Sport Facilities IV

BSM 4001, Sport Facilities 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

2. Interpret industry standards for sport and recreation facilities. 5. Identify design and construction regulations.

Reading Assignment Chapter 6: Facility Construction Human Kinetics. (n.d.) Chapter 6 [Video file]. Retrieved from

http://videos.humankinetics.com/services/player/bcpid4169931209001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAA0gHQG- E~,UzAFL1pLzn60v5YJgqa1k8g1_MHOUmq7

Click here to access the transcript for Video 6.1. Chapter 7: Facility Systems

Unit Lesson In this unit, you will explore facility construction and facility systems, both important aspects that today’s facility manager should understand in a potential leadership role. When interviewing any sport manager, consider asking them what it is like to see a building emerge from a flat piece of land. This process can take much sacrifice and effort on the facility manager’s part. It is a moving experience for a sport facility manager, especially for the leader who has invested a meaningful amount of time and energy in designing the facility, obtaining the necessary funding, and developing/planning the facility. Building also requires hiring construction companies through the bidding process to manage and fulfill the intended process from the original plans. This bidding process typically can lead to a better contract and price for the sport organization. A great example of how a company earned a bid is Mortenson Construction, a Minnesota-based construction company that won the bid to build the new Minnesota Vikings’ US Bank Stadium. The company was already well respected in the community for building numerous sport and event venues. Mortenson went above and beyond for the bid, lobbying for state aid for the project in the Minnesota Legislature, as well as offering construction schedule and cost estimates (Minnesota Vikings, n.d.). If you would like to learn more about the selection of Mortenson Construction, there is a great article about this in the suggested reading section of this unit. The building process, from deciding who will build the facility and at what cost, to obtaining the occupancy permits, can be very stressful and involve many hurdles. The construction process is easiest when a construction company is hired to coordinate and complete the entire building process from plans. As when Mortenson earned the bid to build U.S. Bank Stadium, their experience in building other Twin Cities’ venues like the Target Center, the Xcel Energy Center, TCF Bank Stadium, and Target Field helped them earn the trust of the team ownership (Minnesota Vikings, n.d.). Chapter 6 in the textbook covers various construction elements, from the materials used to build facilities to specific components in a sport facility, such as fields and locker rooms. After a contract is entered into with a general contractor (or another entity responsible for building the facility), the site needs to be prepared. Once the site is cleared, the foundation can be laid, followed by the substructure, superstructure, roof, flooring, landscaping, furniture, fixtures, and equipment (Fried, 2015).

UNIT IV STUDY GUIDE

Facility Construction and Facility Systems

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Chapter 6 ends with an analysis of the cost involved in building a facility and what is required to finalize a facility before it can be used. In the example of U.S. Bank Stadium, the cost will be $1.027 billion (Minnesota Vikings, n.d.). As a comparison, the new Yankee Stadium in New York cost $1.5 billion to build (Cohen, 2012). Most facility managers might be involved in a single construction project during their careers. However, it is important to have a basic understanding of what issues to expect if you are given this opportunity. Moreover, knowing the industry jargon commonly used during the process of building a facility can be very helpful for the current and future sport manager. Among the most important elements in a facility, and often the most expensive on a percentage basis, are the systems built in or added on. Everything from HVAC to energy and plumbing systems need to be installed and maintained in an appropriate manner. A facility cannot be built with a mere collection of systems, but rather needs to effectively integrate all the systems to minimize costs and maximize benefits. Chapter 7 looks at the most costly and essential elements of any facility: the systems included in the facility. A facility contains numerous systems, and these systems need to be maintained in order for the facility to operate effectively. Systems are designed to help maintain a safe and comfortable facility (Fried, 2015). Systems should be properly installed to keep costs down. System selection can raise numerous issues, from how to install the systems to energy conservation concerns. In addition, if these systems stop operating properly, it can be a huge customer service issue. This certainly affects the entire facility and any issue should be resolved quickly. The chapter covers internal as well as external systems and gives special attention to some of the often overlooked systems, such as waste management and audiovisual systems. Today’s newest venues, like U.S. Bank Stadium, might have features similar to stadiums of the past, but they are more of a combination of the old and the new with first-rate controls and interactive entertainment features. These new systems not only bring in more fans, they also generate more sponsors. As you will see in the reading and in the assignment, each facility will typically incorporate lighting, security, and air-conditioning systems, with some of the newer ones integrated in one control system. One facility, University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL), has an air conditioning system with a total capacity of 8,000 tons that can quickly cool the facility in the hot summer days in Arizona. Imagine how much it would take to cool 2,300 homes; that is how much the system handles (Statistics, n.d.). There is an article in the suggested reading section of this unit that looks more at this venue. Today’s fan is looking for comfort at a stadium these days, that is why systems are so important. Sport venues are there not just to offer opportunities for recreation; they are also there to help increase revenue for their owners. New technologies have helped address the need to find new ways to generate revenue and cut down on overhead. As you go on your facility visit in this unit, it is important to really look closely at the things you probably have never considered before. Keep your eyes open for the different systems in place, and perhaps even compare the facility with another facility in your area or online. Look at the staffing of the facility and see if it is adequate. Take a close examination of the different spaces offered in the venue. This is an informative assignment that not only gives you a look at a facility, but also provides you with an opportunity to network, which is a very important aspect in this field. Prior to completing the reading assignments for the unit, please watch this video from Columbia Southern University’s faculty member, Dr. Tim Rice. The video addresses the unit’s assignments and provides additional information pertinent to the unit. Click here to watch the Unit IV video, or you may navigate to: Rice, T. (2015, July 24) Unit IV Sport Facilities Overview [Video file]. Retrieved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=887xkeZiieo To turn on closed captioning in the video, click the captions icon at the bottom of the video. Click here to access a transcript of the Unit IV video.

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References

Cohen, A. (2012). How stadium construction costs reached the billions. Athletic Business. Retrieved from

http://www.athleticbusiness.com/stadium-arena/how-stadium-construction-costs-reached-the- billions.html

Fried, G. (2015). Managing sports facilities (3rd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Minnesota Vikings. (n.d.) U.S. Bank Stadium: New stadium Q&A. Retrieved from

http://www.vikings.com/stadium/new-stadium/faq.html Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.universityofphoenixstadium.com/stadium/statistics

Suggested Reading The video clips in this website will provide more information about facility systems, parking, and traffic flow at events. Human Kinetics. (n.d.) Chapter 7 [Video file]. Retrieved from

http://videos.humankinetics.com/services/player/bcpid4169931210001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAA0gHQG- E~,UzAFL1pLzn68S26uhv8a-V6vNbpWf9GS

Take a look at this article, mentioned in the unit lesson that discusses the bidding process of the new Minnesota Vikings’ home venue, U.S. Bank Stadium, located in Minneapolis, MN. Mortenson Construction earned the right to build this incredible stadium: Nelson, T. (2013). Mortenson Construction picked to build new Vikings stadium. Retrieved from

http://blogs.mprnews.org/stadium-watch/2013/02/15/mortenson-constructiongets-nod-to-build-new- vikings-stadium/

The video below offers some outstanding information, pictures, and videos of the construction of the U.S. Bank Stadium as it was planned and built. Minnesota Vikings. (n.d.) U.S. Bank Stadium [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.vikings.com/stadium/new-

stadium/ This article offers interesting statistics about University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL): Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.universityofphoenixstadium.com/stadium/statistics