New turf at the Alerus

[PhillySioux]

Hal Gershman was on with Tim H this AM. Today is the day UND will propose their number in support of the turf project. Gershman seemed unconcerned and was confident that UND would be "very fair."

[gfhockey]

UND commited 2 million

1 million up front and atleast hundred grand a year for ten years

Grandstrand wanted to vote it down. Gershman was trying to talk sense in him. Got kind of heated but in the end finally got passsed with even bjerke voting it a go and grandstrand the only disenting vote. Grandstrand was pretty annoying in this whole debate. If he ran a busines he would prolly fail. He needs to learn how to make quality decision and not quantity

Also UND tacked on 2 more years to there lease and is going to a good faith in having more events there

[Cratter]

What was Grandstand complaining about? He wanted more money from UND? Does he not realize UND could give zero if they really wanted to.

[gfhockey]

he wanted to know how much money they were going to make on a best case worst case average case scenario with und football. also wanted to know why und couldnt give the whoel 2 million now becsause 1 million 10 years from now isnt worth 1 million today with inflaation

its damn near impossible to predict

Guess they do average 40-50k per game in profit

[gfhockey]

Gershman pretty much shut him up in giving an example about how UND is a tennant and they pay to rent it.

And as the leasee, they have the obligationg to keep the tennant happy.

Kinda like apartment renovations. gotta keep the tenant happy if they are going to keep renting

[nodak651]

So when can we expect to see a sketch of what this new turf will look like? Very excited! Anyone have an idea?

[bincitysioux]

I'd say that is quite generous of UND to pay for half the cost of this project. There are probably 5-6 UND football games played there each season, and then 5-6 high school football games played each season. So they are paying 50% of the cost, using it 50% of the time, and then also generating somewhere in the neighborhood of 80-90% of the revenue for the Alerus as far as it being a football venue when you factor in Suite sales, facility rent, concessions, parking fees. etc............................

I honestly thought their contribution would be alot less than $2 million.

However, they've proved to be a good partner for the city when you consider this and the money they put into Kraft Field which houses a dead-end money losing sport for the University.

We know from putting this type of turf at Memorial Stadium that the cost of the turf itself is between $600,000 and $700,000. So UND is picking up a substantial cost of making the turf "portable", something that they could probably care less about................

[gfhockey]

Cost of turf was actually 2.7 millions. The other 1.3~ was to change the pit

[SIOUXFAN97]

since UND is paying so much of this (when they don't have to) hopefully they have final say on how the design of the field looks like...i thinks its geuixsioux that put up what it should look like and hopefully it looks a lot like what he came up with. the current field is as ugly as anything in any level of football...

[UND1983]

What Tyrone Grandstrand needs to realize is that the Alerus Center, in 2001 when the building was built, agreed to install new turf after 10 years on their own dime. They failed to meet that deadline last year (2011) because of incompetent management.

So instead of paying all 3.9 million dollars they only have to pay 1.9 million. Not a bad deal.

[PhillySioux]

What Tyrone Grandstrand needs to realize is that the Alerus Center, in 2001 when the building was built, agreed to install new turf after 10 years on their own dime. They failed to meet that deadline last year (2011) because of incompetent management.

So instead of paying all 3.9 million dollars they only have to pay 1.9 million. Not a bad deal.

Eh, he's running for Mayor.

I suspect he's gunning for a mention on SAB.

[UND92,96]

What Tyrone Grandstrand needs to realize is that the Alerus Center, in 2001 when the building was built, agreed to install new turf after 10 years on their own dime. They failed to meet that deadline last year (2011) because of incompetent management.

So instead of paying all 3.9 million dollars they only have to pay 1.9 million. Not a bad deal.

I expected a bit more from a former UND student body president. It sounds like he just enjoys being contrarian. That attitude probably isn't going to help him in his mayoral bid.

[Hayduke]

Dang right you guys are all short sighted! Boise State went from junior college to to 4 year to the Big Sky in athletics in 1978 and have now joined the Big East in FBS.

From wikipedia:

As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 616,561. The metro area is currently the third largest in the Northwestern United States after Seattle and Portland. It is the 86th largest metropolitan area in the United States overall.

and:

Two counties make up the metropolitan area – Grand Forks County in North Dakota and Polk County in Minnesota. As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 98,461.^[1]

Bottom line: Boise could do it because of the market. UND cannot.

[geaux_sioux]

From wikipedia:

As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 616,561. The metro area is currently the third largest in the Northwestern United States after Seattle and Portland. It is the 86th largest metropolitan area in the United States overall.

and:

Two counties make up the metropolitan area – Grand Forks County in North Dakota and Polk County in Minnesota. As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 98,461.^[1]

Bottom line: Boise could do it because of the market. UND cannot.

Clemson SC, population 42,199. Football stadium seats over 80,000.

[GeauxSioux]

Clemson SC, population 42,199. Football stadium seats over 80,000.

A long the same line, a place that kind of reminds me of UND/Grand Forks is Hattiesburg MS, home of Southern Miss. City population is 52,000 and metro is about 150,000.

Their enrollment is a bit larger at 18,000. I have been past "The Rock" many times. Pretty neat place.

[UND Fan]

A long the same line, a place that kind of reminds me of UND/Grand Forks is Hattiesburg MS, home of Southern Miss. City population is 52,000 and metro is about 150,000. Their enrollment is a bit larger at 18,000. I have been past "The Rock" many times. Pretty neat place.

Two factors that need to be considered when making these types of comparisons:

1) The population within a 300 mile radius of the school

2) The last two comparisons were to established football schools in the South where FB is king! Additionally. you need to factor in the number of opposing team fans who travel to attend away games. That is a huge number in the South!

[darell1976]

A long the same line, a place that kind of reminds me of UND/Grand Forks is Hattiesburg MS, home of Southern Miss. City population is 52,000 and metro is about 150,000.

Their enrollment is a bit larger at 18,000. I have been past "The Rock" many times. Pretty neat place.

My dream of what Memorial Stadium should look like!!!

[82SiouxGuy]

Two factors that need to be considered when making these types of comparisons:

1) The population within a 300 mile radius of the school

2) The last two comparisons were to established football schools in the South where FB is king! Additionally. you need to factor in the number of opposing team fans who travel to attend away games. That is a huge number in the South!

Population within 325 miles of Grand Forks is over 2 million. That includes Minneapolis-St. Paul and Winnipeg. So that population determination has some relevance, but isn't going to be the whole story either.

[Bison Dan]

Seems like UND is paying more than it's fair share for the new turf. They must have dictated which turf to purchase. Anyone have any idea where the money is coming from? Alumni assoc.?

[bincitysioux]

UND agrees to pay more than half of $3.83 million cost/

UND has also agreed to extend by 10 years its usage agreement for the Alerus Center, which is owned by the city of Grand Forks.

City Attorney Howard Swanson said that he wanted to rewrite agreement to make it more understandable and would contact UND.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or a lawyer to look at it and say, ‘Huh?’” he said, adding that the revision would not change the conditions of the document. “It’s just an odd agreement.”

UND Athletic Director Brian Faison agreed that the document should be clearer.

[UNDColorado]

I'm not sure where the money is coming from but a moot point to me because new turf was long overdue. Don't you guys still use the astro turf? Has there been talk about NDSU getting better turf?

[darell1976]

I'm not sure where the money is coming from but a moot point to me because new turf was long overdue. Don't you guys still use the astro turf? Has there been talk about NDSU getting better turf?

http://www.kfgo.com/fm-headline-news.php?ID=0000006379

The $1 million partnership will help make possible the installation of new Astroturf GameDay Grass 3DH Stadium Surfacing football field turf, which will be installed in June of 2012.

[Hayduke]

Clemson SC, population 42,199. Football stadium seats over 80,000.

Good point. But, warmer weather, more people in the surrounding area. The culture is football down there.

Ours is hockey. We do well with hockey. We do well at our level of football. I say we get better at the FCS level before even thinking of FBS.

[dakotadan]

I believe that UND agreed to extend their contract 2 years to make it a 10 year contract. That way they cover the 10 year expected life of the field.

[Siouxperfan7]

I believe that UND agreed to extend their contract 2 years to make it a 10 year contract. That way they cover the 10 year expected life of the field.

So that means that the NEW Memorial Stadium should be completed in 2022, right after the lease with the Alerus expires!! Can't wait!!