Vitello Article In Today's Knoxville News Sentinel

#52
#52
#1 thing right now is pay. Is the next thing stadium upgrades or practice facilities? Do the big boys of baseball have standalone practice facilities? If they build a stadium downtown, I think that comes into part of it too. Is there a major donor to support this?
 
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#53
#53
Blake Toppmeyer Column.

Synopsis of the article is that Vitello is running the best sports program currently at UT and that his $600.000 salary places him in the middle of the pack among SEC Coaches.

The improvements to LNS could take a few years but Tennessee should give Vitello and his staff raises to show their financial commitment to him.

Terrific read.

LNS needs more than "improvements." They need to crater the damn thing and start from scratch the way A&M did with their football stadium.
 
#54
#54
LNS needs more than "improvements." They need to crater the damn thing and start from scratch the way A&M did with their football stadium.

The only issue with that is it takes time and a lot more money than simple renovations…and space.

Tennessee can continue its momentum and elite success with an LNS that is renovated to be more middle of the road rather than a bottom feeder. It doesn’t need to be Baum or Dudley Noble. They can play the really big series at the new stadium downtown if they want to for that.

The other issue is money. It would be crazy expensive to build an entirely new stadium, and that’s not money I feel is coming any time soon. Maybe ever. The unfortunate fact is that football is king around here. Our football program may be a dumpster fire, but a lot of the big donors are going to choose to light their money on fire for football rather than give to baseball because football is what matters to them.

The new Dudley Noble cost $65 million to make. We’d probably be lucky to get $10-$15 million for a new stadium, which just isn’t enough. Not to mention space is a factor. There is nowhere to build a new stadium on campus. You’d have to crater LNS for 2 years and have the BaseVols play exclusively downtown which I just cannot see happening.

But, who knows. This is all just speculation.
 
#55
#55
The only issue with that is it takes time and a lot more money than simple renovations…and space.

Tennessee can continue its momentum and elite success with an LNS that is renovated to be more middle of the road rather than a bottom feeder. It doesn’t need to be Baum or Dudley Noble. They can play the really big series at the new stadium downtown if they want to for that.

The other issue is money. It would be crazy expensive to build an entirely new stadium, and that’s not money I feel is coming any time soon. Maybe ever. The unfortunate fact is that football is king around here. Our football program may be a dumpster fire, but a lot of the big donors are going to choose to light their money on fire for football rather than give to baseball because football is what matters to them.

The new Dudley Noble cost $65 million to make. We’d probably be lucky to get $10-$15 million for a new stadium, which just isn’t enough. Not to mention space is a factor. There is nowhere to build a new stadium on campus. You’d have to crater LNS for 2 years and have the BaseVols play exclusively downtown which I just cannot see happening.

But, who knows. This is all just speculation.

What happened to the idea of us sharing the new downtown stadium with the Smokies? Has that been nixed already?
 
#56
#56
I just don’t think it’s that’s simple regarding who wants to be where. I don’t blame any coach for wanting to go to a program that gives them more of an opportunity to have sustained elite success.

As much as we don’t want to admit it here Tenn is never going to be a top SEC baseball job unless drastic changes are made with the ncaa and scholarship structures. A&M is a much easier job than Tenn and Salary and facilities are irrelevant

There is no excuse for Tennessee not to be competitive in the SEC on a consistent basis. Tennessee sits inside 200 mile radius of a hell of alot of great high school players. They can certainly get their share if they have the right coach.
 
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#57
#57
What happened to the idea of us sharing the new downtown stadium with the Smokies? Has that been nixed already?

Word on the street is CTV doesn’t want to play there….at least not full time. To him, college baseball belongs on a college campus, and he wants to see LNS renovated. They might play some big OOC series or big conference series there occasionally, but he wants to be on campus. Can’t say I blame him.
 
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#58
#58
Word on the street is CTV doesn’t want to play there….at least not full time. To him, college baseball belongs on a college campus, and he wants to see LNS renovated. They might play some big OOC series or big conference series there occasionally, but he wants to be on campus. Can’t say I blame him.

I hope they play at the downtown stadium a year or two while renovating LNS. I hated that season where the right field plaza, seats and offices were under construction. It was tacky and annoying. - Plus Todd Raleigh was the coach too.
 
#59
#59
I hope they play at the downtown stadium a year or two while renovating LNS. I hated that season where the right field plaza, seats and offices were under construction. It was tacky and annoying. - Plus Todd Raleigh was the coach too.

If the renovations are close to what the leaked renderings depict, you wouldn’t need to play off-campus for an entire season. Extending the LF line and adding some additional porch seating wouldn’t take more than a few months. It’s the approval and permitting process that will probably take awhile.
 
#60
#60
If the renovations are close to what the leaked renderings depict, you wouldn’t need to play off-campus for an entire season. Extending the LF line and adding some additional porch seating wouldn’t take more than a few months. It’s the approval and permitting process that will probably take awhile.

Wow, nice to know they're really putting forth an effort. :rolleyes:
 
#61
#61
Wow, nice to know they're really putting forth an effort. :rolleyes:

These are leaked proposals from 2020. Who knows where they’re at now, but the renderings look good. You’re not going to completely overhaul LNS in a single phase. It’s much more reasonable to do it across multiple phases, such as extend LF and renovate the porches (Phase 1), a year or two later add a second deck with luxury suites (Phase 2), and maybe a year after that put porches in RF (Phase 3). That’s not to say I have any idea what the actual plan is I’m just saying you’re not going to renovate an entire stadium in one attempt.

If/when it happens, they’ll do it piece by piece to make the process smoother and so the Vols can keep playing their seasons at LNS.
 
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#62
#62
These are leaked proposals from 2020. Who knows where they’re at now, but the renderings look good. You’re not going to completely overhaul LNS in a single phase. It’s much more reasonable to do it across multiple phases, such as extend LF and renovate the porches (Phase 1), a year or two later add a second deck with luxury suites (Phase 2), and maybe a year after that put porches in RF (Phase 3). That’s not to say I have any idea what the actual plan is I’m just saying you’re not going to renovate an entire stadium in one attempt.

If/when it happens, they’ll do it piece by piece to make the process smoother and so the Vols can keep playing their seasons at LNS.

The company they hired to design the renovation is the same Co. that’s involved with Boyd’s downtown ball park.
 
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#63
#63
These are leaked proposals from 2020. Who knows where they’re at now, but the renderings look good. You’re not going to completely overhaul LNS in a single phase. It’s much more reasonable to do it across multiple phases, such as extend LF and renovate the porches (Phase 1), a year or two later add a second deck with luxury suites (Phase 2), and maybe a year after that put porches in RF (Phase 3). That’s not to say I have any idea what the actual plan is I’m just saying you’re not going to renovate an entire stadium in one attempt.

If/when it happens, they’ll do it piece by piece to make the process smoother and so the Vols can keep playing their seasons at LNS.

Especially right now.

I'm coming to the end of a big construction project and it's been the biggest pain in the ass of any I've ever done.

Raw materials sky high.
Had to hire security to keep theft away.
Delays in raw material.
Getting people to show up.

It's been crazy.
 
#64
#64
Especially right now.

I'm coming to the end of a big construction project and it's been the biggest pain in the ass of any I've ever done.

Raw materials sky high.
Had to hire security to keep theft away.
Delays in raw material.
Getting people to show up.

It's been crazy.

Yep, I picked the wrong time to start my small project mdf board is just stupid now and lumber...it’s killing me.
 
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#65
#65
Yep, I picked the wrong time to start my small project mdf board is just stupid now and lumber...it’s killing me.
I've got land and house plans but I'm putting off building because I know it's just going to keep me pissed off for the better part of a year.
 
#66
#66
If the renovations are close to what the leaked renderings depict, you wouldn’t need to play off-campus for an entire season. Extending the LF line and adding some additional porch seating wouldn’t take more than a few months. It’s the approval and permitting process that will probably take awhile.

This is the most detailed story I’ve found on the renderings.

SIAP

Past Renderings Show The Potential Future Of Tennessee Baseball | Rocky Top Insider
 
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#67
#67
I've got land and house plans but I'm putting off building because I know it's just going to keep me pissed off for the better part of a year.

We bought a house two years ago and we have been waiting to do the renovations, finally I just caved ....but there’s days man, I don’t even like me, lol.
 
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#70
#70
Especially right now.

I'm coming to the end of a big construction project and it's been the biggest pain in the ass of any I've ever done.

Raw materials sky high.
Had to hire security to keep theft away.
Delays in raw material.
Getting people to show up.

It's been crazy.
We are getting pricing to start a new project in Kansas and I am concerned about 1, 3, and 4
 
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#71
#71
That looks sweet.

Yeah, I think it looks great, then again, I am fine the way it is, other than LF line and simply making the Porch seem a little more “PRO”... but I go to the park I buy a hotdog, maybe a pretzel, a beer and I am in my seat until it’s time to peeeeeeeeebeeeeeeeer! 😛
 
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#73
#73
Yeah, I think it looks great, then again, I am fine the way it is, other than LF line and simply making the Porch seem a little more “PRO”... but I go to the park I buy hotdog, maybe a pretzel, a beer and I am in my seat until it’s time to peeeeeeeeebeeeeeeeer! 😛

Same here. Some of my favorite memories at the park are in the very basic stands in the Appalachian League. Good times.
 
#74
#74
These are leaked proposals from 2020. Who knows where they’re at now, but the renderings look good. You’re not going to completely overhaul LNS in a single phase. It’s much more reasonable to do it across multiple phases, such as extend LF and renovate the porches (Phase 1), a year or two later add a second deck with luxury suites (Phase 2), and maybe a year after that put porches in RF (Phase 3). That’s not to say I have any idea what the actual plan is I’m just saying you’re not going to renovate an entire stadium in one attempt.

If/when it happens, they’ll do it piece by piece to make the process smoother and so the Vols can keep playing their seasons at LNS.


I think you're right on the money.
 
#75
#75
I think you're right on the money.

Keep in mind, Populous is not just contractors and engineers. They are consultants that bring everything into focus including financing and and scheduling issues.

UT will be presented with a lot of options including renovations while in use. or temporary relocating.

Had another thought. Track facilities are not used nearly as they used to be with only a handful of collegiate events every year. Another idea would be for the baseball stadium to assume Tom Black's footprint and to build a nice track facility including attached indoor track facility structure elsewhere where room allows. Tom Black is taking up a lot of real estate for such sparce use and one can't build an indoor facility next to it.

If one closed Pat Head Summit Drive; An indoor track facility could actually be attached to Haslam Field and the athletics Center. Then an outside track to the west..

Just an off my head thought. Could you imagine an new baseball facility smack dab in the center of student housing like that?!?!
 

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