Where should UGA’s sports facility dollars be spent?
Construction on the nearly $40 million renovation and expansion of the Butts-Mehre facility in Athens is due to get under way July 10, and as is usually the case when UGA’s athletic association undertakes another capital project, you hear fans asking the perennial question, “What about the indoor practice facility for football?”
Loading ...But when presented by his bosses with the choice between the expansion of Butts-Mehre — including a new 12,000-foot strength and conditioning area, an 8,500-square-foot training room, new football coaches’ offices and a multipurpose room with a turf field for football drills and walk-throughs (as well as receptions and other functions) — Richt caved. “I had to decide as a head coach what is more important,” he said.
In the meantime, the indoor practice facility has slid down the list of priorities, UGA President Michael Adams said back in May, with improvements to facilities for other other sports, including for the basketball team, ranking ahead of it.
With UGA’s athletics program one of the healthiest in the country financially even before all that CBS-ESPN and ISP Sports money started rolling in, you’ve got to figure that those other projects won’t be that far down the road.
While the $30 million basketball practice facility ended any serious talk of a unneeded new arena being built (thank goodness), the Steg could use some sprucing up. Plans reportedly call for expanding the concourses. New restrooms would be good. And the lighting inside the arena definitely could do with an upgrade.
And for the second straight year, the Diamond Dogs set school records for total attendance and average attendance at Foley Field. A couple of different options are under consideration — either expanding the current baseball stadium or rebuilding it completely.
So what do you think should be UGA’s spending priorities in terms of sports facilities in the next few years? Stegeman Coliseum? Foley Field? Or would you rather see them reverse course from what Adams said and put the indoor practice facility in the works?
Feel free to comment, vote in the poll or both.
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96 comments Add your comment
Basketball wise...
July 1st, 2009
7:30 am
…The Steg does need updating, and it would not take a lot. Widening the concourses is a no-brainer that would be relatively inexpensive since the room to expand them outward is already there. Moving the court to the center of the arena also needs to be done. Taking out the first two rows of the upper level to widen the inside parapet is also doable, and the lost seats would be recouped by the moving of the court to the center, thus giving the additional seats on the end opposite the current students endzone section. That would allow all students to be on either end of the floor, and down out of the upper decks.
Baseball wise, renovation of Foley also needs doing; building a new facility is out of the question since they would have no place to play while the new construction is ongoing. Building a new one in a new area is out of the question,, so renovations could be accomplished without too much problem or interruption of the team practices.
Football wise, Sanford Stadium needs significant updating aestetically, but how do you widen corridors in a place like that, when there is limited room? We need some siginficant engineering recommendations, and my simple mind cannot envision this.
coachdawg 2000
July 1st, 2009
8:15 am
We need an indoor football facility (using the gym in the ramsey center is very bootleg) We are supposed to be an elite SEC program. As far as basketball, i think seg-a-saurus could use some more updating (i actually graduated in there as an undergrad) it a very underwhelming environment. But I think the priorities should be placed on who draws the most fans and who generates money. Therefore I say indoor football facility,Foley field remodel, then the steg in that order.
Robert
July 1st, 2009
8:22 am
Expand Sanford, wrapping the 600’s (upper deck) around to the sky boxes. Make it huge and intimidating! It’s not like we wouldn’t still sell the place out every time and it would give more fans an opportunity to go to the games. I understand East Campus Rd. would then have to go through the stadium, but that would be cool I think and could be dealt with appropriately security-wise.
Hell, Bama is expanding Bryant Denny.
Robert
July 1st, 2009
8:25 am
Yes, priority should always be given to football projects. This is where the money comes from and will keep coming from. And yes, we are supposed to be an elite SEC program, but no indoor facility? Outrageous.
RAMBLE ON!!!
July 1st, 2009
8:30 am
Sprinkle UGA ashes all around him
tom
July 1st, 2009
8:36 am
I agree with coachdawg2000, whoever brings in the most revenue should get the most upgrades and perks. Also maybe having an indoor practice facility will make our players appreciate UGA more so they will actually stick around the entire time and finish their degree. I would be more at ease knowing that Stafford and Knowshon were suiting up this fall.
bali
July 1st, 2009
8:42 am
i f georgia is ever going to be able to compete on a state or national level in basketball stegman needs to be blown up……….. way past time that cow palace was put out to pasture,,,,,,,,,, but it will probably never happen
hoops at uga exsist?
July 1st, 2009
8:42 am
come on, an indoor practice facility over a real basketball facility. really? auburn even updated their falicity. we built ours to hold the pistol pete crowds….don’t you think it is time or do we just keep firing coaches and blaming them?
The Grinch
July 1st, 2009
8:46 am
To RAMBLE ON!!
Classless posts. How’s that Roddy White man-crush thing going?? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
UGA89
July 1st, 2009
8:47 am
This is too easy. Use a portion of the $$$’s to set up a bail bonds fund so athlete’s who run afoul with the law @ UGA won’t have to sit it out as long waiting to get bailed out.
coachdawg 2000
July 1st, 2009
8:56 am
Georgia basketball can not accept some “field of dreams” ideology of if we build it they will come (basketball recruits or fans). We are behind alot of the other major colleges in not having an indoor practice facility. How many sellouts does stegman have every year. How many kids are going to choose UGA to play basketball over Kentucky, Duke, UNC, etc. None of those schools get very many top flight football guys. Should they all build 100,000 seat football stadiums? No because their fan base won’t support it because they are pretty good ocassionally and they are BASKETBALL schools. Why don’t we expand the softball complex, at least they have been consistently good for about 4 or 5 years. Basketball at Georgia hasn’t been relevant for an any extended amount of time since the early to mid 80’s. We are a football, gymnastics,baseball,women’s basketball, and softball school. Men’s basketball is what it is. Philips Arena is a nice facility but the team inside is a train wreck, if we dump money into the steg it would an egregious error financial stewardship.
UGA Undergrad
July 1st, 2009
8:58 am
1. Expand Foley Field (It was packed for any decent series this season) 2. Renovate Stegeman-It’s old and UGA should be able to attract Atlanta talent with both its facilities and programs.
3. Indoor Football field- I find it hard to believe that it would be that expensive to put up a huge tent and grade off an area for artificial turf off South Milledge near the softball/soccer complex. UGA already owns a large amount of land for the club sports complex out there, they coould use some of it for the indoor practice facility.
Old Dawg
July 1st, 2009
8:59 am
I like what’s happening for expanded weight and training facitlties, but an indoor facility is a must. Bottom line, football pays for everything so it should be a priority.
After that, fixing up the Steg would bring it into the 21st Century.
Saint Simons
July 1st, 2009
9:06 am
The jail!!! 45-42!!!!!!!!! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Why, coachdawg 2000...
July 1st, 2009
9:06 am
…are you saying that a indoor football practice field is more important than an updated basketball arena. Costs are about the same, yet the basketball arena COULD generate more revenue, while the indoor football field will continually cost money to operate, while not bringing in any revenue. Plus, you only need the indoor facility about 10 days a year, so it is really NOT cost effective – even CMR has put it down his list of “wants”, instead focusing on updates that will really benefit the team everyday. Talk about an egregious error of financial stewardship – do you even know what that means?
JJ
July 1st, 2009
9:15 am
Screw the indoor practice facility. Last time I checked, florida didn’t have one and they’re making out just fine. The Steg is in major need of a facelift (at the very least) and Foley desparately needs to be expanded. I’d priortize it as a new baseball facility, then upgrades to the Steg, and then a practice facility.
I mean, the most recent project announced already has an indoor area for the football team. It isn’t large enough for a full scale practice but it’s big enough for walk throughs and stuff like that.
Foley field HAS to be the priority followed closely by upgrades to the Steg.
NCDawg
July 1st, 2009
9:18 am
How about start some more sports at UGA. It is sad we don’t have as many sports as schools like UNC, Texas, or others that we stride to compete with. Hire a men’s soccer coach, hire a women’s field hockey coach, hire some lacrosse coaches and start fielding some more teams.
Otto
July 1st, 2009
9:18 am
The money should be spent on the indoor football facility. UGA has a program that is knocking on the door of elite. If given the advantages of the other top programs UGA can continue to get top talent and win BCS bowls.
2nd Foley field or whatever else the baseball team needs such as a copetitive pay for the coaching staff. UGA again has a competitive team with a little help they could be a power.
Basketball? who cares? as long as they win a SEC game or 2 and stay off the NCAA’s radar.
I agree with Old Dawg football pays for alot of other things and should be priority. Basketball has been nothing but a problem.
Matt from Suwanee
July 1st, 2009
9:22 am
To those of you that claim that UGA can’t compete as an elite program without an indoor practice facility, I will point you to the University of Florida. They are the only other SEC school without an indoor facility. It doesn’t seem to be holding them back.
Let’s be logical. Most “UGA fans” are only UGA football fans. The reason basketball and baseball don’t make $ is their current facilities do not allow for it. Let’s pony up the cash and expand/renovate Foley so that it can be a respectable SEC baseball facility that can actually make a revenue. Then, let’s update the Steg so that our basketball team can begin to dream of competing on a higher level.
coachdawg 2000
July 1st, 2009
9:24 am
How many sell outs does Men’s basketball produce. Maybe vs. florida? The money we should have spent on UGA basketball would have been on a high profile coach (no offense to Coach Fox but who knew who he was).Some magnificent basketball arena is not going to sway an elite player away from the pwers of college basketball, but a “Name” coach might have. As far the use utility of an indoor facility (10 days a year?) Are you nuts? Do you live in Georgia? The fall and spring are rainy quite often and its use would pay for itself were a mostly empty arena would just be waste of cash(a.k.a.an egregious error of financial stewardship). i think my analogy of duke building a 100,000 seat football stadium because it will make them better on the field is very appropriate. A new/ renovated coliseum will lead to success on the court or better recruiting. Success on the court on a consistent basis will maybe lead a few upper echelon kids to consider us.Georgia basketball is very similar to Atlanta Falcons football a nice little story ocassionally but nothing to be concerned with on a regular basis.
SickandTired
July 1st, 2009
9:26 am
Oh my goodness, where do I begin. The indoor practice facility is a luxury that is not needed. Florida doesn’t have one, and they are in the middle of a state where it rains every afternoon for god’s sakes. So to say we need to be competitive with other schools facility wise is just a joke that Mark Richt wants perpetuated. $40 million to renovate Butts-Mehre…..wow, why don’t we just have the Fur Bus pick the players and coaches up everyday and shuttle them around campus. That would be cheaper….I’ve been all over the Butts-Mehre, everywhere, there’s nothing wrong with the locker rooms, training rooms, weight rooms or coaches offices that a top flite program shouldn’t be proud of and accepting of. The Stegasaurus was buillt to show cows and play a little basketball in, it’s still a cow palace and always will be because of the design of it’s bones….let’s not get all crazy and give the basketball team a facility that IS actually competitive with other schools around the SEC. That might take away from some of the things Saint Mark wants for the boys. One artificial turf field wouldn’t do so he got two. Here’s an idea, hey Mark, win a national championship or two like Urban Meyer and we’ll give ya a whole buncha stuff and more cash for Rodney’s satchel as well. But shut up about the indoor practice facility until something is done to build a new home for basketball…..he’s a fine Christian man so I’m sure in the spirit of what God is telling him he’ll want to help a brotha out with the round ball.
GW
July 1st, 2009
9:28 am
1.) indoor football practice building….an absolute must
2.) expand/rebuild Foley Field….maybe consider building a new baseball stadium in area of softball stadium then build football facilty on site of current Foley
3.) simply doctor Stegeman…I don’t get the argument that wider concourses will attract recruits, winning games will attract fans no matter the concourses, you are there only 2 hours
4.) no more additions to Sanford, too many people and cars already on a tight campus, forget trying to outnumber the SEC, Bama will build to 200,000
5.) think lifetime with facilities, not just 5, 10, 20 years down the road
TommyP
July 1st, 2009
9:33 am
Steg should be #1. The indoor practice facility is way overblown as evidence by Richt voting for the current plan of spending.
I know a lot of you aren’t big on basketball but after football, basketball is the only moneymaker. (I believe I read we break even when we’re not doing well, make a little when the crowds are there….i.e. Tubby’s tenure)
coachdawg 2000
July 1st, 2009
9:34 am
I had a cousin who has a screw-up (trouble/poor grades/under achiever)his parent didn’t go out and buy him a shiny new car and think we spent money on him now he will be a great kid.You basketball people need to recognize that UGA is FOOTBALL school. My dad got the best seats (head of dinner table/lazyboy in the den) because he paid for everything. UGA Men;s basketball has been an embarrasment since Tubby left. We are a stepping stone job for good basketball coaches and a destination for rogues(Harrick) and mid-major wannabes (Felton).
John
July 1st, 2009
9:38 am
What about spending some of the money on the school (academics, not athletics)?
Otto
July 1st, 2009
9:43 am
Again I agree with CoachDawg. A coach would get more palyers than an arena. If Fox starts building a winner then we’ll see about the stadium.
UF does not have an indoorfacility and they are the class of the SEC. Well first they are in Florida with all of the climate advantages, 2nd the state is one of the most talent rich in the country and 3rd they have a program that has won BCS title recently of course palyer will want to go there. UGA does have plenty of bad weather days in the fall and spring where an indoor facility could really be used on top of the recruiting advantages.
Expanding Sanford does make sense as the tix would sell and it would generate more revenue. Foley field improvements are logical too. I see know reason the baseball can not turn a profit and bring home titles.
Bsketball again is a long way off from being even a conf. title contender. I like Fox more and more as I hear about him but a big name would get more recruits. If the Football team and Baseball team make more cash then UGA can reinvest in other sports.
Island Dawg
July 1st, 2009
9:43 am
Saint Simons, you need to come clean. You represent this Island horribly and you need to abdicate your “name”. Have you ever seen Breakers beach the GA/FL Friday or checked the college inventory at any local shops? You seriously rub, dude.
YoungDawg
July 1st, 2009
9:44 am
1. Indoor Practice Facility! It’s been over 10 years now, just get something done on this even if it’s a temporary solution for now.
2. Tough call here but football drives the economic engines of UGA athletics so next on the priority list should be to upgrade Sanford’s concourses & finishing out the upper deck.
3. Upgrade Stegeman. I think this can be done in phases or over one off season. Since the roof is a separate structure remove it & reuse it somewhere else on campus. Then gut the area down to the bowl & rebuild it in the same architectural style as the basketball practice facility. If that’s not feasible then upgrade the Stegeorious by making the changes suggested by “Basketball wise…”
4. Foley Field – Living in Gwinnett county & having recently been to a G-Braves game I was amazaed how quickly they built such a nice facility. That shows you if we’re ready to move dirt as soon as the baseball season is over Foley Field could be torn down & rebuilt in one offseason. We may not need a facility as grandiose as the G-Braves have to start off with so that would make the process faster. Tear down the current Foley Field then build the basic field level seating with a press box & some box seats. As a part of future planning it should be built so that it’s ready for expansion when needed or when funding becomes available. This could be done by using many of the techniques used when the 1996 Olympic Stadium was built. This also would be easier because we’d only be preparing to extend the structure.
Before you say tearing facilities down & rebuilding them in one offseason is not possible. Stanford did it with their football stadium & look at how quick the Gwinnet Braves stadium got built. For Stegeman it if can’t be done before the seasons start then it would be worth playing at Gwinnet Arena until it was ready. Now let’s see Damon DO SOMETHING! I’m tired of all the talk! He’s done a great job in some areas now let’s see him step up on facilities & work locking up key assistant coaches.
Legend of Len Barker
July 1st, 2009
9:45 am
We’ve made it 107 years without an indoor football practice facility. Not having one is not going to give us any more wins.
The Steg wasn’t built for Maravich. It came along when the Pistol was still in high school and was an upgrade over Woodruff Hall. Then again, a cardboard shoebox was an upgrade over Woodruff. It leaked and sat a mere 2,500. Georgia was pretty much an SEC pioneer in having a then state-of-the-art facility. Only Kentucky had a better gym then. LSU played pretty much in a real barn, Auburn played in an aircraft hangar (yes, really), Florida was a gym with high school style bleachers, and Mississippi State might have still been in the “Tin Can.”
The Steg is no longer a dual-purpose rodeo arena and yet, very little has changed since then.
Most colleges got sick of being solely football schools by the mid-1970s. We still haven’t.
That’s why it was somewhat of a shock that we hired Fox to coach to the team. You know, Red Lawson’s ghost was probably available for the job and much cheaper.
YoungDawg
July 1st, 2009
9:47 am
John, by GA state law the athletic department is a serpent financial entity & must be pay for itself. Damon has already committed to giving some money to the school was the right thing to do. The last thing we need is Adams having access to the money generated by the athletic department!
Yes, coachdawg 2000...
July 1st, 2009
9:48 am
…I am from GA – played HS football here, though I did play college in NC and coached in college in NC, too. And, yes, 10 days per year is about all you need an indoor facility for in GA, FL, AL, NC, SC, MS, AR and KY.
Northern schools may need it for more due to the cold (especially around spring practice time) but around here, if it rains, just wait a little while and it will change. Check with the football office and see how many times they had to practice in Ramsey the last 5 years.
Legend of Len Barker
July 1st, 2009
9:48 am
Blast it. Sentence two should read:
“[b]Having[/b] one is not going to give us any more wins.”
Clarke County Authorities
July 1st, 2009
9:50 am
Better set aside a lot of that money for Bail. You’re gonna need it. Just like you do every off season.
JB
July 1st, 2009
9:51 am
How about spend 1.5 mil a year and hire the best defensive coach in the country……..Money that will pay for itself quickly………
Robert
July 1st, 2009
9:53 am
GW,
Yes there are already a lot of cars and people on campus during game days and that will not change, but half of those people (maybe more) aren’t able to go to the games. They’re just there to enjoy a Saturday in Athens. Expanding Sanford will not necessarily bring more people to campus or make it more crowded, it will just allow more people to actually attend the games, which is great and a win-win situation all around.
WRAP THE 600’s AROUND TO THE SKYBOXES! Sanford would be more incredible than it already is.
HH
July 1st, 2009
9:55 am
As Vince always said, “Football is the goose that lays the ‘golden egg’.” The greatest portion should be spent on the football program. After all, it foots the bill for all the parasite programs. 2nd priority…. men’s basketball.
coachdawg 2000
July 1st, 2009
9:55 am
JB-
Are going to go into the daily bash Willie Martinez discussion again???
JB
July 1st, 2009
9:59 am
By the way, those of you who will blast me for spending big on the best defensive coach in the country,
Then Ray Goff should still be our coach…….better yet, Shula still at Bama. Boys, if you don’t think coaching makes a difference, you are sadly mistaken……………..
Robert
July 1st, 2009
9:59 am
UGA should get Croom for DC.
JB
July 1st, 2009
10:01 am
Yes coach, until he proves me wrong…..and I hope it’s this year………
Island Dawg
July 1st, 2009
10:02 am
No, no. The view up Baxter Hill and from Sanford Drive is extremely unique for SEC satdiums (BTW, attended them all) I mean it’s kinda cool feeling like there’s no outside world like in pancake-flat Tuscaloosa or Gainesville or valley K’Ville, but no I love the openness of Sanford and hope that never changes
coachdawg 2000
July 1st, 2009
10:05 am
It is hilarious that David Perno truned our baseball program around with 12 scolarships and antiquated facilities but suddnely the embarrassmnet of UGA (men’s basketball) needs a new house to be successful. I support all UGA athletics now and supported them when i was an undergrad. And I saw many virtually empty lower bowls of the steg on a regular basis. In the last 15 years i can count on one hand the number of NCAA toiurnament appearances we’ve made. But I can remember quite well the whole Tony cole deal, getting spanked by virtually everybody in the conference on a regular basis, and every year players bolting becuase of mis management of the program. Since 1996 the only good thing was 4 days in the spring of 2008 and other than that it has been all bad.Indoor football, baseball becuse they actually deserve it, basketball only because of the Lady Dogs.
Robert
July 1st, 2009
10:10 am
Island Dawg,
I think what we are thinking is closing in the opposite side of the stadium. Wrap the upper deck around that side to the skyboxes. Probably add around 10,000 or so seats. I agree, leave the sanford bridge side open. The view up baxter from the new addition would be quite stunning.
goalinestalker
July 1st, 2009
10:12 am
Here’s a thought? Lets go back the last 7 yrs and and buy our players rings for beating tech?
JJ
July 1st, 2009
10:14 am
Matt from Suwanee –
Excellent post. I can’t stand these damn “football only fans”. An indoor practice facility SHOULD be so far down the list that it never gets discussed. I mean, damn, don’t you FOFs want to excell in ALL sports?? Foley field is sold out for nearly all weekend series and the Steg is in DESPERATE need of an overhaul. Hell, I’d expand Sanford and increase the parking situation around campus before I’d spend a dime on an indoor facility.
Florida has HOTTER weather and MORE RAIN than Athens does and they get by JUST FINE without one. Meanwhile we’ve got a basketball team playing in a dump of an arena and fans turned away from baseball games for lack of seating.
Island Dawg
July 1st, 2009
10:15 am
Sorry, Robert I thought you were recommending full enclosure. Losing the view of the chemistry/bio buildings would be no loss for sure.
Island Dawg
July 1st, 2009
10:17 am
JJ, agree totally. I mean outside of bowls and SECCG’s how many games are played indoors?
coachdawg 2000
July 1st, 2009
10:18 am
JJ how many softball games have you been to, or equestrian events?
JJ
July 1st, 2009
10:20 am
Coachdawg –
An argument that says the Steg needs to be renovated to help UGA win is ridiculous on its face. But that doesn’t mean that Steg isn’t in need of an overhaul. You don’t renovate a facility as a “reward” for a good product. You renovate when it needs it and when it’s financially prudent to do so. Steg is a dump. It needs renovating.
It’s a multipurpose facility used by Men’s and Women’s BBall and Gymnastics (you know, the 5 time defending NATIONAL Champs), plus countless community events such as graduations. The AA has a surplus of funds and they NEED to fix the Steg.
The football team doesn’t NEED an indoor practice facility.
Will
July 1st, 2009
10:23 am
I’m sure a bunch of liberal’s are running the school. Why don’t they just fix everything then leave a huge bill for the next generation to deal with. That’s what Obama & co are doing. Or better yet, make every season ticket holder pay an additional tax for tickets because that’s the “fair” thing to do.