MSF construction photos?

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

What are those metal poles in the picture? Are they really flag poles like True suggests? To whomever from the Athletic Department reads these posts: If you could add a small blurb to describe some of these photos it would be really nice, because then we don't have to interpret them by ourselves.

[jerseyhoya34]

I think those poles will be used for netting. The poles near where the uprights will be are slightly taller, which is the reason for my hypothesis.

[DFW HOYA]

Speaking of construction, Stanford's trustees approved $85 million to rebuild its stadium. The plans were announced the next day, with construction to start at the end of 2005 with a 2006 opening.

Things move fast when you've got Stanford money, I guess.

sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2005/06/08/STANFORD.TMP&o=0

[thebin]

"We want to make this a spectacular, intimate, small, cozy football stadium,''

I love it. Its going to hold 50,000. Very cozy.

But man does that look like a COMPLETELY different stadium, not a renovation. The old stadium was a single tier bowl, the "renovation" is a squared double decker that shares no similarities at all from what I can see. I am surprised they will be able to create that new stadium for less than $100 million in the bay area no less. Especially given they plan on accelerated construction ($$$) so that the Cardinal home schedule doesn't miss a beat.

the "renovated Stanford stadium":

sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2005/06/08/STANFORD.TMP&o=0

the present version:

www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/united_states/california/stanford_stadium.shtml

[thebin]

I think by 2006, Stanford can claim to have the best overall athletic facilities in the nation. They have legit independent stadia for football, basketball, baseball, softball, aquatics, soccer, tennis, and rugby. Not bleachers mind you, independent and permanent stadia for each of those. The aquatic and tennis and baseball and softball stadia look of Olympic quality as I look back on Athens 2004. Maybe Palo Alto should have got the USOC bid for the 2012 Olympics over NYC. Does Sheldon Silver have a pork veto in California too?

And of course I know why this is....money and land. They have it, we don't. Oh, and one of the best two or three athletic departments in the nation.

gostanford.collegesports.com/school-bio/stan-facilities.html

[SFHoya99]

They have their own lacrosse field with permanent, if small, concrete seating.

Sigh, I wish we could fundraise like Stanford.

[Deleted]

jerseyhoya34 said:

I think those poles will be used for netting. The poles near where the uprights will be are slightly taller, which is the reason for my hypothesis.

They are certainly for netting - large poles in the middle for football, smaller ones on the outside to keep soccer and lax balls from flying all over the place.

[LBPop]

Well, by my count we should be ready for some updated photos. Has anyone been on campus lately...would really appreciate an update on progress. Still trying to figure out where we'll be sitting this season.

[hoya4ever]

I was there this past weekend. They have divided the field in long dug parts and put a few mountains of black material on it. I think it might be the stuff they use for tar. It looks like it. But is it used in Field Turf? The side of Yates and the mini parking space that was there are also gone. Road remains closed, of course but you can almost see where the new road is going to be.

[caldad]

It sounds like they are still working on the drainage or grading. the black stuff is probably the rubber material that they mix into the sand subsurface. Fieldturf.com has a website that explains what everything is. In fact , they have GU listed for a July 30 installation date . I suspect that is when they anticipate either completion or laying the turf (which is probably the easiest part).

This turf was installed at our local high school a year ago. It sounds like the GU field will be installed in time for August practice.

[hoya4ever]

August practice starts on the 10th. It will be nice if the field is finished because that way football will not take up space up on Kehoe. Four teams need field space up there in the fall and football two-a-days wouldn't help in the scheduling.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

Is the turf that we are having installed the new artificial turf used at Nebraska and other schools or the old school turf with high occurences of turf toe?

[caldad]

The Nebraska turf. The stuff is great.

[TigerHoya]

caldad said:

The Nebraska turf. The stuff is great.

Except during the summer/early fall and late spring when it gets hot it has to be hosed down to practice on it. The surface temp gets very very very hot.

[LBPop]

There are new photos up on the athletic website, but I was on campus yesterday and there has been additional progress in just the past couple of days. Half the field is covered with a black surface that I believe is about the last step before the actual "green stuff" goes down. It's truly exciting to see what's going on--I still can't figure out what will be done about seating this season. Could be a bit crowded.

[Deleted]

THey are going to put temporary bleachers up. Again.

Then I believe after the season they are going to start building the permanent stands on the eastern (Village C / Harbin) side.

[TBird41]

They have the field completely covered with the grey/black stuff and have it completely smoothed out now.

[Deleted]

I saw the same process go down at U of Buffalo last summer. Next step is laying a layer or two of padding (depending on the turf vendor) and then throwing the FieldTurf/AstroPlay/whatever that company calls it on top. Then they coat it with these tiny rubber pellets that take a year or two to get fully worn in (sometimes it looks like black water kicking up when players hit the turf), but after that its good to go... and a great playing surface if you're not going to have natural grass.

I'm with former Lions and Bills linebacker Chris Speilman: "AstroTurf is a communist conspiracy to ruin American sports."

[hoya01]

Check out the pics of it: guhoyas.collegesports.com/genrel/071105aaa.html

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

Does the overall re-shaping of the west hill (near Yates) mean that the road access that had existed in the area is being destroyed?