New Stadium News?

[samy316]

Just now, Renegade7 said:

 

Vikings are a soft ass franchise since they got a roof, I don't want that for us, imo.  I get it but don't like it.

New stadiums add significant revenue to teams now.  The Rams are now a top 5 valued team after moving from St. Louis, and then building that crown jewel So-Fi Stadium.  It’s the nicest stadium I’ve ever been to.  I went to a concert there earlier this year, and was so jealous that a stadium was that nice and lovely.  I’m going there in December for the Commanders-Rams game.  I’m not stepping foot at Fed-Ex ever again after experiencing So-Fi, taking a tour of the Vikings Stadium, and watching an event at Atlanta’s new stadium last year.  It’s literally a different universe when comparing those stadiums to the current dump we play in.  We deserve something nice like those stadiums, after the crap we’ve lived with for the past quarter century.

[Renegade7]

Just now, samy316 said:

New stadiums add significant revenue to teams now.  The Rams are now a top 5 valued team after moving from St. Louis, and then building that crown jewel So-Fi Stadium.  It’s the nicest stadium I’ve ever been to.  I went to a concert there earlier this year, and was so jealous that a stadium was that nice and lovely.  I’m going there in December for the Commanders-Rams game.  I’m not stepping foot at Fed-Ex ever again after experiencing So-Fi, taking a tour of the Vikings Stadium, and watching an event at Atlanta’s new stadium last year.  It’s literally a different universe when comparing those stadiums to the current dump we play in.  We deserve something nice like those stadiums, after the crap we’ve lived with for the past quarter century.

 

I also watch Snyder get away with having a dump stadium and no fans in it during 2020 and still making more money then some of us will ever see because of revenue sharing alone.

 

I get it, some of the stuff out there is just so damn awesome it would be weird not to try at least a smaller version of it.  It's not like my opinion matters on whether to build a roof, but LA, Minnesota, and DC are all very different climate with respect to really needing one.

[samy316]

4 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

I also watch Snyder get away with having a dump stadium and no fans in it during 2020 and still making more money then some of us will ever see because of revenue sharing alone.

 

I get it, some of the stuff out there is just so damn awesome it would be weird not to try at least a smaller version of it.  It's not like my opinion matters on whether to build a roof, but LA, Minnesota, and DC are all very different climate with respect to really needing one.

DC also rains quite a bit.  Having a retractable roof/dome also protects fans, so that they get the best experience possible.  As far as capacity goes, Fed-Ex opened with a capacity of 86K, that grew to 91K before the late 2000s.  That’s way too much, but I think that 70K is fair.  The current capacity now is 65K.  You’re only adding about 5K additional seats.  That’s not too dramatic of a change.  Especially if the team ever turns it around and starts winning.  Then you’ll see a huge demand for season tickets, and more seats on game day.  70K on the button would get us considered for a SB once we have a new stadium.

Edited September 17, 2023 by samy316

[Renegade7]

1 minute ago, samy316 said:

DC also rains quite a bit.  Having a retractable roof/dome also protects fans, so that they get the best experience possible.  As far as capacity goes, Fed-Ex opened with a capacity of 86K, that grew to 91K before the late 2000s.  That’s way too much, but I think that 70K is fair.  The current capacity now is 65K.  You’re only adding about 5K additional seats.  That’s not too dramatic of a change.  70K on the button would get us considered for a SB once we have a new stadium.

 

70k is a fair compromise.

 

DC area is also hovering around drought like conditions right now.  We don't know what future climate is, but you need water falling from the sky to make snow or rain.

 

While I agree the focus should be on the fan experience, I have serious reservations about the future of football if every stadium is in some climate controlled setting.

 

Not only is that advantage offense its also a culture shift for a sport that has traditionally put up with weather conditions long as it's safe enough to play (avoiding lighting, hurricanes, snowstorms that would limit access to emergency services).

 

We should be asking these questions now instead of correaning right into it just because everyone else is, imo.

[samy316]

6 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

70k is a fair compromise.

 

DC area is also hovering around drought like conditions right now.  We don't know what future climate is, but you need water falling from the sky to make snow or rain.

 

While I agree the focus should be on the fan experience, I have serious reservations about the future of football if every stadium is in some climate controlled setting.

 

Not only is that advantage offense its also a culture shift for a sport that has traditionally put up with weather conditions long as it's safe enough to play (avoiding lighting, hurricanes, snowstorms that would limit access to emergency services).

 

We should be asking these questions now instead of correaning right into it just because everyone else is, imo.

I think the NFL is fine, as long as the NFC North and AFC North/East teams still play outside.  The league is not missing much if Washington goes from playing outside to playing indoors.  We’ve never had really cold conditions like Buffalo, Green Bay or Foxborough, so it’s not that big of a deal in my opinion.  We’ll still see plenty of snow and cold games, since those teams playing up north have a reputation of playing in adverse conditions.  If Us, the Titans, Jaguars and someday the Panthers end up playing indoors, I don’t think it’s that big of a loss.

 

As a side note, I know a couple of Giants fans and one Jets fan that absolutely HATE MetLife Stadium.  In 2021 I was in LA the weekend that the Giants played the Chargers at So-Fi, and there were plenty of Giants fans at my hotel.  I was talking with some of them after the game, and all of them were absolutely RAVING about So-Fi, and how luxurious and spacious it was.  They started complaining about MetLife, and how much of a dump it was compared to So-Fi, and how their owner dropped the ball in designing MetLife, and how much of an eyesore it was.  Giants fans hate that place, and were extremely jealous that of So-Fi that day.

Edited September 17, 2023 by samy316

[Voice_of_Reason]

For revenue reasons, we need either an indoor stadium or a retractable roof.  However it should be natural grass.  Because we know how to do that now.  
 

And I still think they idea of it floating in the middle of the Potomac is a good location.  Tailgates could be boat parties.  

Edited September 17, 2023 by Voice_of_Reason

[hail2skins]

I don't think a Super Bowl hosting stadium has to always have a 70K capacity, but just have the ability to get to 70k via temporary seating. Allegiant does not typically get 70k for sold out Raiders games.

[HOF44]

Just needs to have a great grass field. It can be done in domes or retractable. So no reason not to unless you are doing it on the cheap. 
 

 

Super Bowl stadium and capacity

State Farm Stadium – home of the Arizona Cardinals – will host the Super Bowl for the third time in history.

 

It hosted the 2008 and 2015 Super Bowl games under the guise of University of Phoenix Stadium before State Farm assumed naming rights.

 

The venue has a maximum capacity of 72,200 for NFL games. It usually tops out at 63,400 for regular season games, though it has the ability to be bumped up for the Super Bowl

Edited September 17, 2023 by HOF44

[LSU Fan 03]

Saw several torn seats in the section I was in for the Cardinals game.  

[hail2skins]

I'm fully prepared for the inevitably that the next stadium is going to have a cover on it so that it can host more events like a Super Bowl (which we'll get one and that's it), possible NCAA basketball big events, concerts, etc. I really don't care about it as much from a revenue-generating perspective......these teams make so much money from the TV contracts that its inexcusable if they don't pay money to give their players the best possible training facilities.

 

I personally am not a big fan of attending events like baseball and football in domed stadiums. I saw the Skins play the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2014 and just felt like there was something missing from the atmosphere. I'm sure newer spots like So-Fi and Allegiant are nicer, but still.

[HOF44]

What’s the prediction on seat licenses?  Any chance they don’t use them?

[Darth Tater]

2 minutes ago, HOF44 said:

What’s the prediction on seat licenses?  Any chance they don’t use them?

If you're not rich, you are not going to games.

[Riggo#44]

 

[formerly4skins]

Momentum for a revitalized RFK site building?

 

[spjunkies]

Interesting 

 

 

 

[Sknsnation]

 

 

[kingdaddy]

On 9/17/2023 at 9:36 AM, Voice_of_Reason said:

For revenue reasons, we need either an indoor stadium or a retractable roof.  However it should be natural grass.  Because we know how to do that now.  
 

And I still think they idea of it floating in the middle of the Potomac is a good location.  Tailgates could be boat parties.  

A roof would net DC a Super Bowl too....sorry if someone already noted this.

[RememberOsaka]

On 8/16/2023 at 10:22 AM, RememberOsaka said:

I have it on good authority that Pepco is laying the groundwork for a stadium project.

Just as I said a month ago....the wheels are turning and this will get done.

[Renegade7]

A federal ban on all jurisdictions from using public money for building stadiums would be the right thing to do, not just banning DC to help out VA and Maryland.

[tomwvr]

23 hours ago, Renegade7 said:

A federal ban on all jurisdictions from using public money for building stadiums would be the right thing to do, not just banning DC to help out VA and Maryland.

I personally think that teams should pay 100% for the stadiums and the facilities attached to it. But government should be allowed to improve access with Roads, Public Transportation ect. 

[newday]

No NFL team or fans "deserve" a stadium. It needs to have a financial return to the taxpayer if government is going to put in money. The Chargers left San Diego because the city voted to not spend money on a new stadium. The owners got LA to do it and built So-Fi which is a great facility, shared by Rams. 

 

I feel the stadium should be privately funded. The DC govt gets tax revenues from retail and transportation revenue so could pitch in. But only if the INCREMENTAL tax revenue has an ROI.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

...The legislation still has to make its way through Congress, and there are plenty of hurdles ahead before football returns to the banks of the Anacostia River. The politically-connected residents around the RFK site have always had mixed feelings about football, the traffic and the crowds, and that hasn’t changed since the Redskins left in the 1990s for the suburbs of Landover. It would be a mistake to underestimate how much clout those residents have with local leaders.

It’s a factor that has stymied football stadium efforts in the past. And it’s at least part of the reason the team wound up in Landover, which was, at the time for owner Jack Kent Cooke, the path of least resistance. It still is.

 

...When Cooke realized in the early 1990s that the team had to leave the District, he looked first to Virginia. And the reason the team isn’t playing today in the Potomac Yards area is the NIMBYs — the not-in-my-backyard activists.

There remains strong opposition in neighborhoods surrounding the RFK site to any use of the land other than parks and recreation. Those neighborhoods still had a working-class feel when the football team left in 1996, but they now consist mostly of lawyers, lobbyists and Capitol Hill staffers — people who know how to fight city hall.

They have the ears of those on the D.C. City Council who have made it clear they won’t support a new stadium on the RFK site, despite Mayor Muriel Bowser’s strong support for being the new Commanders home.

 

Last year, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said he would not support any legislation that included provisions for a new stadium. He also added a budget amendment to extend a provision in the D.C. code that prohibits Events DC from spending city money to bring the Commanders back to the city, according to a June report by WUSA9 TV.

Financing also remains a significant hurdle. Sources close to the District administration have been told that the new owners,

 

Josh Harris and his band of saviors, after spending $6.05 billion to purchase the team, don’t have the resources to fully fund a new stadium in the city. And Harris, who also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, is in the middle of a fight for a new $1.3 billion arena for the basketball team in Philadelphia’s Center City that his ownership, along with other investors, will be paying for.

 

The District is going to have to get creative to come up with some sort of financing mechanism for the new stadium. In July, Bowser announced a new group as part of her administration’s economic development department that will focus on supporting and attracting sports teams in the District.

 

A new facility will be costly wherever it is. Last month, the Associated Press reported that the price tag for the new $1.4 billion Buffalo Bills stadium which started construction four months ago had jumped another $300 million, due to increased labor and material costs.

 

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has also been very vocal about keeping the team in the state. 

At an August televised town hall meeting, Moore said his administration has had discussions with the new Commanders owner that have included using public money to help pay for the stadium — a commitment that former Gov. Larry Hogan had been unwilling to make. 

“

That’s part of the conversation, part of the negotiation that’s coming up now … that’s going to be led by the team owners … I believe this stadium should be in Prince George’s County. I believe it will be in Prince George’s County. I know that we’re excited to support the endeavor to make that happen,” Moore said.

 

Maryland remains the path of least resistance, since FedEx Field is already located there. Next door often is. Both the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles built their stadiums next to the previous ones.

Under Dan Snyder, the Commanders studied the possibility of building a new stadium next to the existing one, but closer to the Morgan Station Metro stop, which is now about a mile away.

Virginia? Not likely. Officials there made a lot of noise with the much-ballyhooed plan for a $3 billion “mini-city” stadium in Woodbridge. That plan fell apart under the pressure of the onslaught of the investigations into Snyder (and the comments by Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio that the Jan. 6 riot was a “dust-up”). But the NFL would let them put the new stadium on a barge in the Potomac River before signing off on Woodbridge.

According to a May ESPN report, Virginia officials will offer the best incentive package — potentially up to $1.5 billion — for a new stadium and development, according to a prospectus prepared by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and its advisers.

That prospectus isn’t worth the paper it was printed on.

Virginia has never truly been a legitimate option for a number of reasons, from the complicated politics with a long history of failed similar projects to the lack of a credible site.

Besides, why would the Commanders want to surrender the state of Maryland to the Baltimore Ravens?

Harris appeared before the Economics Club in the District for an interview recently with David Rubenstein and was asked about his group’s plans for a new stadium. “We are very excited to be welcomed by all three jurisdictions and we’re looking forward to the process,” Harris said. “The sooner we get started, the sooner we’ll have a new home.” 

Remember Cooke had three Super Bowls in his pocket. Look where he wound up.

Edited September 24, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[ixcuincle]

 

Been skeptical about DC as an option but it was largely because the people didn't want it there and they thought it'd be used 8 times a year. What they're trying to do is make the area a spot again. Retail along with the stadium, mixed use. I wonder if that is possible at the old RFK site.

 

IF they can get all that done I'm down. And, at the end of the day RFK is the most accessible on metro. Some of the VA proposed sites, other than the Sterling one, aren't accessible, and the Sterling walk would pretty much be the same as the Morgan Blvd walk.

 

[skinzplay]

For once, it seems Finlay is right

[ixcuincle]

Depending on how the vote does I will say it's not unlikely that the team might end up in DC. I couldn't say that a few months ago. If the Harris team is committed to moving them back to DC, even with all the obstacles, I'm fine with it. Stadium Armory is a nice place and convenient. A new stadium there combined with retail could be the Navy Yard of that area. The question is whether the people in the neighborhood want it. Several years ago they said no, but again it was because the place would only be used 8 times a year. Now you turn it into an outdoor mall, maybe they change their tone.

 

Gentrification in DC is a touchy issue especially with the residents but let's be honest, if you build that stadium there you could really revitalize the area. To me, DC is slowly becoming the best option for the team. MD, national harbor is not accessible. I don't think they'yd want to repair FedEx and build more things around it. Public sentiment on this is very clear, they overwhelmingly want DC. And the Harris group again has been taking public opinion strongly into account.