University plans to partner with professional cricket team to build stadium on Fairfax campus
www.gazetteleader.com
“'This has the potential to be transformational,' said Marvin Lewis, George Mason’s newish athletic director.
The university’s baseball team currently competes in the 900-seat Spuhler Field, which since its debut in the mid-1980s has seen only limited additional investment. One example: Dugouts didn’t make an appearance until 2016.
'The facility is missing two key items – we’re missing a video board and we’re missing lights,' Lewis said, suggesting that a bigger, modern baseball stadium would be 'critical' to aid recruiting of both athletes and staff.
(Even with the minimalistic facilities, the team – initially competing in the Colonial Athletic Association and now in the Atlantic 10 – has had success, including multiple NCAA-tournament appearances, nearly 50 student-athletes selected in the Major League Baseball draft and five currently playing in the Major League system.)
Sanjay Govil, a tech entrepreneur and owner of Washington affiliate in the year-old Major League Cricket circuit, said that while this might be the first baseball-cricket combo stadium anywhere, there are ways to make it work seamlessly."
'“It was a no-brainer for us,' Govil said of teaming up with the university.
The six-team cricket league plays its matches in the summer months, with George Mason baseball needing field access in autumn and spring.
The proposed facility would include fixed seats plus a low berm for additional seating, and would have VIP seating and hospitality facilities."
"Jackie Ferree, senior vice president of operations and business services (and like Lewis a relative newcomer to the university), said the stadium partnership could unlock 'wonderful benefits,' but acknowledged community concerns about adding more facilities to the university’s original campus.
'Event planning and logistics have been at the forefront' of the process, Ferree said of developing the proposal, with the goal of 'ensuring the least amount of disruption' to the lives of students, staff and neighbors."
My personal comments:
(1) While there will be community opposition, I believe that it will be less than the other MLC teams without a stadium will face. Their proposed stadium site is either at a public park or fairgrounds that will require local governmental approval.
(2) The capacity of the stadium evidently will be less than originally proposed and will include fixed and bleacher seating and lawn berm seating.
(3) The plan is to play Mason baseball games at the permanent stadium in spring 2025. The original proposal was to have the stadium ready by the summer 2025.
(4) The Environmental Impact Report refers to the Washington Freedom Field. Will this be the name of the stadium?
www.ffxnow.com
