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Speros begins search for UFL venue, visits NSU, Sportsplex
By Rich Radford, The Virginian-Pilot – 7/1/2010
Jim Speros, the man behind the plan to bring a United Football League team to the Hampton Roads region, expanded his horizons Wednesday in regard to where his team could play.
A day after meeting with officials at Norfolk State University to discuss the option of playing at Dick Price Stadium, Speros toured the Sportsplex in Virginia Beach with mayor Will Sessoms.
"I initially went to see the Sportsplex for its possibilities as a training camp site," Speros said. "But I met with Mayor Sessoms, and we talked about the possibility of expansion of the facility.
"It's still just a possibility at this point, and that's all we talked about: the possibility."
Speros was conditionally granted a UFL franchise in the Hampton Roads region 10 days ago and has since been in the area laying the groundwork for the yet-to-be-named team to play in fall 2011.
The UFL had four teams this past fall and is adding a fifth this fall. The league has franchises in Orlando, Fla., Sacramento, Las Vegas and Hartford, Conn., and Omaha, Neb.
The league mandates its teams play in a facility with a minimum of 20,000 seats, so the Sportsplex presents a challenge: It has only 7,000 permanent seats. Its capacity is listed at 10,000, but that's with fans sitting on the berm on the east side of the field.
Speros said the idea of temporary seating to bring the facility up to a 20,000-seat capacity was discussed.
"We could put 10,000 seats on the berm and then another 3,000 in one of the end zones to get us to 20,000," Speros said.
Speros said meetings at Norfolk State also went well and details for parking, concessions and game-day operations were discussed.
Speros added he still expects to meet with Tides president Ken Young next week to discuss Harbor Park as an option and has a meeting set with ODU athletic director Wood Selig for mid-July to inquire about the possible use of Foreman Field.
Speros reiterated that securing a playing facility remains his priority.
"Every day in which I don't have a venue is another day in which I can't market the product and I can't sell tickets," Speros said.
Rich Radford, (757) 446-2463, rich.radford@pilotonline.com
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