Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium [Renovation Completed]

[camstrang]

In today's OBJ, it talks about the possible new Centroplex Marriott. A recap of the article:

The new hotel would be a 15-story, all-suites property with between 315 and 330 oversized units. It would be located in the space east of the existing building, currently used for parking for the hotel and events at the Bob Carr and TD Waterhouse Centre. If details are worked out with the parties involved, including the University of Central Florida, the existing hotel would become dormitory rooms for the academy's students. Should everything fall into place, construction on the new hotel would begin in February 2007 and take about 2-1/2 years.

[Violindude]

Would Citrus Bowl fixes lure more games, acts?

A changing marketplace could make some officials leery.

Dan Tracy and Alan Schmadtke {sodEmoji.|} Sentinel Staff Writers

Posted August 28, 2006

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/...-home-headlines

I've been so sketchy about this because can we really get a football team? We're bigger then most cities that qualify for one (i.e. Nashville, Jacksonville) but we're an hour from Tampa, 2 and half hours from Jacksonville, 4 hours from Miami. Do you think that such a close area can support 4 FB teams? On the other hand the Citrus bowl could be held for MLS but do you think that would justify a stadium with 70,000 seats?

[camstrang]

You're right, I just can't see the NFL ever putting 4 teams in one state, so I think our only hope of getting an NFL team for the Citrus Bowl is if the Jaguars fail in Jacksonville. Considering the Jags close off most of the upper bowl with huge black tarps because of low attendance, it has a small TV market and the team is losing money, I don't think that's too foreign of an idea. I don't think the team would have the same problems here in Orlando (for one thing, Orlando's TV market is 19th in the country vs. Jacksonville at 50).

But even if that happened, it wouldn't be any time soon, and Orlando would have huge competition from other cities for the team. In our favor, though, Sacramento, Los Angeles and Orlando are the largest TV markets with no NFL team, and Los Angeles is getting one. The NFL might be open to the Jaguars moving down the interstate in 5 years or so to keep them in the region even if Jacksonville can't support them. They could potentially keep the team's most loyal fans, and add all of the impact of bringing a team to Orlando. In my opinion, that'd be our only hope of getting an NFL team. I just can't see the NFL adding a fourth team to the state.

With no updated stadium, there's no chance we'd be considered for an NFL team. But it seems pretty risky to spend $250M on something that's nowhere near guaranteed of ever happening. I guess what comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Edited August 28, 2006 by camstrang

[sunshine]

Maybe we can share the Bucs and called it Central Florida Bucs and rotate the game between Tampa and Orlando.

[Magicfan95]

Maybe we can share the Bucs and called it Central Florida Bucs and rotate the game between Tampa and Orlando.

Won't ever happen. They are extremely successful in Tampa and their stadium deal requires them to play every home game there, including preseason to help make pay the financing.

[sunshine]

Bring in the Marlin...or get a soccer team.

[Violindude]

Bring in the Marlin...or get a soccer team.

Miami has a hard time supporting a Baseball team and they have a metro of five million people we have a metro of 2.2 million. I don't think that'd work out well. I think a soccer team is the best solution for the Citrus bowl but is it worth a quarter of a billion dollars?

[JRS1]

You're right, I just can't see the NFL ever putting 4 teams in one state, so I think our only hope of getting an NFL team for the Citrus Bowl is if the Jaguars fail in Jacksonville.

Cal had SF, SD, LA Rams, and LA Raiders throughout the '80's, some of the '70's and some of the '90's. Now they have 3 teams and a 4th one coming.

NY has 3. OH has 2. PA has 2. TX has 2.

It would be a tall order for the NFL to expand into ORL. Texas has more people, but 1 less team. They should've renovated the Citrus Bowl 5 years ago so that we could've gotten the ACC game.

[sunshine]

Look at the bright side, we still have the Monster Truck show.

[CHCTRescue2]

Soccer Team! Get it while it's hot.

[sunshine]

Bring in David Beckham!

[neon9]

Look at the bright side, we still have the Monster Truck show.

What's more is it looked like that is one of the better attended events in the 'bowl'.

Assuming that 'Superbowl of Motorsports' = 'Monster Truck Show' and I think it's the same thing.

[camstrang]

Cal had SF, SD, LA Rams, and LA Raiders throughout the '80's, some of the '70's and some of the '90's. Now they have 3 teams and a 4th one coming.

Sorry, I should've clarified my point. I meant the NFL would never put four teams in Florida, not that they wouldn't put four teams in any state. California has 35,000,000 residents to our 17,000,000 (link). As much as I want an NFL team in Orlando, four teams makes a lot more sense there than here.

[mrh3]

Sorry, I should've clarified my point. I meant the NFL would never put four teams in Florida, not that they wouldn't put four teams in any state. California has 35,000,000 residents to our 17,000,000 (link). As much as I want an NFL team in Orlando, four teams makes a lot more sense there than here.

Explain to me what the real reasons are besides that. How many other states have as many metro areas as large are Florida? 3? California and Texas. Pennsylvania is the next closest, but they already have teams.

[sunshine]

Ohio?

[demon]

Sorry, I should've clarified my point. I meant the NFL would never put four teams in Florida, not that they wouldn't put four teams in any state. California has 35,000,000 residents to our 17,000,000 (link). As much as I want an NFL team in Orlando, four teams makes a lot more sense there than here.

I think (think being the key word) those #'s are out of date. I believe The Sunshine State boasts a population of over 20 million now.

We're a geographically big state and Orlando just jumped to 19 in the television markets. The real question is: With a new stadium how long will the NFL be able to pass us over?

[Magicfan95]

It's a nice TV market, but the market gets high ratings for the Bucs games. And while they could put a team here and it could do decent, the NFL would much rather have teams in cities without high ratings for a local team.

LA, Portland, San Antonio, and dare I say Vegas are all much more attractive markets as a result.

[JRS1]

It's a nice TV market, but the market gets high ratings for the Bucs games. And while they could put a team here and it could do decent, the NFL would much rather have teams in cities without high ratings for a local team.

LA, Portland, San Antonio, and dare I say Vegas are all much more attractive markets as a result.

not Vegas, b/c of the whole gambling stigma; they've beat that dead horse over and over.

LA, sure, but why did they lose 2 NFL teams? So strange, and now, the Angels have reidentified themselves yet again as the LA Angels.?

San Antonio- I can see that. But the Texans' franchise sucks. They should have kept the Oilers' history ala the Browns in Houston and resurrected the franchise. As a result, it looks like a generic state of football save the Cowboys' franchise.

Florida has the advantage of the Dolphins and Bucs and Jags now having given consistency of franchise since 1995-96 when the Jags started and since the '60's with the 'fins.

Orlando has more than Jax- except for an owner/investor at the moment looking to land a team. The stadium deal is doable. We've got the infrastructure, yah dee yah dah. It could be like the Redskins/Colts of old/Ravens, or Jets/Giants/Pats/Eagles with regards to relative distances.

ORL needs to further establish the city center to turn heads for future expansion.

[BHCav]

The NFL has stated over and over that it has no interest in expansion. Therefore, the only way to obtain a team is by relocation, and because of this LA is clearly the favorite.

I see three possible teams that could move. Oakland, NO, and Buffalo. What Orlando needs is a willing owner/invester to aggressively persue unstable teams. Excluding LA, Orlando can deffinitely compete with Portland and SA, both of which would need new stadiums (I don't think the Alamo dome is big enough or has the prefered NFL specs to house a team perminently).

[facilities man]

Orlando needs to let the rest of the city grow first and redo the Citrus bowl last out of the three, (PAC, and Arena). In four to five more years after the 2010 Census is out and the metro area is ahead of about ten current NFL cities in population and a few more in TV market, heads will start to turn. With a new or renovated stadium in the works I think the NFL will be knocking on our door and we won't need to go begging for a team.

Sad to say, but I see the Saints going to San Antonio. New Orleans population loss is going to be devastating for that market. I could see the area dropping and staying below 1,000,000 population. Orlando just passed San Antonio in metro area population, but San Antonio has been lobbying long and hard for the NFL.

[camstrang]

The NFL has stated over and over that it has no interest in expansion. Therefore, the only way to obtain a team is by relocation, and because of this LA is clearly the favorite.

Well, the NFL is considering putting an expansion team in LA if they can't get a team to relocate there. (Link) But that's definitely an exception, and I agree the only real chance other cities have of landing a team is relocation.

[camstrang]

A couple of articles about the new stadium proposals today:

Citrus Bowl's Future Discussed

2 Options Unveiled for Citrus Bowl

[Magicfan95]

not Vegas, b/c of the whole gambling stigma; they've beat that dead horse over and over.

LA, sure, but why did they lose 2 NFL teams? So strange, and now, the Angels have reidentified themselves yet again as the LA Angels.?

San Antonio- I can see that. But the Texans' franchise sucks. They should have kept the Oilers' history ala the Browns in Houston and resurrected the franchise. As a result, it looks like a generic state of football save the Cowboys' franchise.

Florida has the advantage of the Dolphins and Bucs and Jags now having given consistency of franchise since 1995-96 when the Jags started and since the '60's with the 'fins.

Orlando has more than Jax- except for an owner/investor at the moment looking to land a team. The stadium deal is doable. We've got the infrastructure, yah dee yah dah. It could be like the Redskins/Colts of old/Ravens, or Jets/Giants/Pats/Eagles with regards to relative distances.

ORL needs to further establish the city center to turn heads for future expansion.

That's why I said "dare I say" I think the NFL in LA would lead to a lot of stipulations and probably won't happen.

The difference with the location you cite with the other teams is the fact that they were established NFL markets. After the Colts darted from Baltimore, the city never really accepted the Redskins as a team.

I won't say Orlando WON'T ever get an NFL team, but 15-20% of Bucs season ticket holders live in the Orlando TV market, and the market draws ratings for the Bucs comparable to Tampa. I seriously doubt the Glazers (Bucs Owners) and the fraternity that is NFL owners (they're very very close knit) approve a team in Orlando without some type of huge reprecussion deal.

[JRS1]

That's why I said "dare I say" I think the NFL in LA would lead to a lot of stipulations and probably won't happen.

The difference with the location you cite with the other teams is the fact that they were established NFL markets. After the Colts darted from Baltimore, the city never really accepted the Redskins as a team.

I won't say Orlando WON'T ever get an NFL team, but 15-20% of Bucs season ticket holders live in the Orlando TV market, and the market draws ratings for the Bucs comparable to Tampa. I seriously doubt the Glazers (Bucs Owners) and the fraternity that is NFL owners (they're very very close knit) approve a team in Orlando without some type of huge reprecussion deal.

THat's funny about Tampa: 15-20% of their season ticket holders hail from ORL metro, and when they place bids on hosting Superbowl games, they claim 7K to 10K of our hotel rooms to get their numbers up to land the bid. Yet, all Tampans ever do is criticize CFLA.

The more I think about it, maybe they should use the $$$ for the Citrus Bowl FIRST, over the PAC. I read that article.

THe arena is one issue. already have a tenant, or two.

THe Citrus Bowl is a similar deal. No UCF now, but, we have 2 bowls and the FAMU-BCC game. How many cities host 2 bowl games? Miami might still (Orange and Blockbuster Bowls(Pro Player)). THat's 3 games. 1/2 of a home schedule. Also, the chances of moving a college game there once a year like they did with Notre Dame, UF, etc., in the past. Also, the deal with spring training they mentioned in another article.

THe PAC-- well, I want it built for the sake of DT's growth.

I'm just torn right now. We can't lose our Bowls.

[orlandonative]

For $200 million, you think we can just lift the stadium and turn it about 90 degrees?