New CSU AD Jack Graham Envisions An On Campus Stadium

Holy crap I love this new guy. Sense of renewal indeed.

That’d be sweet. Even though I love Hughes Stadium.

Hughes stadium is located almost 3 miles from the outer edge of CSU’s campus (the corner of Shields and Harmony) and almost four if one walks from the Lory Student Center to the actual stadium, and not just to the entrance to the parking lot. It is a nice stadium, that was modeled on the UTEP stadium and built in 1968: But it looks it’s age, although it was “renovated” by AD Kowalczyk last year. There is some student housing on that edge of campus, but that basically would make the walk one – two blocks less. There are also students, who live on the other side, making the walk much farther.

Hughes replaced an on-campus stadium that had stood there since 1912, called Colorado Field. Even when Lubick was winning, CSU had to cart in lighting equipment and seats for the south end-zone of Hughes. AD Kowaczyk put the last million into a cosmetic update that did little, but wrap huge cement pylons and add easily broken posters hanging form light posts.

One of the main problems at Hughes, situated at the base of the first row of foothills below the Hughes reservoir, is the wind. 80 MPH gusts do not help fan enjoyment and can actually skew the game itself. Hughes seats 34,400 at present and would cost a great deal to properly update and increase. Not to let any cats out of any bags, but I suspect that there will be a move to go to a 50,000 seat stadium. Read into that whatever you would like, but I am NOT acting on privy information. BTW: I would not doubt Mr. Graham’s determination or ability to get something done and done right. He has already proven himself a very capable leader and as someone, who does what he says he will.

Another main drawback of Hughes, is the lack of retail space or many physical spots for vendors to maintain permanent positions. As you will no doubt already suspect, college football isn’t merely there for the love of the game. If the CSU bookstore, which has to give 20% of all $$ earned for merchandise sold at the game to CSU athletics, has to cart in merchandise into a cramped brick facility and maintain three trailers at Hughes, there isn’t enough earning going on. There is potential earning for the athletic department being left at the game. The new stadium would have to have permanent retail locations for all food, beer (CSU sells beer until the end of halftime at Hughes) and retail merchandise, of which athletics gets it’s 20%. The rent received from these vendors, who now set up tables and tents inside the stadium and therefore only pay a licensing fee, would be a source of hard money, in addition to the soft money earned on % of items sold and the aforementioned licensing.

Another major factor is the foot traffic for items to be sold, even when there is no game. As a CU student once told me, there are no bars, no shops, no atmosphere at Hughes or even on the way there. It sits under the foothill by itself, across from the drive-in movie theater. I would have to say though, that tailgating at Hughes is a fun experience. The city and university could count on another campus town organically growing up around the stadium, if it were on campus. The tax revenue for the city and sales of CSU merchandise on days other than the 6 home games, could be a significant source of revenue. The CSU bookstore doesn’t currently send it’s fleet of trailers to other games, except for the CU game in Denver.

The university is also facing a 4.5 million dollar renovation project for the Moby arena. Moby is also a structure, which is sorely in need of updating and expansion. If there were to be a project, that could accomplish both objectives, an on campus stadium and an indoor sports facility, the money needed to renovate the old buildings (the 4.5 million) and the sources for new funding (bonds), and the expected revenue from rents, licensing and future sales, make a building project much easier to finance.

This is a doable and needed project. The excitement that the plan has generated has already increased season ticket sales and donation levels. Graham also has other aces up his sleeves, which will no doubt be dealt when the time is right. There have been quite a few people discounting Jack Graham and his vision for CSU athletics. He’s only had two weeks at this point and every indication is, that he plans to get this stadium off the ground sooner, rather than later.