San Diego State has retained Populous to "provide a conceptual plan" for a potential football stadium in Mission Valley, providing perhaps the "clearest indication yet that SDSU, rightfully criticized for being slow to express its vision for Mission Valley, is charging forward with plans to acquire the acreage and build its own stadium instead of partnering with the SoccerCity initiative," according to Mark Zeigler of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Bringing on Populous "isn’t asking some undergrad architecture class to whip up a few drawings." SDSU AD John David Wicker said that the 90-day stadium study, which includes renderings and a financial analysis, will "cost upwards of $100,000." A public university bankrolled by tax dollars is "not investing that kind of money if it’s bluffing." SDSU has also chosen a firm that has "built the last five new college football stadiums," plus MLS venues in Houston, K.C., Orlando, St. Paul, Denver and DC. Zeigler: "That's not a coincidence." Populous Senior Principal Scott Radecic said, "From the first design meeting we had, we said these are the specs and sightlines and configurations for football, and these are specs and sightlines and configurations for soccer. And up to this point, every decision made by San Diego State has been for a quality soccer experience as well. It’s a big part of the concept and design." Zeigler notes a lot still "has to happen" for a stadium to get approved. Wicker said SDSU has had “no discussions” recently with FS Investors, which is backing the SoccerCity initiative, but an open line of communication remains with a "pro-SoccerCity mayor’s office." Wicker: “I haven’t got the sense from them that they’re trying to push us toward talking with FS" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 10/6).
