Jordan-Hare Stadium Expansion...

[Godfather]

not...

yay for $615,000 waste of space Jay Jacobs! Discuss...

Is Auburn falling behind in the stadium arms race or managing its money wisely?
By: Kevin Scarbinsky

Two weeks ago, that building boom you heard came from Texas A&M.

The Aggies announced a $450 million expansion and renovation of Kyle Field that will bring their football stadium’s capacity to 102,500. It’ll become the biggest stadium in Texas and in the SEC, the third-largest college stadium in the country.

Last week, it was LSU’s turn to put the official bird of the SEC, the construction crane, on standby.

The school’s board of supervisors unanimously approved an $85 million expansion of the south end zone of Tiger Stadium, which will add about 6,900 seats and bring capacity close to 100,000. It’ll be the stadium’s third expansion since 2000.

Any one of the school-record 83,401 Auburn fans who watched the A-Day Game in Jordan-Hare Stadium see a pattern here?

Jordan-Hare isn’t shrinking. It just feels that way as other stadiums in the league keep pumping themselves up.

The last time Auburn completed a major expansion of Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Tigers had just begun what would become a four-game win streak over Alabama, and they were about to start a streak of three straight SEC titles.

How long ago was 1987?

Quentin Riggins wasn’t reporting from the sideline. He was running down running backs from sideline to sideline. Gus Malzahn wasn’t even a big-time high school coach yet. He was a small-college wide receiver. Cam Newton was 2 years away - from being born.

Since then, every other school in the SEC West has undergone at least one major stadium expansion.

Arkansas spent $110 million to increase the capacity of Reynolds Razorback Stadium from 51,000 to 72,000 before the 2001 season.

Ole Miss bowled in the south end zone of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in 2002 to increase its capacity to 60,580.

Mississippi State is in the middle of spending $75 million to add about 6,000 or so seats to Scott Field to bump its capacity to 61,337 for the 2014 season. The Bulldogs also are adding a second HD video board.

And then there’s Alabama, which has expanded Bryant-Denny Stadium four times since 1988, which is four times since Auburn’s last expansion. Alabama’s upsized its home field twice since 2006 with two separate end-zone projects, one that helped attract Nick Saban and the other made possible by his success.

Auburn hasn’t ignored Jordan-Hare Stadium in the last quarter-century. The school has made significant cosmetic improvements, with more on the way, and it remains one of the best places in the SEC to watch a football game.

The administration also has had an eye on the future for some time. In October of 2009, AD Jay Jacobs hired Pieper Sports Facility Consulting of Overland Park, Kan., to put together a master plan for Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Jacobs updated me on his plans in a statement Tuesday.

"There are no active plans to expand Jordan-Hare Stadium on the table," he said. "Our focus is on improving the game-day experience at the stadium for our fans through systematic improvements to our existing facility.

"We've completed significant improvements on every level of the stadium in recent years, and those efforts continue. We are currently working on improvements to the East Club premium seating area (the Nelson Club). We are installing new seats, improving the food service areas, renovating the restrooms and making other cosmetic upgrades in the Nelson Club. That's why it was closed on A-Day.

"We did a master plan for the stadium to give us a picture of where we want to be over time so we can prioritize improvements that will benefit both premium seating areas and general seating areas.

"We won't pursue an expansion of the stadium until it makes sense for us financially over the long term. We think the wiser stewardship of our resources is to make what we already have better. That's my top priority for the stadium at this time."
Part of the problem in greenlighting a major expansion has been the fits and starts the program experienced under former coach Gene Chizik. The high of the BCS national championship was followed two years later by the crash of 2012.

Auburn’s answer was hiring Gus Malzahn and almost filling the house for the spring game. He still has a lot of building to do in recruiting and developing players before a shovel hits the dirt at the stadium.

Jacobs has been consistent in his stance that Auburn isn’t going to follow the crowd and expand for expansion’s sake. That’s the right approach, and too often college football programs don’t get credit for fiscal responsibility. Fiscal Responsibility... does that include two buyouts of SEC head coaches at 14 million, including one that should have never had one?

But if perception matters, Auburn looks like it’s falling behind on this front in the SEC arms race. After Texas A&M bulks up Kyle Field, Jordan-Hare will fall right in the middle of the seven SEC West schools in terms of stadium size.

A&M, Alabama and LSU will be bigger. Arkansas, Mississippi State and Ole Miss will be smaller.

Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp offered an insight on just what a football stadium means in the football-driven SEC.

“We have committed to making Kyle Field the premier college football stadium in the country, as well as an incredible facility to showcase our flagship university, our unique traditions and the incomparable spirit of the 12th Man,” Sharp said. “This stadium will reflect the dominant prestige and power of Texas A&M University.”

A year away from the first four-team college football playoff and the launch of the SEC Network, how does Jordan-Hare Stadium reflect on Auburn?

http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2013/05/post_19.html

[Saniflush]

He was misquoted....he meant physical responsibility. 

He has ben giving the Auburn faithful regular prostate exams for quite some time now. 

[Snaggletiger]

Amazing that adding 6,900 seats will cost $85 million at LSU and 6,000 seats will run $75 million at MSU.  Jeebers, that's a lot of money.

The renovations on the gates on the Donahue side of the stadium were huge.  That makes getting in and out of the stadium 150% easier, even with the delay for checking bags etc. at the gate. I'd love to see them really expand the bathrooms and put more concessions in.

I'm not sure that expansion is realistic or not.  We have 87K plus.  Is adding 5-6,000 more seats at about $70 million worth it or even necessary?  Not saying it's not.  If there's a waiting list and people knocking down the door for season tickets, then maybe it's reasonable to consider it.  Otherwise, making the stadium more user friendly seems the better choice.  If you had that many seats, you're still behind A&M, LSU and Bama in seating.       

[WiregrassTiger]

I think I would rather have AC in JHS than a stadium expansion. Sometimes, I get uncomfortable and my balls sweat.

[dallaswareagle]

Until we put a constant good team on the field year in and year out, another empty 6000 to 7000 seats is foolish.

Beside JJ would prolly give the construction company a hugh buyout if they didn’t finish or fucked it up and we really can’t afford that right now. 

[Snaggletiger]

Until we put a constant good team on the field year in and year out, another empty 6000 to 7000 seats is foolish.

Beside JJ would prolly give the construction company a hugh buyout if they didn’t finish or fucked it up and we really can’t afford that right now.

This^^^ =  fine hustle

[chinook]

This^^^ =  fine hustle

though the hustle was worth all of 4 points...anyone following wiregrass's sweaty balls problem with a reference to your situation would have received 4.15 points. 

[Snaggletiger]

though the hustle was worth all of 4 points...anyone following wiregrass's sweaty balls problem with a reference to your situation would have received 4.15 points.

4.15????  Pffffft.... Snaggle-ballz references are underhanded lobs.  They mostly lack creativity or thinking outside the box. 

[chinook]

4.15????  Pffffft.... Snaggle-ballz references are underhanded lobs.  They mostly lack creativity or thinking outside the box.

lacking like your sac?

[Snaggletiger]

lacking like your sac?

 

[The Prowler]

Auburn doesn't ”need” a stadium expansion, at this time. Auburn needs to focus on; the sound system, updated televisions around the concourse (the 12” tube televisions should've been replaced 5 years ago), the concessions need to be updated (If I'm going to pay $8 for a burger, it better be something more than a reheated burger from the Auburn High School game the night before), we also need to brick up the outside of the stadium (all the way around), need to add 7 more National Championship banners and take those fucking, garbage blue curtains that Jay Jacobs put up at the front entrance and shove them up his ass.
There's probably a few more things that I'd like to see done, before we add anymore seats.

[AU_Tiger_2000]

Auburn doesn't ”need” a stadium expansion, at this time. Auburn needs to focus on; the sound system, updated televisions around the concourse (the 12” tube televisions should've been replaced 5 years ago), the concessions need to be updated (If I'm going to pay $8 for a burger, it better be something more than a reheated burger from the Auburn High School game the night before), we also need to brick up the outside of the stadium (all the way around), need to add 7 more National Championship banners and take those fudgeing, garbage blue curtains that Jay Jacobs put up at the front entrance and shove them up his ass.
There's probably a few more things that I'd like to see done, before we add anymore seats.

 

[CCTAU]

I was there in 87 when the expansion was completed (I know I'm old). It was a MUCH needed expansion.

Today, not so much. I agree. Make it nicer, not bigger. Adding more seats now would close it in a little too much.

[Jumbo]

Auburn doesn't ”need” a stadium expansion, at this time. Auburn needs to focus on; the sound system, updated televisions around the concourse (the 12” tube televisions should've been replaced 5 years ago), the concessions need to be updated (If I'm going to pay $8 for a burger, it better be something more than a reheated burger from the Auburn High School game the night before), we also need to brick up the outside of the stadium (all the way around), need to add 7 more National Championship banners and take those fucking, garbage blue curtains that Jay Jacobs put up at the front entrance and shove them up his ass.
There's probably a few more things that I'd like to see done, before we add anymore seats.

The ketchup with Chizik's picture behind it sure was tasty.

[GH2001]

You do an expansion when you need it. We don't need it. When we start selling out most games then we will need it. Until then, make it nicer.

[CCTAU]

You do an expansion when you need it. We don't need it. When we start selling out most games then we will need it. Until then, make it nicer.

DAMN! That is a good idea!

Its like we are married and you ignore everything I say.

[GH2001]

DAMN! That is a good idea!

Its like we are married and you ignore everything I say.

You're too verbose.

[Snaggletiger]

You do an expansion when you need it. We don't need it. When we start selling out most games then we will need it. Until then, make it nicer.

Ed Zachary there Tony Chachere.  So a couple of teams will have 100K seating capacity.  AU will have 87K.  And we're "Falling behind in the arms race"??? As long as you continue to update the stadium and keep trying to make the game day experience better, Auburn will never be behind anyone in the league as far as facilities go.   

[Godfather]

Ed Zachary there Tony Chachere.  So a couple of teams will have 100K seating capacity.  AU will have 87K.  And we're "Falling behind in the arms race"??? As long as you continue to update the stadium and keep trying to make the game day experience better, Auburn will never be behind anyone in the league as far as facilities go.

Winning games would be a good place to start.

[djsimp]

Winning games would be a good place to start.

You're the Godfather, make it so.