Preliminary drawings of a potential football stadium at ETSU have been released by the ETSU Football Steering Committee.
Released by Spartanburg, S.C.-based architectural firm Smith, McMillan and Partners Architects, the drawings depict an outdoor stadium complete with fans in the bleachers and Buccaneer logos emblazoned onto the field.
Also included in the renderings is an overhead view of the field and facilities and a cross section of the stands and press seating area.
“It is exciting to see the vision of a new football stadium finally on paper,” said Dave Mullins, director of ETSU athletics.
Three-hundred ninety donors managed to collectively contribute the $300,000 necessary to keep alive the possibility of the football program returning. The return of a football program at ETSU will be brought before the student body for a vote next week.
Students will be casting their vote April 10 and 11 for or against an initial $50 increase in the student activity fee billed to support the return of a football program.
“If the student fee is approved in April we will move forward with other phases of the design process,” said Dr. Wilsie Bishop, steering committee chairman.
The Tennessee Board of Regents must approve the athletic program in the event that ETSU students vote to bring it back.
Additionally, $15 million will still be needed by 2008 in order for the program to come to fruition. ETSU President Dr. Paul Stanton has expressed his desire to have a Division 1-AA level football team by 2010 pending that program’s return.
For now, the artistic renderings of a potential football stadium will likely be generating discussion of the upcoming vote among ETSU students, alumni and the community.
“That is not the final drawing,” said Troy DeCastro, ETSU alumnus and former Bucs football player. “It is my belief that basically the administration just wanted something out there to give people something to talk about.”
DeCastro is one of many passionate supporters of the football program’s return to ETSU. He said that the artistic renderings released by the firm were “Just more proof that things are going to be different” if the program gets support from the student body.
Meanwhile a Facebook.com group calling itself “Don’t Bring Back ETSU Football” has managed to collect at least 348 members as of April.
“This vote is the only say we have in the matter,” said group founder Eli Watson. “After April 11th it is out of our hands.”
For more information, call Assistant Athletic Director Michael White at 439-4220.

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