Sunday, July 3, 2016

FSU athletic facility upgrades in the works

On a side note, the Champions Club was an $85 Million project, not a $50 Million one. 

Note the $200-$400 Million estimate to finish  Doak renovations.  This is JUST football stadium renovations.  FSU fans are often dismissive about conference revenue gaps, the negative impact of 9 game schedules, and Tobacco Road's control over FSU football.  But these are the same fans that go ballistic over moderate booster increases as well. 

If this blind trust in John Swofford's leadership does not pay off, these same boosters will be counted on to cover HUGE debt collections in the future.  I hope it works out for FSU. 


http://floridastate.247sports.com/Bolt/Further-renovations-in-the-plans-for-Doak-46071235

A major priority of Wilcox's tenure has been improvements to most of the university's athletic facilities. The most ambitious is a renovation of Doak Campbell Stadium set to be completed before the start of the season. The $50 million project adds the Champions Club to the south end zone along with a new scoreboard in the north end; new ribbon boards and a sound system; new restrooms in the concourse; and structural improvements to the bowl area.
The stadium renovations are just the first phase. In an interview with The Associated Press, Wilcox said that plans to renovate the rest of the stadium are in the preliminary stages, but that those could run $200 to $400 million.
"You are always going to be in the facilities business along with recruiting," Wilcox said. "Student-athletes are savvy consumers. When they go around and do their visits, they are seeing what everyone is doing. They want to see where they are going to play, practice, eat and live. That is why we have upgraded all of the locker rooms."

"Some speculation of further additions both inside and outside the stadium. Outside would be the potential of a hotel or conference center attached (helping to further make it a year-round facility). Inside would be extending club seating down the sides further."

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/2016/07/02/fsus-stan-wilcox-prioritizing-next-wave-athletic-facility-improvements/86640388/

"Currently, renovations to Doak Campbell Stadium and the Tucker Civic Center are underway to help improve the experience for the student athletes, coaches and personnel, and fans who will attend football and basketball games in the future.
Wilcox also has a lengthy list of future projects on the agenda “we’ve got to figure out how to prioritize and get done,” he told the Tallahassee Democrat during an interview on Wednesday.
Among them:
•Adding more academic support services space for several sports, including the football team, which saw its new players’ lounge completed earlier this year.
•New seating to the lower bowl of Doak Campbell Stadium, along with high-definition video scoreboards and improved amenities like renovated restrooms.
•Renovating Tully Gym, or creating a new venue for FSU’s volleyball team and a new facility for FSU’s Olympics sports, like track & field and swimming/diving, to have a dedicated strength and conditioning area.
•Brand new scoreboards for baseball in Dick Howser Stadium, softball in JoAnne Graf Field, Mike Long Track, and the Seminole Soccer Complex, in addition to covered areas for Seminoles fans to sit under during softball and soccer games.
Before Wilcox can shift the focus to these undertakings, several projects around campus must be completed first.

•The Seminoles will debut the Champions Club addition in the south end zone of Doak Campbell during a home opener against Charleston Southern on Sept. 10. A new sound system and ribbon boards will also be in place for this season.
•The men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms in the Tucker Civic Center are scheduled to be completed in December. A players’ lounge and coaches’ offices above the locker rooms would be next on the agenda. Whether or not the Basketball Training Center will also be renovated will be addressed in the future, Wilcox said.
FSU has spent nearly $12 million on new seats, a new scoreboard and sound system among other improvements to the Tucker Center. New locker rooms and team support areas for football, soccer, softball and beach volleyball have also been completed during Wilcox’s tenure.
Despite not having a timeline in place, Wilcox remains in constant discussions within the athletic program and Seminole Boosters, Inc. to raise funds and generate additional revenue streams to see these improvements come to fruition.
“There isn’t probably one of our venues where there isn’t something we need to do,” Wilcox said with a lighthearted laugh. “But those are things that we have on the horizon.”

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