Update Me on Lindsey Nelson Renovations

[CAVPUT]

I’m guessing they will not start till fall because they already have summer camps scheduled and that is where they get the money to pay the volunteer assistance and all the other extra personnel. Plus with the new regulations the only time we can talk to younger guys is when they are on our campus, so I do not see them, giving up the ability to use their field for summer camps while the renovations are being done. Most people do not realize the significance of being able to use the facilities for camps during the summer, but it has been multiplied 10 times with the new regulations.

Thanks for clarifying. Sounds as though there's lots of moving parts that are being considered that the average fan like myself fails to consider. As long as the renovations are worthy of our championship level baseball program and keeps us from losing out on hosting to a facility like Hattiesburg ever again, I'm good.

 

[Volprofch05]

I’m guessing they will not start till fall because they already have summer camps scheduled and that is where they get the money to pay the volunteer assistance and all the other extra personnel. Plus with the new regulations the only time we can talk to younger guys is when they are on our campus, so I do not see them, giving up the ability to use their field for summer camps while the renovations are being done. Most people do not realize the significance of being able to use the facilities for camps during the summer, but it has been multiplied 10 times with the new regulations.

Yep, the last summer baseball camp for kids appears to be July 17-19

Tennessee Baseball Camps | at University of Tennessee | Knoxville, TN

 

[lukeneyland]

Something that irritates me is that we spent money on taking seats out in the the North upper deck at Neyland, that could have been applied to helping fix our baseball stadium

 

[lukeneyland]

What's ironic is Southern Miss superiors facility is really just a concrete slab with prefab steel and aluminum stands anchored above. That's basically what the seats down the LF line and -to some extent, the porches.

Tennessee could have done the same thing long ago and it would look just as cheap as USM (and Vandy really) does.

Our university wants better and it takes longer. An actual stadium with associated facilities below and beyond. Locker rooms, training areas, bathrooms. concessions, and premium seats takes time.

And I truly would prefer getting all this down in 1 calendar year rather than stretch this out over 2-4 years

I do wish we’d just throw up a few thousand bleachers in the outfield. I guarantee they’d get filled

 

[Orange.]

Something that irritates me is that we spent money on taking seats out in the the North upper deck at Neyland, that could have been applied to helping fix our baseball stadium

Griping about football renovations does not help baseball renovations. We're getting both. All for one and one for all.

 

[OrangeTsar]

I get your point, but all stadiums are going to the “experience” not the “amount” of fans.

That is disappointing to me as a fan. I still want to expand Neyland to the 125k range. If I want an “experience” I will book a night at a five star resort. I want winning football and a roaring, passionate crowd; not a place where millionaires sup their mimosa in leather chairs behind insulated glass. Bring on the colosseum vibes.
The only “experience” I want doesn’t involve comfort. I want to “experience” Saban throwing his headset in rage after a Vols win. That is enough

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I know this ain't happening, but I'd like to see a "hill" or commons area like Little League in Williamsport has or where all those canopies were in Hattiesburg. - for CHEAP. The terrain just isn't there for it.

There are so many constraints on that site: the ROW's, the RR property, the fraternity houses.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I don’t understand what the “experience” is if not to watch the ball game

The "experience" is actually fund raising.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I recall hearing or reading that it likely won't get started until the fall. Seems odd that there'd be such a delay in initiating the work. One thing is for sure, this program shouldn't be in a position to have to endure playing in a place like S. Miss ever again. They screw around with delays and Tony V starts feeling as though promises aren't being kept, it will really infuriate this fan base. Even if we play in the Smokies stadium for a season, I think it's well worth it to get this facility upgrade done and done right. This baseball program deserves this and a lot more.

ditto. The summer time and early fall is the best time for construction outdoors. They know that, of course, so not getting underway now that the home season schedule is over is an indicator that permitting or mobilization is held up for some reason, unless it will take from now til then to mobilize the construction effort. That's a possibility due to the constraints of construction on an existing improved site.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I’m guessing they will not start till fall because they already have summer camps scheduled and that is where they get the money to pay the volunteer assistance and all the other extra personnel. Plus with the new regulations the only time we can talk to younger guys is when they are on our campus, so I do not see them, giving up the ability to use their field for summer camps while the renovations are being done. Most people do not realize the significance of being able to use the facilities for camps during the summer, but it has been multiplied 10 times with the new regulations.

That explains a lot. Thanks.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I do wish we’d just throw up a few thousand bleachers in the outfield. I guarantee they’d get filled

There's no room to do that.

 

[fryeguy93]

There's no room to do that.

The University own most-if not all, the roadways on campus now. I bet the could.

No, the railyard might retain ROW to their rear driveway of their yard for all I know.

I bet UT could close Helton Drive right now and erect bleachers behind right field.

 

[OrangeInKy]

Great to hear that you found love for the game through your kids! I was an absolute baseball junkie when I was young, but as I got older I didn’t have the time and later the interest in MLB. When I began working at UT, I’d bring my kids, and discovered that my ingrained hatred of teams like LSU, Florida, Bama, etc helped to rekindle my love for the game.

They are baseball junkies, and they study the game. They teach me so much. Not to brag, but the oldest made the all star team last season.

You are right about hatred of rivals helping. I have been into basketball and football since mid-late 80's but it's so fun to be all in on something into the summer and delighting in the sadness of teams/fanbases I can't stand.

 

[SGMVols]

I wish we’d expand it to the biggest in the conference. The appetite for baseball is clearly here, we’d fill it up many times and it’d make tickets more accessible

That would be a bad idea. We don’t have enough baseball support in this fanbase to fill a 12,000 seat stadium. The most I would go is 7,500

 

[Christian Lowe]

That would be a bad idea. We don’t have enough baseball support in this fanbase to fill a 12,000 seat stadium. The most I would go is 7,500

Tell that to the $500 per person ticket prices in the post season to fill it at 5,500

 

[Walkman]

I like the idea of 7500/8K with the ability add a couple more thousand in the standing areas or picnic areas. I believe that’s the latest plan. I’m just hoping we can add a couple more thousand seats by next season. It seems they’ve been talking about it for 2 to 3 years….it’s time for some big renovations at LNS!

 

[volsagain]

Scalpers probably don't want a bigger stadium. It would bring down the ticket prices but making the tickets less expensive would bring in more people. 90s all the way up to Tony was easy on a average family to attend but the product got very poor for a lot of years. But I think 7500 to 8500 would make it easier for most people.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Scalpers probably don't want a bigger stadium. It would bring down the ticket prices but making the tickets less expensive would bring in more people. 90s all the way up to Tony was easy on a average family to attend but the product got very poor for a lot of years. But I think 7500 to 8500 would make it easier for most people.

Gotta get the luxury suites built. Needs to be a priority. Empty Suites don't show on camera. Empty seats do.

 

[VolGee4]

Something that irritates me is that we spent money on taking seats out in the the North upper deck at Neyland, that could have been applied to helping fix our baseball stadium

These are different capital campaigns, and people will donate to what they want done.

 

[AthensVol2007]

Tell that to the $500 per person ticket prices in the post season to fill it at 5,500

And the ones holding the premium, season tickets don’t show up regularly. So yes, we might “sell” 12k tickets but there won’t be 12k in there other than for a Saturday game in a Vandy/UF/LSU/Arkansas series perhaps. Our fanbase is to fickle and “bandwagony” on the fringe sports. I was in Starkville last year for our series and saw crowds of 12-13k every game for a team in last place, playing their last games of the season with nothing to play for. This fanbase will NEVER put 12k in the seats for a losing baseball team on the last weekend of the season. It’s a culture thing and it’s just not engrained in the culture of our fanbase like the baseball schools in this conference. Look at Vandy and UF, they’ve been the two most successful schools on the field in the last 15 years and can’t remotely draw close to what OM/State/LSU/Arky do even if they had the capacity to do it.

I would venture to say there are a lot who buy up season tickets today just for the opportunity to turn them. So the premium per game isn’t driven as much by the demand side as it is the supply side (lack of supply). At 7-8k capacity you would more than satisfy the game to game, walk-up demand, it would take the premium off of the secondary market and we’d still likely only max the place out on Friday and Saturday SEC games.

 

[spyfish007]

And the ones holding the premium, season tickets don’t show up regularly. So yes, we might “sell” 12k tickets but there won’t be 12k in there other than for a Saturday game in a Vandy/UF/LSU/Arkansas series perhaps. Our fanbase is to fickle and “bandwagony” on the fringe sports. I was in Starkville last year for our series and saw crowds of 12-13k every game for a team in last place, playing their last games of the season with nothing to play for. This fanbase will NEVER put 12k in the seats for a losing baseball team on the last weekend of the season. It’s a culture thing and it’s just not engrained in the culture of our fanbase like the baseball schools in this conference. Look at Vandy and UF, they’ve been the two most successful schools on the field in the last 15 years and can’t remotely draw close to what OM/State/LSU/Arky do even if they had the capacity to do it.

I would venture to say there are a lot who buy up season tickets today just for the opportunity to turn them. So the premium per game isn’t driven as much by the demand side as it is the supply side (lack of supply). At 7-8k capacity you would more than satisfy the game to game, walk-up demand, it would take the premium off of the secondary market and we’d still likely only max the place out on Friday and Saturday SEC games.

You say it is a culture thing. I say there is nothing else to do in those locations!

 

[KeepinUpWithJones]

Saw Tony at Ruth Chris in Knoxville tonight, which I found interesting given the fact that the team left for Omaha in the mid-afternoon from what I saw earlier. Had me thinking he was going to fly with some big donors possibly?

 

[OldTimer]

Saw Tony at Ruth Chris in Knoxville tonight, which I found interesting given the fact that the team left for Omaha in the mid-afternoon from what I saw earlier. Had me thinking he was going to fly with some big donors possibly?

Did you go up and let him know that several Volnation posters have some really good advice for him as it relates to his in game coaching decisions and adjustments to the starting roster, let him know that if he checks into the baseball forum periodically during a game that he could get some really good advice form guys who never played past Dixie Youth League.

 

[KeepinUpWithJones]

Did you go up and let him know that several Volnation posters have some really good advice for him as it relates to his in game coaching decisions and adjustments to the starting roster, let him know that if he checks into the baseball forum periodically during a game that he could get some really good advice form guys who never played past Dixie Youth League.

He looked to be in a hurry the first time I saw him but we saw him as we were leaving and yelled “Go Vols.” He gave us a big fist pump and kept moving

 

[taylorvol]

Saw Tony at Ruth Chris in Knoxville tonight, which I found interesting given the fact that the team left for Omaha in the mid-afternoon from what I saw earlier. Had me thinking he was going to fly with some big donors possibly?

Probably hosting a big time recruit on campus since he (and the team) haven‘t been in Knoxville much lately. I think it’s odd that the baseball transfer portal opens right before postseason starts. Puts teams in postseason at a huge disadvantage—especially those who aren’t hosting. It should open the day after CWS ends.