More on Mater Dei and Santa Ana Stadium
July 19th, 2011, 1:59 pm · · posted by Steve Fryer
If Mater Dei football cannot use Santa Ana Stadium as a home stadium starting in 2012, where would the Monarchs go for home football games?
Orange Coast College? That is Orange Lutheran’s home field already, and also Orange Coast’s, of course. There might be enough open dates, on Thursdays, some Fridays and some Saturdays, to make that a choice.
Cal State Fullerton? It is expensive to rent, and CSF controls all the sales of concessions (hot dogs/soda/coffee etc) that are essential to a football program’s income.
It looks like Santa Ana Unified high schools and their football teams would not be affected, as the public schools are viewed as partners of the city-owned stadium.
Also, the Chivas USA-to-Santa Ana plan, if there is one, allegedly includes transforming Willowick Golf Course in Santa Ana into a soccer complex for Chivas USA in particular and the soccer community in general. So, if/when Willowick is converted, then Santa Ana Stadium could be open to Mater Dei again — and perhaps it would be a modernized Santa Ana Stadium that would welcome back the Monarchs.
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OC H.S. Sports
Is it possible for the school to build a seating structure (7K) around the school feild itself and then more parking to have there own MD Stadium. Would it be the short term goal to keep all sales, for a “‘New Stadium and Parking Structure? I think it would be a much better Idea,this way the Big Games like Servite could still be played at the Angel Stadium…..Consolidate….
Mater Dei has expressed no interest in seeking an on-campus stadium — there just is no room there. At all.
And even beyond that, any sort of traffic-impact study would squash the idea (even given the recent widening of Bristol St.)
Steve,
The issue is much bigger and much more complex than it appears.
Indeed, where will Mater Dei football go if displaced from the stadium?
The MLS prohibits football on a soccer only pitch, and with a roughly 8 month long soccer season it leaves little room for high school sports.
In addition, a renovated Santa Ana stadium would not only host MLS soccer but concerts, Supercross, Firework shows and other such paying events.
Most SAUSD sports teams are looking toward playing at Segerstrom High on the south end of Santa Ana, but Mater Dei might be out in the cold.
In addition, Mater Dei golf temas practice and play at Willowick, the intended future home of a new stadium in Santa Ana. Where will they end up if pushed off thier home course. How many future Tiger Woods will be left no place to go?
I urge everyone to visit our website for more details. Click Here for more info.
As far as golf goes, Santa Ana Country Club has been the home to many boys matches over the past couple seasons, and this past Spring that was more of their home course than Willowick. And Mater Dei recently built an on-campus practice facility.
The MLS does not prohibit football on soccer fields its teams play on. You are out of your mind. Where do you come up with this stuff.
And do you really think MD gofl will be left with no place to play and have to drop their program. There are 100 golf courses in te OC and Surrounding areas. I think they will be just fine.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber has specified soccer-specific stadiums, especially if said MLS team is not subsidized by a National Football League franchise, such as the New England Revolution which is operated by the owners of the New England Patriots.
What team in their right mind would go from playing in the 27,000 seat Home Depot Center, dubbed the Jewel of American Soccer, to the 10,000 seat 50 year old Santa Ana Bowl?
Steve, don’t forget that Golden West College also plays its home games at OCC. So, I don’t many Saturday nights will be available.
Thanks for the info on Golden West’s Rustlers also using OCC as a football home stadium.
From an earlier post on this issue is this comment from Dennis Halloran:
Best scenario is Crystal Cathedral being taken over for Diocese of Orange and building a neat stadium in the parking lot, for MD, Servite, OLU and Calvery Chapel to use as a home field
Can you say the Ecumenical Bowl?
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My reaction — I like it! But getting positive results from environmental and/or traffic impact studies might not be as easy to acquire as they were back in the days when the Crystal Cathedral was being planned and built. And it might not look good for the Diocese to supplant another church’s headquarters.
Also … how about this one: JSerra and Santa Margarita join forces to purchase the land and then build a football stadium in south OC?? Saddleback College’s football facility is not good enough.
If J Serra and SM had the foresight to plan for the future and work with Saddleback, they could chip in and work together on upgrading the stadium. This is already part of the Saddleback master plan for athletics, but as you know, money has been scarce. An upgrade would be a lot less expensive that buying new land and starting from scratch. South County has not one decent football stadium (except maybe MV and Trabuco), which is pretty criminal given the level of football being played.
You really expect SM to pay to upgrade a community college stadium?
As for football venues in South County,
I think that Tesoro, San Clemente and Mission are fine football venues.
Level of football being played? Just because they arnt trinity league doesnt make it a lower level of football. its the SCL and im pretty sure that the SCL is just as tough to play in as the trinity league.
Then that would leave Central and Northern OC all to Servite…you WOULD like that Fryer.
How about the almost new stadium at Chapman College. I don’t think anyone uses it except for Chapman.
What about a stadium at the “Great” Park in Irvine? OK, put me in the pessimistic category there — notice that the GP is never mentioned in discussions of a future NFL stadium? I don’t think the GP will be finished, or close to finished, in my lifetime or in my children’s lifetime.
Chapman is too small for Mater Dei or Servite games — it’s almost too small for a Mater Dei vs. Servite freshman game.
Irvine Valley College has a lot of space. Maybe they could build a stadium there?
Lots of open land at Tustins helicopter base. I wouldn’t expect them to fill that with houses anytime soon. A stadium may be a much better option.
The best alternative, in my opinion, would be to hammer out a deal with the powers at Fullerton State. I don’t believe that the financial interests of the university are the issue, as much as liability concerns. Some of the legal minds and business entrepreneurial minds from the great number of Servite and MD should be able to attack this….and I offer my considerable closing skills for nominal consideration. Just saying…
I have neither opening nor closing skills. I have basic stir-the-pot skills, which I have assembled here.
In all my dealings with CSF and the stadium, liability was never mentioned — but maybe I misinterpreted what CSFers were saying (which wasn’t much, really). I don’t know how charging $8 for a parking space, for a high school football game, is connected to liability concerns; maybe it is.
Would seem to be logical Steve, BUT, when the stadium sits empty on most Fri and Sat eves, it smacks of more than financial consideration to my way of processing. We’re probably both wrong, though sometimes pride and arrogance are the culprits that deny the opportunity of providing for the common good of many. Much the same as what’s going on in the national political arena. Generally, one will find that the personal bias of a few are the core of the stumbling block. Persistance wears down resistance and I feel that more can be accomplished by insisting on some remedy.
Let’s continue to “stir the pot” together and maybe some folks in the know will read and progressively address the issue. One can do more than just hope.
Never Ever Lost a Football game or Track meet at Santa Ana Stadium we called it the ” Dust Bowl” I Like to win in there …
Have you landed a position yet? Where are you hoping for and do you have a credential? Hoping for the best for you Encore.
I am sorry but I do not feel sorry for MD. There are plenty of stadiums in the OC and eastern LA area that they can play at. It is not like all of their students live in Santa Ana.
East L.A.? I’m imbibing, but that’s ridiculous.
I was talking about Cerritos College or Citrus College. Come on “The Guild” .
Servite has Cerritos College as its home, and seems to like it (plenty of parking for the Servite horde and their RVs) … Citrus College is too far away — especially on a traffic-y Friday night.
NHHS? It holds about 5000. Might be good for most non Servite games. Segerstrom has a nice stadium but it’s way too small for MD. In the end, if they don’t stay at SA stadium, then sharing OCC with OLU might still be their best bet. A lot of MD folks in NB, CM, & HB. Weren’t there a lot of teams sharing OCC at some point in the past anyway?
Steve,
City of Santa took back all concessions at Eddie West last year. Quality is terrible.