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News

UH new home of the Dynamo

A three-year contract provides $1.7 million for improvements to Robertson Stadium

by LEAH YAÑEZ
The Daily Cougar

On Sunday, Major League Soccer's newest team, the Houston Dynamo, played their first game at Robertson Stadium.

MLS worked out a deal with the University, providing the athletic department $1.7 million for the next three years to improve the facilities for the Dynamo, which includes improving the fields, installing a better lighting system and possibly adding some bleachers and a new video board.

"We have granted their request to make a home for them here," athletic director David Maggard said. "They essentially practice here and they will be playing here. This is a great venue and I would think this is a place they would want to be for a very long time."

Maggard said that the University has already spent a considerable amount of money making some modifications to the field and will continue to do so.

"The facilities here are much better than what we had in California," midfielder Craig Waibel said. "We have our own locker room. We have facilities on campus that we can use that are fantastic and the quality of the facilities are remarkably better than what we dealt with in California. The quality of the field that we play on is unbelievable -- like carpet. And the practice field is barely worse."

The department is also in the process of installing an $800,000 lighting system to replace the current antiquated system. The new lighting system will help the appearance of televised games. 

"This new lighting will not only be more powerful but would also be more efficient, more efficient from the standpoint of utility costs and so on," Maggard said.

While the system will not be complete until the end of April, temporary lighting was provided for the game Sunday.

In addition to the lights at Robertson Stadium, the athletics department is having lights installed on Carl Lewis Field for practice purposes and possible games for UH teams. 

If any money is left over from the renovations, Maggard said he would like to add more improvements to the stadium's facilities.

"We're looking at the possibility of adding some bleachers out there that would make that an intimate soccer facility, which is what soccer fans and players want," Maggard said. 

"In order for us to do some of the things that we needed to do, we needed to have those dollars now. And that's going to help not only them, but it will help us as well," he said.

The department hired an architectural firm to do an analysis on Robertson Stadium. Maggard said he wants to know what needs to be done to make the stadium a Division I facility. 

Although the likelihood of UH being able to afford the improvements now is minimal, part of the University's agreement with MLS states that UH will receive 50 percent of all parking and concession revenue.

UH is also responsible for arranging parking, concessions and security with campus and city police.

"I see it as a win situation for both," Maggard said. "They needed some place to go. This is good for everybody. It will get more people on our campus and I think in many ways that's a great thing."
 

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