Alumni Stadium updates

Practice is over. Graduation is over. Teams are gone for a bit, so it is time to tweak Alumni Stadium. The major project this summer is new video boards.

The space allotted for the new boards shows that we are avoiding the video board arms race. Half of the video boards in the SEC wouldn't even fit in Alumni. But this is a good start and should make for a better gameday experience for ticket holders. (HT EO message boards.)

Bring on the MEGAplex!

The winter has not been kind to BC's facilities. First a pipe burst in the Yawkey Center. Then the bubble collapsed due to snow. The final nail in the coffin was Syracuse announcing they were building an indoor practice facility. The sport facilities issues keep mounting for BC. Regardless of how you prioritize, most agree that BC needs the following:

-- Reconfiguration/renovation of Conte
-- Renovation and upgrade to Alumi Stadium (sound, scoreboard, seeting, etc)
-- Hockey practice rink
-- Indoor Practice Facility (primarily used for football)
-- More parking
-- A new Olympic length pool
-- A modern student athletic complex

That is an expensive tab. But I don't think money is our biggest challenge. Space is the primary issue. I also think the University has other priorities, so sports facilities always get a band-aid approach instead of a multi-year methodical solution. That needs to change. We need all of those things listed. We need elite facilities. And we need to break ground soon. In order to overcome the space issue, I think we should demolish everything we have and rebuild on the current footprint (look at the map above). It would take years and create a lot of juggling but it could be done. Georgia Tech -- another city campus with some land restrictions -- just demolished their basketball arena and built a new one on the same site. Alumni and Conte already share walls, so the concept of a dozen sports sharing an interconnected complex is not new to BC. By thinking of it as all one project, you can start to get creative with space and avoid duplicative areas.

I don't think the teams would suffer as we could find temporary homes for most of them (football at Fenway, hockey and hoops at the Garden). The biggest loser would be your average student who uses the current Plex. But missing out for one or two school years can be justified by the long-term needs served by the MEGAplex.

If we had some sort of historic gym or stadium I would be the first one in front of the bulldozer. But that is not the case. Alumni has moved locations and changed its look and configuration. As long as the Football portion of the complex is called Alumni, all will be happy. I don't know if we would still need basketball and hockey to share an arena. Maybe smaller, sport-specific locations would serve both programs better. But that sort of idea cannot happen as long as you view Conte as a stand-alone project.

BC has a master plan with some band-aid solutions for sports. I don't see a champion for my complete knock down idea, but Bates needs to at least consider something big. The same old approach will leave us behind the ACC and wondering what to do next.

Bubble trouble

As BCI first posted via @FaceOffKB5, the bubble over Alumni Stadium collapsed due to the blizzard. Mother Nature can wreak havoc on even the most sturdy of buildings, but this is not unexpected. Inflatable roofs don't do well under heavy snow. You only need to look at the issues the Silverdome and the Metrodome had with their inflatable roofs. I am sure the clean up will be relatively quick and I would hope BC has insurance for this sort of thing but it does raise the facilities question again. We need an permanent indoor practice facility. Patch working solutions is just going to lead to issues like this again.

Recruiting territories and other links

Eagle Action released the individual recruiting territories for the Addazio staff. Although with open positions and an still to be named recruiting coordinator, the assignments could still be fluid. What I found interesting was some of the focus. Addazio will have three staff members assigned to Florida and just one to the other New England states. All the staffers will split Massachusetts. We will also put effort into Detroit and St. Louis for the first time in decades. I don't really care where we recruit. I just think BC needs to get a dozen kids each year from the Northeast and then find another 8-10 around the country. If we find pockets -- like Cincinnati -- where our message works, great! But the key thing is finding areas where there is talent and it is receptive to BC's pitch.

Basketball prospect Terance Mann likes BC.

Now that he is back and doing well, Jerry York night has been rescheduled for February 8.

Anyone who thinks we need to add seats to Alumni should read this article. More and more college football is becoming a TV sport and BC needs to be ahead of the curve in how we fill seats.

Stokes Hall and what it means for sports

Stokes Hall -- BC's latest construction project -- is nearing its opening and receiving a lot of media attention. The project represents the University's commitment to the humanities, but I also think it could serve as a template for BC Athletics...and not just because it sits on the original home of Alumni Stadium.

BC has numerous Athletic construction project needs. Just at a high level, BC needs to renovate the Plex, finally build the baseball/softball complex, commit to heavy renovation or total rebuild of the Conte/Alumni complex and build an indoor practice facility (the practice facility might be shoehorned into the Plex or Alumni remodel). All might seem daunting to Brad Bates, but if he looks to Stokes, he will hopefully realize it can be done.

Use of Space
No one wanted to see the Dust Bowl go away, but BC needed the space. There are pockets around campus that could also support some of Athletic's needs. Bates and the planning team just need to be creative and also appease those who fear the loss of more green space or don't want a congested campus.

Raising Money
BC raised $78 million for the building, including a named donation for $22 million. If planned right and if they approach the right donors, Bates could easily raise more than $100 million. Now $100 million won't cover all the projects on the "To Do" list but it could cover the Plex and Indoor Practice Facility. The cost of the Alumni/Conte renovations really depend on how far BC is willing to go.

Think Big
Although it is nestled along what's left of the Dust Bowl, Stokes was a big undertaking and a big building. BC could have halved the square footage and still had a significant project. I hope BC thinks big on the sports needs too. I've referenced a Conte/Alumni renovation, but what about a full demolition and rebuild on the same footprint? That way we could build something that met our needs for football, basketball, hockey, hockey practice, basketball practice, football practice and meeting space. It would probably cost $400 million+, take three years and involve our teams using the Garden or Fenway for a few seasons, but long-term it would be worth it. The people who pushed Stokes thought that way. The people in charge of Athletics need to do the same.

Welcome to BC. Now get to work

One of the reasons I liked the Bates hire is that he's experienced in ways the other finalists weren't. These AD jobs are highly political. You have to deal with donors, administrators, coaches and your fellow ADs. Everyone's got an angle and an agenda. A guy new to this type of role or this many players might have been overwhelmed. Bates looks like he will be fine in that department. The parallels between the Miami community's reaction and are reaction to Gene's departure are noted, but after ten years, even the most loyal of fans will want some new blood and new ideas. On a whole you cannot question the success of Bates's tenure at Miami. I am not worried about what he did or didn't do at Miami. My concern is what he plans to accomplish at BC. Much of Bates' agenda will be determined by pressing needs and BC's overriding plans for the University, but with that in mind, I offer my advice to Mr. Bates.

• You are not hiring a football coach for Miami of Ohio. You are hiring a football coach for Boston College. I understand all the niceties to the media, but Frank Spaziani will not be coaching BC Football next fall. Because of timing, BC will be one of the better jobs available this offseason. We do not have to settle for anyone or take a flyer on an up and comer. You can make your pick of several exciting and sought after candidates. I don't know what preliminary budget BC has given you for the hire, but even if we pay in the bottom half of the conference, we will still have great possibilities. Our last two football searches were all about prior relationships with your predecessor  Don't make that same mistake. Find the best person for this job.
• Don't accept "but that's how we've always done it" as an answer from your staffers, BC leadership or employees. One of the things I appreciate about Bates is that he is not a boat rocker and seems to be a consensus builder. That's also a nice change from recent past, but that doesn't mean Bates shouldn't challenge current lines of thought. I am glad BC went for someone from outside our community. All aspects of the Athletic Department need to be evaluated. In his speech he mentioned game day experiences and marketing. But I also think how we deal with media, how we deal with Newton and the surrounding communities and how we operate within the ACC need to be improved or changed. 
• Get ready to raise lots of money and spend a lot of time looking a blueprints. I know there are many factors in play, but it is embarrassing that the baseball field hasn't broken ground. People look at Alumni and Conte and talk about seating configuration or air conditioning. Those issues are minor. Both buildings have long overdue basic maintenance investments. The Plex is a joke. Plus we need a practice  facility. Based on the Athletic Capital campaigns announced at other private schools, these projects are going to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and require careful planning. For example the Plex cannot come down until its replacement is up. Instead of renovating Alumni/Conte do we tear down and rebuild on the same footprint (with a new indoor football practice facility and second hockey rink)? Those ideas have been discussed. Now they need action. 
• Ask what sports we need to play. Every team has its supporters, but how long can BC sustain its current mix of teams? For all those Lacrosse lovers, I don't think it will ever return. In fact it is more likely other sports will join Lax in the used to have a team category. I think Gene was happy to put those issues on the backburner, but budget wise and scholarship wise it needs to be considered. 
• Have fun. One thing that wasn't mentioned today but needs to be remembered, is that beyond our academic mission or promoting the school, sports are supposed to be fun. Aside from a moment here or there, BC sports have not been fun in the past few years. Winning will help, but how we approach the games, celebrate the big and little moments and embrace each other all contributes to the level of fun around the program. If you want to change that, it starts with you. Be thankful that you are working at one of the best athletic programs in the country and at one of the best schools in the country. There are tens of thousands of people who love BC and want you to succeed. Engage those people, entertain those people, and keep those people in mind as you make decisions. When things are good at BC, they are really good. Help rekindle that and we'll be forever thankful.

Revisiting a Boston (BC) Olympics using London as an example

During the 2010 Winter Olympics I tossed around the idea of Boston hosting a summer or winter games. My point then remains that the same: Boston is ideal because the local universities could already supply many of the venues. The big obstacle would always be the main stadium for Track & Field and the opening and closing ceremonies. Nearly every city that hosts is left with a White Elephant that costs hundreds of millions of dollars. But London may provide a solution. They built their Olympic Stadium as a temporary venue. It looked great on TV, holds enough for the games and can be shrunk as soon as it all wraps up. Londoners haven't decided what they will do with the space. There are a few different bidders looking to take over the remains of the stadium. Boston would probably have similar suitors depending on the location. I would guess that UMasss Boston would want a small stadium or maybe the Revolution would want to convert it to a soccer only facility. The possibilities are endless.

I would still love to see Boston host the games and wish our partner Fenway Sports Group would get behind it. I am practical too. This wouldn't just be a vanity project for BC. It would be a backdoor way to get the IOC to fix the air conditioning in Conte!

The field is finished

Reader Doug took these pictures yesterday. I think the field and wall look great. The next step will be hearing how the players like the look and feel. 

More Turf news

This is bordering on overkill, but I am going all in...

The good people at AstroTurf have premiered a live video feed of the Alumni Stadium turf installation. Now instead of spending your holiday week outdoors with family and friends, you can watch as synthetic grass is laid down in Chestnut Hill.

New Wall pic!

BC Basketball Video Coordinator Dan McDermott tweeted the latest image of the new Alumni Stadium Wall. When we first saw the brick slabs on the back of the truck, I complained about the drab color scheme. Now that some slabs are partially installed, I think the brick color works well. It blends in seamlessly with the interior of the Stadium. Maroon or red might have clashed.

I know many are indifferent towards the renovations, but I think watching the progress over the summer is cool. If you get a chance to take a picture, be sure to forward it along or share via a social network.

Not another brick in the wall

This picture comes courtesy of regular reader Ryan. It shows the slabs of prefab brick wall being delivered to Alumni. A few interesting developments can be inferred. First the color of the bricks matches the same color schemes in and around Alumni and Conte. Since the old padding was maroon, I wondered if the bricks in the wall would be maroon or a shade of red. I think a red wall against the green turf looks better on TV. I fear this might look a little dull. But I'll hold out hope until the project is done.

The second development is that it appears this wall is not real brick and will be significantly (if not all) prefabricated. I know next to nothing about construction, so this might be the most current method for building a brick wall. I just assumed they would be laying each individual brick. If it is all prefab, I don't know why the project will take so long. I also don't know how the wall slabs work from an economic standpoint nor a repair standpoint. If anyone is familiar with this, please comment or email me. I also wonder and hope that the faux wall will be easier on the players. I can't recall a player running into the old pads, but it was a nice safety precaution. Our walls are close enough to the field that a crash could happen. I also would love to know about the acoustics of a less dense wall. Will is muffle or amplify noise? So many questions. Who knew a little wall would be so interesting.

More Alumni shots and other links

A day after we put a pic up, BC released their own shot of the new field. Hopefully they keep documenting and sharing the progress via social media.

Heights and Lows has the first look at the new SuperFan shirt and an all important ranking of the slogans. Some of us are old enough to remember when the shirt had nothing on the back.

BC offered Ohio TE Kevin Kavalec. He currently has offers from MAC schools, but I don't mind us reaching a bit on a kid from St. Ignatius. At one time it was a mini-pipeline for us. Getting our foot back in the door there may pay off down the road. Virginia prospect Brandon Ravenel had good things to say about BC.

The field of our early Novermber Tournament in Charleston is set. BC won't be favored but that is a winnable tournament. Baylor and St. John's have the most returning talent, but all of those teams will be replacing key contributors. BC -- of course -- will have 90% of the team back.

Here are the bios of Mike Gambino's latest recruiting class.

The Globe published a great feature on Anthony Melchionda.

A peek at Alumni's renovations

Faithful reader Pete provided this peek into Alumni's renovations. As you can see, the old turf is completely removed. The base wall and padding are also gone.

According to BC, the brick work on the new wall will come first and begin shortly. Construction on the wall will continue simultaneously as BC installs the new artificial turf. The new turf arrives June 25 and installation takes approximately four weeks. The wall will be finished later this summer