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Post by FUBeAR on Feb 26, 2015 23:42:15 GMT -5
Mercer Athletics Release Here Mercer University's two-year-old, 10,000-seat stadium, home of Mercer Bears football and lacrosse, has been renamed Five Star Stadium in recognition of a multi-million dollar commitment, the largest-ever for Mercer athletics and one of the largest in the University's history. The financial commitment comes from Five Star Automotive Group, owned by Charlie Cantrell and Dick Pope. "Charlie Cantrell and Dick Pope are two of the University's strongest supporters, and we are deeply grateful for this significant financial commitment," said Mercer President William D. Underwood "We are proud to have the Five Star name on one of the finest athletic venues of its size in the nation." Five Star Automotive Group, founded in Middle Georgia in 1986, operates 19 dealerships in Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina, offering brands such as Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Ford, Lincoln, Nissan, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Scion and Mazda. The company also owns collision centers in Macon, Warner Robins, Atlanta and Florence, South Carolina. Mercer Stadium opened in 2013 when the Mercer Bears resumed competition in intercollegiate football after a 72-year hiatus. Mercer's men's and women's lacrosse teams also play their home games in the stadium, which has hosted a number of state high school playoff games, all-star games, band competitions and other events over the last two and a half years. In its first season in the Southern Conference this past fall, Mercer football averaged more than 10,000 fans at its seven home games. The stadium is part of the Tony and Nancy Moye Complex, which also includes Drake Field House, Anderson Field and the Butler Family Plaza. "We are pleased to further align Five Star Automotive with Mercer athletics and with the University as a whole," Cantrell said. "The quality of Mercer's athletics facilities, the high level at which Mercer teams compete, the outstanding performance of student-athletes in the classroom, and the strong connection Mercer has built with the Middle Georgia community make this a good partnership for our company." "Mercer University contributes so much to the quality of life in Middle Georgia, and athletics is a big part of that," Pope said. "Five Star Automotive Group is proud to have its name associated with such a fine institution and an athletics program whose national visibility continues to grow." "Five Star Automotive Group and its owners, Dick Pope and Charlie Cantrell, understand the commitment it takes to compete and be successful on a daily basis," said Mercer Athletics Director Jim Cole. "We are honored to have the Five Star name and what it stands for proudly displayed on Mercer University's football and lacrosse stadium." Cantrell currently serves as president of the Mercer Athletic Foundation. His daughter and son-in-law, Christy and Kyle Johnston, were student-athletes at Mercer and graduated from the University. Christy played soccer and Kyle was a member of the baseball team. His daughter Laura Beth Dickey earned her Master of Education degree from Mercer. Pope's parents, Neal and Joan, attended the University, and his daughter Lindsey Thames earned her Master of Education degree from Mercer.
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Post by Thirsty bear on Feb 27, 2015 11:16:14 GMT -5
I just want a milk machine
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Post by FUBeAR on Feb 27, 2015 23:07:57 GMT -5
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Post by bear38 on Mar 2, 2015 13:11:03 GMT -5
I heard this weekend that Mercer was also moving forward with the next phase of the stadium which is building a press box on the west side of the the stadium. If I'm not mistaken, I think the next phase after that is adding a second level to the East side. I'm not sure if these two (Five Star and West side press box) were tied to together in some way? Additionally, I haven't seen anything official about this, so It may just be a rumor.
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Post by jackal on Mar 2, 2015 14:27:19 GMT -5
I heard this weekend that Mercer was also moving forward with the next phase of the stadium which is building a press box on the west side of the the stadium. If I'm not mistaken, I think the next phase after that is adding a second level to the East side. I'm not sure if these two (Five Star and West side press box) were tied to together in some way? Additionally, I haven't seen anything official about this, so It may just be a rumor. Would be interested to know the answer to that. Not sure that makes sense for Mercer. Mercer drew under-capacity in 2013 (averaged 9,379 with a stated capacity of 10,000). In 2014 Mercer reported an average attendance of exactly 10,000 (an example of what Furman fans call "Wofford math"), or right at capacity. That is after playing the two best traveling fan bases left in the SoCon at home (Furman and the Citadel). As a fan of a school that over-built their stadium (Furman has a student body of about 2,600 and Paladin Stadium holds 16k+), I always prefer a smaller venue packed to the gills. More fun that way. |
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badnewsbear
Penfield Bear
"May they defend this house like and angry bear defends its den." - C. McMahon
Posts: 51 
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Post by badnewsbear on Mar 2, 2015 14:37:22 GMT -5
I heard this weekend that Mercer was also moving forward with the next phase of the stadium which is building a press box on the west side of the the stadium. If I'm not mistaken, I think the next phase after that is adding a second level to the East side. I'm not sure if these two (Five Star and West side press box) were tied to together in some way? Additionally, I haven't seen anything official about this, so It may just be a rumor. Would be interested to know the answer to that. Not sure that makes sense for Mercer. Mercer drew under-capacity in 2013 (averaged 9,379 with a stated capacity of 10,000). In 2014 Mercer reported an average attendance of exactly 10,000 (an example of what Furman fans call "Wofford math"), or right at capacity. That is after playing the two best traveling fan bases left in the SoCon at home (Furman and the Citadel). As a fan of a school that over-built their stadium (Furman has a student body of about 2,600 and Paladin Stadium holds 16k+), I always prefer a smaller venue packed to the gills. More fun that way. No way they are adding seats; the president likes the smaller venue as well. Will be a while and a couple socon championships before that happens. Definitely heard the press box roomer though. |
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Post by FUBeAR on Mar 2, 2015 20:14:13 GMT -5
I heard this weekend that Mercer was also moving forward with the next phase of the stadium which is building a press box on the west side of the the stadium. If I'm not mistaken, I think the next phase after that is adding a second level to the East side. I'm not sure if these two (Five Star and West side press box) were tied to together in some way? Additionally, I haven't seen anything official about this, so It may just be a rumor. Would be interested to know the answer to that. Not sure that makes sense for Mercer. Mercer drew under-capacity in 2013 (averaged 9,379 with a stated capacity of 10,000). In 2014 Mercer reported an average attendance of exactly 10,000 (an example of what Furman fans call "Wofford math"), or right at capacity. That is after playing the two best traveling fan bases left in the SoCon at home (Furman and the Citadel). As a fan of a school that over-built their stadium (Furman has a student body of about 2,600 and Paladin Stadium holds 16k+), I always prefer a smaller venue packed to the gills. More fun that way.
The stated per game & resulting average home attendance for Mercer Football in 2014 was: | Game/Opponent | Attendance | % of Stated Capacity of 10,000 | | Reinhardt | 10,027 | 100.27% | | Furman | 12,227
| 122.27% | | Ave Maria | 10,173
| 101.73% | | Austin Peay | 8,027
| 80.27% | | Western Carolina | 9,277
| 92.77% | | The Citadel | 10,271 | 102.71% | | Warner | 10,000
| 100.00% | | Total Attendance | 70,002
| 100.0028571428571% | | /# of Games | 7
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| | Avg Attendance | 10,000.28571428571
| 100.0028571428571% |
FWIW, the percentage of stated home capacity for all SoCon Schools in 2014 was: | School | 2015 % of Capacity | Capacity
| | 1) Mercer | 100%
| 10,000 | | 2) Wofford | 91.34% | 8,500
| | 3) Samford | 79.64% | 6,700
| | 4) Western Carolina | 69.31% | 13,742
| | 5) VMI | 52.63% | 10,000
| | 6) Chattanooga | 50.76% | 20,668
| | 7) The Citadel* | 45.26% | 21,000
| | 8) Furman* | 45.18% | 16,000
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Maybe El Cid and FU fans should consider going to more Home Games and stop being such great TRAVELING fan bases...  To be fair, Mercer's home games with FU and El Cid were stated as the largest and 2nd largest crowds of Mercer's 2014 home games. I will not get into the never-ending debate about actual attendance vs. reported attendance / tickets sold vs. butts in seats. I see and have seen this topic debated for decades now, particularly pertaining to SoCon Football. My single thought on the subject is, "I don't frappin' care!" The Athletic Departments/School Admins should care about revenue generated from ticket sales and the 'gameday experience' of Fans and Players. I know Mercer's does care deeply these. All other discussion of this topic is meaningless drivel, IMO. RUMORSI have heard no discussion of near-term plans to add a 2nd tier of seating on the College St. (now single-tier) side of the stadium. I have heard from HIGHLY reliable sources outside of the Athletics Dept., but inside Mercer U. Admin that a press box on the (currently) 2-level side of the stadium will be built following the end of the 2015 season. With a lesser degree of certainty, the idea of 'conversion to boxes/suites' was mentioned for the existing press box on the single-level side, which would, in some sense, constitute a 2nd tier of seating, so, perhaps, that's why we have variation in rumors. All of that said - EVERYTHING said (or posted) is nothing but rumor until it is OFFICIALLY announced. |
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Post by bear38 on Mar 2, 2015 20:45:48 GMT -5
Would be interested to know the answer to that. Not sure that makes sense for Mercer. Mercer drew under-capacity in 2013 (averaged 9,379 with a stated capacity of 10,000). In 2014 Mercer reported an average attendance of exactly 10,000 (an example of what Furman fans call "Wofford math"), or right at capacity. That is after playing the two best traveling fan bases left in the SoCon at home (Furman and the Citadel). As a fan of a school that over-built their stadium (Furman has a student body of about 2,600 and Paladin Stadium holds 16k+), I always prefer a smaller venue packed to the gills. More fun that way. No way they are adding seats; the president likes the smaller venue as well. Will be a while and a couple socon championships before that happens. Definitely heard the press box roomer though. Just to be clear, I did not hear that Mercer was adding additional seating. I was just pointing out that an upper seating section on the East side was one of the phases of the overall plan. The rumor was just about the West side press box. I think the idea of adding suites on the East side and suites on the West side with the new press box is a great idea. |
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Post by FUBeAR on Mar 2, 2015 23:55:18 GMT -5
No way they are adding seats; the president likes the smaller venue as well. Will be a while and a couple socon championships before that happens. Definitely heard the press box roomer though. Just to be clear, I did not hear that Mercer was adding additional seating. I was just pointing out that an upper seating section on the East side was one of the phases of the overall plan. The rumor was just about the West side press box. I think the idea of adding suites on the East side and suites on the West side with the new press box is a great idea. Bear38 - I'm assuming your enthusiasm for the idea means you will be funding the MFFC Suite for the 2016 season. I will look forward to attending Bears football games in that suite as your personal guest. |
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Post by bear38 on Mar 3, 2015 8:30:04 GMT -5
Just to be clear, I did not hear that Mercer was adding additional seating. I was just pointing out that an upper seating section on the East side was one of the phases of the overall plan. The rumor was just about the West side press box. I think the idea of adding suites on the East side and suites on the West side with the new press box is a great idea. Bear38 - I'm assuming your enthusiasm for the idea means you will be funding the MFFC Suite for the 2016 season. I will look forward to attending Bears football games in that suite as your personal guest. Everything I have is yours FUbEAR |
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Post by chez23 on Jun 2, 2015 14:00:21 GMT -5
In order for Mercer Football to be a leader in the SOCON then IMO the stadium needs to be expanded to add more seats and suites. Don't get me wrong the stadium now is very nice, but if Mercer is serious about football then it needs to be bigger and add suites. Cant be a high end high school stadium in Georgia if you want to be a big player in the SOCON and FCS. Facilities play a major role in the recruiting process...Five Star just needs to be a little bigger with suits and Mercer will dominant for years to come. And isnt football big time in the state of Georgia....so why then cant Mercer think Big! Go Bears!
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Post by jackal on Jun 5, 2015 10:57:10 GMT -5
In order for Mercer Football to be a leader in the SOCON then IMO the stadium needs to be expanded to add more seats and suites. Don't get me wrong the stadium now is very nice, but if Mercer is serious about football then it needs to be bigger and add suites. Cant be a high end high school stadium in Georgia if you want to be a big player in the SOCON and FCS. Facilities play a major role in the recruiting process...Five Star just needs to be a little bigger with suits and Mercer will dominant for years to come. And isnt football big time in the state of Georgia....so why then cant Mercer think Big! Go Bears! How many seats were you thinking? There have been plenty of schools that have had plenty of success in the SoCon with stadiums as big or smaller than Mercer's brand new park. |
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Post by chez23 on Jun 8, 2015 9:52:07 GMT -5
I guess that depends on how serious MU is about football. If they want to dominant in the SOCON ( which thet could ) only then the stadium really only needs some suites and get into the 15-20K range. But if they want to be a top level FCS someday and be like N Dakota State of the south then they will need more like 20-30K stadium with more Tailgates areas, hotels etc. A 3 star kid from HS always wants bigger.. and to get more 3 star type talent then you need the facilties. Faclities sell to atheltes. Yes the educaiton we know is most imporant but truth is faclities play a big part of the decision process. Like I said earlier MU stadium now is great, its just a matter of time before its too small....especially being in HS hot bed like Georgia. Dont see how MU wouldnt fill a 20K stadium and take charge in the SOCON and be a top 20 FCS every year.
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Post by jackal on Jun 8, 2015 14:51:19 GMT -5
I guess that depends on how serious MU is about football. If they want to dominant in the SOCON ( which thet could ) only then the stadium really only needs some suites and get into the 15-20K range. But if they want to be a top level FCS someday and be like N Dakota State of the south then they will need more like 20-30K stadium with more Tailgates areas, hotels etc. A 3 star kid from HS always wants bigger.. and to get more 3 star type talent then you need the facilties. Faclities sell to atheltes. Yes the educaiton we know is most imporant but truth is faclities play a big part of the decision process. Like I said earlier MU stadium now is great, its just a matter of time before its too small....especially being in HS hot bed like Georgia. Dont see how MU wouldnt fill a 20K stadium and take charge in the SOCON and be a top 20 FCS every year. I had a long post drawn up as to why that argument is pretty well misguided, but it is sufficient to say I disagree with you. |
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Post by chez23 on Jun 8, 2015 15:12:45 GMT -5
Hey I am new to Mercer world so I welcome the longer post so I can uderstand Mercer Football more. Beside, not like this fan page gets a lot of action so write away! Thanks
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To be fair, Mercer's home games with FU and El Cid were stated as the largest and 2nd largest crowds of Mercer's 2014 home games.