West Virginia Proposes $16.2 Million Baseball Stadium

**cybsball20** · 09-25-2012, 10:11 AM

Looks like they have the right idea about jumping into the Big 12 headfirst.

New W.Va. baseball stadium set to clear 1st hurdle * - Sports - Charleston Daily Mail - West Virginia News and Sports -

**ISUAgronomist** · 09-25-2012, 10:13 AM

Wow that's impressive if it gets the approval. Since their football program is in good shape they can use their TV revenue increase on other facilities.

**DistrictCyclone** · 09-25-2012, 10:15 AM

In before someone asks whether ISU will bring back baseball.

**DistrictCyclone** · 09-25-2012, 10:16 AM

Here's some renderings:

New WVU Baseball Stadium Renderings Released - WVU Football, WVU Basketball, News - Mountaineer Sports

**cybsball20** · 09-25-2012, 10:17 AM

Here is another link with renderings...

New WVU Baseball Stadium Renderings Released - WVU Football, WVU Basketball, News - Mountaineer Sports

It would likely have a New York/Penn League team too. Would love to see the City of Ames do the same with ISU and either the Midewest League or Northwoods league.

**jdoggivjc** · 09-25-2012, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by DistrictCyclone

In before someone asks whether ISU will bring back baseball.

Actually, I was going to say that's precisely it'll be a long time before ISU brings baseball back. We can't afford to do the SEZ at the moment - where's the $$$ going to come from to bring back baseball the right way (and I'm one that would like to see baseball brought back eventually).

**cybsball20** · 09-25-2012, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by jdoggivjc

Actually, I was going to say that's precisely it'll be a long time before ISU brings baseball back. We can't afford to do the SEZ at the moment - where's the $$$ going to come from to bring back baseball the right way (and I'm one that would like to see baseball brought back eventually).

Didn't TCU connect their new baseball stadium to their football stadium expansion? There you go! Two birds with one stone! haha

**ribsnwhiskey** · 09-25-2012, 10:37 AM

Think we'll bring baseball back?

**aeroclone** · 09-25-2012, 10:51 AM

I think the most logical way to bring baseball back would be to work out a deal to play our home games at Principal Park. I don't see Ames being able to support a lower tier minor league team to help make an on campus stadium work.

**jdoggivjc** · 09-25-2012, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by aeroclone

I think the most logical way to bring baseball back would be to work out a deal to play our home games at Principal Park. I don't see Ames being able to support a lower tier minor league team to help make an on campus stadium work.

If both Clinton and Burlington (both with populations ~25,000) can support minor league teams, Ames, with a population of ~60,000, can support a team. Not I'm not saying ISU should bring baseball back at this time - just saying cities much smaller than Ames support minor league teams.

**cybsball20** · 09-25-2012, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by jdoggivjc

If both Clinton and Burlington (both with populations ~25,000) can support minor league teams, Ames, with a population of ~60,000, can support a team. Not I'm not saying ISU should bring baseball back at this time - just saying cities much smaller than Ames support minor league teams.

Not to mention cities like LaCrosse and St. Cloud are among the leaders in attendance for the Northwoods league.

$200,000,000 powerball drawing tomorrow, come on baby!

**Boxerdaddy** · 09-25-2012, 11:22 AM

Well since we have matching football stadiums, we'll have to clone their baseball one as well.

**HandSanitizer** · 09-25-2012, 11:47 AM

Baseball is a tough sell in the north. Expensive since you have to play in the south for a lot of the first part of the season..Unless the NCAA has something that says the season can't start until April 1st or something. I think the official start of college baseball is middle of Feb.
TCU played almost 30 games before April 1st last year.

Look at the Big Ten Schools. They pretty much spend the first 1-2 months traveling to the south. That makes a lot of fiscal sense...lol. The Big Ten tournament is the end of May which is when the weather is about perfect for baseball in the north.

The college world series runs from June 15th to the 26th last year.
It would almost be better if they pushed the entire season back 1 month, but whatever.

What I think is amazing is there is No Big 12 Mens Soccer teams. This is what ISU needs to bring back if anything. Its cheap, and is becoming very popular in the US. In 20 years I wouldn't doubt if it leaps a couple sports. Why not bring back something now that we will have the facilities for and is a sport that is becoming pretty popular here. Of course the Big12 needs to sponsor it. The only team that has mens soccer in our league is West Virginia and I think they are playing in the MAC. And how the heck can small schools have all these sports?

**aeroclone** · 09-25-2012, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by jdoggivjc

If both Clinton and Burlington (both with populations ~25,000) can support minor league teams, Ames, with a population of ~60,000, can support a team. Not I'm not saying ISU should bring baseball back at this time - just saying cities much smaller than Ames support minor league teams.

But how many of the cities hosting these lower level clubs are in close proximity to a larger team? During the summer, the population of Ames probably dips by 10k as a lot of students leave town. Then you have to compete for attendance with the new ISU team in the spring and early summer, and the AAA Cubs just 45 minutes away for the entirety of your season. Is the baseball market in Central Iowa big enough to support the Cubs, Iowa State, and a new lower level minor league team? The two new teams in Ames are going to need to put some butts in the seats to support an investment on the scale of what WVU is looking at here.

**jdoggivjc** · 09-25-2012, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by aeroclone

But how many of the cities hosting these lower level clubs are in close proximity to a larger team? During the summer, the population of Ames probably dips by 10k as a lot of students leave town. Then you have to compete for attendance with the new ISU team in the spring and early summer, and the AAA Cubs just 45 minutes away for the entirety of your season. Is the baseball market in Central Iowa big enough to support the Cubs, Iowa State, and a new lower level minor league team? The two new teams in Ames are going to need to put some butts in the seats to support an investment on the scale of what WVU is looking at here.

How many people do you really think will drive 45 minutes from Ames to Des Moines just to watch the I-Cubs? I doubt nearly as many as you make it out to be. Plus Davenport is 45 minutes from Clinton and an hour or so from both Cedar Rapids and Burlington - yet they all make it work. If eastern Iowa can support 4 baseball teams I'm pretty sure central Iowa can support 3.