Is TAF financially ready for facility upgrades?

There doesn’t seem to ever be a master plan. They should move Track and Field to the golf course and keep new arena next to adjoining practice facilities.

New track indoor and outdoor could draw revenue from hosting regional events.

The new arena needs to be built so that it could host non LSU revenue generating events.

The facilities arms race is an antiquated relic of a former era of college sports. NIL is where the money must go.

NO ONE was more bullish and assertive about demands for facility upgrades at LSU than Will Wade. However, in an interview a few months after he was fired he was asked about the importance of NIL. Specifically, if he had to choose between most of the available money being allocated to facility upgrades or NIL what would he choose? He unequivocally said "NIL". Otherwise, you'd have a team of MMMFs (Mid-Major Mother Fuc--rs) getting their asses kicked in a really nice gym. Players don't care about how nice the arena is if their peers are getting paid hundreds of thousands more to play at a school with a less nice gym.

The players are not swayed by a state of the art indoor facility or locker room chairs that convert into beds, they want money in their bank accounts, PERIOD.

You and me as fans may hate the fact that's where college sports have gone, but that's the reality.

Even so, LSU needs to be bullish and creative in ways to generate new revenue from some of their facilities.

I would like an upgraded basketball stadium. The PMAC is old and outdated. Build a smaller stadium, something similar to Auburn where the fans are close to the action.

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there seems no clear path to a new arena

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Mulkey has said publicly that she will be retired by the time a new arena gets built. She knows it’s a complicated financing situation, and I doubt it’s something she’d try to hold over the admins’ heads. Unless it completely falls apart and she decides to push (again?) for PMAC upgrades.

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A new football coach is going to want to put their respective touch on ops and possibly areas of the stadium.

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Did we spend a bunch of money on new facilities projects for Brian Kelly? Serious question as I’m not sure. I don’t recall hearing about anything major but maybe I’m forgetting something.

Jay Johnson may have some legit needs, and I’d imagine 2 natties in 3 years buys some leverage with both the administrators and the donors.

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they are about to build a new arena which will cover multiple sports

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The arena is realistically four years away at best and can 100% say it won’t be ready in time nor built in most efficient manner.

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baseball has gotten player facing upgrades recently as well

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Jay Johnson has already said he wants an indoor and the stadium itself is antiquated.

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the football facility has had several major renovations in the last few years

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It’s still an arms race no matter the revenue stream.

What do you mean “there is no clear path to a new arena”?!?


LSU’s plans are pretty damn clear?

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no clear path to a new arena

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I thought that the new sales tax in the LSU economic development district was going to pay for it?

It’s going to be in the design, budget phase for three years and then built. In the mean time, does LSU have a plan in place for the current PMAC property?

My issue is that they seem dead set on building it out by the box, which is not near the practice facilities for basketball and gym. It would make more sense to build it at N Stadium/Nicholson and spend an extra $50m on new facilities for your track program.