UCO Stadium Receives $10 Million and Renamed

[bigsig50]

Landscaping in the end zone is different.... sounds like a good way to twist an ankle. ;)

Looks like a nicer version of Lindenwood's hill behind the endzone. Kids usually spend the whole game racing each other rolling down the hill, and almost breaking their necks trying to catch field goals

[Brandon]

This makes me wonder what the point is. Why expand a stadium you cannot fill up? I might have to hedge my bet that UCO won't move up to FCS.

It's not an expansion, it's an improvement.

It's like working out but having no desire to leave your wife.

[Brandon]

If this is the case, why aren't all the MIAA schools reclassifying? They've all made improvements.

[UCObluejay]

It's not an expansion, it's an improvement.

It's like working out but having no desire to leave your wife.

They are adding 1,900 seats on the east side of the stadium. Bye bye blue tent.

[Brandon]

They are adding 1,900 seats on the east side of the stadium. Bye bye blue tent.

Thank you. I obviously did not read far enough into the release.

[Predatory Primates]

Moving up might be a tough sell. 4 D1 football and 5 D1 bball schools is a lot for a state that small.

[BearcatDude]

I thought I saw somewhere that part of this was to guarantee that they would be in the running to host Oklahoma High School State Championship games? I think Oklahoma brings multiple (maybe all?) state title games to one site and that can be a big economic impact for a community. Not saying that is the only reason but to me if you get $10 million and use it to expand your stadium, which is already one of the nicer stadium in the country, rather than build an indoor practice facility it seems like trying to get those games might be high on the list.

[UCObluejay]

I watched a clip of the Chad Richison Stadium name change ceremony where Neuhold said something to the effect that Wantland Stadium was named as such "by chance." That people around him recognized his contributions and named the stadium after him. Whereas Richison Stadium is named "by choice." This is why I hate passive voice. If things are named by choice I wonder if the university can be renamed from the chance name Central State/University of Central Oklahoma to Jimbo Slice College.

To be honest I don't care what the stadium is called. I also don't want to discount what Richison has done for the university with his generosity. I am pumped by what is to come. I just can't stand when those in power talk out of both sides of their mouths. I won't be one of those who refuses to call $tadium$ by their new or corporate name$ but the comment struck me as bizzare.

I wonder if the new softball stadium Gerry Pinkston Stadium is named "by chance" too.

[UCObluejay]

Moving up might be a tough sell. 4 D1 football and 5 D1 bball schools is a lot for a state that small.

Arkansas: UCA, LR, PB, Bacon Bits, Arkie State

[RollChos]

[RollChos]

[bronchoforlife]

Whether you compete in D2 or not is not a good indicator of whether you should move up or not. It's a faulty premise. Athletic Directors and Presidents don't think that way. It's not like soccer promotion or relegation based on success or not. When you move up, you raise the profile of the school, you get better recruits with more scholarship money and a lot of schools that weren't killing it in D2 that have moved up have been at least average in FCS. They begin playing by a different set of rules with more resources. All of that said, I don't believe UCO has any intention to move up anytime soon. I believe this is just about improving facilities, looking better for recruits and being the premier D2 facility in the region and for those OSSAA championship events.

[reloadmvp]

[UCObluejay]

Whether you compete in D2 or not is not a good indicator of whether you should move up or not. It's a faulty premise. Athletic Directors and Presidents don't think that way. It's not like soccer promotion or relegation based on success or not. When you move up, you raise the profile of the school, you get better recruits with more scholarship money and a lot of schools that weren't killing it in D2 that have moved up have been at least average in FCS. They begin playing by a different set of rules with more resources. All of that said, I don't believe UCO has any intention to move up anytime soon. I believe this is just about improving facilities, looking better for recruits and being the premier D2 facility in the region and for those OSSAA championship events.

This is a good point. You want to get those recruits in. With Tulsa Union renovation, and the new Energy FC stadium coming soon something needed to happen on the visitors side.

[UCObluejay]

I don't know why the Oklahoma schools are down and have been for so long. OU and OSU don't recruit OK players as much as they used to. But the D2 OK schools have traditionally been bringing up the rear in the GAC. Oklahoma has roughly a million more people than Arkansas.