lockmat Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 that's the question the chron is asking --> http://blogs.chron.c...uild_thats.html My thing is, they need to win first because what's the point of building a new stadium that nobody will go to? They should not make a decision for another couple years at least to see how the team pans out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 back to the dome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I agree with you lockmat. One good season in 25 years does not necessitate a new stadium. Haven't been there in years but I'm sure it could use a little work though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Yeesh, they win two big games and and suddenly they're talking new stadium. The stadium seems fine. I don't even see why the need to renovate. 1999 when it was last renovated is not so long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 From what I hear, it was a dumb when it first opened and the '99 renovation didn't help much. I couldn't tell you first hand though.It doesn't look that bad from tv, but it doesn't look that great either.But hey, if donors want to give them money to build it, I'm all for it. For some reason, all they talk about these days is "Facilities." If you don't have the facilities, then you can't compete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 They'll get their new monster stadium and they will continue to get bad coach ratings and get frozen out of the championship. Don't fall for this BCS nonsense, UH, its a sucker's game. Just play your best and keep your humble stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToryGattis Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Why can't they play at Reliant? Climate-controlled, NFL-class facility with plenty of available dates. Will be connected by light rail to the campus in just a few years. No parking problems. Take the money saved and plow it into other improvements to go for Tier 1 status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Why can't they play at Reliant? Climate-controlled, NFL-class facility with plenty of available dates. Will be connected by light rail to the campus in just a few years. No parking problems. Take the money saved and plow it into other improvements to go for Tier 1 status.For big games and good seasons, I have to agree. But for most games, I personally believe Robertson Stadium is fine just the way it is....having said that, I truthfully don't think that you are ever going to see a university in Texas qualify in the minds of employers as a true Tier 1 without a respectable football program. To protect the value of my investment in UH's reputation, it probably is best that they blow a lot of money retaining good talent and developing world-class facilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 ...having said that, I truthfully don't think that you are ever going to see a university in Texas qualify in the minds of employers as a true Tier 1 without a respectable football program. To protect the value of my investment in UH's reputation, it probably is best that they blow a lot of money retaining good talent and developing world-class facilities.hmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 hmm...yeah, I know. I hate myself for saying it, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totheskies Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 A new addition to Robertson stadium and the next UH parking garage are going to break ground by next fall. Tech was just one game, and we're still in C-USA for crying out loud. As of now, I say Robertson gets the job done. We don't need a new stadium unless we move into a "Big boy" conference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debmartin Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 i'm not qualified to discuss football, but i went to many concerts at robertson stadium during the 70's, before cynthia mitchell was around. pink floyd was one of the best, in the pouring rain. one of the huge balloon animals got loose, i always wondered where it landed:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Why can't they play at Reliant? Climate-controlled, NFL-class facility with plenty of available dates. Will be connected by light rail to the campus in just a few years. No parking problems. Take the money saved and plow it into other improvements to go for Tier 1 status.Research the reasons that they moved back to Robertson in the first place. The athletic department wanted to play football back on campus. They wanted to get alumni and fans reconnected with the school. Playing football in an NFL style stadium several miles from campus does not foster the collegiate atmosphere. Additionally, Robertson Stadium is FREE, unlike Reliant Stadium, where Bob McNair will have his hands in all of the revenue streams that he can. It is also time for people to realize that the $360 million that McNair conned out of us did not build a multi-purpose venue. It is useful for NFL football, maybe a bowl game, and little else. It is simply too big and expensive to operate for any event other than the corporate sponsored NFL to play in.I wholeheartedly support UH football at Robertson. The buzz at the stdium and around campus is much louder than it would be playing at the cavernous Reliant off campus. SMU did the same thing (though they still are not a very good team). I understand the lead times involved force these discussions early on, even though they just had their first sellout. I hope that an expansion/renovation of the original stadium will be feasible, because I like the look of the old stadium. Hopefully, they can come up with a way to blend old and new to get capacity up to 45,000 to 50,000. That would be all they need.BTW, football stadium funds do not come from the university. They are raised from boosters and alumni. They would not be redirected from the athletic department to Tier 1 improvements, regardless whether a new stadium is built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Research the reasons that they moved back to Robertson in the first place. The athletic department wanted to play football back on campus. They wanted to get alumni and fans reconnected with the school. Playing football in an NFL style stadium several miles from campus does not foster the collegiate atmosphere. Additionally, Robertson Stadium is FREE, unlike Reliant Stadium, where Bob McNair will have his hands in all of the revenue streams that he can. It is also time for people to realize that the $360 million that McNair conned out of us did not build a multi-purpose venue. It is useful for NFL football, maybe a bowl game, and little else. It is simply too big and expensive to operate for any event other than the corporate sponsored NFL to play in.That is what I most despise about public funding for stadiums. We give away free stadiums and still pay small fortunes for tickets which are funneled to millionaire players and the stadium is the team's, not the city's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 A new addition to Robertson stadium and the next UH parking garage are going to break ground by next fall. Tech was just one game, and we're still in C-USA for crying out loud. As of now, I say Robertson gets the job done. We don't need a new stadium unless we move into a "Big boy" conference.Tech was just one game but OKstate makes TWO games and they were ranked number FIVE and they beat them at THEIR place. UH is on the map, as of now. They just need to keep on winning. What they did was no little accomplishment.Other than that, you're probably right.I just say keep winning until they warrant a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 That is what I most despise about public funding for stadiums. We give away free stadiums and still pay small fortunes for tickets which are funneled to millionaire players and the stadium is the team's, not the city's.Actually, the money is funneled to Billionaire team owners (who coincidentally are big contributors to Club For Growth, which opposes big government spending and welfare), but your point is still taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 Why can't they play at Reliant? Climate-controlled, NFL-class facility with plenty of available dates. Will be connected by light rail to the campus in just a few years. No parking problems. Take the money saved and plow it into other improvements to go for Tier 1 status.Besides Red's comments, I personally would not want a college game played the day before the Texans. It would be bad for the grass and the Texans and frankly, although I am totally on the UH bandwagon, I care much more about the Texans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Besides Red's comments, I personally would not want a college game played the day before the Texans. It would be bad for the grass and the Texans and frankly, although I am totally on the UH bandwagon, I care much more about the Texans. You need to adjust your priorities because the Texans are eternally doomed and the Cougars have a long shot at the crown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieEric Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I watched a good UH team play at Robertson last year and it was pretty d$mn empty. One sell out doesn't warrant an expansion, let alone a new stadium... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Red, thanks for the factual reply. You are right on the money with your response. I was reading the other comments and about to type up a diatribe...Fact is, the idea of renovating/adding to/building new stadium did not just come up this weekend after a couple of big wins. It's been discussed and planned for years. In fact, we had half the money for a $30 million end zone facility raised and plans underway earlier this year...but a change in academic and athletic administrations caused a second look at that plan. Reading the comments here, I don't understand the opposition to UH renovating its own stadium with funds from its own alumni. It's not like we're going to get tax money from City or County...unlike the new Dynamo stadium, Reliant, Toyota Center, BallparkatUnionStation/EnronField/AstrosField/MinuteMaidPark, or the Astrodome. That said, the original structure was publicly financed...it's a 1941 WPA project.The reasons for renovating/expanding are not to add a lot of seating, but to enhance what we've already got. We've got 32,000 seats with amazing sight lines, but we also have antiquated bathrooms and concessions, amazingly bad "suites" and an embarrasing press box. The focus would be to bring the stadium up to modern standards.The renovate vs. new debate is a common one, as many homeowners know. Do we live with and work around the constraints of the existing stadium or just start fresh with no constraints? My personal preference, like Red's, would be to renovate what we've got. I love the Art Deco design, and hope that gets saved. I also think the fact that it's a WPA project is significant and makes the structure worth saving too.For those that mention Reliant as a possibility...you haven't attended a college game there. It's pretty poor for a college game. We've played three regular season games there, and we're not treated well by the Reliant folks. Remember the Bayou Bucket game there when Reliant had only two ticket booths open? Fans were still in line for tickets at halftime. F--- Reliant. Robertson is our home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFlinch Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I say they should build a new stadium, but keep the old one too. They should play in both, with their win/loss record determining specific game sites. If they win a game, they get to play in the new modern facility the next time. If they lose... Robertson. If they lose twice in a row... they can play at Nimitz Stadium in Aldine. Three losses in a row will put them on a Pop Warner field somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I say they should build a new stadium, but keep the old one too. They should play in both, with their win/loss record determining specific game sites. If they win a game, they get to play in the new modern facility the next time. If they lose... Robertson. If they lose twice in a row... they can play at Nimitz Stadium in Aldine. Three losses in a row will put them on a Pop Warner field somewhere.I don't know about that...but if the BCS system is going to stay in place, I would certainly like to see a relegation/promotion system in college football. Big XII would promote Houston, relegate Baylor to CUSA.ACC would promote East Carolina, relegate Duke to CUSA.SEC would promote Southern Miss and relegate Mississippi State to CUSA.As a UH fan I understand that teams go through some tough times...make a couple bad hires in a row and you've just lost 10 years. But there are too many BCS teams that have NEVER done anything...but still get that BCS $$$ every year. The BCS conference payouts average about 10x the non-BCS conference payouts every year. That's a tough obstacle to overcome for a non-BCS school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 a vintage downtown for the recent UH fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Judah Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 The rumor is that U of H is going to demolish the stadium and build a new "super stadium" (w/a new parking garage) in its place.U of H needs to construct more winning seasons first. Only then will this plan make sense. Otherwise it will be like Rice Stadium -- a "super stadium" that is always empty.Edit: They should also sell out the stadium for at least a few years. At a certain point they can make the students pay for tickets (instead of just getting in free w/an ID) and see if the attendance keeps up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyle Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 The idea isn't to create a giant stadium. It's to create a nicer stadium with better amenities and slightly more seats to impress recruits, retain coaches, and position themselves for the next conference re-alignment. Anyone who's actually been to Robertson knows that the seats and sight lines are great, but the amenities are severely lacking. We're talking about a 75 year old WPA project here. When the football team moved back to campus from the Dome, they never intended on keeping Robertson the way it was. They've made some improvements, but it's time for the next iteration of upgrades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 U of H needs to construct more winning seasons first. Only then will this plan make sense. Otherwise it will be like Rice Stadium -- a "super stadium" that is always empty.Or like the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Judah Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Or like the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium.True, I heard they almost got blacked out on opening night. On the other hand, there was this:http://www.star-telegram.com/arlington_news/story/1626975.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
111R Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 A new stadium at Cullen and 45 should be the way to go. Involve the Dynamo and it's two birds, one stone.Go Coogs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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