Section A · Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, May 6.
Steel beams and timber lay scattered below the Memorial Stadium luxury box project. The projects are expected to be completed by the start of next football season. Contributed art.
An artist's sketch of the new luxury boxes that will sit atop Memorial Stadium next fall. The project is phase two in a Memorial Stadium renovation project that began more than a year ago. Contributed art
Alcohol one of many skybox features
Box owners must provide their own alcohol, bring it to the stadium before game day, and are allowed to drink it during the game, and two hours before and after the game.
The Athletics Department reserves the right to repossess the box if the rules are broken.
Alcohol is allowed to be served in the skyboxes because the Board of Regents provided Chancellor Robert Hemenway with the authority to designate certain areas of campus as open for alcohol consumption.
A request form must be filled out by the Athletics Department requesting that the Chancellor designate the skyboxes as alcohol friendly.
LUXURY BOXES
AT BIG 12
SCHOOLS
Continued from page 1A
Number of boxes:
12, but expanding to 20
Price for one year: $30,000
Construction cost: Minimal,
they are adding on.
Number of boxes: 36
Price for one year: $40,000
Construction cost:
£1,825.11
$14 million
Kansas State
Number of boxes:
Building 31
Price for one year: $40,000
Construction cost:
$13 million
Missouri
Number of boxes:
Building 35
Price for one year:
$35,000 to $40,000
Construction cost:
$10.5 million
Nebraska
Number of boxes: 42
Price for one year:
30 boxes at $75,000, 10
boxes at $2 million
Construction cost:
$12 million
Texas
Number of boxes: 66
(largest number in the Big 12)
Price for 1 year:
$50,000 to $60,000
Construction cost:
$90 million (total renovation
cost of stadium, including
stadium).
It's a $14 million, 36-suite stadium- expansion inspired by the desire to keep up with Big 12 Conference rivals, fueled by the need to generate cash and buoyed by the promise that high-rolling football fans will open their wallets.
It's a new era of Kansas football catering to a business class of superfans who like their football games indoors, in luxury and with a splash of bourbon.
A long time in the planning
This big-league project was proposed several years ago by the University's Major League chancellor. In his final year, Chancellor Gene Budig was ready to begin construction, but then left in 1995 to become President of Major League Baseball's American League.
Now, Chancellor Robert Hemenway has put the boxes back on a fast track.
Kansas, along with neighbors Kansas State and Missouri, all face the dilemma
or moving into the Big 12 with less than adequate facilities. Texas, Nebraska and Colorado already have luxur y boxes. And, Athletics Department officials say that recent
and future construction will raise these former Big 8 schools' facilities to equal the Big 12 powers and other big-time national football schools.
The object is to build a facility that will make Kansas competitive in football, generate revenue and ultimately improve the general condition of the Kansas football program. Athletics Director Bob Frederick said the driving force behind all improvements at the University are to remain competitive.
"The financial future of the athletic department is in the hands of the football program," Frederick said. "That's the one that is underdeveloped. We're maxed out in basketball."
barstools and table for luxury boxes contributed art
The odds on the boxes are looking good. Pat Warren, assistant athletics director, said that between 25 and 30 of the 36 suites already had been committed to, and Frederick said he anticipated the rest would be sold out by season's start.
To develop the football program, Frederick is betting two things will happen – the luxury boxes are going to sell and the football program is going to improve.
"A lot of people have been very loyal to our football program and have helped us in this process," Frederick said. "That shows that people are excited about the future of Kansas football."
While alcohol is banned from most games across the nation, most luxury suites allow those inside to drink whatever they bring. The same will be true at Kansas. Warren said consumption of alcohol would be allowed in the boxes but not in the stands or parking lot because the department cleared the policy through the Kansas Board of Regents.
One thing that has boosted the success of the luxury boxes is that those who purchase them can drink a beer or sip wine during a game. That puts Kansas in line with most of the nation's programs.
The alcohol equation
"Allowing the purchasers of the suites to be able to consume alcohol was extremely important in getting commitments," Warren said. "Several businesses and executives feel that they could not have as much fun drinking Kool-Aid."
The requests must be filed two weeks in advance. Once approved, those consuming the alcohol must abide by laws regulating drinking.
The suite owners must bring their alcohol before game day and are allowed to drink from two hours before kickoff to shortly after the game ends.
According to the University's alcohol policy, those wishing to drink on campus must fill out a request form. In the luxury box case, it would most likely be Frederick or Warren - not the box owners. The form must be approved by the Provost and recommended to the Chancellor. The Chancellor, based on the power given to him by the Regents, will then designate certain areas of campus, skyboxes in this case, as open for alcohol consumption.
"The time frame is put in to ensure it is not a spur of the moment thing," said Tom Hutton, director of University Relations.
Warren said if luxury-box fans were reckless or allowed underage drinking in the suites, the department reserved the right to take away their suite privileges.
"One of the major differences is that it is a relatively small group of fans," Hutton said. "And it's in a more controlled environment. Forty thousand or 50,000 fans in a stadium isn't."
It was only in 1993 that the University banned alcohol as part of game-day tailgating parties. What separates these business-class fans from the average fan?
Of course, those few fans who purchase suites do shell out big bucks. The majority
Shelling out the big money
other entertainment while at the game.
More extravagant luxury boxes will cost more, but most will be in the $40,000 range.
of luxury boxes will cost a total of $40,000 a year. That num b er includes the initial donation of $32,000 for the construction, coupled with the cost of season tickets, parking and food.
Frederick said a majority of the donors were businesses and companies looking to entertain in a collegiate atmosphere.
Businesses that come for the Memorial Stadium luxury box experience can freeze their claim on a box for up to 10 years, keeping the price at the current value and providing the Athletics Department with financial security. The boxes must be purchased for a minimum of three years.
The Magnet Theory
What's a university doing in the skybox business? Warren offered a "magnet theory" as an answer.
"Our goal is to have an athletic program that mirrors the excellence of our university academically," Warren said. "Athletics serves as a magnet that gets attention. We can then showcase the other advantages of our university."
The theory predicts that athletics is the first step to entice donors into getting involved with the school. Once involved on the athletic side, donors will donate to other departments within the university.
Frederick backed Warren's claim and said there is evidence at Kansas that proves the theory. He said one donor who had been heavily involved in Kansas basketball later went on to contribute to the School of Business. And another donor, Frederick said, helped finance the new student sports center and donated money across campus.
While the department gets its money
up front with the renovations and new facilities, some on the other side of the magnet are not picking up the same vibe.
dent of what I do, so I don't begrudge them for doing it."
"As far as I'm concerned the central issue of the university is a teaching mission; however, when it comes funding time, we become a stepsister, wearing ragged clothing." Dardess said.
History professor John Dardess said he took a cynical approach to athletic financing.
Political Science professor Burdett Loomis agreed with Dardess, but said he did not think it was unfair for athletics to build lavish facilities.
lounge chair and table in luxury boxes.contributed art
There has been other evidence that supports the magnet theory. The New York Times recently examined the role the Connecticut basketball team played in the school's success. School donations tripled and the overall assessed value nearly quadrupled since 1997. And when UConn won the national championship in March, the admissions office had to print more applications because the athletic teams had created enough of a stir for people to be interested in applying.
The same happened at Northwestern when its football team enjoyed success during the 1996 season, and the same happened to Boston College during the Doug Flutie days of the early 1980s.
"Athletics is the tail thatwags the dog of a lot of campuses," Loomis said. "Not so much here, but I think that success in athletics makes people want to donate more money to the athletic department. Athletics is, in most ways, completely indepen-
Are skvboxes needed?
The issue at Kansas is not whether money should be donated to athletics or academics; that question has been answered. The question with luxury boxes is whether the University needs them.
To Warren, the answer is "Absolutely." He said the stadium not only was important to recruiting and maintaining a visible commitment to the football program, but that the boxes can generate revenue for once the suites are paid for.
But it's the pursuit of revenues that leads some to question the mission of college sports.
Frederick said when critics talked about big spending in college athletics, they failed to see the big picture.
"Some coaches make more than the governors of their states," said Mike McGraw, sportswriter for The Kansas City Star. "It's a huge money war, and we're talking amateur sports."
"Schools are eager to line up as many new revenue sources they can – and often times the result of this can be discriminating," Fatsis said. "But the resources are finite and there are only so many things an athletic department can do to compensate. That leads to the building of luxury boxes that can be cash cows."
McGraw wrote a 1997 series after an 18-month investigation of Division-I college sports and found that, in the end, college sports lose money on a yearly basis.
Stefan Fatsis, The Wall Street Journal sportswriter, said his studies show that sports, at all levels, are moving away from the fans in the stands and more toward the money.
Finding that balance. Fatsis said, creates the risk that sporting events will become separated along class lines.
"The criticism of the NCAA being monev
"Like many other sporting events, college sports have shifted toward the revenue creating fan," Fatsis said. "In defense of the athletics department, they have to do something to generate money, but there has to be a balance between the Chablis drinking business fan and average fan."
driven is really only talking about two sports - football and basketball," Frederick said. "These pay for our 18 other fully funded sports that don't get recognition." Whether we're fine
against building luxury boxes, one thing remains true - the point of the project has been to build a facility that will allow Kansas' football program to compete with the best. The luxury boxes show the commitment is being made.
Put an unsuccessful team on the field—even with the top-notch facility Memorial Stadium is becoming—and no matter who is drinking what, it will be hard for anybody at the University of Kansas to benefit.
"It's tough to say right now what the advantages are since we don't have it yet," Warren said. "But what is hoped is that now people will come, they'll enjoy their game-day experience and they'll want to come back."
-Edited by Jason Pearce and Spencer Duncan
-Designed by Coryane Graham
SUITE FLOOR PLANS
These are the floor plans for the inside of the luxury boxes. The suits will run goal line to goal line and are twice as deep as the original press boxes. The project will add 36 suits to the stadium.contributed art.