UF Board of Trustees approves plan for $130 million

[Swamp Donkey]

#4 Arky playing at #2 Florida today and how many empty seats were there still?

14000

 

[NVGator]

14000

Exactly. All 2,000 fans really boosted the bank.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Exactly. All 2,000 fans really boosted the bank.

Id be surprised if there are 400 there.

 

[YLGator]

If I've followed this right, it appears we're spending $135M on baseball, softball and basketball and $82M on Football. So in essence, we're pouring $215M - 220M into facilities and only 38% is going to the sport that pays all the bills. To top it off, we're making football wait until the end. I'd sure love to see the ROI on this project. This can only make sense in the world of academia, sure doesn't make business sense from what I can tell.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

If I've followed this right, it appears we're spending $135M on baseball, softball and basketball and $82M on Football. So in essence, we're pouring $215M - 220M into facilities and only 38% is going to the sport that pays all the bills. To top it off, we're making football wait until the end. I'd sure love to see the ROI on this project. This can only make sense in the world of academia, sure doesn't make business sense from what I can tell.

We are going to get ahead of the coming softball and baseball arms race.

I think however you accurately described the Alice in Wonderland like reality of our athletic department.

 

[Theologator]

There is zero reason to invest this much money into college baseball. Zero.

LSU makes money on baseball. That’s where they must be heading.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

We have 5000 empty seats at a baseball game right now but think of how much less empty it will be with 10000 seats.

 

[YLGator]

I know I'll certainly be checking the softball schedule to figure out which game I'm going to fly the family across the country to attend.

 

[FireFoley]

We have 5000 empty seats at a baseball game right now but think of how much less empty it will be with 10000 seats.

It is my understanding that the new baseball stadium will not have a larger capacity b/c we can't fill the one we have, which makes this whole charade a mockery. The baseball stadium is good in a lot of ways and should have remained. The O-dome should have been blown up prior to remodel and the football buildings could have all adjoined what needs to be a totally renovated stadium. Could have then built an aquatics center, a building for women's volleyball and gymnastics and a small basketball arena outside the city limits for the 6000 people who go to men's basketball. But no, lets pour tons of money into facilities that just need makeovers and forget about the one true thing that needs to be completely blown up and built from the ground up: FOOTBALL

 

[78]

The way I read that story, it was the desire to have the football facility both proximic to the practice field AND one story that drove the dominoes.

By necessity it puts the new baseball stadium at the top of the priority list.

 

[Jbossgator8]

Gators WON 17-2 today so the stadium upgrade is definitely worth it!

 

[lizardbreath]

Foley was spotted leaving campus yesterday in a huff.

Better he should have left in a rocket to the moon.

 

[Omar's Coming Yo!]

Theres no reason to spend more than $5M on any non revenue sport in renovations. Softball and baseball lose millions a year and you want to compound it by making it worse? They'd be better off just telling those staff's to DWI and use the money to upgrade the swamp.

 

[KronoGator]

50 million wouldn't do jack for the Swamp other then a new coat of paint, add another Zero.

Kentucky is spending 50 million for a new baseball stadium, the elephants spent 30 renovating their old place, USCe spent 35 10 years ago.

I thought we wanted UF to do what everyone else does.

 

[Jbossgator8]

Its just remarkable what Stricklin is doing at UF. Upgrading everything at UF. Thanks Scott!

 

[rogdochar]

some metal bleachers for the handful of fans that show up.

Not nice to make fun of someone with a disease. UF baseball suffers from fanorexia.

 

[CGgater]

50 million wouldn't do jack for the Swamp other then a new coat of paint, add another Zero.

Sounds like I need to open my own painting business when I retire from the CG.

 

[Pablos Tunnel]

If I've followed this right, it appears we're spending $135M on baseball, softball and basketball and $82M on Football. So in essence, we're pouring $215M - 220M into facilities and only 38% is going to the sport that pays all the bills. To top it off, we're making football wait until the end. I'd sure love to see the ROI on this project. This can only make sense in the world of academia, sure doesn't make business sense from what I can tell.

Thinking same here. Softball! Really? Money should be poured into the Swamp now! It is the ATM for all sports and needs refreshed. Seating, boards, lounges ect are all in need of major improvements.

 

[Pablos Tunnel]

Furthermore. Taking a guess here but I imagine that the attendence at just one home fb game is greater than baseball and softball numbers for the entire seasons.

 

[Jbossgator8]

A lot of other top programs are upgrading ALL of their sports facilities. They are tired of UF getting ALL of the TOP talent in ALL other sports and UF winning NCs in ALL sports. There is a reason we win soooo many NCs, cause we have top talent and top flight coaches. UF 40 team NCs and 275 individual NCs. UF has won 234 team SEC championships. The next closest school is Tenn with 154. UF is the place to be to WIN NCs. If UF wasn't making money then we wouldn't be making upgrades. Have pride to be a Gator and congratulate all these Gator greats that work extremely hard to succeed in their sports. Or would you rather FSU or Tenn or UGA fans claim they are the best at winning NCs??????