Idiots Write About Sports

So, the new stadium plan is out, and it’s much more complex that we originally thought. According to this press release, it’s actually “phase one” of a multi-phase process:

The master plan provides for a phased approach that will guide construction of new athletic facilities, overall stadium improvements and seismic retrofit, as well as improved fan access and amenities, and exterior site and landscape improvements.

So basically, “phase one” involves building new training facilities for Cal athletes next to the west side of the stadium — addressing a major recruiting issue — along with some new facilities for the business and law schools. (That’s a bit of a sop to the academic community, who would never enjoy an athletics-only plan.)

There will also be new landscaping and such, including a gathering area atop the training building for “pre-game activities.” The sketch made me think of Husky Stadium, actually.

In this phase, no home football games will be moved to alternate facilities. However, it’s unclear if this phase includes immediate improvements for the seating areas, and doesn’t seem to address immediate seismic problems. Here’s what the press release says:

Future phases that address west grandstand improvements, seismic retrofit of the stadium in the north and south fault zones and a new press box will require additional funding, as will longer range stadium options.

Clearly, “phase one” will massively improve football recruiting (as well as adding better training facilities for all Cal’s Olympic-sport athletes, which is a Good Thing). It will also get everyone out of the earthquake-vulnerable stadium superstructure on non-game days.

But what about those of us sitting in the crumbling inner bowl of the stadium, with its bad benches, bad bathrooms, bad scoreboards, and terrible sound system? Season ticket holders want to know.

With the top priority — the safety and welfare of the student athletes — addressed, [AD Sandy Barbour] said Cal fans can also look forward to improved seating, concessions and restrooms. The Cal student section will remain in its current prominent position, and a plan for premium seating is being developed.

Hmm. Does “also look forward to” mean that improved seating, concessions, and restrooms are part of this project? Or is that part of Phase Two? And forgive me for shivering, but the concept of “a plan for premium seating” puts a chill in my bones. Does that mean luxury boxes, or does that mean that we peons who can’t tithe $10,000 a year to Bear Backers will be moved into the Blue Zone?

Lots of questions. For answers, I turned to the RealVideo stream of the press conference. And from what I heard in the press conference, it sounds like maybe this update will improve fan amenities.

At the press conference, Chancellor Birgenau said: “In the first component [of this project], we will build the Student Athlete High Performance Center, address critical basic fan amenities in the stadium, and undertake the first step of site development for further stadium improvement.”

Sandy Barbour said: “Following the Student Athlete High Performance Center, the heart of the master plan deals with game-day improvements: the all-important restrooms, seating upgrades, concessions, and improved ingress and egress. Our priority will be to develop the west side with premium seating, a club area, and modernized media and operations units. We will address the seating-bowl seismic-safety issues and upgrade handicapped access and seating. Given these upgrades and options, we will be challenged to maintain our current seating maximum. We are committed to as large a capacity as possible, and have set a minimum threshold at 60,000.”

As a professional journalist I’m used to sitting at press conferences and asking questions. I can’t really do that here — do you think the Cal PR department would get back to a fan blogger? — so let me try to parse words. It looks like “phase one” of this project will indeed address some aspects of the quality of the game-day experience for fans.

What’s unclear is if the upgrades mentioned by Barbour will happen as a part of this phase, or immediately following it. Let’s hope it’s the former. Improving bathrooms, seating, concessions, and access? All good things. The “premium seating” and “club area” give me some pause, because I get the impression that my beloved seats on the aisle at the 35 yard line may suddenly become seats in the middle of a row on the 20. Hopefully not. At least there’s hope that the stadium will be more pleasant and roomy, since they’re talking about reducing the capacity by 15,000.

Another tidbit: this reconstructed stadium will include permanent lighting. However, it sounds like the plan is going to try to make the lighting as low-impact as possible — minimizing “light spill and light poles,” according to Barbour.

So… still plenty of questions, and definitely a little bit of fear of the unknown. But at least things are moving in the right direction… namely forward.

Want more? Take a look at the purty images in the project photo gallery. And there’s now an AP story about all this.

So they're building a small second deck puls suites on the west side?

It's probably the press box plus some club seating. That's my guess.

Posted by Jason at November 10, 2005 05:41 PM

Phase 1 is limited to the new facility on the west side of the stadium. Fan improvements come later. Which is OK by me. I like the benches. (I went to the Coliseum last year to watch the SC game and, man, those seats are no improvement.) I don't like the talk of "club seating." Barbour says in the Chronicle this a.m. that club seats will be on the west side, so those of us in section U can breathe easier. But don't put it past Cal admin to change plans later and start hitting us up Haas-style for donations to guarantee "premium placement."

Trust me, cal83, it's coming. I sit in section FF and we already have to give donations in order to keep the seats. (Mine are technically "grandfathered in", but it's pretty scary stuff anyway.)

They say there will be minor amentity improvements in the meantime... probably bathrooms. That's something. But I would really like the seating area to have a) more legroom and b) seatbacks.

Posted by Jason at November 11, 2005 05:14 PM

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