Facility Notes

In Oklahoma City, Scott Wright reports ASA Hall of Fame Stadium Owner the All-Sports Association, which is under contract to host the Women's College World Series (WCWS) through '09, "hopes to have a four- or five-year extension in place with the NCAA by the end of the calendar year." The next major upgrade for the ballpark will include "better use of the available space, not just for seating capacity, but the concourse, concession and ticket areas." Meeting room and locker room space for teams and umpires "will be in place" for the '09 WCWS, and a new press box will "be built on the concourse down the right field line by 2010" (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 6/5).

GOPHER GOLD: The Univ. of Minnesota's new football stadium, schedule to open for the '09 season, will include luxury suites accommodating 16-19 guests for $45,000 per season. Premium seating at the stadium will consist of 1,250 outdoor club seats, 250 indoor club seats, 50 loge boxes and 37 luxury suites (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/5).

NEW TEAM IN TOWN: Indian River County (FL) Administrator Joe Baird said that the county and an MLB team have a “draft agreement outlining plans to replace” the Dodgers in Vero Beach. Sources indicated that the team is the Orioles, but Orioles Dir of PR Monica Pence said that the club “had no comment on future spring training plans.” A source said that plans “could include a Ripken Baseball youth academy on the site of Dodgertown’s former nine-hole golf course” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 6/5).

Pocono Unlikely To Change Ownership

NOT GOING ANYWHERE: In Philadelphia, Bill Fleischman writes unless SMI Chair & CEO Bruton Smith “swoops in with an overwhelming offer for Pocono Raceway,” the track “will remain in the Mattioli family’s control.” Former Lowe’s Motor Speedway President & GM Humpy Wheeler, citing the track’s proximity to N.Y., added, “NASCAR would hesitate big-time before they would move anything out of Pocono, because the sponsors would go bananas” (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 6/5).