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Tears Gator Tears

caneingville said:
Sorry, y’all, I should have cited TOC’s earlier post when I made my first comment. It probably would have made more sense.

This rebuild is costing $1.45B and it’s also getting rid of some of the general seating. Stricklin (AD) is saying that capacity is remaining the same, but people are ****ed because they’ve just turned it into corporate suites instead, which is an issue when fans have been complaining about ticket prices for years. Also, it looks like a lot of the money is going to foundational and electrical work because the stadium has been falling apart for so long.

It doesn’t appear that really any of it is going to be better for the (non-suite) fans at all. They say there’ll be a Jumbotron on the north end, but there’s already one there. So I guess it’s going to be upgraded? Nothing about the one in the South end though, so I guess $1.45B wasn’t enough? They also keep trying to sell these corporate suites to fans as how they’re going to make the stadium even louder, because they’re going in at the top of the east side, which is the student section. So basically it’s going to look just like the west side now, and they’re saying that’s going to contain all the noise (like at HRS). But the west side is already built and the noise doesn’t bounce like that. Any time it does get loud, it’s because the stands are built so close to the field. Nice try, though.

From what I can tell, it also appears they may have pulled back on the original accessibility upgrade plans as well. I will be really ****ed off if this is the case. A couple years ago, the plan was more detailed, but now all I can find is accessible concessions and generic better accessibility crap.

God, I hate Stricklin.

The Swamp Renovations

theswamprenovation.com theswamprenovation.com

From what I saw last night in an alumni group on IG, half the people were all in and buying every word, and half of them were ****ed. And of course the first half were lashing out at the second half. They are such a mess right now. I am so glad we’re not there anymore.
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For that amount they could have just built a new stadium.
 
caneingville said:
That’s what a lot of people are saying. Atlanta spent $1.6B to build Mercedes-Benz stadium in 2016. Granted, costs are higher now, but still, UF doesn't need everything that Mercedes-Benz has. Not even close.

A few more things I forgot to mention:
- Some Gators were asking if the new stadium is going to help them get CFP games, to which UF gave some vague reply about how they hope it will help them in the postseason
- The reno will start in 2026 and go through 2030 (assuming it is completed on time).

Also, in order to build a new stadium, they would need to blow up the Swamp and put the new stadium there. So then they would need to find somewhere else to play for...a while? Not sure. At least a season, maybe two? That would kill the local economy. There are so many businesses whose entire existence depends on football season tourism, which then impacts taxes, employee salaries, everything. They can't do that. And I don't even know where they would play. They might be able to negotiate a deal with Jacksonville, but that's still several hours away from campus, and all the students would have to get hotels for all the "home" games. It would be such a nightmare.

But this reno website is insane. I read through the entire thing three times and I have no idea where all that money is going. Maybe someone who is experienced in construction can figure it out, but I think it's just more of Stricklin's bs. This is his ONE JOB, and he still can't handle it. And he's been working on this since he got hired!


From the website:

The project will be funded through a combination of private giving, capital reserves, project-generated revenues, and financing mechanisms, including long-term debt, through approval of the Florida Board of Governors. The funding plan is designed to support the project while maintaining the long-term financial health of Florida Athletics.

So between this answer and what I've gathered elsewhere, it seems that it's mostly public bonds.
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So they basically learned nothing from FSU going into debt to renovate their stadium. Also, exhibit A why people making fun of Miami playing in a rented stadium are idiots. Renting Hard Rock means Miami never has to deal with $1B renovations and how to pay for them.
 
wnycanesfan said:
So they basically learned nothing from FSU going into debt to renovate their stadium. Also, exhibit A why people making fun of Miami playing in a rented stadium are idiots. Renting Hard Rock means Miami never has to deal with $1B renovations and how to pay for them.
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One and a HALF billion!

Now, I will say that UF doesn't have quite the same financial issues that FSU does. UF is far from broke, and has a solid base of wealthy alumni. But I really don't understand this at all. I mean, Gary Condron is one of the biggest boosters, and this is his specialty. Is the price inflated because he's getting kickbacks? Where is the money going?!?!?

Also, LOL at them thinking that the CFP would start coming to Gainesville because of their stadium reno. HOW?!?!?
 
caneingville said:
Exactly. Nothing is happening to current seating, except that some is getting removed to make more suites for those wealthy donors.

From the website I posted:
View attachment 365089
Love how they say SHOULD experience. Not WILL experience. They aren’t even confident in their ability to provide this measly bs for $1.45B!!!
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All this and a 120 degree metal seat for your butt.I guess this is how they keep people standing when they’re getting smoked by someone.
 
For all y'all that are wondering where UF is getting the $1.45B from, get ready, because I just read an alumni email I got yesterday...

First of all, President Bell has been approved. Then we got a whole list of more stats about how wonderful UF is.

Now, for all the additional expenditures. Obviously, everything isn't from the same buckets as athletics, but there's a LOT of new real estate here. And taxpayers are on the hook for a good portion (probably a portion of all, but I obviously don't have breakdowns for everything. I included numbers and pictures where available.
  • Work is underway to add 10,000 new beds for undergraduate housing. The project, which ultimately will exceed $1 billion, began with the demolition of three 1950s-era housing units. Construction on Phase 1 (rendering below), which will include more than 2,200 beds, is slated to begin next month.
1781288502992.png

  • Progress continued on UF's graduate campus in Jacksonville (rendering below), bringing the transformational project closer to reality. (Google says this is costing $300M. State of Florida is paying $150M, City of Jax $100M, and $50M by private donors and university funds.)
1781288558195.png

  • The university broke ground for the comprehensive renovation and expansion of the UF College of Dentistry building, adding more than 100,000 square feet of modernized teaching, research and patient care space. (Google says this is costing $210M.)
  • UF celebrated the future home of the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education, breaking ground on a project that will preserve and revitalize the historic former Infirmary building. (This is a BIG DEAL. The former infirmary building is a 5-story, almost 40,000 sq. ft. wraparound building that's on the National Register of Historical Places. A cursory Google search said this is costing $57M for the construction phase.)
  • Construction began on the UF/IFAS Center for Applied AI in Agriculture at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm, Florida. ($40M per Google.)

Edit: I should have added all of this up before. Grand total of all of this comes out to more than the new stadium - $1.61B. Thanks, taxpayers!
 
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Cajuncane said:
All this and a 120 degree metal seat for your butt.I guess this is how they keep people standing when they’re getting smoked by someone.
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Nah, everyone sits in between every play and just looks at their phones. It's a very performative fanbase.

Then they leave at halftime to go drink in Midtown. That's why I think the reno is stressing the upgraded concessions so much.
 
caneingville said:
Nah, everyone sits in between every play and just looks at their phones. It's a very performative fanbase.

Then they leave at halftime to go drink in Midtown. That's why I think the reno is stressing the upgraded concessions so much.
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At some point in late August or September they will have to sit their butts on that hot metal seat before ,during or after the game.They'll be able put their 9 dollar hot dog on it to keep it warm…
 
Cajuncane said:
At some point in late August or September they will have to sit their butts on that hot metal seat before ,during or after the game.They'll be able put their 9 dollar hot dog on it to keep it warm…
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Oh, believe me, I've done it many times. In that gawdawful student section, no less. The key is to make sure your shorts are long enough so that your skin doesn't touch the metal, and lots of sunscreen. And we never got any food, because the concessions were so small that you'd have to wait in line for an entire quarter. It wasn't worth it. It's another reason people would leave (besides alcohol and general sucking).

I'm also wondering if the new corporate boxes on that east side are going to shade any of that section. They say that one of the advantages of the stadium is that the west side is shady because of the way it's built and that shades the Gators. But because the east side isn't shaded, the opposing team has to be in the hot sun the entire time and it wears them down faster. I haven't seen it mentioned, but if this is true, then aren't they getting rid of one of their alleged home advantages?
 
caneingville said:
For all y'all that are wondering where UF is getting the $1.45B from, get ready, because I just read an alumni email I got yesterday...

First of all, President Bell has been approved. Then we got a whole list of more stats about how wonderful UF is.

Now, for all the additional expenditures. Obviously, everything isn't from the same buckets as athletics, but there's a LOT of new real estate here. And taxpayers are on the hook for a good portion (probably a portion of all, but I obviously don't have breakdowns for everything. I included numbers and pictures where available.
  • Work is underway to add 10,000 new beds for undergraduate housing. The project, which ultimately will exceed $1 billion, began with the demolition of three 1950s-era housing units. Construction on Phase 1 (rendering below), which will include more than 2,200 beds, is slated to begin next month.
View attachment 365109
  • Progress continued on UF's graduate campus in Jacksonville (rendering below), bringing the transformational project closer to reality. (Google says this is costing $300M. State of Florida is paying $150M, City of Jax $100M, and $50M by private donors and university funds.)
View attachment 365110
  • The university broke ground for the comprehensive renovation and expansion of the UF College of Dentistry building, adding more than 100,000 square feet of modernized teaching, research and patient care space. (Google says this is costing $210M.)
  • UF celebrated the future home of the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education, breaking ground on a project that will preserve and revitalize the historic former Infirmary building. (This is a BIG DEAL. The former infirmary building is a 5-story, almost 40,000 sq. ft. wraparound building that's on the National Register of Historical Places. A cursory Google search said this is costing $57M for the construction phase.)
  • Construction began on the UF/IFAS Center for Applied AI in Agriculture at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm, Florida. ($40M per Google.)

Edit: I should have added all of this up before. Grand total of all of this comes out to more than the new stadium - $1.61B. Thanks, taxpayers!
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They about to be broke like fsu
 
BALLHAWKU said:
They about to be broke like fsu
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But they aren't paying for it, the taxpayers are.

Look at the new Jax campus. Out of a $300M campus, the Florida state taxpayers are paying half of it, Jax city taxpayers are paying one-third of it, and the remaining one-sixth will be covered by "private donations and university funds."

UF's endowment is currently worth $2.5B. But more importantly, UFICO (UF Investment Corporation, the wholly-owned nonprofit subsidiary that manages UF's endowment) is worth over $7B.

UF ain't broke, and they aren't nearly as dumb as FSU.

For comparison, FSU's endowment isn't even near a billion yet. This Palm Beach Post article from 2024 lists the endowments of all the Florida universities, and talks about how UF and UM are the only schools at over a billion.
 
caneingville said:
But they aren't paying for it, the taxpayers are.

Look at the new Jax campus. Out of a $300M campus, the Florida state taxpayers are paying half of it, Jax city taxpayers are paying one-third of it, and the remaining one-sixth will be covered by "private donations and university funds."

UF's endowment is currently worth $2.5B. But more importantly, UFICO (UF Investment Corporation, the wholly-owned nonprofit subsidiary that manages UF's endowment) is worth over $7B.

UF ain't broke, and they aren't nearly as dumb as FSU.

For comparison, FSU's endowment isn't even near a billion yet. This Palm Beach Post article from 2024 lists the endowments of all the Florida universities, and talks about how UF and UM are the only schools at over a billion.
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If they are worth 7B then they should fund all of it.
 
wnycanesfan said:
So they basically learned nothing from FSU going into debt to renovate their stadium. Also, exhibit A why people making fun of Miami playing in a rented stadium are idiots. Renting Hard Rock means Miami never has to deal with $1B renovations and how to pay for them.
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Dolphins and Canes will end paying more if that ever happens. Hard Rock will simply raise the price to rent. Since there is no other option, we will end paying more.
 
atlCanesFan said:
Dolphins and Canes will end paying more if that ever happens. Hard Rock will simply raise the price to rent. Since there is no other option, we will end paying more.
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yes, but that is how it should work. The cost should be passed on to the consumers using it. It should not passed onto all taxpayers
 
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