Meade Stadium East Stands 2023 Renovations

[Ramulous]

I got to campus at 9am and began setting up tailgating. Then I starting tailgating and lost track of the time. I never made it into the stadium. Continued tailgating until 8 pm.

[RhowdyRam02]

Of the seven CAA home games played on Saturday, the Bryant Family Day crowd (5,676) was among the smallest. Certainly the capacity and amenities of Meade Stadium are a problem, but if URI wants to continue its upward trajectory in football, it must make varied and stronger moves in building a larger and dedicated fan base.

I mean that really just comes down to needing to improve Meade, which is coming.

The game was a sellout, we couldn't sell more tickets than 5676, and considering the game sold out the same day tickets went on sale it's safe to assume we could have gotten plenty more in sales had we just had the capacity to do so

[RhowdyRam02]

I will say that it's critically important we get the capacity right when renovating Meade, and it's been why I've been advocating for at least 10,000 seats all along. I think it would be easy to say let's just keep it on the smaller side because we don't want a bunch of empty seats at games, especially later in the year when attendance can get light. But if you go too small you lose revenue and opportunity on your bigger days

[Bartoburger]

The problem is parking if Meade expands. At some point a 13-15k stadium would be ideal for hosting bigger football programs- ACC outcasts or New England Pillow biters- UConn/UMass. These teams will be looking for local action once they are left out of the ACC.

There may come a time in the next 10 years where the CAA may go FBS. Too much money to give up if URI can go undefeated or only have 1 loss.The 12 team playoff is will be helping the smaller schools get a shot at some big time dough. College football is changing rapidly and the money is crazy for what the NCAA will be dishing out to the teams who qualify. Also there may end up being regional non conf games more to cut down on travel costs. So Meade stadium needs to be ready when they host to host a playoff game or UMass, UConn, or BC.

[ramster]

The problem is parking if Meade expands. At some point a 13-15k stadium would be ideal for hosting bigger football programs- ACC outcasts or New England Pillow biters- UConn/UMass. These teams will be looking for local action once they are left out of the ACC.

There may come a time in the next 10 years where the CAA may go FBS. Too much money to give up if URI can go undefeated or only have 1 loss.The 12 team playoff is will be helping the smaller schools get a shot at some big time dough. College football is changing rapidly and the money is crazy for what the NCAA will be dishing out to the teams who qualify. Also there may end up being regional non conf games more to cut down on travel costs. So Meade stadium needs to be ready when they host to host a playoff game or UMass, UConn, or BC.

The NCAA does not dish out any money nor does the NCAA select teams to qualify. Football is the only sport that the NCAA not sanction or recognize a National Champion. That's why changes happen so fast in Bowl Games, Playoff Decisions, Etc etc
NCAA did not create the 4 Team BCS Playoff or the upcoming 12 Team Playoff or any future changes.

[RhowdyRam02]

The problem is parking if Meade expands. At some point a 13-15k stadium would be ideal for hosting bigger football programs- ACC outcasts or New England Pillow biters- UConn/UMass. These teams will be looking for local action once they are left out of the ACC.

There may come a time in the next 10 years where the CAA may go FBS. Too much money to give up if URI can go undefeated or only have 1 loss.The 12 team playoff is will be helping the smaller schools get a shot at some big time dough. College football is changing rapidly and the money is crazy for what the NCAA will be dishing out to the teams who qualify. Also there may end up being regional non conf games more to cut down on travel costs. So Meade stadium needs to be ready when they host to host a playoff game or UMass, UConn, or BC.

It's not really a big problem if all games are on the weekend. Worst case scenario you can have people parking in the Fine Arts lots and run shuttles up and down the hill. Those are faculty/staff and commuter lots so are pretty cleared out on the weekend

[ramster]

The problem is parking if Meade expands. At some point a 13-15k stadium would be ideal for hosting bigger football programs- ACC outcasts or New England Pillow biters- UConn/UMass. These teams will be looking for local action once they are left out of the ACC.

There may come a time in the next 10 years where the CAA may go FBS. Too much money to give up if URI can go undefeated or only have 1 loss.The 12 team playoff is will be helping the smaller schools get a shot at some big time dough. College football is changing rapidly and the money is crazy for what the NCAA will be dishing out to the teams who qualify. Also there may end up being regional non conf games more to cut down on travel costs. So Meade stadium needs to be ready when they host to host a playoff game or UMass, UConn, or BC.

It's not really a big problem if all games are on the weekend. Worst case scenario you can have people parking in the Fine Arts lots and run shuttles up and down the hill. Those are faculty/staff and commuter lots so are pretty cleared out on the weekend

In fact I sometimes park there just to avoid the crowd and enjoy a nice walk through campus. Tons of parking there on weekends and at night

[FmrRamFB1]

The problem is parking if Meade expands. At some point a 13-15k stadium would be ideal for hosting bigger football programs- ACC outcasts or New England Pillow biters- UConn/UMass. These teams will be looking for local action once they are left out of the ACC.

There may come a time in the next 10 years where the CAA may go FBS. Too much money to give up if URI can go undefeated or only have 1 loss.The 12 team playoff is will be helping the smaller schools get a shot at some big time dough. College football is changing rapidly and the money is crazy for what the NCAA will be dishing out to the teams who qualify. Also there may end up being regional non conf games more to cut down on travel costs. So Meade stadium needs to be ready when they host to host a playoff game or UMass, UConn, or BC.

Meade is not expanding to 13-15k nor will the CAA go FBS. For a multitude of reasons it doesn’t make sense. Rhody will never consistently get over 10k fans at at game. Student apathy is real regardless of how good the team is; the class of 2024 has only known a winning football team. It doesn’t help that a significant amount of students live 20mins (without traffic) from campus and would rather be at a bar or home playing PlayStation.

This might change with the new east stands, scoreboard etc, but the in-game experience needs to better to make kids want to come.

[jcru]

The 7-4 season is akin to Jim Baron's 20-win seasons. I know it sounds sacrilege, but if you think about it, it's not even that, because Jim Baron went to the NIT several times. URI Football hasn't seen a post season in nearly 3 decades.

Is 7-4 loads better than 3-8? Yep.

Is that "level" of winning inspiring upgrades to the facilities, better recruiting, better funding, better marketing, better everything? Yep.

Is that "level" of winning good enough? NOPE. Not even close.

This is still a work in progress. They need to stop flirting with the post season and start actually reaching the post season like it's their birthright to be there like the Delaware's, William & Mary's, Villanova's, and UNH's?? of this conference. The first three, I can see, but there is no way we should be playing second fiddle to UNH for so many years in this conference, they need to hunker down, and get the job done. And if not this year, then when?

As for the students, don't plan anything around them. If they are inspired to come, great, but concentrate on getting butts in the seats, and someone grab Milan's cooler and bring it to the stands. If he can be buzzed in the parking lot, he can be buzzed in the stands.

[Bartoburger]

I was hoping the Meade East Side stands would be roughly the size of the old Memorial Stadium stands at UConn with the addition of luxury boxes. Roughly 10-12K for the east side. URI does need to create a winning culture and will help make Football games an enjoyable experience for both. It does seem obnoxious how many tickets are going online.

Crazy to see how UNH now has the nicest football stadium out of all the on-campus New England flagship universities. McGuirk is still a dump and Alfond stadium will be upgraded soon.

[FmrRamFB1]

I was hoping the Meade East Side stands would be roughly the size of the old Memorial Stadium stands at UConn with the addition of luxury boxes. Roughly 10-12K for the east side. URI does need to create a winning culture and will help make Football games an enjoyable experience for both. It does seem obnoxious how many tickets are going online.

Crazy to see how UNH now has the nicest football stadium out of all the on-campus New England flagship universities. McGuirk is still a dump and Alfond stadium will be upgraded soon.

UNH has an aesthetically nice stadium but it’s a terrible venue to watch a game. The track around the stadium makes it impossible to clearly see the action. And don’t be fooled by their posted attendance numbers.

[FmrRamFB1]

The 7-4 season is akin to Jim Baron's 20-win seasons. I know it sounds sacrilege, but if you think about it, it's not even that, because Jim Baron went to the NIT several times. URI Football hasn't seen a post season in nearly 3 decades.

Is 7-4 loads better than 3-8? Yep.

Is that "level" of winning inspiring upgrades to the facilities, better recruiting, better funding, better marketing, better everything? Yep.

Is that "level" of winning good enough? NOPE. Not even close.

This is still a work in progress. They need to stop flirting with the post season and start actually reaching the post season like it's their birthright to be there like the Delaware's, William & Mary's, Villanova's, and UNH's?? of this conference. The first three, I can see, but there is no way we should be playing second fiddle to UNH for so many years in this conference, they need to hunker down, and get the job done. And if not this year, then when?

As for the students, don't plan anything around them. If they are inspired to come, great, but concentrate on getting butts in the seats, and someone grab Milan's cooler and bring it to the stands. If he can be buzzed in the parking lot, he can be buzzed in the stands.

Agreed, but winning is winning. We’re no longer a national embarrassment. If not students, then who will fill a 13-15k stadium? Rhode Islanders that if given the choice would’ve voted against funding a stadium.

[Jdrums#3]

The problem is parking if Meade expands. At some point a 13-15k stadium would be ideal for hosting bigger football programs- ACC outcasts or New England Pillow biters- UConn/UMass. These teams will be looking for local action once they are left out of the ACC.

There may come a time in the next 10 years where the CAA may go FBS. Too much money to give up if URI can go undefeated or only have 1 loss.The 12 team playoff is will be helping the smaller schools get a shot at some big time dough. College football is changing rapidly and the money is crazy for what the NCAA will be dishing out to the teams who qualify. Also there may end up being regional non conf games more to cut down on travel costs. So Meade stadium needs to be ready when they host to host a playoff game or UMass, UConn, or BC.

It's not really a big problem if all games are on the weekend. Worst case scenario you can have people parking in the Fine Arts lots and run shuttles up and down the hill. Those are faculty/staff and commuter lots so are pretty cleared out on the weekend

In fact I sometimes park there just to avoid the crowd and enjoy a nice walk through campus. Tons of parking there on weekends and at night

That’s great Ramster. Before 2019 I would be on campus for meetings or an event and would walk the campus when I had time to spare. Always enjoyed it especially on a day like today.

[RhowdyRam02]

They have been working on placing the horizontal beams for the scoreboard. It's tough to tell scale, but I would estimate that the board will extend horizontally about 6 feet beyond what we saw Saturday from the vertical beams already in place

[ramster]

[Ramfan22]

[adam914]

[RhowdyRam02]

According to this article, our new $1 million scoreboard will be operation the final home game of the season. It sounds like there will be public address speaker improvements as part of this as well:

https://rhodycigar.com/2023/10/19/new-v ... novations/

[Rhodymob05]

[Steve81]

The problem is parking if Meade expands. At some point a 13-15k stadium would be ideal for hosting bigger football programs- ACC outcasts or New England Pillow biters- UConn/UMass. These teams will be looking for local action once they are left out of the ACC.

There may come a time in the next 10 years where the CAA may go FBS. Too much money to give up if URI can go undefeated or only have 1 loss.The 12 team playoff is will be helping the smaller schools get a shot at some big time dough. College football is changing rapidly and the money is crazy for what the NCAA will be dishing out to the teams who qualify. Also there may end up being regional non conf games more to cut down on travel costs. So Meade stadium needs to be ready when they host to host a playoff game or UMass, UConn, or BC.

Hey, there was some smoke regarding CUSA all sports near the end of the Army game.
After sleeping on it, they do have a good east coast presence and NMSU, WKU, and MTSU have a good number of sweet sixteen runs.

[RF1]

If UMass goes to CUSA for all sports, it will just be another bad decision in a continuing series made by its athletics dept. It would be sure to make Minutemen Sports even more irrelevant.


CUSA Present Membership
Florida International
Jacksonville State
Liberty
La Tech
Middle Tenn St
New Mexico St
Sam Houston
UTEP
Western Kentucky

Future Member
Kennesaw St

Even if Delaware were to join, this Dallas based league would have little interest to fans in the north east.

[Steve81]

If UMass goes to CUSA for all sports, it will just be another bad decision in a continuing series made by its athletics dept. It would be sure to make Minutemen Sports even more irrelevant.


CUSA Present Membership
Florida International
Jacksonville State
Liberty
La Tech
Middle Tenn St
New Mexico St
Sam Houston
UTEP
Western Kentucky

Future Member
Kennesaw St

Even if Delaware were to join, this Dallas based league would have little interest to fans in the north east.

We will always disagree. Was a strong MAC supporter, but warming to the idea of CUSA. after sleeping on it, can see the logic. Can appreciate an east division of UMass, Delaware, Liberty, Atlanta Georgia - Kennesaw, Miami Florida - FIU, plus WKU and MTSU. Nashville would be a nice trip and the east coast locations. NMSU, WKU, MTSU have a number of sweet sixteen appearances and would think Liberty will get there as well. It's beyond time to unify our sports in a conference.

Round robin scheduling multi sports and staying in Nashville for games with MTSU and WKU can cut down some travel.

[Rhodymob05]

UMASS basketball would be even less relevant in that conference. Their football program would still suck, as that conference is football heavy. They also wouldn’t leave Hockey East, unless you mean just football/basketball.

[Steve81]

They are a stripped down sports conference with about 17 sports and 3 of those are in sports we don't have, men's tennis, volleyball and beach volleyball. Around 8 sports would not fit. Lacrosse could stay or go to the Big East. Swimming & diving, field hockey, men's ice hockey, soccer, and
women's rowing.

[Jdrums#3]

They are a stripped down sports conference with about 17 sports and 3 of those are in sports we don't have, men's tennis, volleyball and beach volleyball. Around 8 sports would not fit. Lacrosse could stay or go to the Big East. Swimming & diving, field hockey, men's ice hockey, soccer, and
women's rowing.

Steve81, how do the numbers work ( money-wise per year ) in revenue for UMass football and basketball if they move to CUSA ?

Does it work out to be a no brained move or just a layover move to jump again ?

Does the revenue offset the additional expenses enough to justify the move ?

[Steve81]

That takes time to questimate on, but we are not getting a full share of CFP now, almost 1M short. Also don't know what CUSA is thinking if it's just 2 teams or 4 teams and how the division split would work. My gut feeling it will be slightly positive as travel is no longer cheap in the A10. the revenue split between 6.5M and a 25% share split with 15 teams and a 3M equal share 12 teams maybe better in CUSA. Unifying the major men's sports and protecting some key women's sports looks good on paper, with preserving a strong east coast presence.

[RF1]

If UMass were to go all sports in CUSA, URI would most certainly have to evaluate whether they would want to play their men's basketball program on a fairly regular basis in the future. Playing them in the OOC as a choice would surely not help the NET computer numbers.

[Bartoburger]

I think UMass should wait for the American or ACC to open up before they jump to Con-USA. The ACC will most likely not be interested but that depends on how many teams leave. The ACC is going to be poached next. Then the next shift starts, plus Don Brown finally has the football program looking better. The UMass UConn game should be a struggle, but entertaining U game.

[RhowdyRam02]

If UMass were to go all sports in CUSA, URI would most certainly have to evaluate whether they would want to play their men's basketball program on a fairly regular basis in the future. Playing them in the OOC as a choice would surely not help the NET computer numbers.

This is ludicrous. Even if UMass somehow cratered in a lower level league, we still have plenty of cupcakes on our schedule any year.

A bad CUSA UMass team would still be a more interesting game than most of our non-conference schedule this year. It would have more juice than Central Connecticut State, Fairfield, Wagner, Johnson & Wales, Yale, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Northeastern without question and you can make a case it would be more interesting than everything but our Mohegan games and Providence.

If you want to say this schedule isn't representative, let's look at Hurley's last year here. We had Holy Cross, Iona, and Florida Gulf Coast on our schedule that year. Even a bad CUSA UMass team would be better than those games

[RhowdyRam02]

I think UMass should wait for the American or ACC to open up before they jump to Con-USA. The ACC will most likely not be interested but that depends on how many teams leave. The ACC is going to be poached next. Then the next shift starts, plus Don Brown finally has the football program looking better. The UMass UConn game should be a struggle, but entertaining U game.

Higher level conferences aren't going to look at an independent UMass. UMass needs to get into a lower level league yesterday and hope that they can have enough success there that a higher level conference will look at them in the future

[Rhody15]

If UMass were to go all sports in CUSA, URI would most certainly have to evaluate whether they would want to play their men's basketball program on a fairly regular basis in the future. Playing them in the OOC as a choice would surely not help the NET computer numbers.

Lol so we'd be above playing UMass OOC? Really? Who are we, a bluelbood?

Have you seen our OOC schedules recently?

We're playing a D3 team in a few weeks.

Even in the tournament years Hurley scheduled easy OOC games.

The last thing we should be worried about is our freaking NET.

[NYGFan_Section208]

If UMass were to go all sports in CUSA, URI would most certainly have to evaluate whether they would want to play their men's basketball program on a fairly regular basis in the future. Playing them in the OOC as a choice would surely not help the NET computer numbers.

Lol so we'd be above playing UMass OOC? Really? Who are we, a bluelbood?

No, but, it is pretty good smacktalk....

[Rhody74]

This seems the best recent thread for this:

https://www.uri.edu/news/2023/10/univer ... -programs/

[RhowdyRam02]

I noticed tonight that the old scoreboard was no longer standing, so it's video board or bust on Saturday

[jcru]

I saw my older brother on Sunday. He said "Hey, in the paper it showed they are going with the stands all one level. What happened to the two tier, double deck model? I thought more people liked that one?"

I told him, "we're not supposed to draw conclusions based on a sketch. They haven't revealed what the final design is going to look like yet."

[OBRAM]

Campbell Barker-Lane Stadium
Since this is a 50-100 year opportunity need to better than our competition.

[OBRAM]

North Carolina A&T

NC A&t 22,000+

[OBRAM]

Montana State Bobcat Stadium. Looks like multi purpose.

[R.Kelly150]

Mutual purpose or not there is absolutely No way we are ever going to ever beat that background

[jcru]

For a multipurpose, that is not bad at all. Just enough room for Soccer, not an inch more.

If URI wants to do anything like that down the line they are going to have to do that in the North endzone, and reroute those streets in the way.

I like the way those endzone stands are actually taller than the sideline stands. A perfect arch, that connects to the home side and the other part could connect right to the Ryan.

Montana State did it right.

The other side, we could have the "grassy knoll"