future Sky Blue stadium

Discussion in 'NJ/NY Sky Blue' started by SiberianThunderT, Nov 10, 2011.

  1. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
  2. pressurecooker

    Feb 22, 2009
    Boston
    Club:
    Boston Breakers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    This all well and good. If I was the owner I wouldn't make a move toward a new stadium until the league expands to at least8 teams. This is encouraging news though and this league definitely need it.
     
    Nacional Tijuana repped this.
  3. toad455

    toad455 Member+

    Nov 28, 2005
    I'll agree and say wait a year to see what expansion happens after the 2012 season.
     
  4. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Bumping this since 2012 is now close to over....
    I've read (I think on the Equalizer) speculation that Sky Blue is unlikely to return to Rutgers, so does anyone in the area know if this new stadium is still in consideration? (Or why Sky Blue hasn't tweeted anything recently like the other teams have?)
     
  5. RUfan

    RUfan Member

    Dec 11, 2004
    NJ
    Club:
    Sky Blue FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My first reaction is to laugh. But seriously, I do not think this is in the works, have not read anything about it in the past year. Not now in NJ, unless FEMA will cover it.

    The gossip was that the rent at Rutgers in '09 was $10K a game, which included staff for everything (ticket office, takers, security, ushers, etc). After '11 season, the gossip also was that the team would move to Kean University, further north in Union with a 2600 seat football/track stadium, harder to get to and park than at Rutgers.

    Do we even know that its still Tom Hofstetter & the others partners involved in the new club?
     
  6. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Yeah, I definitely thought a new stadium would be more than a stretch; still worth bringing up, though.

    I thought I read somewhere earlier today that all (or at least) teams are looking at 4000+ stadiums... I don't remember where, though, so maybe my mind made that up for me. Kean does not sound like a good option, especially considering how this new league seems to want to portray itself.

    Pretty sure he's still involved; this article (admittedly from back in August) mentions/quotes him as one of the people bringing about the new league:
    http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/11/for-womens-leagues-strike-1-strike-2-strike-3/
    While it ties him to the NJ group, that doesn't necessarily mean he's the one currently involved.
    Humorously, while talking about why European leagues have been around forever, he said “There’s nothing from the U.S. federation, nor will there ever be,” in terms of financial support. X-D Oh how things change.
     
  7. hykos1045

    hykos1045 Member

    May 10, 2010
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Skyblue started tweeting again in the last 24 hours, and they are working on the website. Those good people, you can tell have been chomping at the bit to get restarted and hopefully the fans are just as eager.

    Princeton would be a nice new field to rent! They are close to public transit and parking shouldn't be too much of a pain. I know they are presumed to be leaving Rutgers, but if they were going to stick around, I wonder if they could be cut a better deal than the one they had which was purportedly too expensive. But Princeton has a gorgeous little arena with seats on all four sides. It could pack them in and be a great family environment. They have a concession area as well.

    I believe the teams should go to online ticketing with ticketleap as their preferred method of sales so that they generate enough presales to turn the lights on. The lines at some games were atrocious (not saying skyblue in particular, but I went to four different arenas in 2011 and experienced some crazy lines) because the teams could not afford to open more than one or two box office windows.

    One of the teams I followed (not skyblue) insisted on printing up their tickets on demand right at the point of sale which was causing a further backlog to an already long line. they really should have had some numbered & preprinted stubs that they could just exchange for the money and generate a paid count that way.
     
  8. hykos1045

    hykos1045 Member

    May 10, 2010
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm sure all options are being looked at, all they need is a good bid. Here are some to look at:

    Yurcak Field, up to 5,000 capacity

    Rutgers football field 52,454 (too large)

    Roberts Stadium, Princeton, capacity 2,356. The national team has trained there. The stadium has seating on all four sides, all seats are close to the field. Would allow for season ticket holders like the old Chicago Redstars model but could not be expanded upon for walk-up sales or rivalries.
    http://www.goprincetontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10600&ATCLID=3753658

    Princeton football stadium 16,000 in the lower bowl and is expandable to 27k for marquee league match-ups down the years.

    TCNJ, 1984 built Lions' field, capacity of 6,000. Their men's and women's soccer programs use it as well as TCNJ football.
     
  9. RUfan

    RUfan Member

    Dec 11, 2004
    NJ
    Club:
    Sky Blue FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I am repeating this from the Sky Blue 2013 thread:

    Letter From Sky Blue FC President & CEO Thomas Hofstetter
    http://www.skybluefc.com/home/682886.html

    No comment about playing site but interesting bit of information from new office address
    Sky Blue Soccer
    c/o Points Group
    6 Dumont Place, 4th Floor
    Morristown, NJ 07960

    Tom H. had moved his company's office further north on Rt 287 to Morristown, about 20 minutes (non rush) from his and Sky Blue's old office in Somerset which was about 10 min. north from Rutgers. The team's practice fields were close, down a local road from the Somerset office. It smells as Rutgers is not in the plans (Hykos, forget about anything further south). The closest college in that area is Drew, which has a soccer/lacrosse "stadium" , don't know about size but the school is about 2000 students. Montclair State would be a good hike.

    Take this into account about any specific Jersey Girl being with the team. Lloyd could commute to Chicago in about the same time.
     
  10. TsovLoj

    TsovLoj Member

    Aug 16, 2012
  11. RUfan

    RUfan Member

    Dec 11, 2004
    NJ
    Club:
    Sky Blue FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As I wrote in the "SkyBlue in 2013" thread, there are no other sites in the state as good as Rutgers in terms of central location, highway connections, parking, etc. It just seem to me last week (above) as Rutgers was not in the plans. The Yurcak page on the team website cited by Kassouf has been there for a while, so I don't know how much to read into it, but I have to assume that Kassouf is not just assuming its Yurcak without a confirmation by Tom although the story is somewhat vague on it in me opinion.
    In terms of location of Rutgers versus a site further north in NJ? Not much, some people further south in Jersey would be less inclined to go to games if the site was further north than Rutgers, just as some people in norther Jersey will be less inclined to go to Rutgers.

    In terms of Players? Rampone has the same commute as in '09 and '10 before she fled SkyBlue in '11, Health has no family connections left in NJ, Loyden if is she is in Vineland, that is so south it could be another state, and Lloyd ? what can I say?
     
  12. soccermilitant

    soccermilitant Member+

    Jan 14, 2009
    St.paul
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Why dont they play at Icahn Stadium in new York?
     
  13. respite_cdd

    respite_cdd BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 12, 2009
    Harrison, NJ
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Because it's a Jersey team. And New Jersey is not New York, whether in women's soccer or men's.
     
  14. RUfan

    RUfan Member

    Dec 11, 2004
    NJ
    Club:
    Sky Blue FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I had put this on the other Sky Blue tread:
    According to someone from Rutgers that I met this past week, with "knowledge of the situation" as they say in newspapers, it looks like Sky Blue will play at Rutgers this year but nothing was yet final.

    I had to look up Icahn Stadium; its the rebuilt former Downing Stadium on Randall Island.
    My first reaction is to say "do people look at maps anymore?, the tolls alone would discourage anyone from New Jersey". But that would be like me commenting about travel around the Twin Cities.

    The team's market is New Jersey (except maybe way down south), Penn. just across the Delaware River and maybe Staten Island. No Long Island.
     
    respite_cdd repped this.
  15. StarCityFan

    StarCityFan BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 2, 2001
    Greenbelt, MD
    Club:
    Washington Freedom
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, New York teams play in New Jersey all the time. You should return the favor. ;)
     
  16. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Reviving this thread again, for what it's worth:
     
  17. RUfan

    RUfan Member

    Dec 11, 2004
    NJ
    Club:
    Sky Blue FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Amazing , one year later and this thread is still pertinent.
    SB probably but may not return to Rutgers, may look for something in the New York area? And then start marketing the "brand"? SB went back to Rutgers for 60% less game day fee and that there was nothing else better in NJ. This is the part of the press conference I am shaking my head the most about.
     
  18. weelilbit

    weelilbit Member

    Nov 14, 2013
    Despite being NJ born and raised, I know very little of our stadiums. To the best of my knowledge, everything's at the Meadowlands and that's damn close to NYC. I'm fine with that, but that means prices'll rise and that's not the greatest.

    I don't actually mind Yurcak, can someone shed some light on the dislike?

    Edit: Now that I've looked back up the thread and seen the mention of Roberts at Princeton, DEER GODS I WANTS IT.
     
  19. RUfan

    RUfan Member

    Dec 11, 2004
    NJ
    Club:
    Sky Blue FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The major issue (dislike) with Rutgers for some is that it is "inconvenient" or "inaccessible" for the supposed numerous fans in NYC who would go to SB games if they did not have to travel out of their way to get to them.

    Princeton capacity is smaller and parking is limited, its further from Tom H.'s business offices, and its even further for those supposed fans in NYC to travel.
     
  20. RUfan

    RUfan Member

    Dec 11, 2004
    NJ
    Club:
    Sky Blue FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sky Blue FC Announces 2014 Season Schedule
    Club returns to Yurcak Field for upcoming season

    http://www.skybluefc.com/home/786051.html

    "...Sky Blue FC will once again call Yurcak Field “home” this season as the club returns to the Rutgers University facility in Piscataway, NJ.

    “We’re excited to announce that we will be returning to a great facility that the players and fans are familiar with,” Sky Blue FC President and General Manager Tony Novo said. “We’re happy to be able to continue playing on one of the only grass surfaces in the league.”..."

    I guess all those numerous fans in NYC will have to just suck it up and take the train to New Brunswick for the '14 season.
     
  21. holden

    holden Member+

    Dundee FC, Yeovil Town LFC, Girondins de Bordeaux
    Oct 20, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Dundee FC
    I find your attitude amusing considering SBFC had the worst attendance last year...
     
  22. RUfan

    RUfan Member

    Dec 11, 2004
    NJ
    Club:
    Sky Blue FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    SB averaged over 3K per game in the WPS years and nobody complained about the location then. Its not the location; its lack of advertising, possible decline in number of kids playing soccer (we discussed this on another thread), lack of SB player name recognition, except for Rampone who is old enough to be the mother of many fans.

    Rutgers cut its rent by 60% to $4K per game for '13. A former GM of SB has stated that he thought RS Arena would cost $100K to open.
     
  23. holden

    holden Member+

    Dundee FC, Yeovil Town LFC, Girondins de Bordeaux
    Oct 20, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Dundee FC
    #23 holden, Feb 9, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2014
    I wasn't talking about location but your attitude. A "screw you" to NYC fans, is not gonna incite them to want to come out. In other words, SBFC clearly needs to get more fans to come out... fans from NYC included (I'm not saying anything about whether location has anything to do with it or not, just that they need more).
     
  24. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Tony Novo is their GM? The former New Jersey Ironmen GM?
     
  25. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's what it says at the NWSL website, on the Sky Blue page-- that he's the GM.
     

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