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Volume 71, Issue 69,
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
News Soccer franchise moves to Houston Stadium to undergo transformation to prepare for heavy use by AMY WESTERGREN
Robertson Stadium will soon be home to Houston's newest professional sports team. The Earthquakes, a Major League Soccer team based in San Jose Calif., is relocating to Houston because they are unable to reach an agreement with the city concerning a permanent stadium. Both UH and the new soccer team will be playing in Robertson Stadium and although no game conflicts are predicted, the playing surface may become overworked. To prevent damage, plans have been made to prepare the stadium for increased use. "The immediate plan is to put in Field Turf and upgrade lighting and concessions," Dave Maggard, University of Houston Athletic Director, said. Field Turf will replace the live grass, making the field more durable. Anschutz Entertainment Group, the company that owns the soccer team, will help fund these changes by giving the University a lump sum of money, though the exact amount has not yet been determined. The money will be used to improve the field initially Maggard said. Any extra revenue that would come from concessions and parking will be dispersed to various departments on campus. "If in fact we put in Field Turf, the money we receive from AEG will go to this project," Maggard said. "Upgrading lights may be a possibility depending on the cost of the Field Turf." The University has already taken steps to insure parking availability is not a problem for students. "We have asked that they not schedule games when classes are being held, so that we avoid conflict when we close lots for their use," Maggard said. "Most games will be held on Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon." Game goers will pay to park in UH lots. AEG has agreed to give the University a percentage of the profit as well as a percentage of concession sales. "Whatever profits are available will be used for much needed improvement of the facilities at Robertson," Maggard said. "Our profit will depend upon how much the team draws in terms of sharing revenue for parking and concessions." Revenue could still be allocated to other departments or for other campus improvements if the funds are available. "This deal can be a real win for the University and the community. More people becoming familiar with the athletic facilities and the entire campus -- we can use this as a way of promoting the entire University as well as increasing ticket sales to our events." The decision to move the Earthquakes to Houston came after a meeting Dec. 14 in which MLS agreed to allow AEG to move the team. MLS stipulated that the team name, colors and game records remain in San Jose for use by an expansion team forming as early as 2007 in San Jose. The Houston team will be named in a contest scheduled for this month. The announcement came after a deal for the purchase of team with Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment fell through when the city of San Jose and the entertainment group could not settle on terms for a city subsidized soccer complex. AEG has been trying to sell the team since 2003 and hopes Houston's soccer fan base will get behind the team, making it profitable. According to an MLS press release, Commissioner Don Garber said that enthusiasm leads the league to believe a new investor can be found and a soccer-specific stadium can be built in Houston. The team boasts two MLS cups for 2001 and 2003. They finished last season with the best record in the league. The franchise struck a three-year deal with the University that will allow them use of Robertson Stadium through the 2008 season. Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu |
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