Sorry, I'm drunk and disorderly

Ha!

75AG said:

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The point is where do we play during the rebuild?

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My idea covered that.

75AG said:

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The point is where do we play during the rebuild?

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Remind me again where we played football when they rebuild Kyle Field?

We did that during the last $24M update- and everyone has beyotched about since then.

TXAGBQ76 said:

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We did that during the last $24M update- and everyone has beyotched about since then.

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I get it, but isn't the bigger issue with the last update that we didn't move the stadium (and made it smaller).

Seems to me you could blow it up and build a new one say 50 ft further away from the tracks and the rec, or whatever. If you can't build the wrap around concourse in an off-season, build the 1st and 3rd baselines and then come back and do the outfield the next season.

I just don't get why it is a forgone conclusion that we have to take 2 years to get it done and play elsewhere for a season.

Off-season practice would suck without facilities.

Of course I'm not involved, I'm not able to write the big check to make it happen, and I don't know much about construction.

ensign_beedrill said:

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Oh, hmm. Looked alright to me.

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Same day, 5 minutes before 1st pitch. This was the Saturday game on parent's weekend where Missouri homered twice in the 1st inning when we started Lambert. Glad it filled later.

And forgive me, on my quote about "literally 3 people in the RF bleachers" on parents weekend Saturday. I posted that photo above. Looking back at the photos "the 3 people" was Ole Miss weekend not parent's weekend.

This photo would be bottom 1st or bottom 2nd because Ole Miss is in the field and it was the one I was recalling with 3 people in the RF bleachers.

Looks like pre game

I would think swapping Olsen Field complex with the Rec Sports fields at the corner of George Bush and Penberthy is one of the current options. The Rec fields being next to the Rec makes sense, and it gives them plenty of space for future expansion of the building and amenities. And having the baseball stadium in the same area as the other stadiums would make a parking space solution easy.

Remember how they blew up one side after rebuilding the other. I guess they do the same thing at Olsen.

jt2hunt said:

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Where would you play?

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Constellation Field in sugar land, although that will be logic issue once they start play in late April

Maybe sec schedule could,be adjusted to front load conference games

But my option is new park in new location, that way you play at home

Angry Beaver said:

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I would think swapping Olsen Field complex with the Rec Sports fields at the corner of George Bush and Penberthy is one of the current options. The Rec fields being next to the Rec makes sense, and it gives them plenty of space for future expansion of the building and amenities. And having the baseball stadium in the same area as the other stadiums would make a parking space solution easy.

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This is my vote, they can cut a path to bush parking lot and you still have Reed and RV lot at tennis

Schloss already showed us he's capable in year one. Won the west, swept regions and supers, and gave us more CWS wins in one season than in our entire program history. If ANY A&M coach is worthy of investment, it's him and it's not even close. Football is a black hole and always has been, and we are not a serious basketball program to be capable of winning or recruiting big except maybe a conference championship once a decade and a decent run in the tourney once a decade.

The option of a new stadium at any location, including the current site, is off the table. We will be renovating the current, ballpark and expanding capacity within the limitations of the site and allocated budget.

I wish it weren't true and I believe it is a mistake, but that is unfortunately the plan. I and others have tried to prevail on decision makers to no avail.

What's the timeline?

I assume would be after next baseball season at the earliest.

PWR85 said:

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The option of a new stadium at any location, including the current site, is off the table. We will be renovating the current, ballpark and expanding capacity within the limitations of the site and allocated budget.

I wish it weren't true and I believe it is a mistake, but that is unfortunately the plan. I and others have tried to prevail on decision makers to no avail.

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Thanks for fighting the good fight. Really disappointed in this decision.

I have a feeling we will be revisiting this same subject sooner rather than later.

PWR85 said:

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The option of a new stadium at any location, including the current site, is off the table. We will be renovating the current, ballpark and expanding capacity within the limitations of the site and allocated budget.

I wish it weren't true and I believe it is a mistake, but that is unfortunately the plan. I and others have tried to prevail on decision makers to no avail.

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Why? Do we not have anyone stepping up to be the lead donor? How did the track and softball facilities get approved, but baseball is going patchwork?

Just got those same people for $120m

Maybe need a new person to all the sudden come on

Roku Park at Olsen Field?

Old track stadium was a joke. Old indoor facility had to be torn down.
Old softball stadium was a joke.

That's the answer to your question.

PWR85 said:

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The option of a new stadium at any location, including the current site, is off the table. We will be renovating the current, ballpark and expanding capacity within the limitations of the site and allocated budget.

I wish it weren't true and I believe it is a mistake, but that is unfortunately the plan. I and others have tried to prevail on decision makers to no avail.

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Like Derm said, thanks for fighting the good fight. Dang shame the decision makers won't give more to the sport and coach that have the best chance to win a natty and end the drought.

75AG said:

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Old track stadium was a joke. Old indoor facility had to be torn down.
Old softball stadium was a joke.

That's the answer to your question.

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That's true. Olsen is by no means a joke. However, it's just that where it is happens to hinder upgrades to make it on par with the best in the sec.

Looking at the park today, why not this (it won't please the symmetrical ballpark purists)?

Looks like we have plenty of space behind the RF and CF walls for a concourse. How much more room do we need in LF?

Could we move the LF wall in to 310', build a "green monster" structure with a club at field level, a concourse that is level with the rest of the 1st deck concourse, and seating on top? HR's would have to get in the seats on top. Not sure if the concourse could go behind the visiting bullpen or would it go over it?

Then, extend seating down left and right field lines on both decks. Maybe add 4 more suites on each side of the upper deck for revenue generation. Convert 104-110 to club seating for revenue.

Not sure how many seats that would kill with suites up top and more club seats down low, but would they be countered with 2 decks of extra seating down both baselines?

Just spit ballin'.

They were the benefactors of two huge donations, which is what got it done. I would guess that with baseball, you would need a $20M lead gift for a $40M stadium. (Complete tear down and rebuild.)

Who were the big donors driving the renovation this time?

Buford T. Justice said:

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They were the benefactors of two huge donations, which is what got it done. I would guess that with baseball, you would need a $20M lead gift for a $40M stadium. (Complete tear down and rebuild.)

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A new ballpark, with everything that we require, would probably be north of $100 million. OSU built a new park that is considerably smaller than we would be looking for a couple of years ago and spent almost $70 million.

Not a bad idea, but not sure that gets to the 10K number Schloss wants.

How much of that was provided by the primary donor?
I remember watching a game on tv and seeing the new park.

It was reportedly $60M in construction costs, but some adds were made that took it closer to $70M. The O'Brate Family committed $35M.

It seats 3500, but can expand to 8000 for bigger games.

Interesting…we have more premium seats, and almost an equal number of suites for a lot less cost.

Coach Schloss gets to see Miss. State baseball park next week and that makes just about all of the nice SEC parks he has been to except Florida and one or two other smaller venues. Hope he gets to have major input on Bluebell renovation in a year or two.

What is going to happen to softball field? Could Olsen be moved back and offset lost parking over there?

Meh. No money means boring choices.

The Gamecocks have (or should have) fowl lines.

There just is no fix in the current location. We have zero room to move the field, and knocking down existing structures would not be cost effective, and would require relocation for a season or two. We need to build new.

It seems that the powers that be are telling Schloss that there is no space for a ballpark in the campus master plan. This is ridiculous. The master plan that was drawn up in 2017 (easy to find with a Google search) is an urban planners fantasy, that would do things like eliminate 2/3 of the surface parking at Olsen (in favor of a new volleyball facility and a practice diamond) and eliminate 90% of the surface parking at Reed (to be replaced by "green space," more buildings for administrators who don't teach, and a couple of parking garages). Basically, whoever drew it up wants to build double the space for paper pushers, eliminate all surface parking, and get everyone riding mass transit. It will never happen.

Someone who has the ear of the regents needs to make the case that space can, and must, be found for a new ballpark. Do that, and then you have a chance to raise the money. But without a vision, it will never happen.

My proposal is that we take the land lying at the SE corner of the intersection of Olsen Boulevard and University and use it for a new ballpark.



There are a few small buildings in this area, but they are all slated to be demolished as part of the master plan.



Demolishing them for a new ballpark rather than more office space for administrators would be appropriate.

This would allow us to keep the railroad tracks as part of baseball, put us close enough to Northgate and the Northside dorms for people to walk to games, and provide enough space for us to put all the baseball facilities we will need in one location. It would also free up the Olsen space for other uses. I could imagine repurposing Olsen for use as a soccer facility (which, along with the old softball field, would free up another tract).