The U Moves in with The Fins

[MadmanLA]

In a move that was bound to happen, the University of Miami Hurricanes football will join the Orange Bowl game and the Dolphins in Miami Gardens starting in 2008, leaving the Orange Bowl Stadium after 70 years. The Canes signed a 25-year lease with Dolphin Stadium. The story also mentions that this could pave the way for a new home for the Marlins.

Here's the full story from Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap...p&type=lgns

[smith03]

In a move that was bound to happen, the University of Miami Hurricanes football will join the Orange Bowl game and the Dolphins in Miami Gardens starting in 2008, leaving the Orange Bowl Stadium after 70 years. The Canes signed a 25-year lease with Dolphin Stadium. The story also mentions that this could pave the way for a new home for the Marlins.

Here's the full story from Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap...p&type=lgns

Probably means another name for Joe Robbie Stadium/ Pro Player Park/ Pro Player Stadium/ Dolphins Stadium/Dolphin Stadium

[marlinfan]

In a move that was bound to happen, the University of Miami Hurricanes football will join the Orange Bowl game and the Dolphins in Miami Gardens starting in 2008, leaving the Orange Bowl Stadium after 70 years. The Canes signed a 25-year lease with Dolphin Stadium. The story also mentions that this could pave the way for a new home for the Marlins.

Here's the full story from Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap...p&type=lgns

Probably means another name for Joe Robbie Stadium/ Pro Player Park/ Pro Player Stadium/ Dolphins Stadium/Dolphin Stadium

Yes, it is part of the lease with UM last I heard.

It's a sad day for all those who appreciate the history that was made at the OB, but it's time. UM should have left 20 years ago. With that said, it is a great day for everyone who wants MLB to survive in South Fla. This is going to start a domino effect on that effort. The city will most likely transfer 88M in UM renovation funds to a ballpark plan.

Miami Herald photo gallery on current state of the OB

[smith03]

In a move that was bound to happen, the University of Miami Hurricanes football will join the Orange Bowl game and the Dolphins in Miami Gardens starting in 2008, leaving the Orange Bowl Stadium after 70 years. The Canes signed a 25-year lease with Dolphin Stadium. The story also mentions that this could pave the way for a new home for the Marlins.

Here's the full story from Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap...p&type=lgns

Probably means another name for Joe Robbie Stadium/ Pro Player Park/ Pro Player Stadium/ Dolphins Stadium/Dolphin Stadium

Yes, it is part of the lease with UM last I heard.

It's a sad day for all those who appreciate the history that was made at the OB, but it's time. UM should have left 20 years ago. With that said, it is a great day for everyone who wants MLB to survive in South Fla. This is going to start a domino effect on that effort. The city will most likely transfer 88M in UM renovation funds to a ballpark plan.

Miami Herald photo gallery on current state of the OB

just wondering but if/when the Marlins leave Miami Gardens for a new ballpark will they lower the field at Dolphin stadium to get more seats?

[illwauk]

This sucks. In the not-so-distant future we could see the death of two classic college football stadiums (the other being the Cotton Bowl).

[marlinfan]

In a move that was bound to happen, the University of Miami Hurricanes football will join the Orange Bowl game and the Dolphins in Miami Gardens starting in 2008, leaving the Orange Bowl Stadium after 70 years. The Canes signed a 25-year lease with Dolphin Stadium. The story also mentions that this could pave the way for a new home for the Marlins.

Here's the full story from Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap...p&type=lgns

Probably means another name for Joe Robbie Stadium/ Pro Player Park/ Pro Player Stadium/ Dolphins Stadium/Dolphin Stadium

Yes, it is part of the lease with UM last I heard.

It's a sad day for all those who appreciate the history that was made at the OB, but it's time. UM should have left 20 years ago. With that said, it is a great day for everyone who wants MLB to survive in South Fla. This is going to start a domino effect on that effort. The city will most likely transfer 88M in UM renovation funds to a ballpark plan.

Miami Herald photo gallery on current state of the OB

just wondering but if/when the Marlins leave Miami Gardens for a new ballpark will they lower the field at Dolphin stadium to get more seats?

I doubt it. Those types of renovations are not scheduled as of right now.

That type of construction can be very difficult down here because of the proximity of the water table to the surface. Thus why South Fla has no subways, very few tunnels and only 3 basements.

[TBGKon]

For the most part, we all knew UM staying at the Orange Bowl wasn't going to last forever. Their options were either to make a temporary move to Dolphin Stadium while the Orange Bowl got renovated or to move to state-of-the-art (we'll maybe not now, but once it's renovations are done it will be pretty darn close.) Dolphin Stadium. UM took the sweet deal of moving to the nicer stadium, and it probably was the best one for them. This is also good news for the Marlins.

One thought, how will the endzones be painted? I just don't see UM letting the Dolphins have priority and having the endzones say "Dolphins", as UM is sometimes considered an elite program. I can think of a few options they might take advantage of:

- Go the Notre Dame route and put diagonal lines in both endzones.

- Go Pittsburgh and have "MIAMI" in a basic font (colored orange and white, common Dolphin/Canes colors) and have the other endzone with diagonal lines.

- Go old school and put some design of orange and white in the endzones with no text at all (like what Tennessee uses, but not checkerboard...maybe like Virginia's diamonds)

[B-Rich]

One thought, how will the endzones be painted? I just don't see UM letting the Dolphins have priority and having the endzones say "Dolphins", as UM is sometimes considered an elite program.

Ummmm... Dolphins Stadium is not a publicly owned facility. Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga also owns the stadium and is now the UM football team's "landlord"... I don't think it's a case of UM "letting" the Dolphins have anything...

That being said, they may negotiate (or already HAVE negotiated) such an item as end-zone painting already as part of the lease.... I'm not sure where those digitally-enhanced photos posted by Marlinfan come from, but it shows a lot of UM signage, banners, etc. Most of that could be "game-day temporary", inlcuding end-zone painting. There exists the possibility (via scheduling) that it will be set up so that it is very rare that two football games are played on the same weekend-- that gives a week to re-do endzones and such....

One thing that will NOT change soon, and which will make the scheduling that much more difficult, is the combined use of the stadium in August and September by the Marlins, Dolphins and Hurricanes. That field is going to get a workout, and I hope the Hurricanes like playing on a dirt infield for their first month or so.

Bottom line, and the best of all worlds is if the City of Miami demolishes the decrepit Orange Bowl and uses it as a site of a new Marlins Stadium. Having an available city-owned site and the ability to use 88M in what was to be UM renovation funds is a strong start. My only concern is if Marlins ownership balks at the location-- from the pictures in the linked slideshow, it doesn't appear to be in a very desirable part of the city.

[Seadragon76]

Well, since this is the final year for the Orange Bowl, let it be said that two teams played there in it's final year.

The Hurricanes make their home there already and the FIU Golden Panthers are going to play at the Orange Bowl while their stadium is being redone.

[Lee.]

I for one will be sad to see the OB go.

When I was a kid, about 6 or 7, my family went to Florida, and my dad took my brother and I specifically to see the Orange Bowl, to see if we could watch the Dolphins practice. My dad went and asked if we could watch, and was refused, but we were told to stick around until after practice had ended in about a half hour or so.

We camped out by the entrance to the field, while security stayed close by to make sure we couldn't really see anything; when the Dolphins left the field, though, one security guard came over and asked my brother and me if we wanted to toss the ball around in the end zone for a few minutes. You never saw two Canadian kids run out onto a football field so fast.

Great memories.

[VitaminD]

Probably means another name for Joe Robbie Stadium/ Pro Player Park/ Pro Player Stadium/ Dolphins Stadium/Dolphin Stadium

Yes, it is part of the lease with UM last I heard.

How are stadium naming rights in any way contingent on a university signing a lease with a private entity (Huizenga)? Dolphin Stadium was going to have a new corporate sponsor in a season or two, irrespective of where the 'Canes play their games. And the money from stadium naming rights goes to the stadium's owner - UM could give a damn about what the place is called, as they're not seeing a dime of the revenue generated by the naming rights. It's simply to fertile a revenue stream for a businessman as moneyhungry as Huizenga NOT to try and tap again. "Dolphin Stadium", while easy on the ears and evocative of a simpler, less commercialized time, doesn't put a single dime in Wayne's bank account. YOUR NAME HERE Field at RANDOM COMPANY.COM Stadium? Now that sets the cash registers off!

Why are people in this thread operating under the assumption that UM has any kind of upper hand in these negotiations? They're responsible for naming rights, they determine what gets painted in the end zones, and so on. They are a tenant. Wayne Huizenga's house, Wayne's rules. Where would UM get off telling Wayne not to put the wordmarks of the team he owns in the end zones of the field they play on in the stadium he also owns? UM needs a home, and brings prestige and some clout to the stadium. It gives Wayne more cash in his pocket and more butts in seats 6 or 7 times a year. He wouldn't be doing this if it weren't to his benefit, but not to the detriment of his primary focus, his football team.

[marlinfan]

Probably means another name for Joe Robbie Stadium/ Pro Player Park/ Pro Player Stadium/ Dolphins Stadium/Dolphin Stadium

Yes, it is part of the lease with UM last I heard.

How are stadium naming rights in any way contingent on a university signing a lease with a private entity (Huizenga)? Dolphin Stadium was going to have a new corporate sponsor in a season or two, irrespective of where the 'Canes play their games. And the money from stadium naming rights goes to the stadium's owner - UM could give a damn about what the place is called, as they're not seeing a dime of the revenue generated by the naming rights. It's simply to fertile a revenue stream for a businessman as moneyhungry as Huizenga NOT to try and tap again. "Dolphin Stadium", while easy on the ears and evocative of a simpler, less commercialized time, doesn't put a single dime in Wayne's bank account. YOUR NAME HERE Field at RANDOM COMPANY.COM Stadium? Now that sets the cash registers off!

Why are people in this thread operating under the assumption that UM has any kind of upper hand in these negotiations? They're responsible for naming rights, they determine what gets painted in the end zones, and so on. They are a tenant. Wayne Huizenga's house, Wayne's rules. Where would UM get off telling Wayne not to put the wordmarks of the team he owns in the end zones of the field they play on in the stadium he also owns? UM needs a home, and brings prestige and some clout to the stadium. It gives Wayne more cash in his pocket and more butts in seats 6 or 7 times a year. He wouldn't be doing this if it weren't to his benefit, but not to the detriment of his primary focus, his football team.

A name change to anything other than Dolphin Stadium was one of the demands UM had going into this.

Jeez, talk about taking one sentence and over analyzing it.

Also, it may be Huizenga's stadium, but it is to my understanding postseason baseball has priority over football if such an event ever did occur.

[njmeadowlanders]

Probably means another name for Joe Robbie Stadium/ Pro Player Park/ Pro Player Stadium/ Dolphins Stadium/Dolphin Stadium

Yes, it is part of the lease with UM last I heard.

How are stadium naming rights in any way contingent on a university signing a lease with a private entity (Huizenga)? Dolphin Stadium was going to have a new corporate sponsor in a season or two, irrespective of where the 'Canes play their games. And the money from stadium naming rights goes to the stadium's owner - UM could give a damn about what the place is called, as they're not seeing a dime of the revenue generated by the naming rights. It's simply to fertile a revenue stream for a businessman as moneyhungry as Huizenga NOT to try and tap again. "Dolphin Stadium", while easy on the ears and evocative of a simpler, less commercialized time, doesn't put a single dime in Wayne's bank account. YOUR NAME HERE Field at RANDOM COMPANY.COM Stadium? Now that sets the cash registers off!

Why are people in this thread operating under the assumption that UM has any kind of upper hand in these negotiations? They're responsible for naming rights, they determine what gets painted in the end zones, and so on. They are a tenant. Wayne Huizenga's house, Wayne's rules. Where would UM get off telling Wayne not to put the wordmarks of the team he owns in the end zones of the field they play on in the stadium he also owns? UM needs a home, and brings prestige and some clout to the stadium. It gives Wayne more cash in his pocket and more butts in seats 6 or 7 times a year. He wouldn't be doing this if it weren't to his benefit, but not to the detriment of his primary focus, his football team.

A name change to anything other than Dolphin Stadium was one of the demands UM had going into this.

Jeez, talk about taking one sentence and over analyzing it.

Also, it may be Huizenga's stadium, but it is to my understanding postseason baseball has priority over football if such an event ever did occur.

Didn't a Bears-Fins game have to be moved to a Monday night (only broadcast in those markets) in 1997 to accomodate Game 7 of Indians-Marlins?

[Joshawaggie]

I for one will be sad to see the OB go.

When I was a kid, about 6 or 7, my family went to Florida, and my dad took my brother and I specifically to see the Orange Bowl, to see if we could watch the Dolphins practice. My dad went and asked if we could watch, and was refused, but we were told to stick around until after practice had ended in about a half hour or so.

We camped out by the entrance to the field, while security stayed close by to make sure we couldn't really see anything; when the Dolphins left the field, though, one security guard came over and asked my brother and me if we wanted to toss the ball around in the end zone for a few minutes. You never saw two Canadian kids run out onto a football field so fast.

Great memories.

That's a pretty cool story, wish I had something like that.

Kinda sad to see the stadium go, but it was pretty inevitable, sadly.

[HedleyLamarr]

If I heard right, on one of the local sports shows, they mentioned that one of the parts of the agreement is that Dolphins Stadium would be all-grass for all games. (Someone correct me if this is wrong)

This either means that the Hurricanes won't play any home games in the first month of the season, or the Marlins are getting the shaft once again....

[xyzzyva]

If I heard right, on one of the local sports shows, they mentioned that one of the parts of the agreement is that Dolphins Stadium would be all-grass for all games. (Someone correct me if this is wrong)

This either means that the Hurricanes won't play any home games in the first month of the season, or the Marlins are getting the shaft once again....

Or it means the Marlins will be playing on an all-grass infield.

That would be interesting...

[HedleyLamarr]

If I heard right, on one of the local sports shows, they mentioned that one of the parts of the agreement is that Dolphins Stadium would be all-grass for all games. (Someone correct me if this is wrong)

This either means that the Hurricanes won't play any home games in the first month of the season, or the Marlins are getting the shaft once again....

Or it means the Marlins will be playing on an all-grass infield.

That would be interesting...

Or, the Marlins become a true Florida team, and play their September games at Disney like the Devil Rays did earlier this season...

Speaking of which, less than 2,000 folks turned out for their games in their most recent series against the Giants. Weekend games not even drawing 2,000 folks is not very good.

[VitaminD]

A name change to anything other than Dolphin Stadium was one of the demands UM had going into this.

Jeez, talk about taking one sentence and over analyzing it.

Also, it may be Huizenga's stadium, but it is to my understanding postseason baseball has priority over football if such an event ever did occur.

I should rephrase where I am coming from, since I apparently careened off the road.

I guess my question is, where does UM get off trying to dictate terms to Huizenga, the city of Miami, or anyone else for that matter? Unless I am missing something, they have a program without a suitable home. So it would seem that they lack the leverage to make demands of anyone. They have a stadium rusting to pieces far removed from Coral Gables, no on-campus stadium, and no apparent groundswell of support for building a palace of their own. If Huizenga is willing to give them a place to play their games - and where else in South Florida is UM going to play at this point that could accommodate the crowds they expect to draw - who are they to set the terms? Even if the 'Canes were a team of the caliber of their national title teams, they still don't have the upper hand here; they need a home!

And if Dolphin Stadium is Huizenga's property, what would UM care about naming rights? It's not their building - they're leasing it, to be shared with the Dolphins and Marlins. I would assume that naming rights fees would go into the landlord's pockets, with very little - if any - going to UM. Huizenga isn't dumb; I'm sure he realized that he could cash in on naming rights long before UM entered the picture - so with or without the 'Canes, he would sell naming rights to fatten his own wallet.

Something just seems amiss in this whole thing. I agree that UM football is a desirable commodity, but what leverage do they have? They can't use the Orange Bowl any more, they can't play on campus, and they are more or less at the mercy of others. That doesn't sound like a position of strength at the negotiating table that would afford them any leverage.

[leedsunited]

I know why they're doing it, but it doesn't mean it's a good idea. There will be ZERO atmosphere at the joint. Joe Robbie Stadium has all the ambiance of a hospital waiting room.

Yes, the OB was a dump, but the place had soul. It was intimidating, it was dirty, it was UM to a T. Now? Just playing their games in some NFL stadium out by the freeways.

[KevinMcD]

If I heard right, on one of the local sports shows, they mentioned that one of the parts of the agreement is that Dolphins Stadium would be all-grass for all games. (Someone correct me if this is wrong)

This either means that the Hurricanes won't play any home games in the first month of the season, or the Marlins are getting the shaft once again....

Or it means the Marlins will be playing on an all-grass infield.

That would be interesting...

Or, the Marlins become a true Florida team, and play their September games at Disney like the Devil Rays did earlier this season...

Speaking of which, less than 2,000 folks turned out for their games in their most recent series against the Giants. Weekend games not even drawing 2,000 folks is not very good.

MOVE 'EM TO HAMILTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!