FAU's stadium obsession

[Guest FIU Golden Panthers]

This is the requirement per the NCAA (website: http://www.ncaa.org/about/div_criteria.html) -

"Schools that have football are classified as Div. I-A or I-AA. I-A football schools are usually fairly elaborate programs. Div. I-A teams have to meet minimum attendance requirements (17,000 people in attendance per home game, OR 20,000 average of all football games in the last four years or, 30,000 permanent seats in their stadium and average 17,000 per home game or 20,000 average of all football games in the last four years OR, be in a member conference in which at least six conference members sponsor football or more than half of football schools meet attendance criterion. Div. I-AA teams do not need to meet minimum attendance requirements. Div. I schools must meet minimum financial aid awards for their athletics program, and there are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Div. I school cannot exceed. "

Notice all the OR's.  I think we will be just fine.  Additionally, that requirement will be changed and the driving force will be a requirement for 15K paid attendance.  FIU has been fiscally responsible from the beginning and has plenty of local sponsors to help them out.  The administration has been careful not to overpromise and underdeliver.  Additionally, home games against BGU in '06, Maryland in '07, and USF in '08 should draw good crowds.

[TripleB]

This is the requirement per the NCAA (website: http://www.ncaa.org/about/div_criteria.html) -

"Schools that have football are classified as Div. I-A or I-AA. I-A football schools are usually fairly elaborate programs. Div. I-A teams have to meet minimum attendance requirements (17,000 people in attendance per home game, OR 20,000 average of all football games in the last four years or, 30,000 permanent seats in their stadium and average 17,000 per home game or 20,000 average of all football games in the last four years OR, be in a member conference in which at least six conference members sponsor football or more than half of football schools meet attendance criterion. Div. I-AA teams do not need to meet minimum attendance requirements. Div. I schools must meet minimum financial aid awards for their athletics program, and there are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Div. I school cannot exceed. "

Notice all the OR's.  I think we will be just fine.  Additionally, that requirement will be changed and the driving force will be a requirement for 15K paid attendance.  FIU has been fiscally responsible from the beginning and has plenty of local sponsors to help them out.  The administration has been careful not to overpromise and underdeliver.  Additionally, home games against BGU in '06, Maryland in '07, and USF in '08 should draw good crowds.

First, instead of hassling schools about names the NCAA needs to learn how to close a parenthesis. Second, if I'm reading this right, "OR, be in a member conference in which at least six conference members sponsor football or more than half of football schools meet attendance criterion", attendance doesn't mean crap and just by being in the Sun Belt you maintain 1-A status as long as 6 schools sponsor football. That can't be correct, can it??

BTW, thanks for checking in FIU GP .....

[DawgPound]

We haven't broken ground yet, but drained and filled the land that will have the convo center on it.  Once they finish a little mor around that land, they should get going on the structure.

[ucfknights04]

Stadium won't happen until 2007...its amazing how many short-sighted ucf fans got upset about this when as of a year ago we weren't looking at one until 2015 or beyond...but hype builds hype I guess.

To supplement what DawgPound said about convocatio center:

http://khs78.scapehost.com/DSCN0452.JPG

This picture is taken from the new garage with the new dorm being on the right.  

[GarySJ]

The idea is to have a developer finance, build and operate the facility and receive nearly all the revenue beyond school-related events. Coach Howard Schnellenberger says the proposed complex could include retail shops, a parking garage, student housing and a hotel. President Frank Brogan envisions the "Athletic Innovation Village."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAA.

What an absolutely ridiculous idea.

"Hey, Soandso Construction? This is FAU. Would you be interested in building us a free stadium for a team nobody cares about even when they win? We'll keep the football revenue, while you get to have almost all of the non-football revenue. Well, you can build a hotel, or a mall ,or something. Oh, and you'll be assuming all the risk. Hello? Hello? Hmm, must be a bad line..."

[South_Tampa_Knight]

STK, you must have not been reading all the reports of how Boca is struggling to make ends meet on the city's end.  FAU isn't going to be able to rely on the city for help.

What does the City of Boca have to do with rich alumni? I said there was a lot of money in Boca and I right, its not the citizens fault that they have morons running the government.

[DawgPound]

FAU is going to go to the city for help, not to each person.  Since the city is inept, FAU is going to be left to dry.  They don't need a stadium right now anyway.

[Knight_Light]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAA.

What an absolutely ridiculous idea.

"Hey, Soandso Construction? This is FAU. Would you be interested in building us a free stadium for a team nobody cares about even when they win? We'll keep the football revenue, while you get to have almost all of the non-football revenue. Well, you can build a hotel, or a mall ,or something. Oh, and you'll be assuming all the risk. Hello? Hello? Hmm, must be a bad line..."

Dumb business people sometimes say YES!

Can't hurt to ask....but I can't imagine someone being THAT dumb.

KL

[South_Tampa_Knight]

You just have no clue as to the money down their.  Have you ever been to Boca.  There is a certain Indian Tribe that is just waiting pounce all over this.