Engineers Examine Cardinal Stadium While LU Studies Possible Return of Football

[Tiger90]

Seems like it would be better to have a stadium near Vincent Beck. Move the golf driving range and use its acreage for a new stadium or parking lot with the stadium on the other side of V-B.  Realistically were talking having to redo the entire stadium now......which is cheaper redoing the old or putting in new?

[Guest abovetherim]

Coachacola, I think some suites at the Montage Center would be great. They'd probably lose 2,500 seats but how many times has the place sold out? I think adding some suites for the big-time donors (I know they have the Red-Room), assisting Cotton Cargo by having a more professional location to sell Cardinal gear (something where they didn't have to spend an hr setting up and packing up every game), adding a video scoreboard and a practice facility would do wonders for the Montagne Center and Cardinal basketball.

One thing about the Montagne Center and the Lamar University campus for that matter is they don't allow the sell alcohol. If you had a suite you could bring your own beverages. I know some people including my brother are against alcohol on campus but I think you should allow adults to have a choice.

If they send the money to purchase a suite, I highly doubt Lamar officials would tell them they can't bring their own drinks. 

[PNG1992]

Before reading this understand that I am for anything that helps Lamar......

but why does the basketball team need a new practice facility? Whats wrong with them practicing in the Montagne or even McDonald Gym? I guess what Im trying to ask is what are the advantages of having a practice only facility when they already practice in the arena?

Getting a new location for the football stadium would really be nice. The Chemical plant directly behind the visitors bleachers cannot be a good recruiting tool. Plus, the current Cardinal Stadium would make one heck of a parking lot for the Montagne. 

[weslinder]

But it would be nice to have that space by the Montagne for extra parking and it would be nice to have a nice, new, up to date football stadium built close by.  (Am I totally lost in fantasy land hoping for this???)

They're going to demo the current physical plant and increase parking significantly at the Montagne.  (The new physical plant was originally proposed to go where the Village at Lamar is now, so I don't know where it's going.)  There are no current plans for a new football stadium.  If the engineers determined it was necessary, that might change, but Lamar is hoping to be able to use Cardinal Stadium in some form or fashion.

[Guest abovetherim]

Before reading this understand that I am for anything that helps Lamar......

but why does the basketball team need a new practice facility? Whats wrong with them practicing in the Montagne or even McDonald Gym? I guess what Im trying to ask is what are the advantages of having a practice only facility when they already practice in the arena?

Getting a new location for the football stadium would really be nice. The Chemical plant directly behind the visitors bleachers cannot be a good recruiting tool. Plus, the current Cardinal Stadium would make one heck of a parking lot for the Montagne. 

The master plan of 2004 has Lamar eventually having a practice facility. One, the Montagne Center could be used for other events like the YMBL Tournament and similar tournament and activities. Two, a practice facility would provide the players and coaches more privacy. Right now, if you enter on the ground level of the Montagne Center you walk right in front of the coaches offices, men's locker room the AD's office and etc. A new practice facility would provide new locker-rooms for the men's and women's team's, new coaches office and I would imagine a new AD office. They even stated the price for such a facility would be about $7 million.

Now, I don't want them not to have football and use the funds for basketball. I'm talking after renovating/building a football complex, soccer, softball and renovating Vincent-Beck. Then the addition of a practice facility would be nice.

[Gtj007]

If I'm Gilligan, I would be PISSED if they built a New football stadium before a NEW Vincent-Beck.  Outside of golf, which does not have a "stadium", what team has done more at Lamar over the last 15 years than the baseball team????

[Guest abovetherim]

Regarding the same master plan, Vincent-Beck is to get a $5 million face-lift. Look what they did for $1 million. Then there is also plans for field-turf to cut the cost of maintanence. Then too, the players and coaches do a lot of work keeping the ball park in good shape. After, this basically $6 million in renovations to the ball-park the baseball complex will be by far the best in the SLC. The baseball fieldhouse will be park of another complex housing the softball team.

Then Gilligan gets the most funds yearly for baseball compared to any other SLC school. Please, tell me if any other SLC team has an assistant coach with college head coaching experience? Lamar does and I'm sure his salary is good enough to him happy. He has been at Lamar quite a few years now.

Now, I do agree outside of golf (a non-revenue producing sport) baseball has had the most success and needs/deserves the funding for the baseball program. I've been stating this need for 3 years on different athletic websites.

I imagine Coach Gilligan could put together a awesome team if he had first class facilities. I hear they are coming but it may be after or possibly about the same time football is being resumed at Lamar University.

[TradinUp BH]

LU needs to build a stadium with a seating capacity of 20,000 to 30,000. I'm for LU football again, but I think this size of stadium will be sufficient for small time college football. I don't think you could move the stadium because of lack of space.  Even if they were to put something where the golf range is, you wouldn't have parking. You also have a large power station towards the back. I don't see them rebuilding the stadium. If they could buy up property then they could build a nice stadium with plenty of parking, just don't see it happening.

[Guest coachacola]

Lamar's master plan: http://www.lamar.edu/newsevents/articles/221_2567.htm

Other universities are playing in stadiums a lot older than Cardinal Stadium so unless it's structurally unsafe I can't see them building a new one.  There's enough room to expand it to seat 30,000+ if necessary.  I'm thinking they should extends the stands closer to the Montagne Center and put luxury boxes/press boxes on both sides.  That would help block the view of the refinery when in the stadium.

Since they'll need a softball field and a new soccer field when football begins, they'll probably work on a sports complex for softball, basball and soccer as they renovate Cardinal Stadium.  Then right after that I can see them renovating the Montagne Center and adding a practice court.  And if Lamar gets that new academic building built like Dr. Simmons was talking (along with more dorms), the campus will look a lot different 5 years from now.

[weslinder]

And if Lamar gets that new academic building built like Dr. Simmons was talking (along with more dorms), the campus will look a lot different 5 years from now.

The new academic building:  Is that the one that will be bordered by the Carl Parker Building on two sides?  What is the proposed purpose of that building?  There's also a huge tree-planting project proposed.  All streets will be lined with trees, the dead areas near the Set/Umphrey Center/dining hall will have trees added, and most importantly to me, the area behind the Montagne and Cardinal Stadium will have trees added.  The plant wouldn't look quite as bad if most of it was hidden by trees.

[Guest coachacola]

Maybe they'll build an earthen wall in front of the tracks, then put up a fence with a lot of big trees and bushes in front of it.  That would hide a lot of the refinery.  I'd like to see a parking garage next to the Montagne Center, then have an elevated walkway from the garage to the Montage Center.  That would hide the refinery, provide more parking for all the new students, plus make it easier to get in the Montagne Center.

I have no idea where the new academic building would go.  The last I heard they were waiting for the board of regents to approve it.  I don't know how big it would be or what it would be for.  Maybe some others in the know can tell us.

I saw on the news today that Beaumont will begin work on Rolfe Christopher road and will also resurface E. Virginia.  It's a $5.4 million project.  Here's the link: http://setxhomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=5923