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.
Facilities and Arena discussion
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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.
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.
Hershey hockey stadium is awesome! Not a bad seat in the house, and has box suites. Small an intiment
Pablo
Hall of Famer
George Mason steps up to bat with potential cricket, baseball stadium
The university has signed a memorandum of understanding with Major League Cricket to develop a stadium for cricket and collegiate baseball.
"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."
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!
Pablo
Hall of Famer
Major League Cricket to launch professional DC team: Washington Freedom
The U.S. is launching Major League Cricket this summer and D.C. will have its own team: Washington Freedom.
wjla.com
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As ling aw we get a first class base ball stadium out of this I am downMajor League Cricket to launch professional DC team: Washington Freedom
The U.S. is launching Major League Cricket this summer and D.C. will have its own team: Washington Freedom.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87RckkzzfS4
Yeah, I don't care about the Cricket, but a top flight baseball stadium is exciting.
Cricket is interesting in one respect - the sports betting on that game is INSANE. Money to be made there.
Pablo
Hall of Famer
Facilities: HKS teaming with Major League Cricket to build venues — and a future — for the sport
If Will Swann drove 20 minutes in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia, he’d pass at least 10 cricket grounds. That’s far from the case in the United States, where only one International Cricket Council-approved cricket stadium exists, in Miami. Swann, vice president of corporate development and...
www.sportsbusinessjournal.com
"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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Pablo
Hall of Famer
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
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GiantKiller.co
ByGeorge
Expat Hoops
Fourth Estate
Doc Nix and the Green Machine
Bill Bride - DMV Sports Shots
Patriot Brew Blog/Newsletter