Facilities and Arena discussion

[MasonSAE4]

2025 means shovels are in the dirt relatively soon unless this thing is going to be super barebones and modular.

 

[GMU79]

MLC to adopt reformist approach to build new stadium in Washington DC

Major League Cricket and George Mason University are set to marry cricket and baseball with a dual-purposed stadium in the latter's Fairfax

www.cricbuzz.com

"Major League Cricket (MLC) and George Mason University are all set to marry cricket and baseball with a path-breaking dual-purposed stadium in the latter's Fairfax campus about 25 miles from Washington DC. MLC and GMU have entered in an MOU to further study the feasibility of the proposed stadium. It is learnt that the facility will be based on a 15-acre land with a total project cost estimated to the tune of $20 million. Projected to be operational by 2025, the stadium will play hosts to the Washington DC franchise of the MLC in the summer and the GMU baseball team during the spring.

This union between cricket and baseball is a brainchild of Sanjay Govil, an Indian American tech entrepreneur (Chairman of Infinite Computer Solutions and Zyter) and the owner of MLC's DC franchise. With obvious legal and bureaucratic blockades leading to procuring a cricket stadium with frugality in the cricketing backwaters of America, it took Govil 14 months and personal cash to the tune of USD 500,000 to zero upon a site for a cricket stadium in DC metro.

'It was an exhaustive process. First of all, in a country like the US, you don't know where to start with for a cricket stadium. There's a lot of red tape. We examined a few state parks but found they have their own limitations. We worked with a host of sports consultants and eventually found this piece of land right in the premises of one of the most vibrant universities on the east coast. We do have a challenge in terms of design and dimensions of the playing field, but we want the assure the fans that it will be an ICC standard playing field and stadium' said Govil to Cricbuzz."

And I hope state of the art for baseball. I don't want us to end up getting "used" by MLC.

 

[EXpatriot13]

MLC to adopt reformist approach to build new stadium in Washington DC

Major League Cricket and George Mason University are set to marry cricket and baseball with a dual-purposed stadium in the latter's Fairfax

www.cricbuzz.com

"Major League Cricket (MLC) and George Mason University are all set to marry cricket and baseball with a path-breaking dual-purposed stadium in the latter's Fairfax campus about 25 miles from Washington DC. MLC and GMU have entered in an MOU to further study the feasibility of the proposed stadium. It is learnt that the facility will be based on a 15-acre land with a total project cost estimated to the tune of $20 million. Projected to be operational by 2025, the stadium will play hosts to the Washington DC franchise of the MLC in the summer and the GMU baseball team during the spring.

Anyone know if the land in and around the current baseball field represents 15 acres? Or are they looking at a different site somewhere in the West Campus area?

If they are truly spending $20 million on this I can't imagine it would be anything but state of the art for both Cricket and Baseball. Some of the top new baseball facilities in NCAA at Florida and Kentucky cost in the $40-65M range, while we obviously don't expect something as nice as a facility in the SEC (and it's not exactly apples to apples), it should be nice nonetheless.

 

[MasonSAE4]

Anyone know if the land in and around the current baseball field represents 15 acres? Or are they looking at a different site somewhere in the West Campus area?

If they are truly spending $20 million on this I can't imagine it would be anything but state of the art for both Cricket and Baseball. Some of the top new baseball facilities in NCAA at Florida and Kentucky cost in the $40-65M range, while we obviously don't expect something as nice as a facility in the SEC (and it's not exactly apples to apples), it should be nice nonetheless.

If memory serves, the school and the neighborhood across from the current field had a big spat over floodlights and first-pitch times. I have a hard time imagining they'll want to relitigate that whole debacle and will probably move it down to a far more isolated stretch deeper into West Campus.

 

[Pablo]

These are both good guesses. Another possibility would be pro lacrosse.

Will the Premier Lacrosse League be the next professional sports league to partner with GMU to build a new stadium on the West Campus? See https://www.espn.com/pll/story/_/id...rosse-league-home-cities-2024-season-schedule

"The Premier Lacrosse League announced that starting in 2024, all eight of its teams will be based in home cities."

"The league will continue to own and operate all eight teams. The team locations will be announced in the fourth quarter of 2023. The league is evaluating a combination of cities, states and regions to assign to its eight teams."

"Beginning June 3, fans will have the opportunity to vote on team locations at pllvote.com and through the PLL app. The league will select markets based on industry-leading analysis, preferred venues, partnership considerations, fan engagement, and historical pro lacrosse ticket sales data."

 

[GMU79]

Will the Premier Lacrosse League be the next professional sports league to partner with GMU to build a new stadium on the West Campus? See https://www.espn.com/pll/story/_/id...rosse-league-home-cities-2024-season-schedule

"The Premier Lacrosse League announced that starting in 2024, all eight of its teams will be based in home cities."

"The league will continue to own and operate all eight teams. The team locations will be announced in the fourth quarter of 2023. The league is evaluating a combination of cities, states and regions to assign to its eight teams."

"Beginning June 3, fans will have the opportunity to vote on team locations at pllvote.com and through the PLL app. The league will select markets based on industry-leading analysis, preferred venues, partnership considerations, fan engagement, and historical pro lacrosse ticket sales data."

It would be cool if Mason could become the go-to site for multiple national/international sporting events/championships.

 

[InterVarsity]

Would be incredible to have a partnership with the Premier Lacrosse League as well. Since their lacrosse league season runs through the summer, Mason could then have the newly built stadium dedicated for soccer, or dare I say....wait for it...football.

I voted on the site for Washington D.C.!

 

[tblack33]

While I think that ultimately this cricket thing will fail in 5 years due to a lack of interest and what will prove to be extremely difficult to sell anywhere in the range of filling a 12k stadium on a regular basis, especially with the existing infrastructure and lack of a metro line to Fairfax city, I hope this ends up being a useful multi use facility for Mason sports regardless.

 

[jessej]

While I think that ultimately this cricket thing will fail in 5 years due to a lack of interest and what will prove to be extremely difficult to sell anywhere in the range of filling a 12k stadium on a regular basis, especially with the existing infrastructure and lack of a metro line to Fairfax city, I hope this ends up being a useful multi use facility for Mason sports regardless.

I hope it forces the University to at least start a study to extend the Metro Line to campus. It would have benefits well beyond Athletics.

 

[gmujim92]

While I think that ultimately this cricket thing will fail in 5 years due to a lack of interest and what will prove to be extremely difficult to sell anywhere in the range of filling a 12k stadium on a regular basis, especially with the existing infrastructure and lack of a metro line to Fairfax city, I hope this ends up being a useful multi use facility for Mason sports regardless.

Not saying you’re wrong, but I’m willing to bet folding money that there are significantly more fans of cricket in NoVa than fans of Mason basketball. Given the incredible diversity of the community and growth in populations that are passionate about the sport, they have a chance to attract good crowds if they market the events properly.

 

[Old Man]

While I think that ultimately this cricket thing will fail in 5 years due to a lack of interest and what will prove to be extremely difficult to sell anywhere in the range of filling a 12k stadium on a regular basis, especially with the existing infrastructure and lack of a metro line to Fairfax city, I hope this ends up being a useful multi use facility for Mason sports regardless.

I agree with gmujim9. I believe there are many, many people in the DC area, and quite a few GMU students, who have an affinity for non traditionally American sports who will come out to games, and maybe even a few Americans like me who have found cricket quite interesting.

I'm looking forward to watching a bowler throw the ball down the pitch trying to knock the bails off the wickets. Bring the Delhi Capitals (formerly Daredevils) to Fairfax!

 

[GMUgemini]

Not saying you’re wrong, but I’m willing to bet folding money that there are significantly more fans of cricket in NoVa than fans of Mason basketball. Given the incredible diversity of the community and growth in populations that are passionate about the sport, they have a chance to attract good crowds if they market the events properly.

With streaming services, the audience will be global as well.

 

[gmubrian]

I don't have a guess whether it will be a success or not, but, wouldn't soccer in this country and this area have many of the same arguments being made for the success of this cricket venture?

 

[Old Man]

I don't have a guess whether it will be a success or not, but, wouldn't soccer in this country and this area have many of the same arguments being made for the success of this cricket venture?

Absolutely. And DC United average over 16k per game in 2022. The proposed stadium is for 12k, so that should work, maybe even make it an 'in demand' ticket.

Ok, ok, I'm dreaming, but my point on attendance still stands.

 

[Pablo]

Major League Cricket: Finally, cricket breaks through in the land of the free | Cricket News - Times of India

Cricket News: Major League Cricket (MLC) is here in America, and it put on a spectacle at its curtain-raiser last week. To add to the splendour, the opening ceremon

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

[Five Two]

Speaking of soccer, I had heard that Mason was approached with a similar partnership to build a soccer facility that eventually went to Loudon: https://www.loudoununitedfc.com/segrafield/
Are there any more semi pro/minor league soccer teams in the area needing a new home?

 

[GMUgemini]

Speaking of soccer, I had heard that Mason was approached with a similar partnership to build a soccer facility that eventually went to Loudon: https://www.loudoununitedfc.com/segrafield/
Are there any more semi pro/minor league soccer teams in the area needing a new home?

That field absolutely sucks. So we are lucky that fell through.

There are a few semi-pro teams in the area (Northern Virginia and Alexandria), but they don’t have money to build a stadium being semi-pro/developmental.

DC United will have to start an MLS Next Pro club but haven’t announced one yet (were looking at Baltimore but I don’t know how far along they are). They have also announced a women’s team in the newly announced USL Women’s league.

The Washington Spirit don’t have their own home (they use Audi Field right now). Michele Kang is a really ambitious owner and it wouldn’t hurt to approach her about moving the Spirit here (they are averaging a good 7k-8k right now, so would probably want at least a 10k seat stadium if they ever built their own).

 

[tblack33]

Absolutely. And DC United average over 16k per game in 2022. The proposed stadium is for 12k, so that should work, maybe even make it an 'in demand' ticket.

Ok, ok, I'm dreaming, but my point on attendance still stands.

Audi field in Southeast with all of the public transportation and other entertainment in the area is absolutely not fairfax city. This will probably do well up front as a novelty event, but I can’t see how it will be sustainable absent some pretty large changes to the existing infrastructure down there. That being said I have no idea how many matches there are in a proposed cricket season? Is it more comparable to the NFL or MLB?

 

[Falco]

If Mason has room for two professional sport leagues on campus, then they at least had room for one football stadium. The commonly used excuse against of not having space for football doesn't stand.

 

[GMUgemini]

If Mason has room for two professional sport leagues on campus, then they at least had room for one football stadium. The commonly used excuse against of not having space for football doesn't stand.

Technically would have been three if the pro softball team didn’t fold…seems like they’re just executing on their athletics master plan and finding partnerships to make it less costly for the university.

But given where college football is going I’m not sure why anyone would want any part of it as a startup sport at this point.