February 3, 2005
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of LSU Athletics
FROM: Skip Bertman, LSU Director of Athletics
Three weeks ago I announced that we were making a recommendation to the LSU Board of Supervisors to build a new baseball stadium on the LSU campus, and the Board approved that recommendation at its January 21 meeting.
The stadium will be funded through the sale of revenue bonds and the revenue bond payments will be made through athletics department self-generated funds. That means there will be NO state tax dollars expended to build this stadium. The LSU Tradition Fund will be the primary revenue source for the construction of the new Alex Box Stadium, and we also hope to secure private donations to help offset the cost.
The decision to build a new stadium was not an easy one to make. We spent over nine months on a study to see if it was feasible to renovate the existing stadium. There are a lot of great memories in that old ballpark, and it will be hard to part ways. But we had to make the best decision for the future of Tiger baseball and for the entire University which has designated the current site of the Box for future academic use in the Master Plan.
The new stadium will have wider concourses, more spacious restrooms, more customer-friendly concession stands, improved press accommodations, more parking and tailgating areas for fans and adequate dressing facilities for both teams.
This is the beginning of a rather lengthy process of moving the stadium construction through the state procedures. After legislative approval this summer, an architect will be assigned by the state this fall at which time we will begin to work with the architect to plan the stadium. The planning process should be complete by the summer of 2006, and we will then take bids from contractors for the construction of the stadium.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2006 with first pitch scheduled for February of 2008.
I wanted you to understand this time schedule because our announcement last month spurred a number of questions from fans about the new stadium. My message to you today is that, because architectural planning does not begin until later this year, there are many unanswered questions right now about the new baseball stadium.
Regarding questions we have received about seating capacity, we may construct a berm behind the outfield fence that would allow several thousand fans to watch the game as an overflow crowd. We will also explore optional temporary seating which could expand the stadium for NCAA Regional and Super Regional tournaments. Or we could simply build a stadium that includes up to 9,500 or 10,000 permanent seats. All of these options will be explored.
The covered grandstand in the new stadium will likely seat 4,500 to 5,000 fans, a big increase from the 2,750 seats under the current grandstand. We will also have some club seating and a new press box.
Some fans have already asked where their seats will be located in the new stadium. It is too early to answer that question right now, except to say that anyone now sitting in the covered grandstand will have the first opportunity to buy season tickets in the new covered grandstand.
Also, right now we can’t tell fans who sit in the bleachers how they can upgrade to covered grandstand seats in the new stadium. All of those procedures will be determined in due time well before the 2008 season.
And, as for those great memories at the old stadium, I am committed to including an historical exhibit in the new stadium so that you and your children can remember old Alex Box Stadium for years to come.
The important thing to know is that this stadium will be built for the long-term benefit of Tiger baseball. This is your stadium, so let us know how we can make the new Alex Box Stadium the best in the nation.
A SUPER TIGER WEEKEND
Last weekend we had 14 events on the LSU campus and LSU teams were victorious in all 14 competitions, including swimming, indoor track, gymnastics, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s and women’s basketball. Over 28,000 fans came to the LSU campus for the three days we billed as “Super Tiger Weekend.” It’s just the start of a great spring season of sports at LSU.
TOP FIVE TIGERS
LSU has several teams ranked at or near the very top of their sport, and next week is your chance to see three of them in action.
The LSU Lady Tiger basketball team is ranked No. 1 in the nation and will host No. 5 Tennessee next Thursday (February 10) in the Maravich Center at 6 p.m. Every ticket in the arena is a reserved seat, so we encourage you to buy your tickets early. If you wait until game day to buy a ticket, you might be in for a long wait at the box office.
LSU gymnastics is No. 4 in the country, the highest ranking among SEC teams. The Tigers are in action this Friday (February 4) against Arkansas and next Friday (February 11) in a big meet against No. 7-ranked Georgia in the Maravich Center. Both meets start at 7 p.m.
And the No. 2-ranked baseball team opens its season February 11 at 7 p.m. with a three-game series against Nicholls State at Alex Box Stadium. Single game tickets are on sale now.