In light of the continued debate about CSU’s on-campus stadium, and in anticipation of a final decision about its fate by October, the Collegian Editorial Board would like to begin this semester by supporting the proposed on-campus stadium.
The process the proposal has gone through—with plenty of input from a passionate and vocal community—has made it much easier for the administration to approach this project in a reasonable and professional manner. This feedback will be essential in helping them address the issues that have been raised regarding the stadium.
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While Hughes Stadium and tailgating are iconic memories that have been a part of the fabric of this university for so long, it is time to create some new memories, and time for CSU to increase its national visibility and sense of community.
Our university is only expected to get bigger, and the estimated cost of $100 million to add another mere 17,000 seats to Hughes stadium hardly seems worth it when the estimate for a whole new stadium comes in at roughly $246 million.
Most universities have an on campus stadium, which studies have shown can have a positive correlation to student recruitment. Additionally, the economic benefits of having an on-campus stadium are worthy the minor headache that may be associated with the influx of traffic that will occur on game days.
While we understand the concerns about how exactly the university will pay for it, we wholly believe that if it’s privately funded, without taking away from academic funding, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t go forward. We’ll work to ensure that CSU President Tony Frank remains vigilant to his promise not to use tuition, fees or tax dollars for the project.
If only current students got to enjoy the stadium…
