New stadium/facilities for Charleston Southern???

[bucs90]

Has anyone heard anything on the status of the new stadium/facilities at Charleston Southern? I'm an alumni there, played 2 years on the old "duck box" stadium, and 2 in the new one, which wasn't much better. I'm a fiercly loyal CSU alumni and supporter....

BUT...I am a bit disappointed in my school's efforts towards football. I can say with some confidence that Charleston Southern has the worst facilities in the Big South. Some of the worst in 1-AA. The stadium is very small, the track around it makes the fans feel very distant from the game, an having no lights on the field means a guaranteed kickoff at 1:30 pm, in Charleston, SC, which means it will be HOT HOT HOT HOT!!!! It's hot there until mid-November, almost end of season. On aluminum seats, it's no wonder CSU has historically small crowds. They need night games. Crowds will improve.

Their locker room and weight room are below par of 4A high schools. That said, CSU has done more with less than any team in 1-AA, in my opinion, as the last 5 years they have one of the best winning % in the Big South, and they made the early 90's jump from D3 to 1-AA, skipping Division 2 altogether, and was able to emerge with somewhat of a competitive team in the late 90's, early 00's. Now, they are a BSC contender despite their horrid facilities.

I know the plans for a new stadium date back to as far as 1997. A dome like the ETSU one was in the works in the late 90's for all sports except baseball, but the sponsor didn't fit the school's mission. Now, they have a stadium complex for the end zone planned, similar to the one at The Citadel and Coastal, but it's been on hold for 5 years now, as blueprints were floating as early as 2003/2004.

Anyone close to CSU- whats the deal?

[kdinva]

CSU needs for their alumni to step up and dig deep.........don't 100% count on profits from two 1-A games per year.

U of R has alums who dig deep, VMI had one alum give $8.5M alone to upgrade Alumni Memorial Field in 2006 & '07: new seating, wider aisles & portals, completely new visitor's locker room (with plenty of elbow room and working shower heads), new VMI team room for halftime, new concessions, new ticket booths and portals, new restrooms (no more pee walls ), new scoreboard w/video.........BUT NO LIGHTS, yet; and still working on more parking within 400 yards of stadium.

[bucs90]

Yes, that is true, the CSU alumni base is not nearly as wealthy as some other schools. Problem is CSU was founded only in 1964, so the school has a very limited alumni base thus far. So, the school has very few rich alumni to pull from, just because it was such a small school for so long, and still is, only about 5,000 students, but most of it's existence the school was in the 1,000 student range. Up until it changed name from Baptist College to Charleston Southern really and started a massive expansion relative to it's size.

But, CSU has refused sponsors before. Bud Light, for example, offered a large sum for a stadium, but wanted their name on it. Obviously, doesn't work with the Christian mission on campus. Others as well, but credit CSU for sticking to their mission rather than bowing to $$$.

CSU doesn't need a whole lot so far though. Just some lights and a new locker room and weight room. They don't need a 15,000 seat stadium any time soon. I do wish however that they would've moved the football stadium to the current practice field, without a track, and build it up from there. It's location right next to the road, with a track, it is just too open to create the cozy atmosphere small schools need. That same facility, but on the practice field and no track, would enhance the game day atmosphere.

BTW, I found VMI to be one of the most enjoyable atmospheres I experienced. Aside from losing to VMI ( ) it was a great experience, that stadium is very unique and looks really great on the backdrop of the school and hill it's built next to. VMI and Citadel are great atmospheres for a college game. Wish CSU was able to create a different feel for their home games.

[CSUBUCDAD]

New field house and athletic complex is already in the works and due to start construction after this season. After that is lights. A certain economics professor cost the university nearly 9 million bucks and delayed this thing nearly 4 years. They have dedicated themselves to upgrade the facilities as part of Mills agreement to come coach it just takes time since they refuse(rightly) to go into debt to do it.

[Libertine]

Anyone close to CSU- whats the deal?

A certain economics professor

That's the deal right there. He put a hurt on CSU fundraising for all projects, not just athletic ones.

[kdinva]

Anyone close to CSU- whats the deal?

A certain economics professor

That's the deal right there. He put a hurt on CSU fundraising for all projects, not just athletic ones.

I do recall faintly a story concerning this............so, where is this person working now, Wendy's, or Pizza Hut?

[Ibanez]

Has anyone heard anything on the status of the new stadium/facilities at Charleston Southern? I'm an alumni there, played 2 years on the old "duck box" stadium, and 2 in the new one, which wasn't much better. I'm a fiercly loyal CSU alumni and supporter....

BUT...I am a bit disappointed in my school's efforts towards football. I can say with some confidence that Charleston Southern has the worst facilities in the Big South. Some of the worst in 1-AA. The stadium is very small, the track around it makes the fans feel very distant from the game, an having no lights on the field means a guaranteed kickoff at 1:30 pm, in Charleston, SC, which means it will be HOT HOT HOT HOT!!!! It's hot there until mid-November, almost end of season. On aluminum seats, it's no wonder CSU has historically small crowds. They need night games. Crowds will improve.

Their locker room and weight room are below par of 4A high schools. That said, CSU has done more with less than any team in 1-AA, in my opinion, as the last 5 years they have one of the best winning % in the Big South, and they made the early 90's jump from D3 to 1-AA, skipping Division 2 altogether, and was able to emerge with somewhat of a competitive team in the late 90's, early 00's. Now, they are a BSC contender despite their horrid facilities.

I know the plans for a new stadium date back to as far as 1997. A dome like the ETSU one was in the works in the late 90's for all sports except baseball, but the sponsor didn't fit the school's mission. Now, they have a stadium complex for the end zone planned, similar to the one at The Citadel and Coastal, but it's been on hold for 5 years now, as blueprints were floating as early as 2003/2004.

Anyone close to CSU- whats the deal?

A former collegue of mine is on the BOT at CSU and as of last season said any major upgrades was a no go. Lights are in the works but as BucDad said, Al Parrish hurt CSU badly when he embezzled.

[Sly Fox]

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010 ... ting-firm/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bucs90]

Thanks CSU guys. Wow, the Al Parish thing happened just after my time near CSU was over (05). Didn't realize that was such a big blow to the school.

That said, CSU is right to avoid going into debt. Fielding sports teams would be hard should they go into massive debt.

So, that said, good job CSU for avoiding debt, yet still seeking improvments, and good job to everyone who has every been involved in the football program, as a player, coach or supporter, for helping the Bucs be the program that, imo, does the most with the least of any other 1-AA program! GO BUCS!