View Full Version : AEG wants to play in Robertson Stadium
scaryice
19 Aug 2005, 01:38 AM
http://images.chron.com/content/news/photos/05/08/19/robertson.jpg
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3317055
Jabinho
19 Aug 2005, 01:41 AM
Looks like a better choice than the Astrodumb...
BTW: What's the capacity?
wufc
19 Aug 2005, 01:43 AM
AEG might as well keep the team in San Jose. It sounds like this deal isn't gonna be any better than Spartan Stadium.
Robertson Stadium has 33,000. And the reason the school is asking for renovation money from AEG is because they've long had plans to raise seating to 50,000.
scaryice
19 Aug 2005, 01:45 AM
AEG might as well keep the team in San Jose. It sounds like this deal isn't gonna be any better than Spartan Stadium.
Yeah, but they're stuck with 10,000 crowds forever, and little hope of a new stadium. Houston is a better market.
Jabinho
19 Aug 2005, 01:47 AM
AEG might as well keep the team in San Jose. It sounds like this deal isn't gonna be any better than Spartan Stadium.
I'm sure it's just a "temporary" situation like the Astrodome would have been..
They just can't seem to get anything happening in San Jose on the stadium front.. Perhaps they will in the next few months before it's too late..
Jabinho
19 Aug 2005, 01:50 AM
Robertson Stadium has 33,000. And the reason the school is asking for renovation money from AEG is because they've long had plans to raise seating to 50,000.
Money for renovation from AEG.. Is that a hint that it might not be that temporary and that a SSS isn't in the plans? I wonder..
boomersooner027
19 Aug 2005, 01:50 AM
this one really reminds me of SLC, the stadiums looks very similar, though Rice-Eccles is a bit bigger, but they dont use full capacity for most games anyways
rudyirons
19 Aug 2005, 01:54 AM
Yeah, but they're stuck with 10,000 crowds forever, and little hope of a new stadium. Houston is a better market.
By the way, why are they (earthquakes) being relocated? Is it because of they can't find a place where to build a stadium?
rudyirons
19 Aug 2005, 01:57 AM
http://images.chron.com/content/news/photos/05/08/19/robertson.jpg
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3317055
It looks nice when is full. I wonder if people would come for an MLS games. I like stadiums with roofs like HDC. I wouldn't want an mls team to play there.
rudyirons
19 Aug 2005, 01:59 AM
What's with Mexican team/owners wanting to buy mls franchises.
wufc
19 Aug 2005, 02:03 AM
What's with Mexican team/owners wanting to buy mls franchises.
Because they're conceited. But according to the article, AEG wants to keep the franchise and move it to Robertson.
Jabinho
19 Aug 2005, 02:04 AM
What's with Mexican team/owners wanting to buy mls franchises.
They expect as a long term investment it could be very good and you can charge a lot more for tickets here than in Mexico.. The hope is that someday there will be TV money to really help it pay off as an investment. They are taking the chance that will happen..
ElJefe
19 Aug 2005, 02:33 AM
Robertson Stadium has 33,000. And the reason the school is asking for renovation money from AEG is because they've long had plans to raise seating to 50,000.
Considering that UH hardly ever fills their current capacity and never filled the Astrodome when they played there, I would find it hard to believe that they'd be interested in going to 50,000 capacity.
wufc
19 Aug 2005, 02:38 AM
Considering that UH hardly ever fills their current capacity and never filled the Astrodome when they played there, I would find it hard to believe that they'd be interested in going to 50,000 capacity.
At one point in their history (like 20 or 30 years ago), they did sell out the AstroDome. Maybe they're blind optimists and think they'll go back to the glory days (whatever it was)
ElJefe
19 Aug 2005, 02:43 AM
At one point in their history (like 20 or 30 years ago), they did sell out the AstroDome. Maybe they're blind optimists and think they'll go back to the glory days (whatever it was)
You're wrong. UH has always drawn in the 20-30,000 range (or worse). The only times they ever got a good crowd when they were playing at the Astrodome was in the SWC days when UT or A&M came to town.
scaryice
19 Aug 2005, 02:46 AM
It looks nice when is full. I wonder if people would come for an MLS games. I like stadiums with roofs like HDC. I wouldn't want an mls team to play there.
It would look fine with the top sections tarped off like RSL does. Plus, if you read the article it says this is a only a temporary home.
The top Mexican teams want to have teams in MLS because they can't get any more popular in Mexico, and there are tons of Mexicans here in the USA.
Armis36
19 Aug 2005, 04:57 AM
Scheduling conflicts, parking and the increased use of the Robertson Stadium field are among the issues that have been discussed by Maggard and AEG officials. Maggard said the most viable solution to the latter concern would be to install artificial turf, but that would require sharing the cost of the installation and maintenance.
"We'd have to put in FieldTurf, and I've told them that," Maggard said. "That's the only way we'd do it.
"What I have talked to them about is, 'If you guys are serious about this, and we can improve Robertson, then I'm open to it.' "
Maggard also said financial aspects of a potential one- to two-year deal for use of the stadium have come up, but no conclusions have been made.
But he added that because AEG has indicated it would like to have a team in place at Robertson for the spring of 2006, "discussions likely will speed up."
Sounds like UH wants a new FieldTurf installed, and they're gonna get the AEG to pay for it. Not bad for only having to share the stadium with AEG for one-to two-years.
The last sentence is an indication of where UH get's it's leverage.
Goldenstick
19 Aug 2005, 08:58 AM
Well, it really looks like AEG is serious about moving San Jose to H-town. I was hoping for a new franchise. I wonder how this will affect Club America's plans? Maybe they buy the Quakes from AEG or go into a partnership.
br13
19 Aug 2005, 09:07 AM
You're wrong. UH has always drawn in the 20-30,000 range (or worse). The only times they ever got a good crowd when they were playing at the Astrodome was in the SWC days when UT or A&M came to town.And these days, whenever they schedule a big-time game (Miami, etc.) they play the game in Reliant so they can overcharge and sell a handfull more tickets.
I have not heard, and I also doubt, that UH would want to expand Robertson to 50k+. It is old, and somewhat a dump, but it's actually a pretty nice stadium to go watch soccer or football. Nice view of downtown, small enough to provide pretty good atmosphere.
For MLS, I think it has to be a short-term option, but a pretty good short-term option.
anderson
19 Aug 2005, 01:30 PM
UH's athletic directors have dreamed about being in the Big 12 or the SEC for some time. I think Maggard has echoed those sentiments. Nonetheless, UH's athletic department runs deficits around $7 million, IIRC, and needs as much cash as it can get from as many sources as it can get. Many soccer games have been held at Robertson over the last few years and Maggard probably understands that an MLS team, even for only two or three years, will help with his department's deficits.
Maggard knows that he's in a pretty strong negotiating position if the Dome is off the table. But he's probably also realistic and rational enough to understand that he'd be foolish to try to drive such a hard bargain that AEG would walk away from the deal.