(08-05-2019 09:12 PM)Atlanta Wrote: Just remember the LB is approaching 60 yrs old. So whether now or later the university needs to have a plan for where the school plays FB 10-20-30yrs from now. They cannot & should not rely on the city beyond the current usable life of the LB.
I agree a bit. The LB probably has another 20 years before it becomes Legion Field-like.
Can't imagine we'd let things get that bad. The real problem is that it's a city asset & the university will not invest significantly in it's maintenance & obvious improvements to keep the LB viable for another 20 yrs. Just need a plan. And if there is one, it's the best kept secret in Memphis.
(08-05-2019 09:12 PM)Atlanta Wrote: Just remember the LB is approaching 60 yrs old. So whether now or later the university needs to have a plan for where the school plays FB 10-20-30yrs from now. They cannot & should not rely on the city beyond the current usable life of the LB.
I agree a bit. The LB probably has another 20 years before it becomes Legion Field-like.
Can't imagine we'd let things get that bad. The real problem is that it's a city asset & the university will not invest significantly in it's maintenance & obvious improvements to keep the LB viable for another 20 yrs. Just need a plan. And if there is one, it's the best kept secret in Memphis.
The city has poured tens of millions into the Liberty Bowl in recent years, and everything has been upgraded except the press box, which is on the list for future improvements. Not to mention the $15M or so the city put into developing Tiger Lane.
And another new video board and audio system will be ready for the start of this season. The Liberty Bowl will be viable for a good while yet, and its sight lines are second to none.
(This post was last modified: 08-07-2019 06:25 AM by TripleA.)
one of the first things the BOT did was open discussions with the city for the university to ultimately assume control over Audubon Park. what that really meant was leaving the wooded walking trail along the Goodlett Rd frontage for the Normal Station neighborhood and most everything east of Cherry Rd (bisecting the park) to the Botanic Gardens. there are whispers that if a new stadium is built it will be on the golf course property between the wooded area and Cherry Rd and south of this new tennis facility. Time will tell but the city is committed to fully redeveloping the fairgrounds and there will be a time when LBS has to be said goodbye to. that isnt any time soon, but the time will come. below is an image showing how the properties relate to each other
(This post was last modified: 08-06-2019 09:20 AM by tigerjeb.)
(08-06-2019 08:37 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote: The expansion costs $19M of which $3M will come from the city, $5 million the school, and rest ($11M) from donors. To date, $18M has been raised.
(08-06-2019 08:37 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote: The expansion costs $19M of which $3M will come from the city, $5 million the school, and rest ($11M) from donors. To date, $18M has been raised.
i am interested in seeing what the natatorium expansion and renovations at the HYPER building wind up looking like. getting that pool competition ready again will have a similar community impact, especially if the university establishes competitive swim/diving teams. lots of the junior club swimmers using that pool have gone on to compete at the college level. I guess all that is behind the new Student Activity Center finished first though. could be a few years.
I read where the natatorium standoff between the university and county mayor got settled. As far as its' place on the capital projects list, I'm not sure. We may have to wait until the next state of athletics presentation at the March BOT meeting. Per the last meeting, capital projects include IPF phase 2, Leftwich Tennis, Elma Roane, Finch Center, Track and Soccer Stadium with lights (campaign to begin in '19).
It's great that more facilities are being brought or in some cases brought back to campus. I, too, have heard rumblings about Audubon being the site for a future OCS. If/whenever the city agrees on a fairgrounds development plan, I could see that decision spurring an OCS project. But, it'd likely be a city/university project unless $100M+ drops out of the sky. Since freeing themselves from the TBR system, the city and university have worked well together on these types of projects.
(This post was last modified: 08-06-2019 12:07 PM by gulfcoastgal.)
(08-05-2019 07:51 PM)Tigers2B1 Wrote: Memphis doesn't need an on-campus Stadium. The Liberty Bowl is about 2 miles from campus ... A straight walk down Central.
and if we ever did build one it would be at the 'Park Ave Campus' which is still like a mile from main campus.
so essentially we would have to pay 100 million dollars to move one mile closer to main campus....no thanks!
There is room on the main campus. Plus, Memphis doesn't make money on the Liberty Bowl. The shortsightedness of some Tiger fans kills me. It's not about the price tag, it's about the investment in the future.
(08-05-2019 09:12 PM)Atlanta Wrote: Just remember the LB is approaching 60 yrs old. So whether now or later the university needs to have a plan for where the school plays FB 10-20-30yrs from now. They cannot & should not rely on the city beyond the current usable life of the LB.
But unfortunately, it appears most Tiger fans are content. And the word content to keep kicking the can down the road. Attendance is plateauing right now, despite having some of the best teams in its history. If done on campus, whether it held 40,000 or 45,000... There would be demand, and the student involvement would increase, without a freaking doubt. I just wish others realized how much LBMS holds the program back.
(This post was last modified: 08-07-2019 09:04 AM by Coach Bonez89.)
(08-05-2019 09:12 PM)Atlanta Wrote: Just remember the LB is approaching 60 yrs old. So whether now or later the university needs to have a plan for where the school plays FB 10-20-30yrs from now. They cannot & should not rely on the city beyond the current usable life of the LB.
I agree a bit. The LB probably has another 20 years before it becomes Legion Field-like.
Can't imagine we'd let things get that bad. The real problem is that it's a city asset & the university will not invest significantly in it's maintenance & obvious improvements to keep the LB viable for another 20 yrs. Just need a plan. And if there is one, it's the best kept secret in Memphis.
The city has poured tens of millions into the Liberty Bowl in recent years, and everything has been upgraded except the press box, which is on the list for future improvements. Not to mention the $15M or so the city put into developing Tiger Lane.
And another new video board and audio system will be ready for the start of this season. The Liberty Bowl will be viable for a good while yet, and its sight lines are second to none.
(08-06-2019 12:07 PM)gulfcoastgal Wrote: I read where the natatorium standoff between the university and county mayor got settled. As far as its' place on the capital projects list, I'm not sure. We may have to wait until the next state of athletics presentation at the March BOT meeting. Per the last meeting, capital projects include IPF phase 2, Leftwich Tennis, Elma Roane, Finch Center, Track and Soccer Stadium with lights (campaign to begin in '19).
It's great that more facilities are being brought or in some cases brought back to campus. I, too, have heard rumblings about Audubon being the site for a future OCS. If/whenever the city agrees on a fairgrounds development plan, I could see that decision spurring an OCS project. But, it'd likely be a city/university project unless $100M+ drops out of the sky. Since freeing themselves from the TBR system, the city and university have worked well together on these types of projects.
Rudd told him that he hopes he enjoys his four years as mayor, because that's all it will be, if he continues to pick these kinds of battles. That shut Harris' dumb*** up pretty quick.
The Liberty Bowl is inadequate and looks bad when 35,000 are there. Plus, it's about getting alumni and donors on campus. This shortsighted rhetoric reminds me of the R.C. Johnson. Thank the lord you're not in charge of the athletics department. I stand by my statement that to truly elevate the program, it must be put on campus, sometime within the next decade. There is room on main campus or south campus. If you say there isn't, then you don't understand simple math. You could literally do your own independent study through google maps using the "very" simple measurement tools provided: by encompassing any major stadium, and find open spots on main or south campus, where it could be constructed.
(08-06-2019 08:57 AM)tigerjeb Wrote: one of the first things the BOT did was open discussions with the city for the university to ultimately assume control over Audubon Park. what that really meant was leaving the wooded walking trail along the Goodlett Rd frontage for the Normal Station neighborhood and most everything east of Cherry Rd (bisecting the park) to the Botanic Gardens. there are whispers that if a new stadium is built it will be on the golf course property between the wooded area and Cherry Rd and south of this new tennis facility. Time will tell but the city is committed to fully redeveloping the fairgrounds and there will be a time when LBS has to be said goodbye to. that isnt any time soon, but the time will come. below is an image showing how the properties relate to each other
In general, the investments in the area are day and night to what it once was. Property values are rising south of main campus for the first time in a long time. The Park area east of Getwell is seeing a jump in property values too. This was an area I was worried about after the recession and it's truly inspiring to see the Colonial Acres, Green Acres, East Buntyn, etc. etc. neighborhoods all experiencing a renaissance. Very similar to what you're seeing in similar neighborhoods south of Sam Cooper, along Mendenhall and White Station.
it is encouraging that all the public/university partnerships around the full perimeter of campus are positively affecting the surrounding real estate values. of course the university either already owns or has options on most of the lots west to Highland, but using the Natatorium and Tennis for public use plus the major new performing arts venue that will be part of the new School of Music building starting construction next to the Holiday Inn on Central Ave will be a magnet for bringing more new higher value properties and higher income owners to the surrounding area. U of M working with the Highland Strip developers and taking management positions providing stability for those the new apartment buildings is also a plus for area redevelopment. Highland south of the tracks needs some special attention and opportunities are there. the Catholic Diocese backing out of the proposed U of M Middle School in the old St Anne's school space was really disappointing for that effort though. the master plan shows the campus elementary school moving south of the tracks at some point. there is space so perhaps a middle school component can be part of the design as well
(This post was last modified: 08-08-2019 03:09 PM by tigerjeb.)
(08-05-2019 09:12 PM)Atlanta Wrote: Just remember the LB is approaching 60 yrs old. So whether now or later the university needs to have a plan for where the school plays FB 10-20-30yrs from now. They cannot & should not rely on the city beyond the current usable life of the LB.
I agree a bit. The LB probably has another 20 years before it becomes Legion Field-like.
Can't imagine we'd let things get that bad. The real problem is that it's a city asset & the university will not invest significantly in it's maintenance & obvious improvements to keep the LB viable for another 20 yrs. Just need a plan. And if there is one, it's the best kept secret in Memphis.
The city has poured tens of millions into the Liberty Bowl in recent years, and everything has been upgraded except the press box, which is on the list for future improvements. Not to mention the $15M or so the city put into developing Tiger Lane.
And another new video board and audio system will be ready for the start of this season. The Liberty Bowl will be viable for a good while yet, and its sight lines are second to none.
Lipstick on a pig. That is all.
I understand your points, and I would be 100% for an OCS, but you are not giving the other POV any air at all. It's not as cut and dried as you think.
The money is just not there to do it right now. If we had made the jump to the Big 12, plans were in place to make an OCS happen, but without the huge increase in revenue, plus the anticipation of increased interest and donations that the Big 12 would have brought, the money is just not there to do it in the foreseeable future.
Remember that the city wouldn't chip in, and neither would the Liberty Bowl game, b/c they would want a larger capacity than we would on campus. So, the U of M would have to foot all or most of the bill for a new OCS.
So while you rant and rave that LBMS is a pig, etc., it's our pig, and nothing is going to change for a long time.
(This post was last modified: 08-07-2019 06:19 PM by TripleA.)
i think IF IF IF a new stadium is built at Aububon (or wherever) the political dynamic will be different in that the U of M would be lead dog on design, funding and managing the thing. there would also be considerations for the AZLB and SHC built in to the design in return for some public funding in the form of the park acquisition and infrastructure. it would be a U of M production with the city of Memphis keeping the skids greased and roadblocks cleared
(08-05-2019 09:12 PM)Atlanta Wrote: Just remember the LB is approaching 60 yrs old. So whether now or later the university needs to have a plan for where the school plays FB 10-20-30yrs from now. They cannot & should not rely on the city beyond the current usable life of the LB.
I agree a bit. The LB probably has another 20 years before it becomes Legion Field-like.
Can't imagine we'd let things get that bad. The real problem is that it's a city asset & the university will not invest significantly in it's maintenance & obvious improvements to keep the LB viable for another 20 yrs. Just need a plan. And if there is one, it's the best kept secret in Memphis.
The city has poured tens of millions into the Liberty Bowl in recent years, and everything has been upgraded except the press box, which is on the list for future improvements. Not to mention the $15M or so the city put into developing Tiger Lane.
And another new video board and audio system will be ready for the start of this season. The Liberty Bowl will be viable for a good while yet, and its sight lines are second to none.
(08-07-2019 09:05 AM)Coach Bonez89 Wrote:
(08-06-2019 07:22 AM)TripleA Wrote:
(08-06-2019 07:17 AM)Atlanta Wrote:
(08-05-2019 09:13 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:
(08-05-2019 09:12 PM)Atlanta Wrote: Just remember the LB is approaching 60 yrs old. So whether now or later the university needs to have a plan for where the school plays FB 10-20-30yrs from now. They cannot & should not rely on the city beyond the current usable life of the LB.
I agree a bit. The LB probably has another 20 years before it becomes Legion Field-like.
Can't imagine we'd let things get that bad. The real problem is that it's a city asset & the university will not invest significantly in it's maintenance & obvious improvements to keep the LB viable for another 20 yrs. Just need a plan. And if there is one, it's the best kept secret in Memphis.
The city has poured tens of millions into the Liberty Bowl in recent years, and everything has been upgraded except the press box, which is on the list for future improvements. Not to mention the $15M or so the city put into developing Tiger Lane.
And another new video board and audio system will be ready for the start of this season. The Liberty Bowl will be viable for a good while yet, and its sight lines are second to none.
Lipstick on a pig. That is all.
Such a BS post. I would argue that the experience at the Liberty Bowl is superior to any stadium in our conference. I have been to all of them minus ECU.
The parking access is incredible. Tiger Lane is an oasis for tailgaters. The concessions are plentiful & the restrooms modern. The sight lines are perfect and the locker rooms rival any P5 location. The new video boards and sound will do nothing but enhance the experience. The only real flaws with the place are that it is far too big and the press boxes way too high.
Anybody knocking the Liberty Bowl obviously hasn't been to the stadium in the last 5 years.
(This post was last modified: 08-08-2019 04:31 PM by UofMTigerFan.)
![[Image: RBrnTEF.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/RBrnTEF.jpg)
