Facilities and Arena discussion

GMUSSTN

Starter
GIVING DAY 2023
Still too big, we’ve had ranked teams come in and we didn’t sniff 8k attendance.
How about an arena like the trash compactors on the Death Star? That way we can move the walls in or out to create a clostrophic feeling no matter how many people show up.
 

Pikapppatri8

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How about an arena like the trash compactors on the Death Star? That way we can move the walls in or out to create a clostrophic feeling no matter how many people show up.
I still think 8000 is a good size with box seats/suites - it would work for basketball, graduations, etc and be a great new facility to watch a basketball game. They should also make sure it would fit a regulation hockey rink.
 

GMUSSTN

Starter
GIVING DAY 2023
I still think 8000 is a good size with box seats/suites - it would work for basketball, graduations, etc and be a great new facility to watch a basketball game. They should also make sure it would fit a regulation hockey rink.
Hockey would be cool but I can't see too many opportunities for that...gotta think that running a hockey rink takes a huge amount of infrastructure.

Still the TED is like 8,600...I feel like the 8,000 range is probably good even though we'll never be the kind of team that sells out every game. With some luxury boxes and making sure you actually pack seating closer to the court it could still be an intimidating facility. 8,000 is still a lot of people when we get the occasional sellout.
 

Pikapppatri8

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Hockey would be cool but I can't see too many opportunities for that...gotta think that running a hockey rink takes a huge amount of infrastructure.

Still the TED is like 8,600...I feel like the 8,000 range is probably good even though we'll never be the kind of team that sells out every game. With some luxury boxes and making sure you actually pack seating closer to the court it could still be an intimidating facility. 8,000 is still a lot of people when we get the occasional sellout.
Maybe - But I am banking Coach Skinn getting us there - plus its still big enough to rent out for events
 

GMUSSTN

Starter
GIVING DAY 2023
Maybe - But I am banking Coach Skinn getting us there - plus its still big enough to rent out for events
Looks like ODU has managed 7,000+ average attendance a few times in the last 20 years...if we start winning we could easily get those numbers...limit ourselves to a 6,000 seat arena and while it might be nice to think about based on recent events I'd like Hypothetical Not Gonna Happen Arena to plan for actually being reflective of what a decent season's average attendance can bring.

Hypothetical Not Gonna Happen Arena is gonna be awesome, you guys.
 

Pablo

Hall of Famer
Yeah those two are embarrassing to look at. Mason's location/international student population should make it a prime school for soccer, but we put them on a shitty field surrounded by a track and high school bleachers.

Baseball is also tough to look at, although we (seemingly) have a plan to partner with some cricket org to redo the field. Probably ends up being a crappy turf field with dirt only around the bases though if we go that route.


"George Mason University already welcomes a diverse student population from across the world, but now it’s at bat to host a major league team for a sport with a global following — cricket.

The university recently announced it signed a memorandum of understanding with Major League Cricket to develop a stadium on its campus in Fairfax County for both cricket — the second most popular sport in the world after soccer — and collegiate baseball."

"The Washington-area team, underwritten by Maryland investor and entrepreneur Sanjay Govil, would be one of six the new league is working to establish across the country to begin play by 2025. Facilities are near completion the Dallas and Raleigh, N.C., areas for play to begin in the middle of next year. The league also is working to establish facilities and franchises in Seattle, Los Angeles and San Jose, Calif."

George Mason 'checked all of the boxes' for the league, Mehta said — it’s in the center of Virginia’s largest locality, Fairfax County, with more than 1 million people; it’s home to a diverse study body that includes expatriates from cricket-crazy countries; and it’s considering replacing the outdated stadium for its baseball team with a new home on undeveloped land on the west side of its main campus.

The Patriot baseball program considers the idea 'a major opportunity to be in a state-of-the art facility' for Atlantic-10 conference play, said Paul Allvin, vice president and chief branding officer at George Mason.

Allvin said the university doesn’t know what the facility would cost, how to pay for it or when it would open. 'We have no idea how this is going to pencil out, but we’re super excited to have this conversation.'

The next step is a study that Major League Cricket will undertake over the next three months to design a stadium with modular components to accommodate both baseball and cricket, which isn’t played from foul line to foul line, but requires lots of space in the outfield and what baseball calls foul territory.

Otherwise, a 22-foot-long pitch fits neatly behind a baseball pitcher’s mound and in center field, Mehta said. The professional cricket season begins in midsummer, generally after collegiate baseball season ends.

'This study with Mason is an important milestone in a new era for Major League Cricket and international matches in the United States, and brings new athletic resources to George Mason University and the region,' said Govil, a founding investor in the league.

George Mason President Gregory Washington said, 'This opportunity would bring the second-most popular global media sport to the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and base it at a location known for attracting international students and audiences.'

'At the same time, this proposed facility would enhance the Mason athletic experience for our student-athletes, alumni network and fan base,' Washington said."
 

EXpatriot13

All-Conference
GIVING DAY 2023
The next step is a study that Major League Cricket will undertake over the next three months to design a stadium with modular components to accommodate both baseball and cricket, which isn’t played from foul line to foul line, but requires lots of space in the outfield and what baseball calls foul territory.
Would be great to get an update on this later this year since it's been 7+ months since the university first announced this exploratory process/study with MLC. Very curious on stadium design, cost, and funding sources. Really hope Marvin does a better job communicating the status of bigger projects so alumni feel compelled to be part of the process (i.e. donate more, generate buzz, etc).

Hopefully this doesn't turn into a project where Mason sits on their hands and it never gets off the ground. A positive is that this is tied to MLC who are eager to build stadiums in specific markets so they likely will be putting the pressure on Mason to make decisions, but they might not be patient if we drag our feet.
 

GMU79

All-American
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GIVING DAY 2023
Would be great to get an update on this later this year since it's been 7+ months since the university first announced this exploratory process/study with MLC. Very curious on stadium design, cost, and funding sources. Really hope Marvin does a better job communicating the status of bigger projects so alumni feel compelled to be part of the process (i.e. donate more, generate buzz, etc).

Hopefully this doesn't turn into a project where Mason sits on their hands and it never gets off the ground. A positive is that this is tied to MLC who are eager to build stadiums in specific markets so they likely will be putting the pressure on Mason to make decisions, but they might not be patient if we drag our feet.
In President Washington I believe!
 

gmubrian

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GIVING DAY 2023
I heard this past weekend that this was a still a go (as of that moment). Recollection is fuzzy on this next tidbit, but pretty sure I was told an announcement was expected in the near future.
 

Pablo

Hall of Famer

"And MLC is working with HKS on a feasibility study with George Mason University looking at a potential joint baseball-cricket facility. Baseball and cricket seasons don’t overlap, and the shapes of the playing fields don’t really either. Cricket’s circular playing surface is the largest in team sports, measuring usually around 450 feet in diameter. Cricket and baseball action face the same direction, a north-south orientation, though the cricket field would need a 22-yard-long rectangular section called the pitch, where much of the bowling and batting action happens, that would be located just beyond what on a baseball field would be second base, in shallow center field.

Should the project be greenlit, the goal is for the George Mason venue to be built by summer 2025. Regardless of the outcome, the effort is indicative of the creativity and flexibility the league and HKS are employing in their quest to create top-class cricket grounds.

'The typical response from an American is, "Cricket? Really?" until you start to widen your aperture and realize this is the second most popular sport in the world behind soccer,' said Paul Allvin, GMU vice president and chief brand officer. His university sees in the project an avenue to better connect with current and potential students originating from the cricket-playing world, especially South Asia."
 

Pablo

Hall of Famer

"Next Steps & Timeline

1. Connections with the mixed-use retail feasibility planning - Ongoing; anticipated completion late Spring 2023

2. Multipurpose Ballpark concepts and feasibility study - Ongoing; anticipated completion late Spring 2023

3. Community Engagement with the feasibility study - TBD; anticipated to be conducted in Fall 2023

4. Negotiations, term sheets, and agreements - TBD; anticipated to be conducted in Fall/Winter 2023

5. Initial approvals - TBD; anticipated to be conducted in early 2024

Community Engagement is also an iterative process that would occur throughout these next steps
Dedicated session(s) would be led by the Washington Freedom in partnership with Mason"
 
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bravesfan

Starter
GIVING DAY 2023
Cricket is huge. I live down the street from one of the top fields in the US and it's a sh*t show when they throw a big tournament.

This should be good for Mason, as unexciting as it is for you WASPs.
 

Pablo

Hall of Famer
About time

Think about the global reach of the world's second most popular sport being played professionally on campus - https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-most-popular-sports-in-the-world.html

Cricket – Over 2.5 Billion Fans


cricket-players.jpg
 
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