Shuart Stadium

[stuball888]

I am making a hypothetical situation. I would like feedback if anyone sees this happening
Shuart Stadium is now being used strictly for mens and womens lacrosse
It has a capacity of over 12,000
Since Mens lacrosse outdraws womens lax I will use only the mens stats
Going back to 2017 when were 11-3 our avg attendance was 1,660
2018 1,351
2019 1,053
2022 826
I left out 2020 and 2021 due to Covid
So here is my question
Does lacrosse have to be played in a stadium that draws less than 10% capacity
Even in the best year going back 5 years it drew 13%
Lets say Hofstra decides that lax will be played at the soccer stadium
They would have to add stands at the opposite side of the field and make the capacity around 2,500
It is possible because one is a spring sport and the other a fall sport.
I just think the stadium is just too big a venue and a financial drain on the school to leave 10,000 seat empty for each event
This way all sports will be played on the north side of the campus

[HofstraPride1]

I am making a hypothetical situation. I would like feedback if anyone sees this happening
Shuart Stadium is now being used strictly for mens and womens lacrosse
It has a capacity of over 12,000
Since Mens lacrosse outdraws womens lax I will use only the mens stats
Going back to 2017 when were 11-3 our avg attendance was 1,660
2018 1,351
2019 1,053
2022 826
I left out 2020 and 2021 due to Covid
So here is my question
Does lacrosse have to be played in a stadium that draws less than 10% capacity
Even in the best year going back 5 years it drew 13%
Lets say Hofstra decides that lax will be played at the soccer stadium
They would have to add stands at the opposite side of the field and make the capacity around 2,500
It is possible because one is a spring sport and the other a fall sport.
I just think the stadium is just too big a venue and a financial drain on the school to leave 10,000 seat empty for each event
This way all sports will be played on the north side of the campus

No question attendance has been way down and is hurt by not playing ACC teams or Hopkins regularly like we used to. However the NCAA quarterfinals draws huge crowds and Shuart also allows us to host other events that draw decent crowds like the Boomer Bowl and Premiere Lacrosse League games. I'm not sure how much rental revenue we get from events like that but it may make it worth it, plus all the money put into Margiotta Hall over the years.

[The Shadow]

You would have to juggle many teams in the fall and spring. It would have to have space for fall lacrosse and spring soccer along with the regular seasons. Locker rooms, meeting rooms, offices would all have to be provided on the north side of campus. I really do not see this occurring in the near future. You would also be away from the study rooms below the press box. There are also the suites below the press level that generate income when rented out.

[HUSID80]

The stadium is rented out for many events that require the large capacity...also remember we usually host a lacrosse semi final doubleheader...it will remain for a long time although some of its trappings could be upgraded/modernized.

[HofstraPride1]

The stadium is rented out for many events that require the large capacity...also remember we usually host a lacrosse semi final doubleheader...it will remain for a long time although some of its trappings could be upgraded/modernized.

Great point about the suites. Also expanding soccer stadium not so easy because you have medical school on the south side of it.

[Polito]

How about this:

Fix the damn lacrosse program to actually be a WINNER like it’s supposed to be, make the NCAAs, and draw real crowds. Instead of catering to a fledgling program and failing leadership.

But hey, that’s just me and my crazy ideas to produce a winning program pedigree.


The other solution in addition to that is BRING BACK FOOTBALL and elevate it to the right BCS level like half the other programs have done that HU used to play - I’d like to see Hofstras admin actually not let themselves get blown by by former peers for once.

Pipe dream, but the point is stop lowering the damn standards to march the bush league nonsense and let’s RAISE THE BAR.

Can I get at least ONE proper business educated / minded person in this athletic department? If not, bring me in and watch the accountability measures arrive instantly. Win in x or hit the bricks. This isn’t friggin middle school. Let’s start acting like a D1 that expects to win instead of maybe one day aww shucks hopefully nonsense.

[garyg]

Agree with Polito...fix the lacrosse program to reach it's potential...be aggressive and move forward, not complacent and move backwards

[stuball888]

Still the Boomer bowl is one event
Whats the attendance
Maybe 3,000
The other events dont draw 10,000
The quarter finals of the NCAA tournament us nit always held at Hofstra
Question us what is the cost to open the stadium
Also other things like locker rooms and gym can be mived to the physical fitness center
At some point unless the stadium is used more frequently it will be a dinosaur that has outlived its use

[stuball888]

That would be like the Mack arena drawing 500 for every mens basketball game

[HofstraPride1]

That would be like the Mack arena drawing 500 for every mens basketball game

It doesn't make sense to gut it though if you don't have a viable alternative for men's and women's lacrosse on the north side. Could they share soccer stadium? sure, but then you have less locker room space and where do you add the extra stadium capacity if not on south side of stadium where medical school is? Margiotta Hall and the Metzger Press Box are big facilities for athletics and I can't see them just doing away with them. Sure the stadium won't fill out for many dates but is always good to have it as option to host events like the men's lacrosse quarterfinals that can draw capacity crowds.

[joeg1]

Maybe they could convert it to a dome (like the Carrier) and play basketball, soccer, baseball and softball there too. You could tear down the Mack and all the other sports fields and create more parking or maybe plant more tulips.

[HofstraPride1]

Maybe they could convert it to a dome (like the Carrier) and play basketball, soccer, baseball and softball there too. You could tear down the Mack and all the other sports fields and create more parking or maybe plant more tulips.

I assume and hope this is a very sarcastic post

[Polito]

lol joeg


The stadium is already a dinosaur - it was when HU opened it because they didn't do it properly - people wonder why I go nuts about HU's 'leadership'. The minute it opened the jumbotron was a relic - they went cheap and took someone elses scrap - it was an embarrassment. And the setup was a disaster - having the fans 20 feet off the field, extremely set back and separated was completely foolish. Fans do not feel part of the game at all. HU failed to understand creating an atmosphere and a home field advantage. Always focused on the wrong things. Football needs to be high and tight, not low and wide. If HU had anyone worth their salt, or even bothered to consult a knowledgable group, they would've known this and created what SHOULD have been an awesome stadium.

Today it's an eyesore that constantly gets made fun of for it's blinding aluminum setup - who in the HELL decided that??!?? The lack of expertise / 'know-how' / bush league approach drives sane people to drink. Like typical educators, HU takes simple things and makes them difficult.

You want to be D1, you have to spend money. HU has been out here trying to Dollar Tree their athletics for years. Infuriating.

The basketball practice facility is the best thing I've seen HU do in my 25+ years of HU. THAT'S how it should be done, every time. I was shocked to see it frankly, based on HU's history. But they did that thing right. It's beautiful, top class for a mid, and it absolutely makes a difference, especially in recruiting.

Need more of that for the other key sports. ASAP.

The arms race in D1 sports is a real thing, and you can't not participate or go cheap. You need to cowboy up and play this 'game' at the highest level. Hope this new Prez understands that and is ready to lead properly. I love the fan support she shows, now I need to see the proper business decisions to make HU athletics top flight.

[HofstraPride1]

lol joeg


The stadium is already a dinosaur - it was when HU opened it because they didn't do it properly - people wonder why I go nuts about HU's 'leadership'. The minute it opened the jumbotron was a relic - they went cheap and took someone elses scrap - it was an embarrassment. And the setup was a disaster - having the fans 20 feet off the field, extremely set back and separated was completely foolish. Fans do not feel part of the game at all. HU failed to understand creating an atmosphere and a home field advantage. Always focused on the wrong things. Football needs to be high and tight, not low and wide. If HU had anyone worth their salt, or even bothered to consult a knowledgable group, they would've known this and created what SHOULD have been an awesome stadium.

Today it's an eyesore that constantly gets made fun of for it's blinding aluminum setup - who in the HELL decided that??!?? The lack of expertise / 'know-how' / bush league approach drives sane people to drink. Like typical educators, HU takes simple things and makes them difficult.

You want to be D1, you have to spend money. HU has been out here trying to Dollar Tree their athletics for years. Infuriating.

The basketball practice facility is the best thing I've seen HU do in my 25+ years of HU. THAT'S how it should be done, every time. I was shocked to see it frankly, based on HU's history. But they did that thing right. It's beautiful, top class for a mid, and it absolutely makes a difference, especially in recruiting.

Need more of that for the other key sports. ASAP.

The arms race in D1 sports is a real thing, and you can't not participate or go cheap. You need to cowboy up and play this 'game' at the highest level. Hope this new Prez understands that and is ready to lead properly. I love the fan support she shows, now I need to see the proper business decisions to make HU athletics top flight.

It is often praised as one of the best college lacrosse stadiums since atmosphere for the quarterfinals is usually very electric

[Polito]

Lol it absolutely is not.

You are confusing the venue with the EVENT. The quarterfinals is an awesome event because of the great programs and fanbases bringing the noise and creating a great atmosphere - it has very little to do with the actual stadium.

No ones calling that stadium one of the best places to watch hs football championships, or the best venue for battle of the bands, etc.

There are some truly epic places to watch college lax and college competition in this country. Plenty of sites rank them. The best thing about Stuart is it seats 15k specifically for lax. And that’s about it. There are way better venues, and that stadium should’ve been MUCH better than it is for the reasons I stated and more.


Still, if and when HU rights it’s lacrosse ship, I will gladly attend games there again. The focus should 100% be about fixing the program first / more than fixing the stadium.

[HofstraPride1]

No question the stadium looks very different when it is a capacity crowd versus 1K for a regular season game, but I would also argue aesthetics of the stadium are also solid, especially on southwest end of stadium with the trees as you can see in this photo. https://gohofstra.com/images/2020/4/8/S ... format=jpg

[Polito]

Hm, no argument there HP1, the stadium does still have some nice photo angles.