I interviewed Jay Sharman yesterday about the Lakefront Stadium possibility that is looking more and more like it's going to happen.
For those of you who don't know, Jay is the man behind LakeThePosts, a well-connected alum, and the owner of a company that has done a lot of work for NU and the Big Ten. He's also the guy who got the ball rolling for this Lakefront Stadium idea.
I still want to talk to a couple people before publishing the story, but I thought I'd document some notes here just to give you a taste:
- Jay is "75%" sure that the Lakefront Stadium will be built and host NU home games over the next two seasons.
- The initial idea for a temporary stadium on the lake came from Fitz, believe it or not, more than 18 months ago. NU was initially against the idea, saying that it would negatively impact soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, etc., and the idea sort of died on the vine.
- Enter Jay. He got wind of it, sent out an email to his email list (I'm on it) and set off a firestorm among some very influential members of the NU community, including trustees. It snowballed from there.
- NU has done an about-face on the issue. Gragg and one major trustee are spearheading the effort.
- There are obviously still a lot of logistics to work out, everything from parking to ticket distribution, but the idea has broad support. The university and the Big Ten are behind it. Braun is on board, as are the coaches of the impacted sports like men's and women's soccer, women's lacrosse and field hockey. Even an Evanston City Council member, as we've seen in the media, has voiced support.
- The stadium would remain in place for two years. This season’s Ohio State game will still most likely be played at either Wrigley Field or Soldier Field.
For those of you who don't know, Jay is the man behind LakeThePosts, a well-connected alum, and the owner of a company that has done a lot of work for NU and the Big Ten. He's also the guy who got the ball rolling for this Lakefront Stadium idea.
I still want to talk to a couple people before publishing the story, but I thought I'd document some notes here just to give you a taste:
- Jay is "75%" sure that the Lakefront Stadium will be built and host NU home games over the next two seasons.
- The initial idea for a temporary stadium on the lake came from Fitz, believe it or not, more than 18 months ago. NU was initially against the idea, saying that it would negatively impact soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, etc., and the idea sort of died on the vine.
- Enter Jay. He got wind of it, sent out an email to his email list (I'm on it) and set off a firestorm among some very influential members of the NU community, including trustees. It snowballed from there.
- NU has done an about-face on the issue. Gragg and one major trustee are spearheading the effort.
- There are obviously still a lot of logistics to work out, everything from parking to ticket distribution, but the idea has broad support. The university and the Big Ten are behind it. Braun is on board, as are the coaches of the impacted sports like men's and women's soccer, women's lacrosse and field hockey. Even an Evanston City Council member, as we've seen in the media, has voiced support.
- The stadium would remain in place for two years. This season’s Ohio State game will still most likely be played at either Wrigley Field or Soldier Field.
