Facility Upgrades for DI

[star2city]

http://www.UND.edu/president/docs/MASTER%2...ENTS%20ONLY.pdf

From the DI Task Force Report, the above pdf attachment lists needed facility upgrades. Here is the list:

Track-Indoor Track/locker rooms $8 million

Track -Mem Stadium track upgrade 1

Fb - Outdoor field w/ irrigation 1

Fb- Indoor practice field turf 10

Fb- Locker room, wt room renovations 5

Soccer - seating, scorebd, lighting 1

Alerus Turf replacement 1.5

Baseball - 500 seat stadium 2.5

Softball - on campus field 1.5

Tennis (7 indoor, 6 outdoor) 5

Golf (indoor range, 18 holes) 2.5

Athletic Admin offices 3

Swimming - replacement pool 10

Total of needs / wants $ 52 million

The total for all the projects is $52 million, while Buning has suggested a $ 35 million capital improvement drive. Why the difference? First, an indoor track can almost certainly be combined with an indoor football facility. Second, a number of facilities listed would be duplicates of facilities already available in Grand Forks, such as an indoor tennis center, as well as baseball and softball fields. If UND is going to build new athletic facilities, they should either be unique to the city and/or a significant upgrade to what already exists. A $2.5 milliion baseball stadium and a $5 million tennis center would not be upgrades. Furthermore, a UND facility should be rentable to the public, just like ice time at the Ralph/Olympic arena or court time at the Betty. An indoor golf driving range and an indoor football/track facility would be unique to Grand Forks and would clearly have interested non-UND groups that would pay to use them. An 18-hole Ray Richards golf course as well as an indoor driving range has been discussed by groups like the New Horizons, so the golf option seems likely. Its also questionable where UND would find the land for some of the facilities, like an on-campus baseball stadium, softball field, or tennis complex. So, adjusting the list to delete some of the projects:

Track-Indoor Track/locker rooms $8 million

Track -Mem Stadium track upgrade 1

Fb - Outdoor field w/ irrigation 1

Fb- Indoor practice field turf 10

Fb- Locker room, wt room renovations 5

Soccer - seating, scorebd, lighting 1

Alerus Turf replacement 1.5

Baseball - 500 seat stadium 2.5

Softball - on campus field 1.5

Tennis (7 indoor, 6 outdoor) 5

Golf (indoor range, 18 holes) 2.5

Athletic Admin offices 3

Swimming - replacement pool 10

Adjusted total of needs / wants $ 35 million

The new grand total is $35 million, precisely what the capital improvement drive is slated for.

[IowaBison]

It should be noted that the facility upgrades are needed regardless of reclassification (per the task force report).

[The Sicatoka]

Baseball - 500 seat stadium 2.5

Softball - on campus field 1.5

http://siouxsports.com/forums/index.php?s=...ndpost&p=169547

[SiouxMD]

http://siouxsports.com/forums/index.php?s=...ndpost&p=169547

Without even clicking on the above link...I bet it deals with lacrosse.

(someone tell me if I am right)

[Shawn-O]

Without even clicking on the above link...I bet it deals with lacrosse.

(someone tell me if I am right)

That's a good bingo. Sicatoka, do you have anyone's ear at UND about this? I've thought it was a good idea from the get-go.

[The Sicatoka]

Without even clicking on the above link...I bet it deals with lacrosse.

(someone tell me if I am right)

Without even knowing, I'm sure you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[The Sicatoka]

Sicatoka, do you have anyone's ear at UND about this? I've thought it was a good idea from the get-go.

I've rolled it out in front of folks with "nice offices" in various key UND buildings.

Others in this thread may offer up more/other info.

[SiouxMD]

Without even knowing, I'm sure you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

I am not staying at a Holiday Inn Express ever again. Last night...they made me mow the grass, take out the garbage and walk a dog before they let me check into my room.

[The Sicatoka]

I am not staying at a Holiday Inn Express ever again. Last night...they made me mow the grass, take out the garbage and walk a dog before they let me check into my room.

But did you get ... room service ... for your efforts?

[redwing77]

Maybe this has been coverred already in the lacrosse thread, but could the old Memorial Stadium be renovated to handle both the Football requirement AND a lacrosse field?

[The Sicatoka]

Maybe this has been coverred already in the lacrosse thread, but could the old Memorial Stadium be renovated to handle both the Football requirement AND a lacrosse field?

The numbers say you could play lax in The Al. Memorial has more turf space than The Al.

[MplsBison]

Alerus Turf replacement 1.5

Are they thinking the new style synthetic grass turf?

I know some at Bisonville (including myself) are thinking the Fargodome could use some new turf. If the Alerus gets it, the Fargodome will get it.

It also seems like every DI school with a football team is getting the new style turf.

[The Sicatoka]

Are they thinking the new style synthetic grass turf?

I don't know. My question is how do you handle that when you need to "roll up" the surface for some other event in the facility? What does someplace like Metrodome do?

[dakotadan]

I don't know. My question is how do you handle that when you need to "roll up" the surface for some other event in the facility? What does someplace like Metrodome do?

I have been told before that the Metrodome's new turf is built on large interlocking pallets that are hauled in and out with forklifts. Although I am not 100% true if this is exactly true, just what I have been told before.

[RD17]

I have been told before that the Metrodome's new turf is built on large interlocking pallets that are hauled in and out with forklifts. Although I am not 100% true if this is exactly true, just what I have been told before.

I'm not exactly sure what they do at the Metrodome either but I did find an article about that system being in place at Toronto's Skydome:

SkyDome's versatility allows it to accommodate a variety of events suited for an arena, a domed stadium and an open-air facility. To ensure maximum flexibility, FieldTurf will be supplying its latest patented turf technology: a removable/convertible system. Installed in individual 6' x 12' trays that are seamlessly joined together, approximately 2,000 trays will transform the stadium playing surface in just hours.

Sounds like a lot more work than just basically rolling up the old stuff, but I think it certainly would be worth the investment, especially if UND is playing more than just football in there in the future (lacrosse ).

[MplsBison]

We were wondering about that at Bisonville too.

We also have the roll up stuff, but obviously you can't roll up the new stuff or the sand/rubber (or whatever) will fall out.

I was thinking that they just laid down plywood and a tarp on top of it.

But the tray system sounds like an easier set up.

I think every big time football dome in America has the new style turf (Ford Field, Metrodome, Georgia Dome, RCA, Edward Jones, Alamodome, etc.), so there must be a way to do it.

[MplsBison]

Why are you guys thinking Lacrosse?

The Mid Con doesn't have Lacrosse, and doing a quick check of the Mid Con schools left after Chi State and Valpo leave, none of them have Lacrosse.

In fact, looking around at other DI conferences, the Big Sky doesn't have Lacrosse and none of the BSC schools do (not even Sac State even though they have every other possible sport), the Horizon League doesn't and only Butler has Men's Lacrosse, and the Missouri Valley doens't and none of the MVC schools do.

So I'm confused as to what, exactly, adding Lacrosse will do to help UND market itself to DI conferences?

[bincitysioux]

Why are you guys thinking Lacrosse?

The Mid Con doesn't have Lacrosse, and doing a quick check of the Mid Con schools left after Chi State and Valpo leave, none of them have Lacrosse.

In fact, looking around at other DI conferences, the Big Sky doesn't have Lacrosse and none of the BSC schools do (not even Sac State even though they have every other possible sport), the Horizon League doesn't and only Butler has Men's Lacrosse, and the Missouri Valley doens't and none of the MVC schools do.

So I'm confused as to what, exactly, adding Lacrosse will do to help UND market itself to DI conferences?

We've just been tossing it around as a possible replacement for baseball/softball. Baseball just doesn't work this far north, (I think UND played around 45 games this year and 8 were at home) and UND's field leaves something to be desired. It is no Newman Outdoor Field. Larosse could be played in the Alerus in the spring and has the potential to make revenue, (at least moreso than baseball)

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

I was at the Georgia Dome for a conference last fall. From what I could tell they had left the turf down and had covered it with plywood and a tarp kind of thing. Because if you looked around the curtain blocking off the end of the field not being used, you could see the turf. And also, in corners you could see the green coming out from under the covering.

[MplsBison]

I was at the Georgia Dome for a conference last fall. From what I could tell they had left the turf down and had covered it with plywood and a tarp kind of thing. Because if you looked around the curtain blocking off the end of the field not being used, you could see the turf. And also, in corners you could see the green coming out from under the covering.

Now see, this is what I thought all the big domes did.

But to be honest, the tray system sounds way easier. All you need are a couple guys with forklifts and a place to stack the trays.

[The Sicatoka]

Why are you guys thinking Lacrosse?

The Mid Con doesn't have Lacrosse, ... the Big Sky doesn't have Lacrosse ... the Horizon League doesn't (only Butler has) ... Missouri Valley doens't ...

None of those have hockey either. What ever shall UND do?

There's a whole lacrosse thread that explores the notion.

[MplsBison]

We've just been tossing it around as a possible replacement for baseball/softball. Baseball just doesn't work this far north, (I think UND played around 45 games this year and 8 were at home) and UND's field leaves something to be desired. It is no Newman Outdoor Field. Larosse could be played in the Alerus in the spring and has the potential to make revenue, (at least moreso than baseball)

I can see why you'd want to axe baseball and softball.

I agree that those sports don't work well up north.

However, this only seems to work if you can guarantee yourself entry into the Big Sky confernece.

For every other conference possibility, they play baseball and softball.

So, for now, having bb and sb helps you market yourself to the largest number of conferences.

I think the ultimate thing to do would be to partner with the city to build a baseball stadium on campus and try to get a Northern League team in Grand Forks. That way the stadium wouldn't sit idle for most of the year.

As for softball, who cares? You don't need a fancy stadium for that. They're only going to be playing like 8 home games anyway as you said.

NDSU's softball field might be a glorified high school field, but so what? They never use it. No sense in building a 1000 seat stadium if it's never going to be used.

[The Sicatoka]

Dude, as I said, read the lax thread. It talks about the scenarios under which lax at UND would make sense. Yeah, it's a 10-page thread, but it's (rarity of rarity on the 'net) more content than flame.

PS - UND's report projects $2.5 million for just a 500 seat stadium. I don't see the logic in that at all.

[The Sicatoka]

I'm not exactly sure what they do at the Metrodome either but I did find an article about that system being in place at Toronto's Skydome:

Sounds like a lot more work than just basically rolling up the old stuff, but I think it certainly would be worth the investment, especially if UND is playing more than just football in there in the future (lacrosse ).

More information about this system:

According to FieldTurf CEO John Gilman, it takes up to eight hours to install or remove a FieldTurf surface via the tray system. ...

Each tray contains a section of turf that is 8 feet by 14 feet and weighs about 1,500 pounds.

"We've developed a motorized ability to take it off skids," Gilman said. "We have an attachment for a forklift that literally reaches out and grabs the tray and then brings it over to its spot. And it just starts laying it down like a jigsaw puzzle."

There are no problems with seams because FieldTurf is thick and heavy. It will take about 800 trays of turf to fill out the Edward Jones Dome (St. Louis Rams), but when not on the floor, Gilman said, the trays can be stacked 15 to 20 pallets high in storage. ...

Cost you ask?

The cost of a FieldTurf surface alone is about $500,000, and comes with an eight-year warranty. A surface with a tray system costs somewhere in the range of $800,000 to $1 million.

From the attachment's to UND's DI report:

Upgrade Alerus turf and Game Operations -- $1.5 million

[MplsBison]

I have to say that I really do like the tray option.

I'd be pleased to see both the Fargodome and the Alerus invest in them.