Could the Ragin’ Cajuns be getting a new football stadium?

[Cajun90]

And i still think attendance will keep dropping...people’s attention spans are getting smaller and smaller especially younger people. Hard for a family to drop that kind of money if their kids struggle to make it to half time. It’s not just here, it’s eveywhere and there are a lot of different variables effecting it.

Can't disagree with that. Add to the fact that participation in youth football is in decline (20-25% by many accounts) which will further add to a decline in fans for the sport in future years.

[MetryCajun]

And i still think attendance will keep dropping...people’s attention spans are getting smaller and smaller especially younger people. Hard for a family to drop that kind of money if their kids struggle to make it to half time. It’s not just here, it’s eveywhere and there are a lot of different variables effecting it.

Gambling is another variable. If you like betting why would you go to a game when you could sit at your tailgate spot or home and follow all the games you have money on? The bottom line is make the stadium as high end as possible. Purists will hate it, but the experience is more important than the size of the stadium.

[cajunhawk]

Gambling is another variable. If you like betting why would you go to a game when you could sit at your tailgate spot or home and follow all the games you have money on? The bottom line is make the stadium as high end as possible. Purists will hate it, but the experience is more important than the size of the stadium.

[CajunJeaux]

I could only pay $50 a game for 2 tickets & free shuttle ride .. If I chose that route

Would look great to have additional 15k fans on top of the 15k diehards in attendance every Saturday...your 2 for $50 is great for the individual fan.... but as someone stated earlier...$50 tickets aren’t going to pay off the new stadium debt...you need more people paying into the parking, tailgate, excellence fund accounts to make it feasible....

[Ragin9221]

This is just more of a case to renovate Cajun Field. We don’t know where we will be, we can always keep it around 35k, and if we needed more we could always just expand, and where CajunField is the expansion is easy. It’s already dug in .

[CajunNation]

Basketball and Football will continue to play ____ty schedules as long as we are a G5 school. Substitute SMIss for La College and you still have poor attendance.

Home schedule that includes Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, and Rice is a heck lot better than one with Georgia State, Coastal Carolina and ulm.

[cajun4life]

I do like the feel of many of the MLS stadiums that have been built recently. They also tend to be more cost conscious than say standard American football field designs. I've made a few trips to the Houston Dynamo field and really like the layout and seating. Take that design and build it right up against Congress with retail space facing the outside of the stadium. You could have food venues/ coffee shop and a Ragin Cajun store that could be utilized seven days a week and then have access on the inside of the stadium for game days. While your at it move the Cajun field bus stop here and protect it from the weather. Students would then be inclined to visit that retail space during their daily commutes to campus. Really want to get crazy? Build condominiums in one end zone. They would not have direct stadium access but with some extra large balconies would be a great place to watch a game from. The revenue from the condo's would basically pay for that endzone section. Add the revenue from retail locations and suites and this isn't so unrealistic anymore.

Exactly!!!! Look all across the world at 35,000-45,000 seat soccer venues. They are absolutely amazing and create a crazy atmosphere.

Gazniatep Turkey has a beautiful 36000 seat stadium. So does Poland and several other countries that were around $150M. I mean absolute gorgeous stadiums.

Take a cue from the MLS and build like they do.

[facelessjonmoon]

I agree with you...anyone here ever went to a game at Middle Tennessee??....terrible stadium...

MTSU and UCF have total steel and aluminum erector set stadiums. They get the job done, but just look.and feel cheap.

[HelmutVII]

I spoke to an Architect today and this is what he told me.

1)If you are making modifications to a building where the cost totals 50% or more of the cost of replacement you have to bring the entire structure up to current codes PROVIDED the Authority Having Jurisdiction over the project follows current codes. (Generally there are some exceptions to this however)

2) If the Authority Having Jurisdiction is the State of Louisiana then there regulatory authority is the State of Louisiana Facilities and Planning. They typically do not follow the fifty percent rule. HOWEVER, anything that is an addition to an existing building (like the SEZ or additions to Tiger Stadium) have to meet current codes ESPECIALLY Life Safety Code (NFPA 101 etc) and Handicapped accessibility . I am thinking the additions to Tiger stadium have separate means of egress because the means of egress for the older portion of the stadium did not meet code or capacity requirements for the additions. Similar situation for the SEZ for Cajun field. The SEZ project had to meet all requirements for Life Safety Code and Handicapped requirements and CURRENT BUILDING CODES. That's why the slope of the stadium in that section is different from the rest of the stadium.

Here comes the rub. Any renovation of Cajun Field (old section) is virtually impossible to bring to current codes because the stadium slope (and resulting step and aisle slope) and seat pitch requirements can't be met without total reconstruction. Big problem with aisle width and aisle handrails. Once concrete is in place it is not cast in stone but it's pretty damn close. The only thing that could possibly be done is to redo the press box and add some suites across the top. This could only be done provided somebody signs off on the supporting structure. This may or may not be a problem. We would pretty much have to leave the rest alone because that would involve total reconstruction which is not a viable option.

One final thing. He did imply that LSU could do what they did because they are LSU. I'm afraid that's the way it is.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Houston's new stadium cost them $128M to build. We don't need to spend $250M. It also doesn't have to be huge. 35-40k seats would be ideal. I really like the designs of the smaller soccer stadiums across Europe. Or just take Tulanes design for the one side of the stadium that's actually a real stadium. Lol

There’s no part of TooLame stadium I’d want to encorporate at UL. That whole prefabricated facility is a joke and eyesore.