CSU athletic department booster 'not committed' to on-campus stadium yet

One of Colorado State's chief donors may not be on board with plans for new football stadium

CSU President Tony Frank recommends construction of on-campus stadium

Colorado State president Tony Frank has formally recommended an on-campus football stadium in Fort Collins

CSU President Tony Frank expected to recommend on-campus stadium on Monday

Colorado State president Tony Frank will make an announcement recommending the green-lighting of a project to build a new football stadium on campus on Monday.

Colorado State Football Stadium Debate Continues

Debate continues in Fort Collins, Colorado, as school officials continue to wrestle with the idea of building a new football stadium located on the campus of Colorado State University to replace Hughes Stadium.

According to the Denver Post, proponents for the new stadium make a slew of arguments, ranging from competitive to financial. A new stadium, in the eyes of the supporters, would "re-engage" alumni, as well as bolster recruiting, and introduce fans to the campus and/or downtown Fort Collins -- which, according to supports, the current Hughes Stadium does not do.

The opposition has been quite vocal, though. Those who oppose the new stadium believe that a new stadium on the campus would be "disruptive" to the campus, and that it contradicts the environmental message that CSU has embraced. The opposition also believes that Hughes Stadium can still be renovated and is not entirely obsolete, rendering a new stadium built on campus unnecessary.

Money is at the heart of the debate as well, as the opposition argues that the school is "unrealistic" about the total cost, severely underestimating the debt the school would incur as well as overestimating the amount of private funding the school would receive.

For the latest on the Colorado State football stadium debate, be sure to check back at SB Nation Denver.

Colorado State On-Campus Stadium Deemed Feasible By Committee, Could Be Built By 2015

The Colorado St. Rams on-campus stadium is one step closer to becoming a reality as a committee findings delivered by Colorado State president Tony Frank has come out and said that the stadium is feasible. Frank will ultimately make the decision about whether to go forward with construction with the stadium.

This on-campus stadium is expected to be on the south side of campus and cost $246 million with approximately $220 million will be funded by donations, and the rest by corporate naming rights, sponsorships, premium seating and facilities rentals.

This new stadium will have upgrades over Hughes Stadium such as box seating, suites, sideline field club, an end zone microbrew bar, parents lounge, coaches workroom, hall of fame, alumni center and conference rooms, among others.

If things go according to plan the new stadium could be open for the 2015 season.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection.

Artist Rendering Of Colorado State's Proposed On-Campus Stadium

The final public forum for Colorado State's new on-campus stadium was held Wednesday night. During the live blog that the Coloradoan was running they presented some artists renderings of the new stadium and the location.

There are still a lot of things that need to be worked out before a decision on the stadium will be made, and it likely will not come until the end of the summer as more research needs to be done.

Colorado State Stadium Update: Final Stadium Advisory Committee Meeting Was Held Wednesday Night

The path to a new stadium for the Colorado St. Rams has been a long path so far. Wednesday night was the 10th and final stadium advisory committee meeting regarding the proposed on-campus stadium. The event was a public meeting and over 200 people attending plus many more interacting through the live blog that the Coloradoan put together; which is a must read for information and debate.

The live blog had the Coloradon staff on hand covering the meeting and there was a lot of information presented on the proposed on-campus stadium, both for and against the idea.

One main concern that was found when reading through the comments was the cost of the stadium and where the money would come from. The projected cost of the stadium is $246 million and Colorado State athletic director Jack Graham has always said it would come from private means.

Here is a slide from the meeting about projected revenue and fundraising for the stadium:

Reading through the comments of the live blog, there are people complaining about that money not being used for things like new dorms or upgrading academics. Those people will always be around, and if the stadium was being funded by tax payers and tuition money then those would be valid complaints.

What they do not realize that by having a stadium that generates revenue will bring in more money to the academic side of the school, and not only funneled back through the athletic programs.

One excellent quote from the meeting that came from Graham was about the need to upgrade the facilities:

"We are not the least bit interested in engaging in a nuclear arms race... against other universities, but CSU does need to compete."

That is an excellent point, Colorado State does not need to compete with Ohio State, Texas and Oregon, but to win a conference title and possibly more they need to have at a minimum the best facilities in the Mountain West. Really that is not a lot to ask for in this conference.

With this being the final meeting, the decision is going to made in August and by Colorado State's president:

CSU President Tony Frank has made it clear that decision on whether or not to build #CSUStadium will be made by him, w/ input from committee

— Kelly Lyell (@KellyLyell) May 31, 2012

Colorado State Stadium Update: 10 Public Forums To Be Held

Colorado State University continues to go forward with its plans for a on-campus stadium by announcing 10 public forums to solicit information from stakeholders. The first two meetings will be held on Feb. 23 in the Cherokee Room in the Lory Student Center. The other meetings will take place twice a day on Feb. 27, March 3, 6 and 7.

Colorado State President Tony Frank has already let it be known that four parameters exist for recommendations on the new stadium:

• CSU won’t consider putting the stadium on existing open green space, including the intramural fields.
• CSU won’t consider putting the stadium in front of significant existing view sheds so as to protect views of the mountains.
• All recommendations from the Advisory Committee must take into serious account any impact on neighbors in areas adjacent or near a new stadium.
• State appropriation, tuition, fees or taxes will not be considered as funding sources for a stadium project.

If one would like to attend one of these sessions, please RSVP at this link.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection.

Colorado State Soliciting Proposals For On-Campus Stadium

The Colorado St. Rams hope to give their football team a new stadium on campus -- and have reportedly begun seeking proposals for the new complex, according to the Coloradoan.

The university is apparently seeking companies with a history of working on "high-profile sports venues" and one that can navigate the tricky waters of the current stadium debate:

"The work will be developed through a highly collaborative and meeting-intensive process including diverse steering committees, with representation from the university, as well as the city of Fort Collins and Larimer County," CSU said in explaining how it wants to move forward.

The Colorado State officials hope a new stadium will drum up support and recruiting for a Rams football team that has not had back-to-back winning seasons since 2003 -- the last season it was ranked on the AP Poll. However, opposition to the stadium proposals has been particularly vocal of late and at the least requires the university "repurpose" the old stadium.

New CSU athletic director Jack Graham has pushed hard for the on-campus stadium and fully anticipates it will come to fruition in the near future.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection.

Colorado State AD Jack Graham Says, 'Those Who Are Cynical About Our Future Are Wrong'

Colorado St. Rams athletic director Jack Graham has been pushing hard for a new on-campus stadium for the Colorado State football team to be built by 2014, but he is also serious about a culture change in the athletic department as well. After receiving a five-year contract back in December, Graham has been aggressive and assertive in every aspect of his job.

To open 2012, he started on the defensive and quickly jumped to the offensive about changing the culture at Colorado State in his message to the students:

"...the Denver Post suggested that, even with a new football coach, we would be content to have a .500 football team, and the Collegian commented that our proposal to build an on-campus stadium is a great idea, but something that will fade when 'reality sets in.'

I guess I have a different view. As your new Athletic Director, I don't intend to settle for mediocrity in anything. We are committed to excellence -- and to more than just 'thinking big.' We are committed to making things happen.

... I say without hesitation that those who are cynical about our future are wrong: I will not settle for .500. Our coaches will not settle for .500. Coach Mac wants to win every game, Tom Hilbert has never settled for anything less than excellence and Tim Miles and our other fine coaches have us on a great path. I expect to win every game in every sport in which CSU competes."

Apparently there will be no excuses for failure under Jack Graham, and that has to be considered a good thing for every fan of Colorado State athletics.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection.

Colorado State Professor, Local Group Oppose On-Campus Stadium

The proposed on-campus stadium for the Colorado St. Rams is receiving some opposition from a local group called Save Our Stadium, Hughes as well as Prof. Deborah Shulman -- which is not a surprise. Save Our Stadium, Hughes is holding a public forum on Jan. 25 to argue that Colorado State is moving too quickly to get rid of Hughes Stadium in favor of the new proposed on-campus stadium. The spokesman of the group is Bob Vangermeersch who saying that too many schools are placing athletics above education, and wants to "inject sanity into the plans."

The larger opposition comes from Shulman who wrote an open letter to the Coloradoan and calls football "little more than expensive entertainment":

"We are told the CSU administration will raise the millions needed to build the stadium from private donations. If they can spend the vast amounts of time, energy and money required to chase a limited number of big donors, why can't they make the same effort for academics?" Shulman asked in her letter. "CSU should build its national reputation and attract students and alumni donors by investing in its educational and research missions. It could try much harder to find alternatives to state funding that would restore and expand the scientific research, artistic accomplishment and teaching programs that already make CSU an enormous asset for the whole region. CSU could start by investing in the people who make all of this happen. Instead, they want a stadium on campus."

This type of opposition happens all the time from academic types who fell education should be valued over athletics, and while education is more important than the football team in the grand scheme of things, biology and chemistry do not pay the bills. It is the football team that supports the non-revenue sports and gives back to the school.

Also, it is proven that with the better success a team has the more exposure and in return money the school gets from an increase in applications -- which cost money and go toward the school -- as well as new donors from alumni. When the Butler Bulldogs and VCU each made the Final Four in 2011 and each school had an influx in applications:

Butler reported a 41 percent rise in admissions applications and a 35 percent rise in visits in the year after its first national title game appearance. Visits to the VCU undergraduate admissions site nearly tripled the Sunday the Rams beat Kansas last March to advance to their first-ever Final Four.

The first step for Colorado State is to have success and create a great at atmosphere with a stadium that is not a few miles of campus, but is right at the heart of the school. Also, Shulman needs to realize none of the money going toward the stadium is taking away any money that would be going to the academic side of the stadium. Opposition is expected from academia types by saying they get overlooked in favor of sports, but a professor complaining will not halt this project and it will go forward as planned with an expected completion date being in time for the 2014 football season.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection. And for news from around college football, head over to SB Nation NCAA Football.

Jack Graham Says On-Campus Stadium Is 'Going To Happen' For Colorado State

One month ago new Colorado St. Rams athletic director Jack Graham envisioned that an on-campus stadium would be build for the Colorado State football team.

New Colorado State AD Jack Graham Envisions An On-Campus Stadium

New Colorado State athletic director Jack Graham has been on the job for about a week and he is already thinking big. Graham envisions an on-campus stadium and wants to raise at least $100 million from public and private funds for the project. The idea for this project is to be more than just a football stadium and that it would not be a long-term project but something that he would want to see begin right away: 

"I have a strong preference that this is more than just a football stadium," Graham said Monday. "That it's a gathering place and a social experience and, even when football games aren't being played, that students can be at the stadium on plazas looking into the field and having a cup of coffee and studying some really nice landscaping.

"It's not just a steel box of a place, but it's actually an enhancement to the footprint and the architecture of the university. It should not be a detraction; it should very much be an enhancement."

The project was first discussed during a team meeting when Graham addressed the players about the firing of head coach Steve Fairchild. Players such as sophomore running back Chris Nwoke said that an on-campus stadium would be "fantastic." Graham also believes that having their football stadium on campus grounds will help with recruiting, create traditions and increase fan support.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection. And for news from around college football, head over to SB Nation NCAA Football.

New Colorado State AD Jack Graham Receives 5-Year Contract Worth $260,000 Per Year

According to the Denver Post's Chris Dempsey, new Colorado State Athletic Director Jack Graham a five-year contract worth $260,000 annually. Graham, a former football player at CSU, replaced Paul Kowalczyk on Thursday afternoon.

At his introductory press conference, Graham emphasized how important it would be for him to get the football program back on track:

"I want to see our football team consistently be a top-25 team, competing in a bowl game every year. We have high expectations. I'm not happy with where the CSU football team is. We're 3-8. That is not acceptable."

He is expected to talk soon with head football coach Steve Fairchild and make a decision on the coach's future at Colorado State.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection. And for news from around college football, head over to SB Nation NCAA Football.

Jack Graham Hired As New Colorado State Athletic Director

Colorado State will announce Jack Graham as the newest athletic director for the school during Thursday afternoon's press conference. This ends the tenure of current athletic directory Paul Kowalczyk, who had signed a five-year extension in early 2010.

Graham was the Rams' quarterback in the mid-1970s and has since become one of the biggest boosters of the school. He briefly played in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins before moving into the insurance industry.

He will now have the tough task of turning the athletic programs into winners, especially the basketball and football teams. He will certainly need to make a decision on football head coach Steve Fairchild soon enough.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection. And for news from around college football, head over to SB Nation NCAA Football.

Sonny Lubick A Possible Candidate To Be Colorado State's New Athletic Director

The Colorado St. Rams have reportedly fired Paul Kowalczyk as athletic director and with a 1 p.m. MT press conference set for later today there has been speculation about if there would be an announcement of a new athletic director. Susie Wargin of 9News believes that there will be a new athletic director later today, but is trying to get confirmation. 

A name that has been mentioned to replace Kowalczyk is legendary former Colorado State head coach Sonny Lubick. Wargin contacted Lubick about the open job and Lubick has said that he has not been contacted for the job. Even with that news Lubick would be an instant fan favorite since he was 108-74, won five conference titles, went to nine bowl games and won three of those as the former football coach.

Another name that has been mentioned is former Colorado State quarterback Jack Graham. Graham was a quarterback for Colorado State in the 1970s and is currently a big booster to the university.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection. And for news from around college football, head over to SB Nation NCAA Football.

Paul Kowalczyk Fired As Colorado State Athletic Director, According To Report

Susie Wargin of 9News is reporting the Colorado State Rams have fired Athletic Director Paul Kowalczyk:

The university had extended Kowalczyk in 2010, an extension thought would keep him under contract for several more years. Kowalczyk was serving his sixth year as the university's athletic director.

The reported firing comes amid growing expectations that the university was poised to fire football head coach Steve Fairchild after the team went 3-8 through 11 games this season. However, it appears the organization may have grown dissatisfied with the overall grown of the athletics program instead.

According Wargin, the university does not have a replacement prepared yet.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection. And for news from around college football, head over to SB Nation NCAA Football.

Colorado State Press Conference Not About Steve Fairchild, According To Report

While early speculation about Colorado State's Thursday press conference would be about the dismissal of football head coach Steve Fairchild, it appears that will not be the case, according to Arnie Stapleton. The announcement for the press conference only said it was about the "athletic department."

This could mean that athletic director Paul Kowalczyk will not be back. But there is no hard information out on this yet. Kowalczyk signed a five-year extension on Feb. 8, 2010, that would have kept him in position until June 30, 2015.

And if it's not this, well, then the school has fooled us all. The press conference will begin at 1:00 p.m. MT. Stay tuned.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection. And for news from around college football, head over to SB Nation NCAA Football.

Colorado State To Hold Major Press Conference On Thursday Afternoon

Colorado State will hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon to make a "major announcement" about the athletics department. The press conference will begin at 1:00 p.m. MT. It is widely believed to be for the firing of football head coach Steve Fairchild.

The Colorado St. Rams have one game left, against Wyoming, on Saturday before the season ends. The team currently stands at 3-8 and a loss would send the Rams to their third consecutive 3-9 season. Fairchild has had only one winning season with the team, his first in 2008. The team went 7-6 and won the New Mexico Bowl.

If the press conference isn't to announce Fairchild's firing, then that's going to be a real curveball.

For more on this story, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more news from around the Mountain West Conference, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection. And for news from around college football, head over to SB Nation NCAA Football.