North Carolina State University Athletics
Haynes' World: Building a Winning Foundation
5/4/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
May 4, 2001
By Tony Haynes
At first glance, the north and south ends of Carter-Finley Stadium look like war zones. If you didn't know any better, you'd think that a couple of loose cannon terrorists had found a way to fire mortar shells into the place.
Behind the South end zone, a massive crater of dirt has replaced the grassy bank that once became a last resort for ticket buyers who wanted to witness a big game. On the other end of the field, old pine trees have been cleared out to make room for a giant, state of the art scoreboard that should be in place by next season.
Fortunately, many of us can remember a time not very long ago when the piece of land that now props up the beautiful Entertainment and Sports Arena across the way was nothing more than a big, ugly hole in the ground.
The dirt and the dust are well worth it. The disheveled mess we witness now will become a foundation for the beautiful football facility NC State needs and deserves.
No one is more anxious to get this project done than the head football coach. Chuck Amato wants to build a national powerhouse, but he knows it can't be done without competitive facilities.
His passion for the Carter-Finley Stadium renovation has been on display during the Wolfpack Club's spring caravan. As he's traveled around the state speaking to Wolfpack Club members over the last month, Amato articulates his feelings with the fervor of a Southern Baptist minister at a tent revival. He points to an artists rendering of the final product and says the time has come for the Wolfpack to have a home that could be second to none in the ACC.
"You want big time football, then we've got to finish this," Amato explains.
Getting to the finish line won't be cheap, but as Amato correctly points out, "the longer we wait, the more expensive it becomes."
Interest rates are low, a popular coach is in place, and the program appears to be on the verge of taking off. As former NFL coach George Allen once said, "The future is now."
The future includes a 100,000-square foot Football Center in the south end zone. The four level building will feature a locker room three times larger than the current locker room a football field away. The training/sports medicine facility will double in size. A modern computer/study area will assist the academic needs of the players.
Three outdoor practice fields will go up on the northeast corner of the stadium property.
The new closed in area behind the south end zone will provide 5,702 more seats, and the top 11 rows will feature 2,016 premium seats with chair backs. Eventually, a new seating structure will also close in the north end zone as well.
The final piece to the puzzle will be an ultra-modern press box that will stretch from goal line to goal line.
When it's all completed in two or three years down the road, NC State will have a magical showplace for football. And together, Carter-Finley Stadium and the ESA will give NC State one of the best sports complexes in the country.
What once seemed impossible is now within reach.
