Athletic Facilities

[Kadeezy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1956872728813920705

I'll hold off judgements until I know what they intend to build. If the State is willing to pony dollars and we get a Snapdragon type stadium, it might soften the blow.

I’m am 99% pro on-campus. That’s what I’ve donated to. But, if they have some sort of grand plan locked in (doubtful) to build a 40,000 seat NorCal SnapDragon or Colorado State stadium, I’m in. Overall, just mostly frustrating that there isn’t progress in ANY direction….

 

[Hornet25]

I’m am 99% pro on-campus. That’s what I’ve donated to. But, if they have some sort of grand plan locked in (doubtful) to build a 40,000 seat NorCal SnapDragon or Colorado State stadium, I’m in. Overall, just mostly frustrating that there isn’t progress in ANY direction….

I think we're all pro campus. The financial roadblocks that came up since the initial announcement were glaring though. 1. Wilton Rancheria buying SRFC and funding their own stadium 100% took away what I believe was going to be a significant donor. 2. Tarrifs. 3. Not getting into FBS.

Bad news is it feels like the lost FBS bid and change of direction here delays everything football related. Although this is out of the blue for us, I doubt Sac State and Cal Expo just started discussions. The timeline of the vote and eventual closure of horse racing at Cal Expo and the timing of when Dr. Wood started becoming tight lipped about his original stadium outline seem to correspond.

 

[the Rat]

Sac State just doesn’t have the money. This latest pivot to potentially build the stadium around the existing horse racing grandstand at Cal Expo confirms we have a university president who is flying by the seat of his pants to make something happen, and this reeks of more desperation.

I don’t understand how Cal Expo, which is bleeding money ($2.6M in 2024, and halfway through 2025 $1.9, and just spent $22 M improving roofs and air conditioning systems, and, now will lose horse racing and the Sac Republic revenue next year, is in any strong financial position to contribute towards the building of a “Snapdragon type stadium.”

All reports indicate so far that the horse racing grandstand remains in place. I have watched many horse races and attended Country in the Park concerts there. For those events, a suitable venue, but for football, the seating is too low and too far back to watch.

The astroturf campaign for the Pac 12, and the roll of the dice on the FBS waiver with no apparent backup plan is teetering on its last legs. If not true, great, but perception is reality until proven otherwise.

All along, Dr. Wood has said FBS or Bust.

We are losing ground, except for the potential promise of a great 2025 football season; we are headed to an independent FCS schedule and an interruption of the Causeway Classic.

Good thing we will be in the Big West for when it does go officially Bust, and football goes the way of the dodo bird.

What we need now is a Miracle on J Street, which is right now feeling like a horror show.

 

[HeavyistheClown]

All along, Dr. Wood has said FBS or Bust.

Good thing we will be in the Big West for when it does go officially Bust, and football goes the way of the dodo bird.

FBS or bust wasn’t said with a positive connotation. It means if we don’t go FBS, we can’t afford staying in FCS. ‘Bust’ was the adjective, or in this case the adverb.

Big West move was posturing for when football goes bust. Dropped.

How can moving to Cal Expo be a plus? Our on campus stadium is condemned, Cal Expo offers absolutely nothing. Both owned by the state, so having the ‘state’ collaborate on this move is ridiculous.

What a shit show.

 

[HeavyistheClown]

And the PSU poster was asking why we are so angry?

 

[SDHornet]

I'm not getting worked up about the Cal Expo news like some folks seem to be. I'll preface this post by stating that I'm in the "build a nice venue with good sight lines that can foster a good fan atmosphere for casual fans" camp. An on-campus venue would be preferred but if a better deal/development can be had within a reasonable drive of campus then I have no issue with that. People keep stating they want a Snapdragon-esqe stadium not realizing that Snapdragon isn't on SDSU's campus. A venue that can boost the profile of Hornet football does not mean it has to be on campus, it's just a preference.

If working with Cal Expo means there are monies for a stadium there then so be it. People need to keep in mind that since the stadium was announced back in October '24 that steel tariffs were increased to 50% in June '25. This is a budget buster for any major project that will use a significant amount of steel such as a football stadium.

There are a few angles on the Cal Expo negotiations that come to mind. First off, is Cal Expo permanently done with horse racing? If not then I don't see how the grandstand area is viable. The width of a horse track between the grandstand and any field playing surface would be much greater than the track between the stands and the field at Hornet Stadium currently is. Complete non-starter imo.

If Cal Expo is done with horse racing, then I suppose the grandstand could be a viable location with a serious facelift. Note that the existing grandstand length is longer than a football field so the outer sections of the grandstand would not have favorable sight lines. Personally I think this would be visually hideous for a football venue but maybe it could be modified to work. I don't really know but it seems like more trouble than it's worth.

Then there is Heart Health Park where the Sac Republic currently plays. The Republic will leave Cal Expo at some point so that is a viable alternative in concept. Currently HHP seats 11.5k and I don't believe any of its infrastructure is permanent. I'm not sure where the players' locker rooms are but I think they are makeshift trailers adjacent to the stadium. HHP also has no permanent press booth. Cal Expo would have to invest a significant amount of money to make HHP a viable option for D1 football.

My speculation is that Cal Expo, specifically HHP, is only viable as a temporary home while new Hornet Stadium is built on campus. I have a hard time seeing how anything other than serving as a temporary home is the play with this news.

A side note, nationally the big push is to have a new stadium serve as a hub for a mixed use of commercial, entertainment, residential (condominiums) zone. If Cal Expo is done with horse racing, I could see how a new stadium with a surrounding mixed use zone could work, assuming there were investors that the State was willing to work with to make such a development happen.

 

[SochorField]

Can't Hornet stadium be renovated to a "safe" condition, and keep the same seating capacity? Why does it have to be an extravagant venture. At this point, it looks like the big ideas need to be scaled back.

I say its time to get creative with what is financially possible using what they have. Upgrade the erector set to a current standard (probably lowering the seating profile), add some endzone seating (that can be removed for track) to make up for the lost seating capacity. Just install a press box that is acceptable for use for the next ~10-15 years.

I'm nearly certain Davis built their press box with the idea it would be removed within 20 years in an expansion (the bowl to be enlarged with seating to be added right over the top).

Maybe semi-temporarily take care of Hornet Stadium first to ensure this move to FBS, and let the Cal Expo / regional event hub situation work itself out?