don’t think it’s supposed to do that. I know it was a championship game, but I can’t say enough about the atmosphere.
Spectrum Stadium UCF
- Thread starter KanePA
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If Pitt was 12 -0 and in the ACC Championship game the contest could be played on a flooded Mon River and the atmosphere would be insane. Surely you recall when Pitt played Cincinnati for the Big East Champs the atmosphere insane also until Gillard ran back a KO for a TD at the end of the first half. I guess fans had to be at that game to experience the atmosphere.
Folks that say new Stadium will cost $250 million are the same people that look at glass as half empty in life or the work place....negative!!
I think it was so cheap because it is a glorified HS stadium...all aluminum bowl of I'm correct. That would be fine, though would be more than a little frightening if a storm popped up out of nowhere as often happens in Florida.
Colorado State new stadium cost $220M; 41K seats
Minnesota $330M - 50K
Baylor $250M; 45K
Florida Atlantic $70M; 29K
North Texas $80M; 31K
Akron $61M; 30K
I'd prefer to have as stadium like our peers in the P5 or striving to be in the power 5. Those run around $200M+. On top of that, if you look at all of those stadium, there is plenty of LAND around them. That would be additional costs for Pitt. These other universities owned a ton of land already.
If you want something like North Texas Akron, or Florida Atlantic, those are around $60-80M now.
As for UCF, they are suing the construction company who built it because there are a ton of issues and they had to build it within 18 months.
I'd LOVE to have a right sized stadium on campus. But it's not happening anytime soon.
Also, like another poster said, Heinz has some great atmosphere when it is a big game. 2009 ND, 2009 Cincy, 2003 VT, 2003 Miami, 2004 WVU, 2016 PSU. Those were some pretty fun atmospheres.
They were saying on the AAC championship broadcast that just 2years ago that stadium as empty.
Minnesota $330M - 50K
Baylor $250M; 45K
Florida Atlantic $70M; 29K
North Texas $80M; 31K
Akron $61M; 30K
I'd prefer to have as stadium like our peers in the P5 or striving to be in the power 5. Those run around $200M+. On top of that, if you look at all of those stadium, there is plenty of LAND around them. That would be additional costs for Pitt. These other universities owned a ton of land already.
If you want something like North Texas Akron, or Florida Atlantic, those are around $60-80M now.
As for UCF, they are suing the construction company who built it because there are a ton of issues and they had to build it within 18 months.
I'd LOVE to have a right sized stadium on campus. But it's not happening anytime soon.
Also, like another poster said, Heinz has some great atmosphere when it is a big game. 2009 ND, 2009 Cincy, 2003 VT, 2003 Miami, 2004 WVU, 2016 PSU. Those were some pretty fun atmospheres.
They were saying on the AAC championship broadcast that just 2years ago that stadium as empty.
I was deployed in Iraq in 2009. I would have loved to be there.
More important than any football game or stadium is the fact that you are home and hopefully in good health. I was most fortunate for there was no conflict during my 4 years 1956 - 1960. You are deserving of my thanks and gratitude for your service.
The truth is that we don't know how much an on campus stadium would cost. 1. Pitt might need to acquire land and 2. Prepare the land for a stadium. This is something Pitt could have focused on for the last 20 years, but Nordy And Steve went all in with Heinz so there was no way they were ever going to move in that direction. There are folks here who won't ever admit to being wrong either.
I think it's likely that Pitt could acquire and prepare the site for under $100M and then build a modest $150M stadium, making the total cost 250. But, we don't really know how much since Pitt hasn't studies it, at least not publicly.
I think it's likely that Pitt could acquire and prepare the site for under $100M and then build a modest $150M stadium, making the total cost 250. But, we don't really know how much since Pitt hasn't studies it, at least not publicly.
Thank you my friend. I saw some horrible things, but nothing I can’t deal with. Other brothers weren’t so lucky. Thank you for your service as well.
I think they've been dealing with the flexing as much as possible. It doesn't bounce nearly as much as it used to from what i have read.
Funny thing is they were the ONLY tenant at the Citrus Bowl, 7 miles up Rt. 50. But it was too big and wasn't their own so they built their own. But that's OK, the Citrus Bowl found a new tenant, Orlando City SC. They drew very well, 30K or so but the stadium was still too big and not their own so they built their own. True story
Atmosphere for Cincy championship game was electric. At one point in 2nd half after a Panther score there were literally what seemed like a thousand people being body pressed in celebration. I yelled to my Uncle " PITT FOOTBALL IS BACK, BABY!" Then some dipsh*t pissed off/ fired our coach. So much revenue was lost that off-season.... Narduzzi has brought that excitement back for me. Hopefully some students can organize next year and lead the student body into becoming a fun group -- that is integral to game day atmosphere. I was down in Orlando for UCFs first game in that stadium (just happened to be on vacation). They played Texas, place was " sold out" but there were empties. UCF has 60,000 students -- yes 60,000 -- an undefeated team, and still have trouble selling out. Something like 8 sellouts in the last decade. On campus stadium is NOT the answer. Winning and playing in meaningful big games is!
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And the weather for cinci had to be single digits. To this day I cringe when I hear the words ...l got a feeling tonight's going to be a good night...
Now it's part of the Pitt lore.
HTP
Now it's part of the Pitt lore.
HTP
That's what happens when you build on the cheap.
If all we want is a glorified high school stadium, and that's exactly what UCF has, then we can build one on the cheap as well. Our would probably cost a little more though, because we probably wouldn't forget to include water fountains like they did.
You thought Pitt football was back when DW blew that game? And it wasn't until a year later (after a bad year) that perennial loser Dave Wannstedt was fired.
Baylor’s cost 250 million and they owned the land already...so add at minimum 100-150 million to the cost.
this is no excuse..
JK Kane, thanks for your service bro. That whole day, atmosphere, weather, was fantastic, til the end of course. I remember being in shock after that game. Went up to Saloon in Mt. Lebo, my buddy was bartending. He just looked at me laughing, I asked him for the biggest shot of Jameson that he is legally allowed to pour. Dude comes back with a pint glass 3/4 full of jameson. It looked like I had a glass of apple juice in front of me..
I remember seeing some PSU thon aholes pan handling on my way home from the hand...seriously considering running them over.
What, they have construction workers down there willing to work for the minimum wage?
A few weeks ago I posted all the recent stadium projects, what they cost and how most were payed for. Pitt could easily have a great 40k stadium for $150 million including all soft costs.
The Baylor project was much more than just a stadium. They had a mountain of resources at their disposal.
The Baylor project was much more than just a stadium. They had a mountain of resources at their disposal.
It'd take $100 million to but enough property in the burgh. Then add the roads, parking, graft to Democrats and Zeta's outrageous fees for his work on a Commodore64, you're up to $150 million before construction begins. My guess is UCF owned the land.
For $150 million, you are talking bare minimums and it being basically a large WPIAL AA HS stadium. Bleacher seating. Exposed concrete everywhere. The Students Against Airplane Pollution having to setup a crockpot to sell food for the stadium on a fold out white plastic table.
TCF Bank Stadium at $330+ million doesnt even compare to Heinz and just has an overall cheap feel to it (plus most of the stadium is bleacher seating. Here is a tour of that stadium: Link
If you are in a pro-city and you comparing it to what we have, the stadium better be equivalent or an improvement over Heinz for most people who attend (since quite a few people who attend Pitt games also have Steelers tickets). The land TCF was built on was also already owned by Univ of Minnesota. Pitt would need to find at minimum 28 acres for the same sized stadium (not including there being almost zero surface parking in Oakland, so for people bitching about no tailgating at Heinz it would be even worse without a ton of ground lot additions as well.
State/Fed govt would have to kick it $100s of millions more for new road and transit improvements as well. As anyone who has had pitt basketball tickets when we packed the Pete, getting out of Oakland was a nightmare for just 12k people.
TCF Bank Stadium at $330+ million doesnt even compare to Heinz and just has an overall cheap feel to it (plus most of the stadium is bleacher seating. Here is a tour of that stadium: Link
If you are in a pro-city and you comparing it to what we have, the stadium better be equivalent or an improvement over Heinz for most people who attend (since quite a few people who attend Pitt games also have Steelers tickets). The land TCF was built on was also already owned by Univ of Minnesota. Pitt would need to find at minimum 28 acres for the same sized stadium (not including there being almost zero surface parking in Oakland, so for people bitching about no tailgating at Heinz it would be even worse without a ton of ground lot additions as well.
State/Fed govt would have to kick it $100s of millions more for new road and transit improvements as well. As anyone who has had pitt basketball tickets when we packed the Pete, getting out of Oakland was a nightmare for just 12k people.
Maybe it would only cost $250 million to build a stadium in Oakland (I highly doubt it, but let's roll with it for the sake of the argument)...It would be profoundly stupid to do so when our athletic scholarships and coaching positions aren't fully endowed.
Anyone who thinks Pitt playing in Oakland will suddenly lead to bountiful coaching salaries and strong financial stability is a fool. Just take a gander at the state of affairs at Rutgers and Cal when considering what happens when you put the cart before the horse.
Anyone who thinks Pitt playing in Oakland will suddenly lead to bountiful coaching salaries and strong financial stability is a fool. Just take a gander at the state of affairs at Rutgers and Cal when considering what happens when you put the cart before the horse.
I don’t. I would be profoundly ticked off if pitt moved into a glorified erector set. I keep seeing Akron being touted but that seriously was a big version of pine richland’s stadium.
Because they have 100k+ students in the system and rotate into alumni every year. This is the biggest factor in attendance. If you want better attendance, have Pitt triple the number of students at main and within a decade with average win/lose records and that can happen too.
If you look around college football and attendance, look at the number of students in the schools system. It is by far the biggest determination of attendance numbers. If you want to impact attendance consistently, that's where to start. Bandwagon alumni/casual fans will come out for undefeated seasons and big time games, but it's the other years where you just need volume.
Plus the Oakland slumlords won’t come cheap.
Yep
anybody thinking Pitt can build a footbal field for 200+M in Oakland is a COMPLETE KOOK.
Pitt couldn’t put wooden bleachers up for that....
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I would rather play at Heinz than play in a cheapo stadium.
Land = $100 million to $150 million
Stadium construction = $250 million to $350 million
It wasn't the Democrats who took away deductions for giving to Pitt football. It was the Rethuglicans.
People, executives / Corporations who give big money will still be itemizing and will still donate as usual.
People in the mid range who itemized and people who make small donations who didn't itemize in the past will now pay significantly lower taxes due to a lower rate and the increase in standard deduction.
They'll be in a better tax position than before and will still donate and possibly donate more!
Charitible donations was one of the areas considered carefully in the tax bill proposals!
Corps will now pay a significantly lower tax rate, profits ( $2-3 trillion) trapped in foreign countries will be repatriated to the US for a one time low tax rate so they'll have more funds to do things like expand, modernize, hire the necessary employees, bring back outsourced jobs, and support charitable efforts in sports and elsewhere!
If it wasn't for generous Corps most teams would be building their own stadiums ie. Heinz Field, Citi Field, just look across the country! Not to mention golf and prize money in other sports etc.
Nothings changing in this area!
"fake news" always tries to pull on the "it's just not fair" strings!
Really man? Middle class and upper middle class households will no longer be able to deduct donations to churches, hospitals, colleges, etc. I personally will no longer be able to because under the new plan I wont be able to itemize.
30% of households itemized. With the elimination of the state and local income tax deduction and the raise in the standard deduction, that is going to drop to 4%. So, yes, I agree that the very wealthy and corporations will still be able to deduct donations but your average American who used to be able to will no longer be able to
Yeah, UCF made a really good investment on that stadium... http://www.orlandosentinel.com/classified/realestate/os-ucf-stadium-rust-20171010-story.html
We don't need more volume. We need an appropriately sized stadium for our fanbase.
