Spring Break
Millions of dollars for what?
Jenna Santelli
Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: Sports
Now with their supposed national-caliber team comes their national-caliber stadium, which will be built in two phases. Totaling costs will range between $12-$15 million - or at least $12-$15 million is the proposal. I guarantee it will cost more than that.
Louisiana State University, which has won five national championships, is redoing its stadium to have 18 luxury suites and 8,000 seats. That project is going to cost around $35 million. LSU has been playing baseball for at least 20 years and, like I said earlier, has won five titles. LSU's stadium will have 3,000 more seats than the Oregon ballpark and more luxury suites as well. LSU's Alex Box Stadium will boast a new hall of fame, more parking, covered batting cages and an outfield berm. In the original proposal the stadium was going to cost less; however, construction costs have increased since Hurricane Katrina.
I personally think LSU's proposal gives fans, players and the athletic department much more bang for its buck. For one, LSU has a well-established baseball program. Even when Oregon did have a baseball program before cutting it in 1981, they never had a program like LSU's.
While Oregon will offer all new state-of-the-art stadiums, it doesn't have two national championships under its belt like Oregon State does, nor does it have the best coach in college baseball. All Oregon will have is one costly stadium, some good recruits for the 2009 season and a costly coach.
While we're on the topic of the Ducks' extravagancies, how about their proposed $200 million basketball arena, which is more ridiculously priced than the ballpark. Just to put that amount into perspective for people, that is almost as much as Houston's $202 million Toyota Center, home of the NBA team the Houston Rockets. The Charlotte Bobcats' arena cost $260 million, but again, they are a professional team. To spend $200 million on a college facility is absolutely ridiculous. Phil Knight and the Oregon athletic department have raised the bar so high that other Pac-10 teams can barely hang on.
Louisiana State University, which has won five national championships, is redoing its stadium to have 18 luxury suites and 8,000 seats. That project is going to cost around $35 million. LSU has been playing baseball for at least 20 years and, like I said earlier, has won five titles. LSU's stadium will have 3,000 more seats than the Oregon ballpark and more luxury suites as well. LSU's Alex Box Stadium will boast a new hall of fame, more parking, covered batting cages and an outfield berm. In the original proposal the stadium was going to cost less; however, construction costs have increased since Hurricane Katrina.
I personally think LSU's proposal gives fans, players and the athletic department much more bang for its buck. For one, LSU has a well-established baseball program. Even when Oregon did have a baseball program before cutting it in 1981, they never had a program like LSU's.
While Oregon will offer all new state-of-the-art stadiums, it doesn't have two national championships under its belt like Oregon State does, nor does it have the best coach in college baseball. All Oregon will have is one costly stadium, some good recruits for the 2009 season and a costly coach.
While we're on the topic of the Ducks' extravagancies, how about their proposed $200 million basketball arena, which is more ridiculously priced than the ballpark. Just to put that amount into perspective for people, that is almost as much as Houston's $202 million Toyota Center, home of the NBA team the Houston Rockets. The Charlotte Bobcats' arena cost $260 million, but again, they are a professional team. To spend $200 million on a college facility is absolutely ridiculous. Phil Knight and the Oregon athletic department have raised the bar so high that other Pac-10 teams can barely hang on.
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