Profiles in Hope: Stegeman Renovation Update

On Sunday, the Athens Banner Herald posted updated renderings of what Stegeman Coliseum will look like after the renovations are completed this November (Image: ABH). The interior look and feel of the concourses is dramatically more impressive than I anticipated. Lee Shearer has the story which you may have missed because it appears to have been filed online under News instead of dogbytes or basketball.

Check the PDF...it doesn't look like the same facilities inside the concourses. As for the interior seating area, it hasn't been the problem for several years. The problem was the coaches and the product they put on the court for far too many years.

I'm thrilled to know that we're going to have an updated facility in time for this season.

PWD

Uncle Boone Beholds the Magnificence He Bought

T. Boone isn't concerned about being the biggest, just the best. After donating around $250 million to OSU athletics, he finally toured the facilities upgrades he paid for, which include his own ventilated locker (it keeps the stench of rotting money from disturbing the players). T. Boone's locker is right next to the locker of Sherman Smith, another old rich guy who really wants to hang out with the football team.

Do any of our boosters have lockers? I understand that for $250 mil we'd likely give a donor whatever they wanted, but it's still odd. Isn't it a bit creepy that big money donors can come in, sit in their lockers and watch the team change clothes before the game?

The facilities upgrades are impressive, by any measure. We've heard a lot during the offseason that the game with the Pokes will be the first in the completed T. Boone Pickens stadium, but that's a bit deceiving. Most of the upgrades were in the training and meeting facilities in the building attached to the stadium. As I understand it, the spectator won't notice much of a change from last year. I guess Uncle Boone feels like his money is being well spent, but I expected more wind turbines.

See Also:
-- Stillwater Travel Info - Georgia Sports Blog

Quinton

Is Foley Field Worthy of the Dawgs?

The Diamond Dawgs swept last weekend's baseball series with Mississippi State in front of record crowds at Foley Field.   Originally constructed in 1966 and refurbished in 1990, Foley Field currently seats an official capacity of 3,291, the second smallest in the SEC.  Only UK is smaller.  Despite it's small size, the facility held crowds of 3,876 Friday night, 4,461 Saturday (the largest crowd in Foley Field history), and 3,689 Sunday.  Those crowds broke the all-time attendance record for a weekend series.  Clearly, demand for UGA baseball is at an all-time high.  And it should be.  Very few programs have performed like UGA in the last ten years.  So, isn't it time to expand Foley Field?

We've mentioned, albeit briefly, that a new Foley Field is included in the athletic facility master plan. The master plan, though, is a long range wish list.  It's projects are aspirational over the next ten to fifteen years.  The plan advances two alternative designs for a new Foley Field.  The first would involve a completely new structure, rotating the field so that home plate would be moved to the present right field.  This plan would present two significant changes: 1) present a more aesthetic view beyond the outfield wall, with the Rankin Smith Center and Stegeman as the view beyond the batter's eye, and 2) eliminate the view from Kudzu Hill, the most unique aspect of Foley Field.  I'd rather keep the kudzu.  

A second alternative is presented in the master plan that maintains the existing structure and simply adds seating all the way down the outfield lines.   This alternative was presented without comment, so I'm at a loss on details, but it has to be less expensive.  Because it's less expensive and would preserve the charm and beauty of the existing setting, I like the second alternative.  Depending on how the additional seating is planned, we could also add additional baseball specific facilities under the new stands, like offices, weights, or batting cages.

This season, three SEC teams have new or refurbished baseball facilities. Six other schools have new digs, too.  (Baseball America put together this slick review of all the new stadiums.)  

• Ole Miss refurbished Oxford-University Stadium for an estimated $18 million.  Their expansion looks a lot like what the second alternative of the master plan would look like.  The Rebs added a bunch of seats down the lines and redid their entire stadium facade.  
• LSU built a new Alex Box Stadium, expanding from 7,760 seats to 9,200.  The Tigers have led the nation in attendance for several years now, so an expanded stadium makes perfect sense for them.  They added 288 luxury boxes, too. 
• And, South Carolina built an absolute palace for an estimated $38 million.  It is a seemingly self-contained baseball shrine, with built-in batting tunnels, weight room, media rooms, and athletic training facilities.  It also has luxury boxes.  LSU and Carolina's new digs make Foley Field look even more like a little league park when compared with the rest of the conference.

Look, I'm not demanding that Damon unveil the best facility in the country, although that would be great.  What we need is increased capacity so we don't leave ticket revenue on the table.  UGA already has a renovation plan that preserves Kudzu Hill and shouldn't cost as much as building a plush, new AAA-equivalent ballpark like LSU and Carolina.  Let's advance the plan.  

Coach Perno continues to coach and recruit at a high level.  The program looks like its on a solid foundation for years to come.  Let's build a facility worthy of such a program.

Quinton

Is Foley Field Worthy of the Dawgs?

The Diamond Dawgs swept last weekend's baseball series with Mississippi State in front of record crowds at Foley Field.   Originally constructed in 1966 and refurbished in 1990, Foley Field currently seats an official capacity of 3,291, the second smallest in the SEC.  Only UK is smaller.  Despite it's small size, the facility held crowds of 3,876 Friday night, 4,461 Saturday (the largest crowd in Foley Field history), and 3,689 Sunday.  Those crowds broke the all-time attendance record for a weekend series.  Clearly, demand for UGA baseball is at an all-time high.  And it should be.  Very few programs have performed like UGA in the last ten years.  So, isn't it time to expand Foley Field?

We've mentioned, albeit briefly, that a new Foley Field is included in the athletic facility master plan. The master plan, though, is a long range wish list.  It's projects are aspirational over the next ten to fifteen years.  The plan advances two alternative designs for a new Foley Field.  The first would involve a completely new structure, rotating the field so that home plate would be moved to the present right field.  This plan would present two significant changes: 1) present a more aesthetic view beyond the outfield wall, with the Rankin Smith Center and Stegeman as the view beyond the batter's eye, and 2) eliminate the view from Kudzu Hill, the most unique aspect of Foley Field.  I'd rather keep the kudzu.  

A second alternative is presented in the master plan that maintains the existing structure and simply adds seating all the way down the outfield lines.   This alternative was presented without comment, so I'm at a loss on details, but it has to be less expensive.  Because it's less expensive and would preserve the charm and beauty of the existing setting, I like the second alternative.  Depending on how the additional seating is planned, we could also add additional baseball specific facilities under the new stands, like offices, weights, or batting cages.

This season, three SEC teams have new or refurbished baseball facilities. Six other schools have new digs, too.  (Baseball America put together this slick review of all the new stadiums.)  

• Ole Miss refurbished Oxford-University Stadium for an estimated $18 million.  Their expansion looks a lot like what the second alternative of the master plan would look like.  The Rebs added a bunch of seats down the lines and redid their entire stadium facade.  
• LSU built a new Alex Box Stadium, expanding from 7,760 seats to 9,200.  The Tigers have led the nation in attendance for several years now, so an expanded stadium makes perfect sense for them.  They added 288 luxury boxes, too. 
• And, South Carolina built an absolute palace for an estimated $38 million.  It is a seemingly self-contained baseball shrine, with built-in batting tunnels, weight room, media rooms, and athletic training facilities.  It also has luxury boxes.  LSU and Carolina's new digs make Foley Field look even more like a little league park when compared with the rest of the conference.

Look, I'm not demanding that Damon unveil the best facility in the country, although that would be great.  What we need is increased capacity so we don't leave ticket revenue on the table.  UGA already has a renovation plan that preserves Kudzu Hill and shouldn't cost as much as building a plush, new AAA-equivalent ballpark like LSU and Carolina.  Let's advance the plan.  

Coach Perno continues to coach and recruit at a high level.  The program looks like its on a solid foundation for years to come.  Let's build a facility worthy of such a program.

Quinton

Georgia Athletics to post another $20 million excess

Proposed New Butts-Mehre Accessory

With the global financial markets wildly out of whack and unemployment on the rise, Americans are cutting back across the board. This is most certainly the "rainy day" that our grandparents warned us to save for. Apparently the Athletic Department has one big ass umbrella, as our cash reserves will exceed $60 million at the end of this fiscal year according to the Athens Banner Herald. (Image: A Cool Friday)

That's almost enough cash on hand to go an entire year without selling a single ticket. If you're a Hartman Donor, the above link is a must read.

My Reaction:

• According to the article, the Athletic Department is giving back $2 million per year to the University for academic endeavors. Given the AD's financial position and the struggling financials of the University, that's a no brainer politically and fiscally.
  
  
• How in the world does the Butts-Mehre Expansion cost $40 million? A year ago it was projected to cost $34 million. I thought the price of construction projects had fallen over the past year as vendors became more desperate for work? (Note: That facility will be a big time boost in recruiting. Particularly the rehabilitation areas for injured players. More on that later.)
  
  
• I like that we have enough cash on hand to go a year without selling tickets. In this economy, that beats the pants off the finances of most athletic departments. It means we can invest when everyone else is cutting back. Damon needs to leverage our strength to pull an Old Man Potter:

  "Can't you understand what's happening here? Don't you see what's happening? Potter isn't selling. Potter's buying! And why? Because we're panicky and he's not. That's why. He's picking up some bargains." - George Bailey

  Too bad we can't (legally) use some of that money to buy some kick ass pass rushing defensive ends. Or illicit payola style kickbacks for bloggers.
  
  
• How on earth did our debt ever get to $200 million. Holy crap. I'm glad to see it's back down to $100 million or so. But damn, how did it ever get so far ahead of profit?
  
  
• All of these financial projections are before ESPN/CBS's incremental new $10+ million per year clears in roughly June '10. Once we start getting that additional financial boost, we need to (A) stroke a big ass check for Stegeman renovations (B) work the debt off a lot faster and (C) start giving a lot more than $2 million to academics.

I'm proud of Georgia's financial strength. I certainly prefer our situation where we control our financial destiny vs. Georgia Tech's situation where they can't fire an obviously incompetent basketball coach because his buyout is too large.

HOWEVER, I would not be supportive of price hikes in any sport given the broader economy and our overall financial position. None are planned that I'm aware of. Just saying.

By the way -- compare all of this to our academic giving. The NACUBO giving report for 2008 is out (warning large boring PDF), and UGA Academics continue to show unimpressive endowment growth*. Even counting the Arch Foundation giving, we continue to slip behind our academic peers financially. (ht - Inside the Sprawl)

Your reaction?

See Also:
-- Tech's bang for the buck - Get the Picture

PWD


* He said endowment. Chuckle.

Georgia Athletics to post another $20 million excess

Proposed New Butts-Mehre Accessory

With the global financial markets wildly out of whack and unemployment on the rise, Americans are cutting back across the board. This is most certainly the "rainy day" that our grandparents warned us to save for. Apparently the Athletic Department has one big ass umbrella, as our cash reserves will exceed $60 million at the end of this fiscal year according to the Athens Banner Herald. (Image: A Cool Friday)

That's almost enough cash on hand to go an entire year without selling a single ticket. If you're a Hartman Donor, the above link is a must read.

My Reaction:

• According to the article, the Athletic Department is giving back $2 million per year to the University for academic endeavors. Given the AD's financial position and the struggling financials of the University, that's a no brainer politically and fiscally.
  
  
• How in the world does the Butts-Mehre Expansion cost $40 million? A year ago it was projected to cost $34 million. I thought the price of construction projects had fallen over the past year as vendors became more desperate for work? (Note: That facility will be a big time boost in recruiting. Particularly the rehabilitation areas for injured players. More on that later.)
  
  
• I like that we have enough cash on hand to go a year without selling tickets. In this economy, that beats the pants off the finances of most athletic departments. It means we can invest when everyone else is cutting back. Damon needs to leverage our strength to pull an Old Man Potter:

  "Can't you understand what's happening here? Don't you see what's happening? Potter isn't selling. Potter's buying! And why? Because we're panicky and he's not. That's why. He's picking up some bargains." - George Bailey

  Too bad we can't (legally) use some of that money to buy some kick ass pass rushing defensive ends. Or illicit payola style kickbacks for bloggers.
  
  
• How on earth did our debt ever get to $200 million. Holy crap. I'm glad to see it's back down to $100 million or so. But damn, how did it ever get so far ahead of profit?
  
  
• All of these financial projections are before ESPN/CBS's incremental new $10+ million per year clears in roughly June '10. Once we start getting that additional financial boost, we need to (A) stroke a big ass check for Stegeman renovations (B) work the debt off a lot faster and (C) start giving a lot more than $2 million to academics.

I'm proud of Georgia's financial strength. I certainly prefer our situation where we control our financial destiny vs. Georgia Tech's situation where they can't fire an obviously incompetent basketball coach because his buyout is too large.

HOWEVER, I would not be supportive of price hikes in any sport given the broader economy and our overall financial position. None are planned that I'm aware of. Just saying.

By the way -- compare all of this to our academic giving. The NACUBO giving report for 2008 is out (warning large boring PDF), and UGA Academics continue to show unimpressive endowment growth*. Even counting the Arch Foundation giving, we continue to slip behind our academic peers financially. (ht - Inside the Sprawl)

Your reaction?

See Also:
-- Tech's bang for the buck - Get the Picture

PWD


* He said endowment. Chuckle.

Butts-Mehre Expansion

Speaking of the facilities arms race. As you've probably read, UGA is expanding the Butts-Mehre building. Above is another rendering I found that shows it pretty well.

PWD

Butts-Mehre Expansion

Speaking of the facilities arms race. As you've probably read, UGA is expanding the Butts-Mehre building. Above is another rendering I found that shows it pretty well.

PWD

Sanford Stadium and Stegeman Coliseum Costs?

Ever wonder what Sanford Stadium actual cost UGA once you factor in all the renovations and then adjust for inflation? You probably haven't thought about it, but it intrigued me.

I started goofing around the cybertubes until I found an Inflation Calculator*. The site adjusts any given amount of money for inflation, according to the Consumer Price Index, from 1800 to 2007.

I researched all the significant upgrades to Sanford Stadium and Stegeman Coliseum listed on Georgiadogs.com and other sources. Then I totaled the original expenses vs. the value adjusted for inflation.

It's not an attempt to compare what it would cost to build these facilities today. The cost of construction materials has exploded such that a comparison of that variety would need to be made by looking at recent peer investments. It's more of a discussion related to what that investment means in 2007 dollars**.

Sanford Stadium	Year	Cost	Inflation Adjusted
Original Structure	1929	$ 360,000	$ 4,321,237
Double Deck Both Sides	1967	$ 3,000,000	$ 18,440,513
Enclosed East Endzone	1981	$ 11,500,000	$ 25,917,591
Installed Lights	1982	$ 1,000,000	$ 2,122,131
Letterman's Club (East End)	1984	$ 386,390	$ 761,788
West End Lower Bowl	1991	$ 3,700,000	$ 5,566,676
Sky Suites	1994	$ 6,000,000	$ 8,293,229
Sky Suites Addition	2000	$ 12,000,000	$ 14,318,151
North 3rd Deck (600 level)	2003	$ 25,000,000	$ 28,137,004
North Sky Suites Under 600 level	2004	$ 8,000,000	$ 8,716,206
Sanford Total:		$ 70,946,390	$ 116,594,527
Stegeman Coliseum
Original Structure	1964	$ 4,200,000	$ 27,800,508
Reseating and A/C (Pre-Olympics)	1996	$ 3,000,000	$ 3,927,648
Lighting, Lockers, Sound, Etc.*	2001	$ 2,500,000	$ 2,935,973
Practice Facility	2007	$ 30,000,000	$ 30,000,000
Stegeman Total:		$ 39,700,000	$ 64,664,129

So what conclusions do I draw from all of this? Well...

• Damn Good Deal - That initial 1929 investment in Sanford Stadium was one hell of a deal. Even with all the add-ons and adjusting for inflation, it's a steal at $116.5 million.
  
• We Ignored Hoops - There was no significant investment in Stegeman from 1964 until 1996. If you want to know why our b-ball program has faced such an up hill climb, that's it. Dooley simply ignored it. Within months of taking over, Damon signed off on the practice facility which adjusted for inflation is almost equal to all other b-ball investments in our 100 year history.

Just something that interested me.

PWD

*This was a staggered investment over a series of years.
**The site I used didn't have 2008 data.

Sanford Stadium and Stegeman Coliseum Costs?

Ever wonder what Sanford Stadium actual cost UGA once you factor in all the renovations and then adjust for inflation? You probably haven't thought about it, but it intrigued me.

I started goofing around the cybertubes until I found an Inflation Calculator*. The site adjusts any given amount of money for inflation, according to the Consumer Price Index, from 1800 to 2007.

I researched all the significant upgrades to Sanford Stadium and Stegeman Coliseum listed on Georgiadogs.com and other sources. Then I totaled the original expenses vs. the value adjusted for inflation.

It's not an attempt to compare what it would cost to build these facilities today. The cost of construction materials has exploded such that a comparison of that variety would need to be made by looking at recent peer investments. It's more of a discussion related to what that investment means in 2007 dollars**.

Sanford Stadium	Year	Cost	Inflation Adjusted
Original Structure	1929	$ 360,000	$ 4,321,237
Double Deck Both Sides	1967	$ 3,000,000	$ 18,440,513
Enclosed East Endzone	1981	$ 11,500,000	$ 25,917,591
Installed Lights	1982	$ 1,000,000	$ 2,122,131
Letterman's Club (East End)	1984	$ 386,390	$ 761,788
West End Lower Bowl	1991	$ 3,700,000	$ 5,566,676
Sky Suites	1994	$ 6,000,000	$ 8,293,229
Sky Suites Addition	2000	$ 12,000,000	$ 14,318,151
North 3rd Deck (600 level)	2003	$ 25,000,000	$ 28,137,004
North Sky Suites Under 600 level	2004	$ 8,000,000	$ 8,716,206
Sanford Total:		$ 70,946,390	$ 116,594,527
Stegeman Coliseum
Original Structure	1964	$ 4,200,000	$ 27,800,508
Reseating and A/C (Pre-Olympics)	1996	$ 3,000,000	$ 3,927,648
Lighting, Lockers, Sound, Etc.*	2001	$ 2,500,000	$ 2,935,973
Practice Facility	2007	$ 30,000,000	$ 30,000,000
Stegeman Total:		$ 39,700,000	$ 64,664,129

So what conclusions do I draw from all of this? Well...

• Damn Good Deal - That initial 1929 investment in Sanford Stadium was one hell of a deal. Even with all the add-ons and adjusting for inflation, it's a steal at $116.5 million.
  
• We Ignored Hoops - There was no significant investment in Stegeman from 1964 until 1996. If you want to know why our b-ball program has faced such an up hill climb, that's it. Dooley simply ignored it. Within months of taking over, Damon signed off on the practice facility which adjusted for inflation is almost equal to all other b-ball investments in our 100 year history.

Just something that interested me.

PWD

*This was a staggered investment over a series of years.
**The site I used didn't have 2008 data.

Stegeman Renovation Rumblings?

Last night on the Dennis Felton Call-in Show on WSB 750 am, Coach Felton was asked about our facilities plan for Stegeman Coliseum. There was first talk about the $30 million practice facility, and then the discussion moved to renovating Stegeman.

First Felton mentioned the new premium concessions area in the arena. If memory serves, it's located near Section F. Felton tried to talk that up, but it sounded like he really wanted to just jump ahead and get to the issue. So he rather uncomfortably spilled the beans that (paraphrase as I understood it):

"Damon Evans wants to renovate Stegeman sooner rather than later. He's possibly looking at the Spring or Summer to begin renovating Stegeman. Depending on funding and other other things."

The plan to renovate Stegeman isn't "news." The new Master Plan for Athletic Facilities was revealed in September, and the high-level plan makes an enormous amount of sense. However, the initial plan made no mention of an estimated start date for any of what looks to be $150-300 million in facilities across the athletic department. If we get started in 2009, that would be at least one year earlier than I would've guessed.

The fundamental problem with Stegeman isn't the seating area. That issue has been slowly resolved over the past decade via new seating, lighting, scoreboards, etc. However, the concourses, concessions, restrooms and facade are depressingly out of date. The facade is particularly dated. The new plan addresses these issues.

Felton's comments alone would only be marginally interesting. However, Damon Evans discussed facility improvements with David Hale in Part 3 of his interview series.

Hale: What are some of the projects you're excited about in the coming year?

Evans: There may be some facilities that could come along, but I don't want to say anything definite because there are things that need board approval. We just completed a master plan that looks at a comprehensive study of all of our physical facilities, and we may be able to start some of those things. The economy is tough, so I want to be mindful of that. But what I want Georgia people to know is that, while there are things that are going to change, what I want them to see coming is that we're going to work harder this year.

Those comments were immediately following a discussion of expectations for basketball and Coach Felton's future. Maybe I'm just being overly hopeful and reading too many tea leaves. But...renovating Stegeman Coliseum is the single biggest opportunity for facility improvement on the table in Athens in my opinion.

If we have to go shopping for a new coach this off season, having designs, budgets and a time line for stadium renovations in hand will make that search dramatically easier and more effective.

PWD

Stegeman Renovation Rumblings?

Last night on the Dennis Felton Call-in Show on WSB 750 am, Coach Felton was asked about our facilities plan for Stegeman Coliseum. There was first talk about the $30 million practice facility, and then the discussion moved to renovating Stegeman.

First Felton mentioned the new premium concessions area in the arena. If memory serves, it's located near Section F. Felton tried to talk that up, but it sounded like he really wanted to just jump ahead and get to the issue. So he rather uncomfortably spilled the beans that (paraphrase as I understood it):

"Damon Evans wants to renovate Stegeman sooner rather than later. He's possibly looking at the Spring or Summer to begin renovating Stegeman. Depending on funding and other other things."

The plan to renovate Stegeman isn't "news." The new Master Plan for Athletic Facilities was revealed in September, and the high-level plan makes an enormous amount of sense. However, the initial plan made no mention of an estimated start date for any of what looks to be $150-300 million in facilities across the athletic department. If we get started in 2009, that would be at least one year earlier than I would've guessed.

The fundamental problem with Stegeman isn't the seating area. That issue has been slowly resolved over the past decade via new seating, lighting, scoreboards, etc. However, the concourses, concessions, restrooms and facade are depressingly out of date. The facade is particularly dated. The new plan addresses these issues.

Felton's comments alone would only be marginally interesting. However, Damon Evans discussed facility improvements with David Hale in Part 3 of his interview series.

Hale: What are some of the projects you're excited about in the coming year?

Evans: There may be some facilities that could come along, but I don't want to say anything definite because there are things that need board approval. We just completed a master plan that looks at a comprehensive study of all of our physical facilities, and we may be able to start some of those things. The economy is tough, so I want to be mindful of that. But what I want Georgia people to know is that, while there are things that are going to change, what I want them to see coming is that we're going to work harder this year.

Those comments were immediately following a discussion of expectations for basketball and Coach Felton's future. Maybe I'm just being overly hopeful and reading too many tea leaves. But...renovating Stegeman Coliseum is the single biggest opportunity for facility improvement on the table in Athens in my opinion.

If we have to go shopping for a new coach this off season, having designs, budgets and a time line for stadium renovations in hand will make that search dramatically easier and more effective.

PWD