New CFL Stadiums

CFL Talk
#1

Comparing a CFL stadium to an NFL one or an NHL arena is a little unfair. The CFL is my favorite pro league, but it is a minor sports league in the overall scheme of things. I have read on forums that steel bleacher construction is horrible, but new NCAA stadiums and soccer-only venues like BMO Field and Saputo Stadium are built that way, so why not for the CFL? IMO, a new CFL stadium doesn't need to be any better than a new NCAA stadium.

Examples:

Gerald J Ford Stadium for the Southern Methodist University Mustangs (NCAA Div 1-A)

built in 2000 for $42 million and seats 32,000

Bright House Networks Stadium for University of Central Florida Knights (NCAA Div 1-A)

built in 2007 for $54 million and seats 45,000

If either of these were CFL stadiums, they sure wouldn't be the worst in the league. And they'd definitely be the nicest stadium ever built east of Montreal.

So what's wrong with thinking small? Doesn't the 2007 Saskatchewan season prove that all you really need is a stadium filled with fans to make money in the CFL? A stadium with good sightlines, enough legroom, that isn't falling down or a firetrap, has the right number of seats and enough bathrooms/concessions is all I would ask for.

If you can play football and make money in a $50 million dollar stadium, why spend $100 million or more especially considering it sits empty for 355 days every year?

#2

Wrong, we do not need bleacher and cheap stadiums. How about hockey arenas that sit empty the vast majority of the time also?
As for the construction, all seats must have individual chairs with a backing. The cost for same is not overwhelming and speaks to comfort.
As for your other innacurate statement, it's unfortunately others who make the same analogy of the CFL being a "minor league" that eventually speaks to the perception issue.
Minor league compared to the US and other overblown and overpaid leagues? Who cares about them.

#3

Sorry argotom, I meant steel beam construction instead of concrete. In that kind of stadium, individual seats can be (and should be) bolted on.

Hockey arenas are used a lot more than 10 times per year. For example, the Saddledome gets used for 41 Flames games, 36 Hitmen games, 8 Roughneck games, and a dozen concerts. About 100 dates a year that use about 50% of the seats.

Only the Stampeders use more than a couple thousand of the seats in McMahon Stadium for 10 dates a year. Sure the U of C field hockey team uses the Stadium too, but they don't need the 35,000 seats, they just need the turf.

Advertisers care, the players care and a lot of fans and potential fans care. Compared to the NFL, pretty much every league in North America is minor league

#4

That's fine, but frankly most of us don't care a red cent about the No Fun (Crime) League.

#5

another big fact is if you look at the bomber stadium the aser wnats built it includes what will be the bomber hall of fame, 2 tier indoor parking. there is alot more to a stadium then seating.

#6

I don't see why not as nobody is stepping up to build a nice fancy one in Halifax or anywhere else. Once they get the team they can go and make some money and then upgrade the stadium as they go. You have got to start somewhere which is way better than no where.

I hope that stadium in Quebec City gets built. I was looking at the plans for the 25, 000 seat stadium they have planned and it looks pretty good. This new Stade Nordik will also be expandable by 10, 000 more seats and have a removable roof. I'm guessing this all depends on whether they get the NHL team they want.

#7

?? a new stadium in QC ??

#8

Got any links? 25k facility and bid for new NHL team is news to me!

#9

Lets hope this is the start of something big as far as new stadiums go in this country.

And I think it'd be great if the CFL and Canadian NHL teams got into some kind of working partnership to promote CAnadian sports.

#10

Here is the link on the site of the proposed new arena and football stadium in Quebec City. The info on the new arena is on page 29 and the football stadium is just after that. I really hope this gets off the ground. I think it’s great to get an NHL franchise back in Canada but to have a new CFL team on top of that is freakin glorious.

http://www.quebeclnh.com/fichiers/documents/contenu/CentreNordik_EN.pdf

#11

I think that would be the perfect match up because in Canada the NHL is king not the NFL and where is the CFL's target audience, wouldn't be the U.S. I remeber way back when the Eskimos and Oilers had the Carnival of Champions in this city. I thought that was a great thing the teams had going together, I wouldn't be against it if the leagues as a whole got together on something. I'm sure with the two leagues together they both could figure a way to better market themselves in the U.S. and try to get American fans on board for both leagues, they say two heads are better than one. Why not make it two heads with the same goals.

#12

Wouldn't that be great. Quebec gets back into the NHL, and also gets into the CFL with that impressive looking 35,000 seat stadium.
That is what we need in this country.
Not more who cares American sports coming to Hogtown.
But more teams in sports Canadians actually care about.

#13

It would be great as we get the battle of Quebec back and on top of that a 3rd game on Labour Day which would be the battle of Quebec grind iron style. it would be kinda like Football Day in Canada like the hockey version. They also have the option of putting that one on the Sunday with the banjo bowl. For both Sunday and Monday you get one eastern game with one western game.

#14

The canucks and giants love to schedule games when the Lions play. Even in Kelowna the hockey team schedules a afternoon game the day of Grey Cup sometimes. They never have afternoon games.

#15

I work on the new Skytrain going to the airport in Vancouver...... The cost 2 billion dollars.....
Surely the feds and provincial govenment of SK,Mn,On,NS,NB can come up with half of that for five bran new stadiums...... It sounds crazy to the average man....but 1 billion dollars is peanuts nowadays.
The two billion being spent on the new skytrain along with the billion being spent on the Sea to Sky expansion will have a very small effect on trafic in Van ....yet they're spending it..... I can guarentee that five bran new stadiums would have MUCH MORE EFFECT in Canada as a whole.

#16

That would be great if they get that project off the ground. It would be great to have another Canadian team in the NHL as well as another in the CFL.

#17

That plan for Quebec City would be awesome. Thats the first I have heard of that proposal. It's good to know that sometimes there are indeed people out there working behind the scenes to try and make something new and exciting happen. I don't know how realistic the plan is but here is hoping it succeeds sometime soon.

#18

Picking up 550-600 million in Public/Private financing sounds like a tall order in this country sometimes, otherwise, it sounds like the right approach: all the sports facilities are expandable to handle NHL/CFL/Grey Cup/Olympics/Concerts, the hotel/casino and export centre generate money all year round, and the place appears to have suitable transportation connections without being compressed inside of Quebec City itself.

#19

I would also say that the development has been paying attention to what the general league consensus has been about stadiums needing 25k minimum with expansion room. Hear anything about these developers having chats with Cohon and/or BoG members caneskimos?

#20

There would be nothing better then a rivalry between QC and Montreal.
Just like the Nords vs Habs.