UL has big decision to make on Cajun Field renovation

[CrazyCajun]

Asking this from the perspective of not knowing what the game plan is for eventual capacity, so I'm making an assumption.

Can we get up to 40,000 with only one level AND without closing in the NEZ?

I don’t think so, we aren’t at 40 now and you would remove the upper deck and new code calls for more area per seat. You would have to bowl the NEZ to even get close and with no upper deck we need it. Place would be loud if you packed it with everyone on top the field

[shof]

Press Box MUST be involved in the earliest phases.

Without question

[Cajunsmike]

I don’t think so, we aren’t at 40 now and you would remove the upper deck and new code calls for more area per seat. You would have to bowl the NEZ to even get close and with no upper deck we need it. Place would be loud if you packed it with everyone on top the field

Preference is for capacity to be reduced slightly.

[CrazyCajun]

Preference is for capacity to be reduced slightly.

We don’t need anything more than 35k, I’d be happy with 30k-32k. If you tear down the upper deck and get everything else to code, I think the NEZ would have to be bowled in to get to 32-35...depending how long the press box suite structure runs.

[Ragin9221]

When you say SMU stadium are we talking about tearing down the upper deck and just replace it with the pressbox and suites, or with the seating as well? I assume that if we did add seating it would be like the Blue seats

[wscoog]

While this may sound silly it is really important to incorporate a nice club area overlooking the field when rebuilding the stadium. Find a way to make it first class so that the entire university wants to use it for social gatherings. Academic departments will want to give awards there. Make it something that really rewards the donors. Do this right and it becomes a tool for the academic recruiters as well.

[CrazyCajun]

While this may sound silly it is really important to incorporate a nice club area overlooking the field when rebuilding the stadium. Find a way to make it first class so that the entire university wants to use it for social gatherings. Academic departments will want to give awards there. Make it something that really rewards the donors. Do this right and it becomes a tool for the academic recruiters as well.

It’s not silly at all, I’m pretty sure everyone understands how important that is outside of 1 person

[Boomer]

It’s not silly at all, I’m pretty sure everyone understands how important that is outside of 1 person

......A small sample of what it can be is the baseball club room looking out at the field....it is also nice the other direction excluding the roof of the Cox building.......when the Marcelle Bievenue ‘U Love it” Cajun cooking cook school gets going, some great events will happen! A nice funding deal for the restaurants of Acadiana/Louisiana to sponsor!

[KragincajunS10]

Still waiting.....they want people to keep investing and to turn up to games. I support our boys but playing in this conference with this level of competition, no one wants to see it. So get with the stadium upgrades. How many years have we waited for this to be done. Bandaid after bandaid after bandaid and finally we get a south endzone with more bathrooms. Yay. It was needed but it’s a tease. Something to show us they are invested in the program but still way behind. We’re behind most of the country. Forget the “Funbelt.” We already have the best facilities besides our stadium. We’re the biggest but not the best. If we want to compete nationally, we need a stadium that mirrors the rest of our facilities. I’m beating a dead horse here, I get it. And I know the athletic department and RCAF know it, but for the love of God. UAB got shut down, brought back to life, approved a new stadium and is currently building it. What on God’s earth is taking so long for us to get our stuff together with this?! I know we did the baseball stadium, softball stadium, track stadium and the athletic complex. I know the football stadium is next but this should have been figured out by now and either done or under construction. Stop dragging your feet...make some decisions and get it going. Watch how packed the stadium will be. Watch how fast we attract bigger OOC games which we DESPERATELY NEED in order to ramp up ticket sales, interest, butts in the seats....revenue. If we can’t get out of this god awful conference, then the least we can do is the stadium in order to attract more fans and better OOC games AT HOME. I get we have to pay people to come but you gotta pay to play. The team is killing it and will continue to do well under Napier, in my opinion. But we won’t have him for long. And it’s beyond time to give these players and the fans what they’ve waited and invested in for so long for. Time to ramp up more interest in the program and communicate with the public on what’s going on but also to stamp it, approve it and GET IT DONE. Old man rant over....just tired of seeing other places do this and know we’ve been promising this for more than 10 years now. It’s ridiculous. Figure it out. BTW, I don’t blame Maggard. He’s new and I believe he has this as his top priority. Just do it already.

[Crawfish]

Everyone wants this, but where is the money going to come from? Inquiring minds want to know.

[CrazyCajun]

Everyone wants this, but where is the money going to come from? Inquiring minds want to know.

If think the 60-100 million dollars is the hold up

[Duggie35]

I agree with everything you have stated. Just one small problem, apparently Dr. Savoie and Dr. Maggard haven't yet hit the lottery or found that 50-60 million dollars under a pillow that it will take to do the renovation!!! I realize the full amount may not be needed up front, but a funding mechanism must be identified prior to starting. I'm trying to do my part by contributing what I can to the RCAF, but unfortunately what I can afford to contribute will probably only pay for a few toilet seats in the men's room!!!

[BeauCajun]

If think the 60-100 million dollars is the hold up

Slight complication.

[CajunVic]

If think the 60-100 million dollars is the hold up

Seeing all the money found since he has arrived, surely Dr. Maggard does have a money tree.

[CrazyCajun]

Seeing all the money found since he has arrived, surely Dr. Maggard does have a money tree.

This will take an orchard not a tree