HOFV Breaks Ground on Completion of Phase 2

First - its an estimate. Maybe that's what through you off. Second, fleadog didn't make up that number - its been stated at meetings. There are numerous factors that go into such a projection, not just how many people will come to events.
 
Okay, I found a comparison: The Star in Frisco, Texas. Similar to what the HOFV is planning, The Star is a complex that opened in 2016 at a cost of $1.5 billion. It features a 12,000 seat indoor facility that is home to Frisco ISD high school football, as well as numerous other events. Also, it has numerous other practice fields (like HOFV will), a luxury hotel (as HOFV will), plenty of parking, as well as bars/restaurants, and the like. Benson stadium maybe slightly bigger, but also, the Dallas Cowboys moved their headquarters to The Star, which ups its value some. Will the Browns be moving their HQ from Berea to Canton when this is done? I doubt it.

Another factor to consider in that valuation is that Frisco was already located near high-dollar high-population Dallas suburbs such as Plano, Denton, McKinney, and Allen (home of the biggest HS football stadium in the country), so the demand was already there nearby. People tend to over-inflate their best-case scenarios when giving financial projections (I'd know; I work in finance), but what the HOFV estimated is absolutely egregious, regardless of whether or not it was stated at meetings. Lastly, I don't think this place will draw anywhere near as much as people are saying; the people would have come to this would have come for the Hall of Fame and its related events anyway. The HOFV will be worth less than $2B when done... guaranteed. I hope it succeeds, but I definitely wouldn't have greenlit it.
 
But they said it in a meeting. It must be true.

Only a true dope would believe anything this management team says.

I was going to stop in Shula’s steakhouse last weekend after the winter blitz event but the event was canceled and the steakhouse still isn’t open after yet another missed deadline has passed.

Sports betting kicks off in Ohio in a few weeks. One would think the county’s only in person sports book would be open and ready to hit the ground running on Jan 1st like all the other major players in this market. Unfortunately, I read the sports book won’t be open until sometime this summer which really means 2024 in Hall of fame village time.
 
But they said it in a meeting. It must be true.

Only a true dope would believe anything this management team says.

I was going to stop in Shula’s steakhouse last weekend after the winter blitz event but the event was canceled and the steakhouse still isn’t open after yet another missed deadline has passed.

Sports betting kicks off in Ohio in a few weeks. One would think the county’s only in person sports book would be open and ready to hit the ground running on Jan 1st like all the other major players in this market. Unfortunately, I read the sports book won’t be open until sometime this summer which really means 2024 in Hall of fame village time.
When everything does open, sounds like you'll be spending a lot of time there!
 
I try to save my investment dollars for companies that actually generate a profit.

The only thing HOFV generates is debt, broken promises, and missed deadlines.

Hang on tight. The reverse stock split and more stock dilution is right around the corner. Projected future revenue numbers must have been worked up on a barstool in “thriving” downtown canton.
 
And the animosity towards this project was caused by him claiming YEARS AGO that these are normal construction delays that happen on every project. LMAO!! Yes it was normal to not pay the contractors for almost a year and half. It was normal to pour the foundation for a hotel, only to tear it out and build retail shops in the same location. Completely normal to go 100 million over budget on the stadium. YES THESE THINGS HAPPEN ON EVERY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
 
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WowAnd the animosity towards this project was caused by him claiming YEARS AGO that these are normal construction delays that happen on every project. LMAO!! Yes it was normal to not pay the contractors for almost a year and half. It was normal to pour the foundation for a hotel, only to tear it out and build retail shops in the same location. Completely normal to go 100 million over budget on the stadium. YES THESE THINGS HAPPEN ON EVERY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
$100 million over budget? Just imagine if they had finished it and built the east endzone.
Disbelief Reaction GIF
 
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I thought so too. I bought in yesterday after I saw they had broken ground for new
construction. Just wanted another opinion. I see this as a nice long term investment
for my children.
THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP. WITH THE ADDITIONAL INFO I'VE SEEN ON THIS
THREAD, I'M OUTTA THAT TURKEY. MONEY IN HAND AND HOLDING FOR THE
MARKET COLLAPSE TO JUMP BACK INTO SOME VIABLE STOCK.
 
LOVE A GOOD REVERSE STOCK SPLIT.
MAN, I'M GLAD I DUMPED THAT TURKEY.
1:22 REALLY SUCKS THE BIG ONE. THERE
GOES THE MAJORITY OF THE UPSIDE.
 
Ground breaking for the indoor water park and luxury Hilton hotel yesterday. More stuff that will never happen being built. Contractors some said will never work there now there every day. It's a win for the region and another L for the haters.
MY2, LOOKS LIKE FINANCIAL BENEFIT GREATLY REDUCED.
FROM A STOCK PURCHASE, LARGE PAYOFF STANDPOINT.
HOPEFULLY, THE COMPLEX WILL BE SUCCESSFUL FOR STARK COUNTY.
 
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I saw that the USFL has picked Canton as one of the 4 cities where they will hold regular season games. To me, this is good for the USFL and good for the City of Canton and the HOF project. Sure, the USFL isn't the NFL. But they are trying to grow it smartly; unlike prior iterations of these off-season football leagues. Will it work? Will it be a viable model? Who knows! But, no matter what, it's positive publicity for Canton and the HOV. Can't be viewed as anything other than a positive.

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/usfl/canton-ohio-to-host-usfl-games-during-2023-regular-season
 
I saw that the USFL has picked Canton as one of the 4 cities where they will hold regular season games. To me, this is good for the USFL and good for the City of Canton and the HOF project. Sure, the USFL isn't the NFL. But they are trying to grow it smartly; unlike prior iterations of these off-season football leagues. Will it work? Will it be a viable model? Who knows! But, no matter what, it's positive publicity for Canton and the HOV. Can't be viewed as anything other than a positive.

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/usfl/canton-ohio-to-host-usfl-games-during-2023-regular-season
last year the usfl used one location as their business model isn't about ticket sales but rather tv contract and commercial sales via that contract. Plus the league kept costs down with travel for teams and tv. This year they expand to 4 destinations which will accommodate the TV contract and allow for more people to come see them.
There's a few reasons the USFL did as they did. One, yes, they only are really focused on TV viewership for revenue. In the days of streaming and cord cutting, live sports is still a HUGE advertising target. That million or so average that USFL got in 2022 (which is less than the worst NBC game XFL did in 2001) is now coveted because they're commercials that tend to have people sit through. People don't generally watch sports on DVR. They watch them live.

However, they didn't quite expect the numbers of in stadium attendance to be as low as they were for the non-Birmingham games. Not that they were bad, but just well below their expectations. They went to four sites (and therefore, four stadium rentals, up to 4 teams traveling each week, 4 teams selling tickets, etc) not because in house crowds are going to be that much better (there's still four teams without homes), but because by having teams now in new markets that will also help the TV numbers. The ones that actually matter to them. Detroit, Pittsburgh and Memphis might actually care and it wouldn't take a huge bump in local numbers to see a small boost in national numbers.

The big issue with Canton is that this was a fallback option. USFL went to Memphis having to get rid of Tampa Bay. Going with two northern sites, they weren't going to a Philly or NJ stadium, so Pittsburgh was the only other option. And if you know southwest PA, there are no other stadiums that seat over 10k other than Heinz/Acrisure Stadium. Seriously. The Wolvarena (Woodland Hills) and Neumann (North Allegheny) are the only stadiums that reach the 10k threshold. And Wolvarena is tough to say because two whole sections even lack bleachers to call them 'seats'. It's just concrete steps. And besides, Wolvarena would be out anyways due to the lack of parking and sideline space.

The only 'high level' stadium that seats over 10k in western PA that 1) has parking, 2) has sideline space, and 3) has adequate lighting would be Slippery Rock's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium that seats about 12k.

Turns out, SRU now has capacity listed at 10k. I'm guessing the last rehab shrunk capacity for ADA compliance (wider aisles and railings).

USFL wanted a Pittsburgh based stadium. But there just aren't any. They went with the best option. The stadium that hosted the playoffs the previous year (and scheduled to host in 2023 as well), but since it was a last minute plan, they missed the boat (figuratively), by pulling a Memphis Showboats and making one of the teams either an Ohio/Cleveland/Canton moniker and really have driven up attendance.

A Pittsburgh/Cleveland rivalry both based out of Canton with at least two 'showdowns' in Canton would've been something interesting and probably a sell out just due to the animosity between the two cities in football. Instead, you've got the Generals that only the football mad crowd would attend when the Maulers aren't there to play.

Though, if attendance does go well in Canton, 2024 might see them hosting an Ohio themed team (be it Ohio, Cleveland, or Canton). But again, TV eyeballs is the primary care. I don't see USFL going straight to 8 host sites in 2024. If anything, they'll add more teams and only a few more host sites if any. Trying to drum up viewers for their labeled yet vagabond teams.

As for the four host sites. It will most likely be each city will host one game a weekend. Which means TV crews shouldn't need to travel at all. They'd be locals based in each market. And only 8 weeks out of 10 will one of the two 'host' teams need to leave their host cities. The other team will always be at home, and twice they'll play each other. Again, limiting travel greatly.
 
There's a few reasons the USFL did as they did. One, yes, they only are really focused on TV viewership for revenue. In the days of streaming and cord cutting, live sports is still a HUGE advertising target. That million or so average that USFL got in 2022 (which is less than the worst NBC game XFL did in 2001) is now coveted because they're commercials that tend to have people sit through. People don't generally watch sports on DVR. They watch them live.

However, they didn't quite expect the numbers of in stadium attendance to be as low as they were for the non-Birmingham games. Not that they were bad, but just well below their expectations. They went to four sites (and therefore, four stadium rentals, up to 4 teams traveling each week, 4 teams selling tickets, etc) not because in house crowds are going to be that much better (there's still four teams without homes), but because by having teams now in new markets that will also help the TV numbers. The ones that actually matter to them. Detroit, Pittsburgh and Memphis might actually care and it wouldn't take a huge bump in local numbers to see a small boost in national numbers.

The big issue with Canton is that this was a fallback option. USFL went to Memphis having to get rid of Tampa Bay. Going with two northern sites, they weren't going to a Philly or NJ stadium, so Pittsburgh was the only other option. And if you know southwest PA, there are no other stadiums that seat over 10k other than Heinz/Acrisure Stadium. Seriously. The Wolvarena (Woodland Hills) and Neumann (North Allegheny) are the only stadiums that reach the 10k threshold. And Wolvarena is tough to say because two whole sections even lack bleachers to call them 'seats'. It's just concrete steps. And besides, Wolvarena would be out anyways due to the lack of parking and sideline space.

The only 'high level' stadium that seats over 10k in western PA that 1) has parking, 2) has sideline space, and 3) has adequate lighting would be Slippery Rock's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium that seats about 12k.

Turns out, SRU now has capacity listed at 10k. I'm guessing the last rehab shrunk capacity for ADA compliance (wider aisles and railings).

USFL wanted a Pittsburgh based stadium. But there just aren't any. They went with the best option. The stadium that hosted the playoffs the previous year (and scheduled to host in 2023 as well), but since it was a last minute plan, they missed the boat (figuratively), by pulling a Memphis Showboats and making one of the teams either an Ohio/Cleveland/Canton moniker and really have driven up attendance.

A Pittsburgh/Cleveland rivalry both based out of Canton with at least two 'showdowns' in Canton would've been something interesting and probably a sell out just due to the animosity between the two cities in football. Instead, you've got the Generals that only the football mad crowd would attend when the Maulers aren't there to play.

Though, if attendance does go well in Canton, 2024 might see them hosting an Ohio themed team (be it Ohio, Cleveland, or Canton). But again, TV eyeballs is the primary care. I don't see USFL going straight to 8 host sites in 2024. If anything, they'll add more teams and only a few more host sites if any. Trying to drum up viewers for their labeled yet vagabond teams.

As for the four host sites. It will most likely be each city will host one game a weekend. Which means TV crews shouldn't need to travel at all. They'd be locals based in each market. And only 8 weeks out of 10 will one of the two 'host' teams need to leave their host cities. The other team will always be at home, and twice they'll play each other. Again, limiting travel greatly.
USFL schedule just came out. They are doing some doubleheaders at the same site on the same day, and some one game on a Saturday and one the next day on Sunday at the same site.

As far as ticketing, when I went to Birmingham last May, a single $10 (maybe it was $15) ticket got you in for both games that day. And you were allowed to leave between games, and return to the stadium using that same ticket for the later game.

(Side note: I did not stay for the later game, as there was a three hour break in between games. And it was hot, plus I wanted to get started on my way back to Ohio.)

As far as the crowd at the game I attended in Birmingham, it wasn’t bad as it was Birmingham vs. Pittsburgh. I imagine the second game later that day was sparsely attended. Though they were encouraging fans on the way out, to come back to the stadium using their same ticket for the second game.
 
USFL schedule just came out. They are doing some doubleheaders at the same site on the same day, and some one game on a Saturday and one the next day on Sunday at the same site.

As far as ticketing, when I went to Birmingham last May, a single $10 (maybe it was $15) ticket got you in for both games that day. And you were allowed to leave between games, and return to the stadium using that same ticket for the later game.

(Side note: I did not stay for the later game, as there was a three hour break in between games. And it was hot, plus I wanted to get started on my way back to Ohio.)

As far as the crowd at the game I attended in Birmingham, it wasn’t bad as it was Birmingham vs. Pittsburgh. I imagine the second game later that day was sparsely attended. Though they were encouraging fans on the way out, to come back to the stadium using their same ticket for the second game.
I haven't seen the schedule. But, the doubleheader at one site isn't too bad since they're still probably using the same production company locally to do both. Might have venue availability issues such as at Ford Field or when Birmingham had the paralympic thing.

The USFL site's schedule is completely messed up. However, the tweeted out schedules are apparently correct. Canton does have one doubleheader and a couple weekends with games on back-to-back days. The doubleheader seems like one I might go to.
 
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