|
Post by brandon on Jun 12, 2023 8:39:55 GMT -6
Someone pointed out to me that this may not be a shared stadium, but a shared space. They may be building both football/soccer stadium and a new baseball stadium attached to it. It doesn't clearly say. Who knows. Just putting that out there. I'm sure we will find out within the next 10 years...lol
|
|
|
Post by unalions on Jun 12, 2023 10:27:46 GMT -6
Someone pointed out to me that this may not be a shared stadium, but a shared space. They may be building both football/soccer stadium and a new baseball stadium attached to it. It doesn't clearly say. Who knows. Just putting that out there. I'm sure we will find out within the next 10 years...lol I wondered this, too. If you look from the aerial view, you could just build a complex of seating, suites, and concessions around the existing fields. They could even make the band practice field an in-door facility for all to use. Is the football practice field regulation size?
|
|
|
Post by unafied on Jun 12, 2023 11:15:08 GMT -6
Someone pointed out to me that this may not be a shared stadium, but a shared space. They may be building both football/soccer stadium and a new baseball stadium attached to it. It doesn't clearly say. Who knows. Just putting that out there. I'm sure we will find out within the next 10 years...lol I wondered this, too. If you look from the aerial view, you could just build a complex of seating, suites, and concessions around the existing fields. They could even make the band practice field an in-door facility for all to use. Is the football practice field regulation size? The turf field appears to be around 170 yards from end to end (the actual turf), and 80 yards wide. So MORE than enough space to fit a football field, with plenty of room to spare. The stadium structure itself has always been what concerned me, since you had to squeeze stands in between Flowers and the baseball/band fields, while obviously allowing space for fan entrances, production vehicle parking, etc. Just eyeballing the space they have to work with on the map, I actually think the better move would be to turn the football/soccer field 90 degrees (parallel to Pine Street), and then potentially shift baseball a little towards Flowers. The main bulk of the stands would then run on the west/"back" side of the current property, and then along the side of Flowers.
|
|
|
Post by unafied on Jun 12, 2023 13:18:20 GMT -6
This is so crude I probably shouldn't even share it, but this would be one layout they could potentially go with. Purple is the actual dimensions of a football field + endzones, the yellow/teal outline is room for sidelines, and of course the blue diamond is the dimensions of the current baseball field. Stands are in white. Have no idea if they are accurately sized, but I tried to make it what I feel would be realistic. As a bonus I've added my idea for where they should put a new parking deck in dark gray at the bottom. In this example, for football games I might put temporary bleachers in what would be right and center field to hold maybe the band and student section. I despise the thought of TV showing an "empty side", like we saw at Indiana State last year. But I'm not sure you could have TV cameras pointed at the main stands since that would be facing into the sun for evening games. Alternatively you could basically flip all of this so that the main stands are on the Pine Street side and the baseball diamond points towards the Mitchell Hollilngworth complex. That would put the evening sun in the batters' eyes, though. It doesn't "draw" well, but the corner of the stands behind home plate could be angled 45 degrees. That works for both baseball and football/soccer. Thoughts? Critiques?
|
|
|
Post by unalions on Jun 12, 2023 17:23:05 GMT -6
This is so crude I probably shouldn't even share it, but this would be one layout they could potentially go with. Purple is the actual dimensions of a football field + endzones, the yellow/teal outline is room for sidelines, and of course the blue diamond is the dimensions of the current baseball field. Stands are in white. Have no idea if they are accurately sized, but I tried to make it what I feel would be realistic. As a bonus I've added my idea for where they should put a new parking deck in dark gray at the bottom. In this example, for football games I might put temporary bleachers in what would be right and center field to hold maybe the band and student section. I despise the thought of TV showing an "empty side", like we saw at Indiana State last year. But I'm not sure you could have TV cameras pointed at the main stands since that would be facing into the sun for evening games. Alternatively you could basically flip all of this so that the main stands are on the Pine Street side and the baseball diamond points towards the Mitchell Hollilngworth complex. That would put the evening sun in the batters' eyes, though. It doesn't "draw" well, but the corner of the stands behind home plate could be angled 45 degrees. That works for both baseball and football/soccer. Thoughts? Critiques? Very interesting. The angle of the sun is very important! It’s killer on the field in Braly during afternoon games.
|
|
|
Post by unafied on Jun 13, 2023 6:33:51 GMT -6
Very interesting. The angle of the sun is very important! It’s killer on the field in Braly during afternoon games. Taking that into consideration, since my image above would have the football field in basically the same northwest to southeast orientation as Braly's... here's another layout that could work. Again, my only issue here is that the setting sun could be in the batters' eyes for baseball games, but it would be setting over left field. Maybe a "batter's eye" could just extend from center to left to block out some of the sun? Not sure if any baseball stadiums face this direction or not. To be fair, that setting sun could probably be an issue for quarterbacks and receivers looking for the ball, as well. After thinking it over I might actually like this orientation more overall. But the direction of the field could be a real issue.
|
|
|
Post by unaman on Jun 13, 2023 7:14:14 GMT -6
This is so crude I probably shouldn't even share it, but this would be one layout they could potentially go with. Purple is the actual dimensions of a football field + endzones, the yellow/teal outline is room for sidelines, and of course the blue diamond is the dimensions of the current baseball field. Stands are in white. Have no idea if they are accurately sized, but I tried to make it what I feel would be realistic. As a bonus I've added my idea for where they should put a new parking deck in dark gray at the bottom. In this example, for football games I might put temporary bleachers in what would be right and center field to hold maybe the band and student section. I despise the thought of TV showing an "empty side", like we saw at Indiana State last year. But I'm not sure you could have TV cameras pointed at the main stands since that would be facing into the sun for evening games. Alternatively you could basically flip all of this so that the main stands are on the Pine Street side and the baseball diamond points towards the Mitchell Hollilngworth complex. That would put the evening sun in the batters' eyes, though. It doesn't "draw" well, but the corner of the stands behind home plate could be angled 45 degrees. That works for both baseball and football/soccer. Thoughts? Critiques? You basically nailed the design that I saw. They plan to build a practice field behind the stadium where the current baseball left field is to that wall underneath the church. UNA NEEDS to buy that church!!!!
|
|
|
Post by brandon on Jun 13, 2023 7:30:56 GMT -6
I hate the idea of temporary seating being brought in...
|
|
|
Post by unafied on Jun 13, 2023 7:32:49 GMT -6
So true! I think that design can work well if they nail some of the small details. For example, if they use "temporary" bleachers on the campus side for football games, can they make them... not look temporary? Hopefully so. It's silly in a way, but how the stadium presents itself on TV is important and having cheap metal bleachers visible on camera doesn't say Modern New Stadium to recruits. I hope there are people in charge that understand that.
|
|
|
Post by unaman on Jun 13, 2023 7:47:38 GMT -6
I hate the idea of temporary seating being brought in... That's what you get when you build a baseball stadium and football stadium together.....
|
|
|
Post by brandon on Jun 13, 2023 8:48:24 GMT -6
I hate the idea of temporary seating being brought in... That's what you get when you build a baseball stadium and football stadium together..... Not if they would do a moving section. I still say a horseshoe design with the sideline stands that pivot to make a wider area would work. That way when playing football, it looks like a football stadium, when playing baseball, it looks like a baseball stadium. You only really need one side to move.
|
|
|
Post by brandon on Jun 16, 2023 9:11:57 GMT -6
This is so crude I probably shouldn't even share it, but this would be one layout they could potentially go with. Purple is the actual dimensions of a football field + endzones, the yellow/teal outline is room for sidelines, and of course the blue diamond is the dimensions of the current baseball field. Stands are in white. Have no idea if they are accurately sized, but I tried to make it what I feel would be realistic. As a bonus I've added my idea for where they should put a new parking deck in dark gray at the bottom. In this example, for football games I might put temporary bleachers in what would be right and center field to hold maybe the band and student section. I despise the thought of TV showing an "empty side", like we saw at Indiana State last year. But I'm not sure you could have TV cameras pointed at the main stands since that would be facing into the sun for evening games. Alternatively you could basically flip all of this so that the main stands are on the Pine Street side and the baseball diamond points towards the Mitchell Hollilngworth complex. That would put the evening sun in the batters' eyes, though. It doesn't "draw" well, but the corner of the stands behind home plate could be angled 45 degrees. That works for both baseball and football/soccer. Thoughts? Critiques? What I was told yesterday, this is very close to what the preliminary plans are. In the permanent seating, it will (preliminary) start with 10k. The permanent seat (preliminary) will also be below ground level, meaning the area will be excavated and the field will be several feet lower than now. The concourse area will be like a minor league park, but the seating will be a little higher for better sight for football. In the right field area, temporary seating will be brought in for football, and will count towards seating capacity (if FBS is a thing). They also said the temporary seating area will be very nice with chair back seating. The stadium will be able to be expanded with upper deck seating above the luxury boxes and press box. They was able to sale the pitch for a stadium to take care of 3 teams a lot easier than multiple stadiums. Ad a result, possibly more money into this stadium?
|
|
|
Post by roaringsince96 on Jun 16, 2023 10:47:17 GMT -6
I just watched the North Alabama press release for the stadium. Found it interesting on several levels. First Kitts discussing the voices that told them North Alabama would never make it in D1 and not to do it. Obviously they choose to listen to different voices. Then on the stadium some voices said it didn’t need to happen, but so many local businesses, alumni, students, and fans said this is the time. Now Bank Independent stadium is coming! The is coming part made me smile. Looney spoke of how all this fits with our growth in multiple athletics programs along with the investment for our student body. Kitts and Looney stay together another 5 years and North Alabama will continue to ascend in the college rankings both academically and athletically.
Roar Lions!
|
|
|
Post by brandon on Jun 18, 2023 12:19:31 GMT -6
Forgot to mention, the temporary grandstands (preliminary) will be 2 sections of 2500 seats that will be placed down the sideline during football games. They should bring in big sections of plywood for the stands to sit on and for fans to walk on to protect playing surface for baseball and soccer.
The football field will be as close to the permanent stands as possible.
Also, both endzones may be enclosed with the permanent stands, meaning for baseball, left field could have stands behind about a 335-340 foot section.
It would be cool to have a nice place to host a regional or super regional if baseball ever gets that good.
|
|
|
Post by brandon on Jun 25, 2023 8:00:09 GMT -6
So, I've spoken to multiple people to date that are at UNA about what the plans are on the stadium.
I've been told by most that there is no design yet, any picture that is around, either in office or in public are all just possibilities.
What else I was told is everyone involved has "their version" of an idea they want to see and all will be on the list when they go to the design phase.
But everyone said it would be a different area when they get done.
Just thought I'd share, nothing much there, but I know how anxious we get.
The only thing that was unanimous
|
|