I was listening to bluestein earlier and they were talking about that and how they’ve lost millions in ticket sales. It got me thinking of the double edge sword to both UM and FSU with the stadium.
On one hand it’s all cool to have one but it also has to be a financial nightmare to upkeep and upgrade a stadium that big while we don’t have to.
However, not having an expensive empty chunk of cement that bleeds money on campus doesn’t exactly light a fire under the admin’s ***.
Our admin must have been thrilled to have 40 k in the seats and breaking even or even making a little profit.
If I’m way off base maybe you or someone can educate me.
Disclaimer: in no way shape or form do I want an on campus or another stadium. Hardrock is the sht!
I’m just wondering if not having one is way cheaper and limits the pressure the fan base can put on the admin by simply “not showing up”.
Think of it this way.
Joe Robbie Stadium opened in 1987, just thirty two years ago.
2006 (18 years old): $318M ($250M unadjusted for inflation) renovation
2015 (28 years old): $379M ($350M unadjusted for inflation)renovation
So in the last 32 years, almost $700M was spent renovating Hard Rock Stadium. That's money that would have had to come from the University of Miami if it was an on campus stadium.
Granted, the renovations were driven by the desire to keep Miami in contention as a Super Bowl host site. So let's look at the Texas Longhorns, which have an on-campus stadium. Dollars listed are adjusted for inflation:
1923: $4.7M Initial cost for 27,000 seat stadium
1927: $1.8M Seating capacity raised to 40,500
1948: $15.0M Seating capacity raised to 60,000
1955: $1.9M light towers added
1971: (?) Upper deck added, capacity raised to 77,809
1986: $16.4M Athletic center added to south end of stadium
1998: (?) Upper deck added to east end of stadium
2005: $19.7M renovations
2006: $10.2M audio/visual improvements
2007: $185.3M expansion project
2009: $32.3M rebuild of Athletic Center
2013: $68.3M renovation to basement of north end zone
2019: $175.0M south end zone expansion