March 29, 2025 • 24 mins
Florida State University Director of Athletics, Michael Alford, came in for a lengthy sitdown to discuss the football stadium renovation, all the new amenities, the settlement with the Atlantic Coast Conference, and more.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Here we go five past the hour. It's the third
hour of the morning show with Preston Scott. Great to
be with you and I am thrilled to have in
studio with me. This is not our annual State of
the Knowles address as it relates to Florida State Athletics,
but we're going to get to certain things surrounding the
athletic program with Director of Athletics for Florida State University
(00:22):
Michael Alford. Hello, friend, how are you?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I'm doing excellent. How are you doing? I'm doing well.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
You were up late last night?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Huh. I've been up late the last couple of nights,
coming in from Baton Rouge and getting home late. With
our women's basketball program, it just continues to get better. Sure,
they were so much fun. I had a great, tremendous
year and then heading to Jacksonville to take on the
Gators and get that win last night.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
So it was a great, great evening to be a.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Knowll Since you brought up the baseball series, I've been
asked by a lot of people. Why the decision to
play this series as a one game two weeks, one game,
two weeks, one game that way, versus just back to
back to back.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, it's something that we've done here a while apparently,
and it's something that Lincoln and I have talked about.
I'm going to talk to Scott Strickland about it. Do
we go to a weekend series? Do we do a
weekend series home and home? Do we do a weekend
series in Tampa? What would you prefer? It really looks
at being on the Baseball Committee, and that's something that's
(01:25):
you take a look at. And you and I were
talking RPI and what a great win that was for
the RPI and something that we're help in that room.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
At the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I like best on best and a three game series
on the weekend to see Jamie Arnold, to see the
pitchers go against Florida at the end of the year
could help us. Now the backup of that both of
us play in the best two leagues in college baseball. Barnett,
I mean, you look at the Omaha for ACC teams,
(01:53):
for SCC teams, right, two of us RPIs and who
we go against weekend, week out on weeks are really hard,
So I see why they did it. Now you'd have
to move it to the beginning of the year. So
you're talking early first of the year, and you're talkingcounts
for all of the best pitcher of talking pitch counts,
you're really not getting because they're going to be on
(02:15):
sixty seventy pitch accounts to start the season off. But
still it's something to look at and say if we
can grow this rivalry by looking at it. And it's
something that we are examining.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
This gathering you and I because we usually meet in
July early August and talk about the upcoming sports season,
and we'll do that. But this came out of a
desire to share with people the status of what's going
on at Dope Campbell Stadium, what's happening with the new
football facility, just kind of giving people an update. Let's
back up for just a second. What went into what
(02:50):
informed decisions made on the renovations at Dope Campbell Stadium.
How did you come up with the plan on what
you would do?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah, this goes back to two thy and twenty. We
hired a company CSL who does all the examine eight.
When the Raiders moved to Vegas. They go in and
look at the stadium. What can you hold? What phant
amenities do you want they do a survey. So we
surveyed our fans. Del Campbell was aging, and what do
you We had three amenities. You had a chair back,
(03:20):
club seat. You had a bleacher with a twenty seven
inch tread death which modern standards are thirty three. If
you said, in those bleachers, you understand your knees are
in someone's back, and yeah, and when he's six', five it's.
Worse it's. Worse you had a sixteen inch wide. SEAT
i don't think anyone could fit in that anymore like
they could seventy years.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Ago so the stadium was. Aging and we're not even
going to talk about the infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Right that we were going in every year with our
architectural engineers and looking at and examining every year in
the money we were pouring and just reinforcing sections of
the stadium right to keep it to. Cold and when
you so we surveyed and it came back the amenities they,
Want and you got to, understand sixty percent of our fan,
(04:06):
base we lead the country in this stat sixty percent
of our fan base travels over three and a half
hours to get To dope on A, saturday no other
Than Penn state's the next closest the amount of people
that travel the distance to get here for a game Day.
Saturday where are they coming. From they're coming From Mercedes.
Benz they're coming From. Jacksonville only two and a, half
(04:27):
but they're coming From. Jacksonville they have the amenities. There
they're coming From, orlando they're coming From, miami they're coming From.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Tampa those stadiums have modern nice and that's something.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
We had to do in dope and the overwhelming survey
back was we want different.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Amenities so you get the surveys. Back how much time
did you give for people to give you? Feedback and
how many meetings did you just like you're giving a,
talk you're making the circuit and someone pulls you to.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
The side and they, say you know you need TO
i mean how much of?
Speaker 1 (04:58):
That no one ever has any, idea no one has
anything they want to, say, Right so how long did
the gathering of information take?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Place it took about a. Year you.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Know we also were second most surveys that csl ever had.
Returned our fans really spoke up about what they wanted
and then in part of that survey was what amenute?
Is do you want lows? Boxes we put pricing. Examples
we put comparisons in, there, saying, hey here's how many loas.
Boxes this is the price at The university Of, texas
(05:28):
this is the price at The Dallas what range would
you be willing to?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
PAY i, mean they were very in depth.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Surveys you, know WHEN i moved here in nineteen eighty,
seven we were at the very beginning of The Bobby,
bowden you, know era of. Success you, Know Coach bowden
obviously laid a lot of. Groundwork but one of the
THINGS i noted real, early BECAUSE i came From phoenix
and you've got that large metropolitan area IS i kind
(05:55):
of it's almost like you stand in the middle Of
tallahassee and look around and.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
There's moving around, you.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
AND i realized people have to make that. Drive AND
i don't think a lot of people understand what you
were talking, about how the drive into a football game
is a is a major event for people that Support Florida.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
State, Correct and you look at the commitment they, make
not only monetarily but your time they come in, here
and it's so important that we keep them coming to
Tallahasse In Leon, county we represent over one hundred million
dollars in economic impact for six ball games to this.
Community we have to keep them. Coming what we compete,
(06:36):
Against we compete against that eighty six INCH hdtv that
you have on the back patio In, tampa, Right we
need you to make that drive From tampa up here
to support us and buy our season. Tickets so we
had to make this commitment for the future Of Florida State,
athletics future Of Florida state football to make sure we're
updating into the next.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Century take us inside that process of the surveys are,
back they tabulate the, results they spit out some kind
of spreadsheet or. Something what does that look like in
terms of what kind of data are you getting? Back
and then how does that inform your sticky notes on
what you put on the board of priority, one, two,
(07:18):
three four and so.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Forth, well it comes back amenities and modernizing the. Stadium
but then what they are so good at looking at
the surveys And i've used them at three different. Projects
we used them at The cowboys this. Company they were so.
Successful jerry just bought them and enjoyed them so, much
so they're now part of.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
It he's now part of his. Will But i've used
them at other.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Places we use them at other Innovations i've, done and
they are always spot on when they say you should
have twenty Eight Founders loas boxes and this is your.
Price what did we have twenty eight Founders loage boxes
and we sold them Out and they're just always spot
on about through their analytics of what you need and
what services you should provide at that price.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Point, michael you mentioned the infrastructure as that's a. Given
you have to do the infrastructure, stuff the stuff that
people don't see but literally sit on rely on being
safe and. Sound how much did the infrastructure improvements that
were required For Dope campbell impact the design of the
(08:24):
amenities very.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Much, so because we needed water.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Concourses you're looking at seventy five year old steel in,
there and it's amazing to see just the. Advances so
when you go through the, stadium which i'd love to
get you through a, tour you go through and you
see the wider, concourses and you see the new steal
that we, have and then you look at the erector
set right around the corner that's still, there, right and
it's just amazing to see the advances that we've been
(08:51):
able to make through technology and building, materials and people
are going to get there and see these wide, concourses
you're able to move around the stadium is people that
have taken the tours have just been blown away of
what's coming in the.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Future give everybody as best we, can because we are
a visual. Medium what the expectations ought to be When
alabama comes to town for that first.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Game we talk at operations of the stadium.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
More what they can expect to see when they walk
in that tunnel and look at the new Dope Campbell
stadium for the first. Time, well especially when you look
in the, back when you're looking at the concourse as
the wide the new concession. STANDS i walk through the
concessions and a tour the other day they're putting in the.
TILE i, mean this stadium is going to be ready
the end Of july they turn the keys, Over so
there's going to be events in.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
It that's going to be, fun isn't. It In august
and getting, ready so give us time to get. Prepped
but they're really going to see just all kinds of different, amenities,
wider more, concessions social gathering, areas the club spaces because
now we'll go into those amenities that came. Back they
wanted club, spaces so we have the field level.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Club you might look. Familiar let talk what does that.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Mean so we gave every opportunity to every ticket holder
to come in and reward and we Have this is
a stat that's really, alarming and we talk about it,
internally but you go through, history AND i think a
lot of it has to do with the distance that.
Traveled we're one of the fewest season ticket holders as
far as numbers in our, conference not the. Country THE
(10:24):
Acc clemson has fifty eight thousand season ticket. Holders we
average about twenty. Six, really but you go through history
and that's always been the. Case, okay so it has
it changed a. Lot so we continue to push people
to buy season. Tickets but we went to our season ticket,
holders gave them the opportunity to purchase the new. Product
(10:46):
to look at the Whole West side. Collapse as you might,
know but you had the first opportunity we met with
you face to. Face that was very important to. Me
that we met face to face showed people what we were,
doing also showed them comparisons to where we. Were we
hadn't changed our season ticket. Price we hadn't changed our
donation levels in year twenty, years so looking.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
At we were at the.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Lowest so if you took a seat at the forty
in the top twenty attended stadiums in the, country we
were number twenty in twenty five. Margin we're not asking
to go to, One we're not asking to go to,
ten we're not asking to go to. Twelve what is
asking to go a little bit to get us in
a fair fight with who we're competing against across the
country and continuously look to upgrade.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Both the new amenities gave us the opportunity to do.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
That to.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Go now you're going to have thirty three inch seats to,
depth you can move around the, stadium you're going to
have chair, backs you're going to have club. Amenities you're
going to have what you wanted in the. Survey so
we had those three OPPORTUNITIES i talked. About we had club,
seats a suite or the. Bleachers now you're going to
have about fifteen different opportunities throughout the stadium to choose
(11:55):
what do you want as your amenities going into a,
game to walk in and see wider. Concourses you're going
to see, grand grand opening gates into. It you're going
to see club, Spaces you're going to see updated, concessions
easier concession. Lines, well you can get to them and
get out. Quicker WHEN i first took over as athletic,
director going through the revenue side of, things we only
(12:18):
had two hundred points of sell in the, stadium two.
Hundred let's take comparison To Tampa. Bay The bucks who
have less seats sixty five, thousand have fourteen hundred points of.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Sell good.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Grief for a stadium our, size you need on the
average about eight. Hundred we had two hundred points of,
seal which explains long, lines which explains what and lost
revenue and lost. Revenue, yeah so we're constantly and that's
not going to happen. Overnight we've got it up to
about five, hundred six. Hundred this is going to allow
(12:53):
us to get it up even more and get, closer
and we're going to continue to find where we can do.
IT a lot of it's Electric sure just don't have
electricity to do, Concessions so you got to pull. Lines
you got to work with the city to, say, hey
we need electricity here so we can do these. Upgrades
for our fan. Base so we're continuously pushing that envelope
(13:14):
to get as many fan amenities as we can to
make the experience that much.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Better anyone that walked in last year saw the west
side of the stadium somewhat gutted and kind of, Imagining,
yeah what we're going to see the east side of
the stadium still bleacher. Seating, yeah we've gone in last
year and put in dedicated chair space for the east,
side so you have a dedicated eighteen inch.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Chair on your.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Seat you don't have a chair, back but you have
a chair still sitting on the, Bleacher so we accommodated.
That last, year we put in handrails throughout the. Stadium
we were having issues AND i got so tired of
seeing reports at the end of the game how many
people fell down the.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Stairs because the tread. Depth once, again it was just.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Old and we fixed that and put in handrails for,
convenience widen the aisles for convenience so people can move
about the stadium a little. Better so all of this
was done with the fan attending the game as our.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Priority so we've gone from sixteen inches to, eighteen, yes,
sir and we've widened the everything in this in and
around the.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Stadium, yes even on the east side.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Too we're doing things in the concourse to put a
POxy coding on the concrete and Continue we're gonna paint
it next. YEAR i, mean there's all kinds of things
we have still in the works over the next few,
years and we've planned out to continuously to upgrade the.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Stadium two more segments With Michael, alferd director Of Athletics
Florida State. University we are talking about the, improvements the,
renovations the changes At Doe Campbell, stadium which has been
a centerpiece for this community since it was. BUILT i,
mean you, Know Bobby bowden took that football program to
a whole new level and that was a game. Changer,
(15:00):
yes it was a game changer for. Everything if that doesn't,
happen we're not having these discussions at. All we're kind
of Wake forest at that, point, RIGHT i, mean we really.
Are and that's no. Disrespect it's just with success come
out of responsibilities and you're in the process of sort
of steering a renovation project that is a lot bigger.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Than a few seats in a.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Stadium, yes take us beyond the east and west now
let's talk about the Dun Lap Champions club and let's
talk about those future plans you alluded.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
To, well you look at when we did the analysis
of The Deadline Champions, club great, idea fifty nine hundred
club seats a little too. Much we were never more
than fifty one percent sold in. There the club space
could only accommodate thirty five hundred, people that's the, size
(15:51):
so it was always crowded if fan experience was not
what we expected. There so we looked at renovations and
that was part of the study, too of what new product.
There so now The Champions club has ledge, seating it
has new loge, boxes it has wider traditional club seats but,
bigger better, space and we went down to about thirty
(16:13):
seven hundred opportunities in. There there's nine different price points
in The Champions, club so you have different entry. Levels
some people want to Be i'm thirty, five got my.
BUDDIES i want a DIFFERENT vp experience than maybe The
Mahogany club that my dad sits. In you, know just different,
(16:35):
experiences different family. Atmospheres so we've really looked at, that
examined it. Hard those three middle sections on the top.
Level we had sixteen season tickets in those three sections
sold those three now sold. Out with the amenities that we're,
Bringing we've sold out the, seats THE ledg, seating the
(16:55):
different opportunities on that, side people are really excited about.
It so that's that you talk about walking into the
stadium in a different, look that's going to be a
different look and what we're provide on the south. Side
then you look at the west LIKE i talked, about
we've gone through an order and now we're to the
chairbacks and we just started that forty sold out on
(17:19):
the chair backs.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
And renewals are going very.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Well what's amazing stat and What Mark cameron and our
staff has done a great job of leading this for
us is people who upgraded twenty eight percent upgraded their
membership to a different. Level that's about one in four
season ticket holders upgraded to a different. Level so that
(17:43):
tells you they're buying into what needs to happen and
what the new amenities.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Are two quick ones before we switch gears and talk
about the acc settlement With Florida state And. Clemson number,
one how much of this overall project is going to
be done come the start of this football, season it'll
be it'll be done more phases and so. Forth so
(18:08):
how much of that big total project is going to be?
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Done half of? It you know me very, Well we'll never.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Done i'm constantly going to be walking around ask Ben
zer and Bend, as who is my project?
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Manager, well how about, this based on what's on paper and,
plan how much of it will be done by the
start of this?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Season everything will be done for this season that we've
got on plan right? Now, Okay, now future plans are, coming,
okay and we've talked about. Them we're starting to design
to look at what we can do to accommodate the
east side patrons a little. More how do we get
more electricity? There so we're going to have more concession
stamp you. Know those phases are things we are talking
(18:47):
about and working.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
On Right and then the football, building the football facility
that everyone's seeing going up behind the soccer field and
near the more. Center how what where are we at
in that? Product it'll be finished at the end Of.
August the team plans on moving in the bye. Week
we don't really disrupt, Practice, okay.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
So the bye week we will move the team in
to that.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Space but it will be, finished and that's a great
time to because it gives us the opportunity to showcase
it to our donors without the team being in there
and they can see, it touch, it and fill it
and look really forward to. That but that's progress moving. Quick,
fact we had the least amount of football dedicated space
(19:32):
in THE acc forty thousand feet Compared Wake forest as
one hundred and twenty thousand dedicated football.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
Space we had THAT.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I was making the football. Space the problem was over the,
years we haven't been making changes every year just to get.
Better and now with the support of The president and
chairman And collins and our board of, trustees laying out
of a plan of how we're going to get better
year by year and support that they have us to
continue to get better is really something that we're able
(20:05):
to now compete with our peers across the country and
showcase What Florida state has to.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Offer the litigation between The Atlanta Coast, Conference Florida State,
university And, clemson we'll Leave clemson out of the picture
as it relates To Florida State. University remind our listeners
what was at issue and what has been. Settled but
this is something we brought to the table three years
ago once again. Analytics you know, Me i'm a data.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Guy and when you look at THE tv, contract you
looked at what our peers had in the time they
were going to have another bite. Out The Apple big
ten contract comes up in twenty thirty Sec Contra tract thirty.
Four we weren't coming up again to thirty six and
they just had a new, contract so ours was very
dated and working with, it they weren't going to give
(20:52):
us any more money they had us till twenty thirty.
Six SO i went to the conference three years ago and, said,
look we're driving the media. Contract when you break it,
down it's seventy five percent, football twenty five, percent eighty
twenty To batman's.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Basketball that's what drives the media. Contract that's what they look.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
At and you also had in your pocket that people
watch the brand known As Florida State.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Seminals when you.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Looked at it and broke it, down we were twenty
percent of the media value but only getting seven percent
of the. Revenue so we worked with the conference AND
i talked to the other eds and, said, look we
need to look to examine and do this, differently we
need to be the first conference to break up a
(21:38):
media contract and pay accordingly to Your nielsen. Rankings and
wasn't a great, idea they didn't think at the. Time
so later on as we, go left us no choice
to compete against our peers in the, country and seeing
where collegiate athletics was, going we did not want to
get left behind monetarily be able to.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
Advance so how much of that television revenue makes up
the overall revenue.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
Stream it's probably about forty percent.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Of our, revenue so it's a significant amount.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Of, money significant amount of. Money we didn't want to
lean on our donors who are always so awesome for,
us right and contribute to make up that. DIFFERENCE i,
mean that's that's not. Fair so we went to the
league and then we went through this process and came
out now we're going to look at the media. Contract
we have to go on. It we have to we
(22:31):
have to, perform Which i'm fine with, Sure But nielsen
rankings we broke up to sixty, percent we'll get divided.
Up and if you're one or two in, football WHICH
i will, say if you look at the past twenty,
years even last, year we were number two and add
a two in ten season in the rankings of most watch,
games AND i suspect that's not happening this. Year so
(22:52):
no last year to Inten, yeah but What i'm saying
is that there's going to be a better, season but
we were Still so if if we earn it by
playing brands ON, tv we're going to earn sixty percent
of that. Money so it will allow us to compete
with our top brands across the. Country you look at
the most watched over the last twenty, years there's eighteen
(23:14):
schools that drive fifty percent of the games Of nielsen.
Rankings were one of the eighteen. Schools so you broke
it down and it gives us the opportunity. Now but
also one THING i, stressed it looks at the league
to get. Better the league football needs to get. Better
there needs to be investments absolutely of what the old rising.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
And they the.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
League needs to play these games, yep and get out
there ON. Tv and this encourages the league to get
better in the sport of.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Football they need to think about. That with, basketball it
seems too Only duke has left in the. Tournament on
the men's, side.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
That was one THING i WANT i pointed, Out, yeah
years ago is all fixable because you have more. Money
you can call it talent. Acquisition got more, money you
can hire the best. Coaches and you look at what
THE sec and The Big ten have. Done look at
players for four through eight that they've been able to.
Attract that's the difference in those, leagues that they've been
(24:17):
able to go to the mid majors and get those
players because they've had more resources to provide.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Them otherwise known as.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Nil and that's been the breakup or the advancement of
our leagues is going and attracting those. Players one through.
Three we can compete with, anyone, sure four through eight
there's a.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Difference can't wait for Our state of The nodles address
coming up this.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Summer we do always great to spend. Time thanks you all.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Right Michael, Alford Athletic Director Florida, state our guest On
The Morning show With Preston scott
Here we go five past the hour. It's the third
hour of the morning show with Preston Scott. Great to
be with you and I am thrilled to have in
studio with me. This is not our annual State of
the Knowles address as it relates to Florida State Athletics,
but we're going to get to certain things surrounding the
athletic program with Director of Athletics for Florida State University
(00:22):
Michael Alford. Hello, friend, how are you?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I'm doing excellent. How are you doing? I'm doing well.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
You were up late last night?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Huh. I've been up late the last couple of nights,
coming in from Baton Rouge and getting home late. With
our women's basketball program, it just continues to get better. Sure,
they were so much fun. I had a great, tremendous
year and then heading to Jacksonville to take on the
Gators and get that win last night.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
So it was a great, great evening to be a.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Knowll Since you brought up the baseball series, I've been
asked by a lot of people. Why the decision to
play this series as a one game two weeks, one game,
two weeks, one game that way, versus just back to
back to back.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, it's something that we've done here a while apparently,
and it's something that Lincoln and I have talked about.
I'm going to talk to Scott Strickland about it. Do
we go to a weekend series? Do we do a
weekend series home and home? Do we do a weekend
series in Tampa? What would you prefer? It really looks
at being on the Baseball Committee, and that's something that's
(01:25):
you take a look at. And you and I were
talking RPI and what a great win that was for
the RPI and something that we're help in that room.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
At the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I like best on best and a three game series
on the weekend to see Jamie Arnold, to see the
pitchers go against Florida at the end of the year
could help us. Now the backup of that both of
us play in the best two leagues in college baseball. Barnett,
I mean, you look at the Omaha for ACC teams,
(01:53):
for SCC teams, right, two of us RPIs and who
we go against weekend, week out on weeks are really hard,
So I see why they did it. Now you'd have
to move it to the beginning of the year. So
you're talking early first of the year, and you're talkingcounts
for all of the best pitcher of talking pitch counts,
you're really not getting because they're going to be on
(02:15):
sixty seventy pitch accounts to start the season off. But
still it's something to look at and say if we
can grow this rivalry by looking at it. And it's
something that we are examining.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
This gathering you and I because we usually meet in
July early August and talk about the upcoming sports season,
and we'll do that. But this came out of a
desire to share with people the status of what's going
on at Dope Campbell Stadium, what's happening with the new
football facility, just kind of giving people an update. Let's
back up for just a second. What went into what
(02:50):
informed decisions made on the renovations at Dope Campbell Stadium.
How did you come up with the plan on what
you would do?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah, this goes back to two thy and twenty. We
hired a company CSL who does all the examine eight.
When the Raiders moved to Vegas. They go in and
look at the stadium. What can you hold? What phant
amenities do you want they do a survey. So we
surveyed our fans. Del Campbell was aging, and what do
you We had three amenities. You had a chair back,
(03:20):
club seat. You had a bleacher with a twenty seven
inch tread death which modern standards are thirty three. If
you said, in those bleachers, you understand your knees are
in someone's back, and yeah, and when he's six', five it's.
Worse it's. Worse you had a sixteen inch wide. SEAT
i don't think anyone could fit in that anymore like
they could seventy years.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Ago so the stadium was. Aging and we're not even
going to talk about the infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Right that we were going in every year with our
architectural engineers and looking at and examining every year in
the money we were pouring and just reinforcing sections of
the stadium right to keep it to. Cold and when
you so we surveyed and it came back the amenities they,
Want and you got to, understand sixty percent of our fan,
(04:06):
base we lead the country in this stat sixty percent
of our fan base travels over three and a half
hours to get To dope on A, saturday no other
Than Penn state's the next closest the amount of people
that travel the distance to get here for a game Day.
Saturday where are they coming. From they're coming From Mercedes.
Benz they're coming From. Jacksonville only two and a, half
(04:27):
but they're coming From. Jacksonville they have the amenities. There
they're coming From, orlando they're coming From, miami they're coming From.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Tampa those stadiums have modern nice and that's something.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
We had to do in dope and the overwhelming survey
back was we want different.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Amenities so you get the surveys. Back how much time
did you give for people to give you? Feedback and
how many meetings did you just like you're giving a,
talk you're making the circuit and someone pulls you to.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
The side and they, say you know you need TO
i mean how much of?
Speaker 1 (04:58):
That no one ever has any, idea no one has
anything they want to, say, Right so how long did
the gathering of information take?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Place it took about a. Year you.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Know we also were second most surveys that csl ever had.
Returned our fans really spoke up about what they wanted
and then in part of that survey was what amenute?
Is do you want lows? Boxes we put pricing. Examples
we put comparisons in, there, saying, hey here's how many loas.
Boxes this is the price at The university Of, texas
(05:28):
this is the price at The Dallas what range would
you be willing to?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
PAY i, mean they were very in depth.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Surveys you, know WHEN i moved here in nineteen eighty,
seven we were at the very beginning of The Bobby,
bowden you, know era of. Success you, Know Coach bowden
obviously laid a lot of. Groundwork but one of the
THINGS i noted real, early BECAUSE i came From phoenix
and you've got that large metropolitan area IS i kind
(05:55):
of it's almost like you stand in the middle Of
tallahassee and look around and.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
There's moving around, you.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
AND i realized people have to make that. Drive AND
i don't think a lot of people understand what you
were talking, about how the drive into a football game
is a is a major event for people that Support Florida.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
State, Correct and you look at the commitment they, make
not only monetarily but your time they come in, here
and it's so important that we keep them coming to
Tallahasse In Leon, county we represent over one hundred million
dollars in economic impact for six ball games to this.
Community we have to keep them. Coming what we compete,
(06:36):
Against we compete against that eighty six INCH hdtv that
you have on the back patio In, tampa, Right we
need you to make that drive From tampa up here
to support us and buy our season. Tickets so we
had to make this commitment for the future Of Florida State,
athletics future Of Florida state football to make sure we're
updating into the next.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Century take us inside that process of the surveys are,
back they tabulate the, results they spit out some kind
of spreadsheet or. Something what does that look like in
terms of what kind of data are you getting? Back
and then how does that inform your sticky notes on
what you put on the board of priority, one, two,
(07:18):
three four and so.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Forth, well it comes back amenities and modernizing the. Stadium
but then what they are so good at looking at
the surveys And i've used them at three different. Projects
we used them at The cowboys this. Company they were so.
Successful jerry just bought them and enjoyed them so, much
so they're now part of.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
It he's now part of his. Will But i've used
them at other.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Places we use them at other Innovations i've, done and
they are always spot on when they say you should
have twenty Eight Founders loas boxes and this is your.
Price what did we have twenty eight Founders loage boxes
and we sold them Out and they're just always spot
on about through their analytics of what you need and
what services you should provide at that price.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Point, michael you mentioned the infrastructure as that's a. Given
you have to do the infrastructure, stuff the stuff that
people don't see but literally sit on rely on being
safe and. Sound how much did the infrastructure improvements that
were required For Dope campbell impact the design of the
(08:24):
amenities very.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Much, so because we needed water.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Concourses you're looking at seventy five year old steel in,
there and it's amazing to see just the. Advances so
when you go through the, stadium which i'd love to
get you through a, tour you go through and you
see the wider, concourses and you see the new steal
that we, have and then you look at the erector
set right around the corner that's still, there, right and
it's just amazing to see the advances that we've been
(08:51):
able to make through technology and building, materials and people
are going to get there and see these wide, concourses
you're able to move around the stadium is people that
have taken the tours have just been blown away of
what's coming in the.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Future give everybody as best we, can because we are
a visual. Medium what the expectations ought to be When
alabama comes to town for that first.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Game we talk at operations of the stadium.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
More what they can expect to see when they walk
in that tunnel and look at the new Dope Campbell
stadium for the first. Time, well especially when you look
in the, back when you're looking at the concourse as
the wide the new concession. STANDS i walk through the
concessions and a tour the other day they're putting in the.
TILE i, mean this stadium is going to be ready
the end Of july they turn the keys, Over so
there's going to be events in.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
It that's going to be, fun isn't. It In august
and getting, ready so give us time to get. Prepped
but they're really going to see just all kinds of different, amenities,
wider more, concessions social gathering, areas the club spaces because
now we'll go into those amenities that came. Back they
wanted club, spaces so we have the field level.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Club you might look. Familiar let talk what does that.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Mean so we gave every opportunity to every ticket holder
to come in and reward and we Have this is
a stat that's really, alarming and we talk about it,
internally but you go through, history AND i think a
lot of it has to do with the distance that.
Traveled we're one of the fewest season ticket holders as
far as numbers in our, conference not the. Country THE
(10:24):
Acc clemson has fifty eight thousand season ticket. Holders we
average about twenty. Six, really but you go through history
and that's always been the. Case, okay so it has
it changed a. Lot so we continue to push people
to buy season. Tickets but we went to our season ticket,
holders gave them the opportunity to purchase the new. Product
(10:46):
to look at the Whole West side. Collapse as you might,
know but you had the first opportunity we met with
you face to. Face that was very important to. Me
that we met face to face showed people what we were,
doing also showed them comparisons to where we. Were we
hadn't changed our season ticket. Price we hadn't changed our
donation levels in year twenty, years so looking.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
At we were at the.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Lowest so if you took a seat at the forty
in the top twenty attended stadiums in the, country we
were number twenty in twenty five. Margin we're not asking
to go to, One we're not asking to go to,
ten we're not asking to go to. Twelve what is
asking to go a little bit to get us in
a fair fight with who we're competing against across the
country and continuously look to upgrade.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Both the new amenities gave us the opportunity to do.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
That to.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Go now you're going to have thirty three inch seats to,
depth you can move around the, stadium you're going to
have chair, backs you're going to have club. Amenities you're
going to have what you wanted in the. Survey so
we had those three OPPORTUNITIES i talked. About we had club,
seats a suite or the. Bleachers now you're going to
have about fifteen different opportunities throughout the stadium to choose
(11:55):
what do you want as your amenities going into a,
game to walk in and see wider. Concourses you're going
to see, grand grand opening gates into. It you're going
to see club, Spaces you're going to see updated, concessions
easier concession. Lines, well you can get to them and
get out. Quicker WHEN i first took over as athletic,
director going through the revenue side of, things we only
(12:18):
had two hundred points of sell in the, stadium two.
Hundred let's take comparison To Tampa. Bay The bucks who
have less seats sixty five, thousand have fourteen hundred points of.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Sell good.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Grief for a stadium our, size you need on the
average about eight. Hundred we had two hundred points of,
seal which explains long, lines which explains what and lost
revenue and lost. Revenue, yeah so we're constantly and that's
not going to happen. Overnight we've got it up to
about five, hundred six. Hundred this is going to allow
(12:53):
us to get it up even more and get, closer
and we're going to continue to find where we can do.
IT a lot of it's Electric sure just don't have
electricity to do, Concessions so you got to pull. Lines
you got to work with the city to, say, hey
we need electricity here so we can do these. Upgrades
for our fan. Base so we're continuously pushing that envelope
(13:14):
to get as many fan amenities as we can to
make the experience that much.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Better anyone that walked in last year saw the west
side of the stadium somewhat gutted and kind of, Imagining,
yeah what we're going to see the east side of
the stadium still bleacher. Seating, yeah we've gone in last
year and put in dedicated chair space for the east,
side so you have a dedicated eighteen inch.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Chair on your.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Seat you don't have a chair, back but you have
a chair still sitting on the, Bleacher so we accommodated.
That last, year we put in handrails throughout the. Stadium
we were having issues AND i got so tired of
seeing reports at the end of the game how many
people fell down the.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Stairs because the tread. Depth once, again it was just.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Old and we fixed that and put in handrails for,
convenience widen the aisles for convenience so people can move
about the stadium a little. Better so all of this
was done with the fan attending the game as our.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Priority so we've gone from sixteen inches to, eighteen, yes,
sir and we've widened the everything in this in and
around the.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Stadium, yes even on the east side.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Too we're doing things in the concourse to put a
POxy coding on the concrete and Continue we're gonna paint
it next. YEAR i, mean there's all kinds of things
we have still in the works over the next few,
years and we've planned out to continuously to upgrade the.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Stadium two more segments With Michael, alferd director Of Athletics
Florida State. University we are talking about the, improvements the,
renovations the changes At Doe Campbell, stadium which has been
a centerpiece for this community since it was. BUILT i,
mean you, Know Bobby bowden took that football program to
a whole new level and that was a game. Changer,
(15:00):
yes it was a game changer for. Everything if that doesn't,
happen we're not having these discussions at. All we're kind
of Wake forest at that, point, RIGHT i, mean we really.
Are and that's no. Disrespect it's just with success come
out of responsibilities and you're in the process of sort
of steering a renovation project that is a lot bigger.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Than a few seats in a.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Stadium, yes take us beyond the east and west now
let's talk about the Dun Lap Champions club and let's
talk about those future plans you alluded.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
To, well you look at when we did the analysis
of The Deadline Champions, club great, idea fifty nine hundred
club seats a little too. Much we were never more
than fifty one percent sold in. There the club space
could only accommodate thirty five hundred, people that's the, size
(15:51):
so it was always crowded if fan experience was not
what we expected. There so we looked at renovations and
that was part of the study, too of what new product.
There so now The Champions club has ledge, seating it
has new loge, boxes it has wider traditional club seats but,
bigger better, space and we went down to about thirty
(16:13):
seven hundred opportunities in. There there's nine different price points
in The Champions, club so you have different entry. Levels
some people want to Be i'm thirty, five got my.
BUDDIES i want a DIFFERENT vp experience than maybe The
Mahogany club that my dad sits. In you, know just different,
(16:35):
experiences different family. Atmospheres so we've really looked at, that
examined it. Hard those three middle sections on the top.
Level we had sixteen season tickets in those three sections
sold those three now sold. Out with the amenities that we're,
Bringing we've sold out the, seats THE ledg, seating the
(16:55):
different opportunities on that, side people are really excited about.
It so that's that you talk about walking into the
stadium in a different, look that's going to be a
different look and what we're provide on the south. Side
then you look at the west LIKE i talked, about
we've gone through an order and now we're to the
chairbacks and we just started that forty sold out on
(17:19):
the chair backs.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
And renewals are going very.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Well what's amazing stat and What Mark cameron and our
staff has done a great job of leading this for
us is people who upgraded twenty eight percent upgraded their
membership to a different. Level that's about one in four
season ticket holders upgraded to a different. Level so that
(17:43):
tells you they're buying into what needs to happen and
what the new amenities.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Are two quick ones before we switch gears and talk
about the acc settlement With Florida state And. Clemson number,
one how much of this overall project is going to
be done come the start of this football, season it'll
be it'll be done more phases and so. Forth so
(18:08):
how much of that big total project is going to be?
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Done half of? It you know me very, Well we'll never.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Done i'm constantly going to be walking around ask Ben
zer and Bend, as who is my project?
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Manager, well how about, this based on what's on paper and,
plan how much of it will be done by the
start of this?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Season everything will be done for this season that we've
got on plan right? Now, Okay, now future plans are, coming,
okay and we've talked about. Them we're starting to design
to look at what we can do to accommodate the
east side patrons a little. More how do we get
more electricity? There so we're going to have more concession
stamp you. Know those phases are things we are talking
(18:47):
about and working.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
On Right and then the football, building the football facility
that everyone's seeing going up behind the soccer field and
near the more. Center how what where are we at
in that? Product it'll be finished at the end Of.
August the team plans on moving in the bye. Week
we don't really disrupt, Practice, okay.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
So the bye week we will move the team in
to that.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Space but it will be, finished and that's a great
time to because it gives us the opportunity to showcase
it to our donors without the team being in there
and they can see, it touch, it and fill it
and look really forward to. That but that's progress moving. Quick,
fact we had the least amount of football dedicated space
(19:32):
in THE acc forty thousand feet Compared Wake forest as
one hundred and twenty thousand dedicated football.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
Space we had THAT.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I was making the football. Space the problem was over the,
years we haven't been making changes every year just to get.
Better and now with the support of The president and
chairman And collins and our board of, trustees laying out
of a plan of how we're going to get better
year by year and support that they have us to
continue to get better is really something that we're able
(20:05):
to now compete with our peers across the country and
showcase What Florida state has to.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Offer the litigation between The Atlanta Coast, Conference Florida State,
university And, clemson we'll Leave clemson out of the picture
as it relates To Florida State. University remind our listeners
what was at issue and what has been. Settled but
this is something we brought to the table three years
ago once again. Analytics you know, Me i'm a data.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Guy and when you look at THE tv, contract you
looked at what our peers had in the time they
were going to have another bite. Out The Apple big
ten contract comes up in twenty thirty Sec Contra tract thirty.
Four we weren't coming up again to thirty six and
they just had a new, contract so ours was very
dated and working with, it they weren't going to give
(20:52):
us any more money they had us till twenty thirty.
Six SO i went to the conference three years ago and, said,
look we're driving the media. Contract when you break it,
down it's seventy five percent, football twenty five, percent eighty
twenty To batman's.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Basketball that's what drives the media. Contract that's what they look.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
At and you also had in your pocket that people
watch the brand known As Florida State.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Seminals when you.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Looked at it and broke it, down we were twenty
percent of the media value but only getting seven percent
of the. Revenue so we worked with the conference AND
i talked to the other eds and, said, look we
need to look to examine and do this, differently we
need to be the first conference to break up a
(21:38):
media contract and pay accordingly to Your nielsen. Rankings and
wasn't a great, idea they didn't think at the. Time
so later on as we, go left us no choice
to compete against our peers in the, country and seeing
where collegiate athletics was, going we did not want to
get left behind monetarily be able to.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
Advance so how much of that television revenue makes up
the overall revenue.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
Stream it's probably about forty percent.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Of our, revenue so it's a significant amount.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Of, money significant amount of. Money we didn't want to
lean on our donors who are always so awesome for,
us right and contribute to make up that. DIFFERENCE i,
mean that's that's not. Fair so we went to the
league and then we went through this process and came
out now we're going to look at the media. Contract
we have to go on. It we have to we
(22:31):
have to, perform Which i'm fine with, Sure But nielsen
rankings we broke up to sixty, percent we'll get divided.
Up and if you're one or two in, football WHICH
i will, say if you look at the past twenty,
years even last, year we were number two and add
a two in ten season in the rankings of most watch,
games AND i suspect that's not happening this. Year so
(22:52):
no last year to Inten, yeah but What i'm saying
is that there's going to be a better, season but
we were Still so if if we earn it by
playing brands ON, tv we're going to earn sixty percent
of that. Money so it will allow us to compete
with our top brands across the. Country you look at
the most watched over the last twenty, years there's eighteen
(23:14):
schools that drive fifty percent of the games Of nielsen.
Rankings were one of the eighteen. Schools so you broke
it down and it gives us the opportunity. Now but
also one THING i, stressed it looks at the league
to get. Better the league football needs to get. Better
there needs to be investments absolutely of what the old rising.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
And they the.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
League needs to play these games, yep and get out
there ON. Tv and this encourages the league to get
better in the sport of.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Football they need to think about. That with, basketball it
seems too Only duke has left in the. Tournament on
the men's, side.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
That was one THING i WANT i pointed, Out, yeah
years ago is all fixable because you have more. Money
you can call it talent. Acquisition got more, money you
can hire the best. Coaches and you look at what
THE sec and The Big ten have. Done look at
players for four through eight that they've been able to.
Attract that's the difference in those, leagues that they've been
(24:17):
able to go to the mid majors and get those
players because they've had more resources to provide.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Them otherwise known as.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Nil and that's been the breakup or the advancement of
our leagues is going and attracting those. Players one through.
Three we can compete with, anyone, sure four through eight
there's a.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Difference can't wait for Our state of The nodles address
coming up this.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
Summer we do always great to spend. Time thanks you all.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Right Michael, Alford Athletic Director Florida, state our guest On
The Morning show With Preston scott
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