FIU is soliciting construction bids for stadium expansion to enclose the north end of the stadium. Part of the requirement is to ensure that the stadium will remain FIFA compliant (we've hosted Gold Cup matches in the last 2 tournaments). Total cost of this phase would be $6 million and would be completed in time for the opening of the 2012 football season. The bid sheet also goes further and asks for renderings for a new "Central Structure" which will house additional luxury boxes, presidential lodge, media boxes, coaches boxes, and concourse level stadium box. Lastly, it also requests renderings for the final expansion of the stadium (addition of an upper deck to the home side and end zones of the stadium). There is no timeline for the last 2 additions.

Good luck. FIU is on the rise.

Good for FIU. They needed to fill in that one sideline. It ruins the entire look of the stadium, and I'm sure the view from the old stands is pretty bad being so far from the field. For $6 million, finishing the bowl is a no-brainer. I know there was talk in the past of using that stadium for an MLS team. I'm not sure how viable that is, or if they would even want to return to this market yet, but I suppose this would help that cause.

(09-05-2011 08:20 AM)FIU Panther Fan Wrote:  FIU is soliciting construction bids for stadium expansion to enclose the north end of the stadium. Part of the requirement is to ensure that the stadium will remain FIFA compliant (we've hosted Gold Cup matches in the last 2 tournaments). Total cost of this phase would be $6 million and would be completed in time for the opening of the 2012 football season. The bid sheet also goes further and asks for renderings for a new "Central Structure" which will house additional luxury boxes, presidential lodge, media boxes, coaches boxes, and concourse level stadium box. Lastly, it also requests renderings for the final expansion of the stadium (addition of an upper deck to the home side and end zones of the stadium). There is no timeline for the last 2 additions.

When you enclose the north end, what will the capacity be ?

(09-05-2011 01:22 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 08:20 AM)FIU Panther Fan Wrote:  FIU is soliciting construction bids for stadium expansion to enclose the north end of the stadium. Part of the requirement is to ensure that the stadium will remain FIFA compliant (we've hosted Gold Cup matches in the last 2 tournaments). Total cost of this phase would be $6 million and would be completed in time for the opening of the 2012 football season. The bid sheet also goes further and asks for renderings for a new "Central Structure" which will house additional luxury boxes, presidential lodge, media boxes, coaches boxes, and concourse level stadium box. Lastly, it also requests renderings for the final expansion of the stadium (addition of an upper deck to the home side and end zones of the stadium). There is no timeline for the last 2 additions.

When you enclose the north end, what will the capacity be ?

Capacity numbers are still unclear at this point but if I were a betting man; I would guess around 35,000.

The new side is supposed to mimic the already built side.

What I like best about the stadium is that it will be the only complete bowl in the SBC. All other stadiums are either U shaped with something in the endzone or just two sided.

(09-05-2011 02:39 PM)fiuindc Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 01:22 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 08:20 AM)FIU Panther Fan Wrote:  FIU is soliciting construction bids for stadium expansion to enclose the north end of the stadium. Part of the requirement is to ensure that the stadium will remain FIFA compliant (we've hosted Gold Cup matches in the last 2 tournaments). Total cost of this phase would be $6 million and would be completed in time for the opening of the 2012 football season. The bid sheet also goes further and asks for renderings for a new "Central Structure" which will house additional luxury boxes, presidential lodge, media boxes, coaches boxes, and concourse level stadium box. Lastly, it also requests renderings for the final expansion of the stadium (addition of an upper deck to the home side and end zones of the stadium). There is no timeline for the last 2 additions.

When you enclose the north end, what will the capacity be ?

Capacity numbers are still unclear at this point but if I were a betting man; I would guess around 35,000.

The new side is supposed to mimic the already built side.

What I like best about the stadium is that it will be the only complete bowl in the SBC. All other stadiums are either U shaped with something in the endzone or just two sided.

Actually, UNT's stadium is a complete bowl, as is MTSU.

(09-05-2011 02:45 PM)fauowls561 Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 02:39 PM)fiuindc Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 01:22 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 08:20 AM)FIU Panther Fan Wrote:  FIU is soliciting construction bids for stadium expansion to enclose the north end of the stadium. Part of the requirement is to ensure that the stadium will remain FIFA compliant (we've hosted Gold Cup matches in the last 2 tournaments). Total cost of this phase would be $6 million and would be completed in time for the opening of the 2012 football season. The bid sheet also goes further and asks for renderings for a new "Central Structure" which will house additional luxury boxes, presidential lodge, media boxes, coaches boxes, and concourse level stadium box. Lastly, it also requests renderings for the final expansion of the stadium (addition of an upper deck to the home side and end zones of the stadium). There is no timeline for the last 2 additions.

When you enclose the north end, what will the capacity be ?

Capacity numbers are still unclear at this point but if I were a betting man; I would guess around 35,000.

The new side is supposed to mimic the already built side.

What I like best about the stadium is that it will be the only complete bowl in the SBC. All other stadiums are either U shaped with something in the endzone or just two sided.

Actually, UNT's stadium is a complete bowl, as is MTSU.

Our stadium is a horseshoe, with the Athletics Center right up against the open end.

(09-05-2011 03:39 PM)thetastygreek Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 02:45 PM)fauowls561 Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 02:39 PM)fiuindc Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 01:22 PM)MG61 Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 08:20 AM)FIU Panther Fan Wrote:  FIU is soliciting construction bids for stadium expansion to enclose the north end of the stadium. Part of the requirement is to ensure that the stadium will remain FIFA compliant (we've hosted Gold Cup matches in the last 2 tournaments). Total cost of this phase would be $6 million and would be completed in time for the opening of the 2012 football season. The bid sheet also goes further and asks for renderings for a new "Central Structure" which will house additional luxury boxes, presidential lodge, media boxes, coaches boxes, and concourse level stadium box. Lastly, it also requests renderings for the final expansion of the stadium (addition of an upper deck to the home side and end zones of the stadium). There is no timeline for the last 2 additions.

When you enclose the north end, what will the capacity be ?

Capacity numbers are still unclear at this point but if I were a betting man; I would guess around 35,000.

The new side is supposed to mimic the already built side.

What I like best about the stadium is that it will be the only complete bowl in the SBC. All other stadiums are either U shaped with something in the endzone or just two sided.

Actually, UNT's stadium is a complete bowl, as is MTSU.

Our stadium is a horseshoe, with the Athletics Center right up against the open end.

No bowl here.

(09-05-2011 03:47 PM)Green Menace Wrote:  No bowls here.

You can say that again.

.........

(09-05-2011 03:57 PM)ntmeangreen11 Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 03:47 PM)Green Menace Wrote:  No bowls here.

You can say that again.

.........

LOL. But you are right...for some reason I thought there were seats in that open endzone. I guess I could have just looked at a picture! But I kknow I'm right that MTSU has seating in both endzones.

(09-05-2011 02:39 PM)fiuindc Wrote:  What I like best about the stadium is that it will be the only complete bowl in the SBC. All other stadiums are either U shaped with something in the endzone or just two sided.

As others have pointed out...



But good research...

I suppose at the end of the day, $6 million isn't that much to increase your stadium by roughly 50%, but couldn't that money be spent on something else until you actually...you know...fill the stadium you have now?

"If you build it, they will come" ... If the owls and the eagles can use that line, why can't we?

(09-05-2011 05:26 PM)FIU4Ever Wrote:  "If you build it, they will come" ... If the owls and the eagles can use that line, why can't we?

Not exactly the same scenario.

They were both building badly needed new stadiums, you're talking about unnecessary expansion.

Badly needed expansion for FIU. When your opposing teams' radio network gets knocked off when broadcasting under a tent in the rain from an end zone, there are some upgrades in order.

(09-05-2011 06:40 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 05:26 PM)FIU4Ever Wrote:  "If you build it, they will come" ... If the owls and the eagles can use that line, why can't we?

Not exactly the same scenario.

They were both building badly needed new stadiums, you're talking about unnecessary expansion.

I don't often defend FIU, but it's not like they are adding on an upper level or something. They are just simply completing what they already have. Frankly, it's something they should have just done when they built the stadium in the first place.

(09-05-2011 07:05 PM)fauowls561 Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 06:40 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 05:26 PM)FIU4Ever Wrote:  "If you build it, they will come" ... If the owls and the eagles can use that line, why can't we?

Not exactly the same scenario.

They were both building badly needed new stadiums, you're talking about unnecessary expansion.

I don't often defend FIU, but it's not like they are adding on an upper level or something. They are just simply completing what they already have. Frankly, it's something they should have just done when they built the stadium in the first place.

Yeah, but if the 35,000 number is accurate, that would put them at the largest capacity in the conference...we all know they don't need that.

(09-05-2011 07:18 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 07:05 PM)fauowls561 Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 06:40 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 05:26 PM)FIU4Ever Wrote:  "If you build it, they will come" ... If the owls and the eagles can use that line, why can't we?

Not exactly the same scenario.

They were both building badly needed new stadiums, you're talking about unnecessary expansion.

I don't often defend FIU, but it's not like they are adding on an upper level or something. They are just simply completing what they already have. Frankly, it's something they should have just done when they built the stadium in the first place.

Yeah, but if the 35,000 number is accurate, that would put them at the largest capacity in the conference...we all know they don't need that.

Maybe the stadium iimprovements were designed to move to 35,000 for this phase. If they "need" it now or not is a matter of opinion. I don't see 35,000 as an over reach. 35,000 certainly isn't out of range for non-BCS programs.

(09-05-2011 07:18 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 07:05 PM)fauowls561 Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 06:40 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  

(09-05-2011 05:26 PM)FIU4Ever Wrote:  "If you build it, they will come" ... If the owls and the eagles can use that line, why can't we?

Not exactly the same scenario.

They were both building badly needed new stadiums, you're talking about unnecessary expansion.

I don't often defend FIU, but it's not like they are adding on an upper level or something. They are just simply completing what they already have. Frankly, it's something they should have just done when they built the stadium in the first place.

Yeah, but if the 35,000 number is accurate, that would put them at the largest capacity in the conference...we all know they don't need that.

That is just a guesstimate, it will be move the numbers over 20k, by how much? No official figure has been given yet. But we will be closing the north sideline so it will be quite a few seats.

That number is not accurate. The "enclosing" phase will add about 2,500-4,000 net seats, since they are tearing down the old bleachers and replacing with the current configuration to create a true bowl all around. As owls561 correctly stated, it is something that was put off and needed to be done, regardless of the attendance numbers. It was not built originally because a Student Support Complex was planned to be built on that north facade of the stadium, but plans....and the economy....have changed since and no funds earmarked...until now.

Good things happening..... Go Panthers!