Lamar stadium wish list tops $18 million

[UNLV]

According to a recent draft proposal drawn up by an architect on behalf of Lamar University, renovations and upgrades to Cardinal Stadium could cost $18 million or more, depending on how many doodads the school wants to include.

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[Guest coachacola]

[Guest coachacola]

"This is preliminary, and at this point it has very little to do with reality," Simmons said. "We don't have specs or building plans, and we haven't bid out (a contract). What this is, really, is initial programming. It's the best case of what we could hope for."

The university will go before the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board next month to have an architect approved.

Once that happens, it will help finalize plans and construction costs, and that's when the project - along with all of its details - can begin to take shape. That's also when Lamar will know exactly how much the project will cost.

If the university ends up with more money than it needs, it can work on adding features to the new field house or the stadium.

Looks like they'll be spending a bunch of money just to get the stadium up to current standards.  I was hoping for some artist renderings of the stadium to see what it'll look like when finished.  Hopefully they have some big donors lined up so they can add all the bells and whistles.

[KFDM COOP]

I agree!!

[Guest mffl]

42,000 square feet is HUGE! That will make it the biggest 'Athletic Facility' in the southland right? Winning will bring money in... need to get a good coach too.

[UNLV]

Boring and very disappointing. A fancy high school stadium. This will not give the feel of college, this will

not bring in the extra fans.

[Guest coachacola]

Boring and very disappointing. A fancy high school stadium. This will not give the feel of college, this will

not bring in the extra fans.

I don't think so.  As Dr. Simmons was quoted, this is only the preliminary stage.  Once they get an architect approved we'll see a lot more details of what they will actually do.  And by D1AA (FCS) standards it'll be one of the biggest and nicest stadiums in the country.  I think they will include all the bells and whistles when they actually start work on it this summer.  They just can't build the ultimate stadium in one shot, but if need be they can expand in the future.

MFFL is right, the field house will be huge.  It's going to help with recruiting in all the sports, not just football.  And as a previous stated, this will clear out space in the Montagne Center which will benefit the basketball program.  5 years from now when they're done with all the athletic enhancements and other facility upgrades there'll be a different atmosphere around campus.

[UNLV]

Yes coach, very impressive to Tarleton st and Nichols st. Will not get SETX excited. Anything short of the horseshoe

gives a fancy high school impression.  1 time to make a first impression.

[Guest mffl]

Why do we want an empty stadium right now? We don't have enough money for a horseshoe, period. That doesn't mean we won't or can't have one, just that we don't need one right now. We haven't even fielded a team yet, much less a coach. I like the fact that Billy and Jimmy are taking their time and doing it right rather than rushing through this tough process and having the team fail again.

[Guest coachacola]

As much as a state-of-the-art 30K seat Cardinal Stadium with luxury suites would be great, it's unrealistic they'll build that right off the bat.  It'd be nice if some billionaire stepped up and said "I'm giving Lamar $30 million so they'll have a top-notch stadium", but that hasn't happened.  I doubt Simmons and Tubbs are turning down money so they can build a fancy high school stadium.  A Sunbelt or CUSA-caliber stadium isn't happening overnight.  Lamar just needs to build a winning program and the rest will follow.

[Green Menace]

As much as a state-of-the-art 30K seat Cardinal Stadium with luxury suites would be great, it's unrealistic they'll build that right off the bat.  It'd be nice if some billionaire stepped up and said "I'm giving Lamar $30 million so they'll have a top-notch stadium", but that hasn't happened.  I doubt Simmons and Tubbs are turning down money so they can build a fancy high school stadium.  A Sunbelt or CUSA-caliber stadium isn't happening overnight.  Lamar just needs to build a winning program and the rest will follow.

Well said.

[Green Menace]

I am not trying to brag on NT and their facilities, but trying to give LU football folks a reference point regarding facilities.  This is what a 47,000 sq. ft. Athletic Center will get you (can't remember the cost).  The first picture is the actual front of the facility;  the second(night view), showing the deck, will some day soon attach to a new, much needed football stadium.  I only wish it could have been in the 75,000 sq foot range in size.  Only takes money- a lot of it!

[BearWolf]

Real nice. Something loke this would be just outstanding.

[Guest coachacola]

The Athletic Center for North Texas cost $9.7 million back in 2005.

Link: A Mean, Green Training Machine

Here's the 43,000 sq foot end zone complex at Texas State:

It was built in 2002 but I don't know the cost. 

At 42,000 sq foot and $7.25 million, Lamar's athletic center should be similar to these athletic centers.  And with the Montagne Center on the north end and the athletic center on the south end, the field should have a cozy feel to it.  And as we've discussed before, there's still room to expand the stadium to 30K or 35K.

[KFDM COOP]

Pretty Sweet!!

[AJ25]

i like it, it'll get much better as they start to build it!

[UNLV]

Lamar must win first is dumb. No offense but it is. That is why Lamar former conference continue to leave Lamar

in the dust. We continue to put up these dumb rules for ourself and sit back and wonder why the nation laughs at

Lamar. This is Billy Franklin type thinking, this Bob West type thinking. Everythink big an innovative is not for Lamar, Lamar

needs the stay in its place at the back of the line. Lamar will never get the recruits to win holding back. So using the forum

formula, Lamar can never better itself. An once Lamar establish itself as a loser, it'll be 1980's all over again.

I'll say it now, if this is the plan, Lamar football will average under 7,000 per game by year 2.

[Guest coachacola]

Lamar must win first is dumb. No offense but it is. That is why Lamar former conference continue to leave Lamar

in the dust. We continue to put up these dumb rules for ourself and sit back and wonder why the nation laughs at

Lamar. This is Billy Franklin type thinking, this Bob West type thinking. Everythink big an innovative is not for Lamar, Lamar

needs the stay in its place at the back of the line. Lamar will never get the recruits to win holding back. So using the forum

formula, Lamar can never better itself. An once Lamar establish itself as a loser, it'll be 1980's all over again.

I'll say it now, if this is the plan, Lamar football will average under 7,000 per game by year 2.

Just because Lamar will start playing in a 17.200 seat stadium instead of a 25,000 (or whatever) seat stadium doesn't mean they're thinking small.  A 42,000 sq foot athletic center is big.  Having VIP suites and a club house is thinking big.  It's not always about having the biggest stadium, but having the nicest stadium with the best amenities, and Cardinal Stadium needs a lot of those types of upgrades before expanding the seating.

Southeastern Louisiana University is an example of thinking small when they brought back football with only $5 million.  Here's where they play football:

Lamar's spending a lot more than that for football, but they don't have unlimited funding.  They just can't pull another $5 or $10 million out of thin air and expand the stadium.  And if Lamar can get 17,200 per game, they'll average more per game than about 20 FBS teams this past season (including Rice, SMU, UAB, ULL, Ark State, UL-Monroe, New Mexico State).  If you look at FCS teams only 6 averaged more than 17,200 per game (and only about a third of all FCS teams average more than 10K per game).

[UNLV]

Lamar must win first is dumb. No offense but it is. That is why Lamar former conference continue to leave Lamar

in the dust. We continue to put up these dumb rules for ourself and sit back and wonder why the nation laughs at

Lamar. This is Billy Franklin type thinking, this Bob West type thinking. Everythink big an innovative is not for Lamar, Lamar

needs the stay in its place at the back of the line. Lamar will never get the recruits to win holding back. So using the forum

formula, Lamar can never better itself. An once Lamar establish itself as a loser, it'll be 1980's all over again.

I'll say it now, if this is the plan, Lamar football will average under 7,000 per game by year 2.

Just because Lamar will start playing in a 17.200 seat stadium instead of a 25,000 (or whatever) seat stadium doesn't mean they're thinking small.  A 42,000 sq foot athletic center is big.  Having VIP suites and a club house is thinking big.  It's not always about having the biggest stadium, but having the nicest stadium with the best amenities, and Cardinal Stadium needs a lot of those types of upgrades before expanding the seating.

Southeastern Louisiana University is an example of thinking small when they brought back football with only $5 million.  Here's where they play football:

Lamar's spending a lot more than that for football, but they don't have unlimited funding.  They just can't pull another $5 or $10 million out of thin air and expand the stadium.  And if Lamar can get 17,200 per game, they'll average more per game than about 20 FBS teams this past season (including Rice, SMU, UAB, ULL, Ark State, UL-Monroe, New Mexico State).  If you look at FCS teams only 6 averaged more than 17,200 per game (and only about a third of all FCS teams average more than 10K per game).

Can't you see the big picture. Lamar is setting itself to be small time. Lamar is better off not playing football until it can get that 30-35k stadium.

What they are doing is tip toeing to football. No risk and no rewards. This is not a good stadium plan. Nobody is this area will pay to see FCS. Nobody will care for

a fancy high school stadium. 7,000 fans average by the second year. Even fewer the third year. Not a good plan.

[fatelvis04]

After looking as what I've seen, I think they've got the right idea here. What they're talking about will give them a nice, reasonable facility and should allow for expansion should the need arise in the future for it.

UNLV, man, I just can't agree with ya. FCS is the way to go. Beaumont likes teams that WIN and a Lamar FCS team is going to be competitive a lot faster than an FBS team.

[WOS95]

i don't care where we play or who we play, just win baby!!!  imo, there is no shame in having a winning FCS football program.  the stadium will look great when everything is finished. 

[HouTexan]

This is a great start. And THE RIGHT DECISION for Lamar and for bringing football back. Starting with a 30-35k seat stadium is simply not smart. Rice University has a stadium that seats 70k and they're lucky to get 3,500 people to show up. University of Houston seats around 30k. Again, even when they're winning it's a great day when 1/2 the stadium is full. You don't build an 85-story building in downtown Beaumont and you don't build a 30k seat football stadium either. People don't go to football games because there is a nice stadium they go because they like football, they support their team and their communities.

[UNLV]

After looking as what I've seen, I think they've got the right idea here. What they're talking about will give them a nice, reasonable facility and should allow for expansion should the need arise in the future for it.

UNLV, man, I just can't agree with ya. FCS is the way to go. Beaumont likes teams that WIN and a Lamar FCS team is going to be competitive a lot faster than an FBS team.

I use to attend Lamar football games, in the 80's and late 70's. When Lamar was I-A/FBS, the stadium was packed. When Lamar dropped to jv/FCS/I-AA, you could

count the fans on 1 hand. Next year at this time expect SHSU to announce FBS. That would be UTSA,TSU, SHSU and maybe a Lousianna school to leave the

slc. Lets see how man fans show up at Lamar vs Tarleton st game.

[UNLV]

This is a great start. And THE RIGHT DECISION for Lamar and for bringing football back. Starting with a 30-35k seat stadium is simply not smart. Rice University has a stadium that seats 70k and they're lucky to get 3,500 people to show up. University of Houston seats around 30k. Again, even when they're winning it's a great day when 1/2 the stadium is full. You don't build an 85-story building in downtown Beaumont and you don't build a 30k seat football stadium either. People don't go to football games because there is a nice stadium they go because they like football, they support their team and their communities.

You want to compare apples to oranges. Ok, Houston is 1 year older than Beaumont. So why is Houston so much bigger.

Beaumont had spindletop yet Houston got the rewards. Why? because of the same type of thinking on this board. Houston built more

Hospital beds in the last 5 years then all of Beaumont in the last 90 years. Those hospitals brought jobs, that created jobs, that created

more jobs. Houston continue to grow. 2 years and counting, yet Beaumont is still debating the 3rd hospital. What is the excuse? 

There is a national nursing shortages, its best Beaumont wait until the shortage is over. Did Houston wait? 

"its best Beaumont wait until the shortage is over"/"Lamar should wait until it win"

BTW, the nursing shortage is pushing 25 years....

[AggiesAreWe]

I have a question for UNLV.

For all the complaining you do about Lamar not meeting "your" standards as to how they should start up their football program, my question to you would be how many millions have you donated to the cause? You expect them to have a Rolls Royce when they can only afford a Camry.

You seem the type to complain about a free meal.