The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The Student News Site of Colorado State University

The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Print Edition
Letter to the editor submissions
Have a strong opinion about something happening on campus or in Fort Collins? Want to respond to an article written on The Collegian? Write a Letter to the Editor by following the guidelines here.
Follow Us on Twitter
Crypto Exchange Listing: Types of Exchanges and Compliance Requirements
March 25, 2024

The crypto industry continues to evolve, fueled by the increasing institutional adoption of crypto. Today, numerous companies are entering the...

An alumni’s perspective: the Colorado State on-campus stadium

Sarah Harteker, a 2001 alumna of CSU, sat down with the Collegian’s Amanda Zetah to talk about the on-campus stadium and what it means to her as an alumni.

 

Collegian: When did you graduate?
Harteker: I graduated from Colorado State University in 2001 with a degree in construction management.

Collegian: What do you think of Hughes?
Harteker: The stadium is a good stadium, but it’s not in the best location. I didn’t used to go to games very much as a student, because of the location. A DUI didn’t really appeal to us and we tried to have a DD (designated driver), but that never worked out. I’d say I attend the games more now that I am an alumni.

Ad

Collegian: What do you think of the on-campus stadium?
Harteker: I think it is a great idea. It would increase student and alumni attendance, as well as boost the football program at CSU. The alumni will go wherever the new stadium goes. The only problem would be parking; it is an important issue to consider because there isn’t any room now. The higher attendance rate will only make the problem worse.

Collegian: Do you foresee parking to be a huge issue? How would we resolve it?
Harteker: The on-campus stadium would make me want to go to more games, which would increase the issue of parking. It would be easy to arrange Transfort or another bus system to bus people to an off-campus parking lot, similar to the light rail for Broncos games.

Collegian: What will happen to Hughes stadium?
Harteker: I heard it was going to be made into a practice stadium, which would be great. It would also be an awesome concert venue because it has a little of that Red Rocks feel, being backed up to the foothills. The outdoorsy feel would make it great for concerts.

Collegian: Do you think the on-campus stadium would help get alumni to campus?
Harteker: My husband (also an alumni) and I rarely get to campus. If we attended a football game there, it would be fun to walk around and see what’s going on.

This past month, we went to a volleyball game and noticed all the new improvements to campus when we were driving on Laurel Street. It looks like my old dorm, Parmalee, got quite the face lift. I’m sure it is super nice on the inside.

Collegian: Do you like the idea of an on-campus stadium?
Harteker: Yes, I’m definitely a supporter of the on-campus stadium and have been one since the beginning. I used to never go to games and this might change my mind. I think it will boost the football program and help us win some games. We need support for the team and the new stadium will boost attendance, and therefore give them more support.

Collegian: What do you think of the location?
Harteker: I think it is a good location, since it will be right off Prospect Road. Maybe that will inspire new construction on Prospect Road, to give that a face lift as well. I like that it would be on the south side of campus, right off the highway exit. Going across town with traffic starting at Drake and Shields discourages us from going to games.

Do you think the on-campus stadium will increase traffic around campus?
I don’t think it will get in the way of anything, including classes. Actually, there wouldn’t be any more student traffic, so it would decrease on game days. It would also lessen traffic across the city and further east of town, because it is a shorter distance to travel to games. I think residents on Drake and Overland would appreciate the decrease in traffic.

Collegian: How should we pay for the on-campus stadium?
Harteker: First of all, I don’t think the Apple store and other stores going into the stadium are necessary. I think we should fund the stadium with donor money, not by raising tuition rates for students. Student fees shouldn’t increase to pay for the stadium either. It’s already expensive enough and sadly, tuition rates will continue to rise for students because of the economy. There’s no need to contribute to that any more.

Ad

Collegian: What do you think of the football season so far?
Harteker: I was excited about the new coach and got really excited after the win against CU. At that game, we looked like a great team, one that I haven’t seen in years. We are moving forward and starting to move in the right direction. Now, all I’m worried about is beating Wyoming because we have a small rivalry in our cul-de-sac.

Collegian: What was the football team like when you were attending CSU?
Harteker: We had an amazing team. In fact, they went to a few bowls and had a winning season. Because of that, we bought season tickets, but lost the motivation to go to games once the team started losing. If they were better, we might have made more of an effort.

Collegian: What’s the final word on the on-campus stadium?
Harteker: I love the feel of CSU and my family has a lot of ties to the school. In fact, that is why we stayed in Fort Collins after we graduated. My husband and I love CSU and the school makes up the majority of the city. I’m happy to see the school continuing to grow and I think the on-campus stadium will only help that.

All the construction will be annoying, but when isn’t construction annoying?  People will complain about it, but I think the stadium should be done in one to two years. After that, people will be able to enjoy the stadium, like I will.

View Comments (4)
More to Discover

Comments (4)

When commenting on The Collegian’s website, please be respectful of others and their viewpoints. The Collegian reviews all comments and reserves the right to reject comments from the website. Comments including any of the following will not be accepted. 1. No language attacking a protected group, including slurs or other profane language directed at a person’s race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age, physical or mental disability, ethnicity or nationality. 2. No factually inaccurate information, including misleading statements or incorrect data. 3. No abusive language or harassment of Collegian writers, editors or other commenters. 4. No threatening language that includes but is not limited to language inciting violence against an individual or group of people. 5. No links.
All The Rocky Mountain Collegian Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *