Rome and local recreation officials say they will have to determine just what improvements need to be made at Barron Stadium now that the facility will be home to the NAIA championship football games for the next two years.
One thing is for sure — it’ll be getting a bit of a facelift.
"Today kind of changes everything from the standpoint of what we need to get done,” said Richard Garland, executive director of the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority. “This is an opportunity to showcase Rome through Barron Stadium, and we need to take a good hard look at doing what we want to get done and what needs to be done.”
Garland said he hopes to take a walkthrough of the stadium with Shorter College Athletic Director Bill Peterson in the next 10 days to discuss the main points of the NAIA’s concerns.
Peterson announced Thursday that Shorter College and Rome had won the bid to host the games.
Rome City Manager John Bennett said Thursday that $75,000 is budgeted this year for renovations and repairs to the 5,000-seat venue.
“I don’t know if that’s going to take care of everything we need to do,” Bennett said, adding that the agreement between Shorter and the NAIA includes making improvements to the press box.
Bennett said that he believes most of those issues center on electronic and Internet connectivity.
Also, Bennett is looking to construct areas for television cameras on top of the visiting side bleachers. The NAIA guidelines state that the camera platforms should be on the same side as the press box, which in on the home side at Barron.
“We thought that it would look better for the cameras to be facing the home side,” Bennett said. “But, if they want them on the other side, we’ve got one there.”
Bennett said further discussions will have to take place once a host committee is formed.
“There will have to be an agreement drawn up between Shorter and the city now that we know that we are getting it,” he said.
Garland said the restrooms, ticket booths and concession areas will likely have to be renovated, along with additional seeding of the field. Cost estimates for that work will have to be determined, he said.
“During the site visit, (the NAIA) came and saw the facilities so they know what they’re getting and we made no special promises as to what we would do,” Bennett said.
The city agreed in May to contribute $12,500 during each year but hopes to recoup some of that money through ticket sales and concessions, Bennett said.
The Floyd County Commission agreed by general consensus in May to provide as much as $12,500 toward the host community guarantee, although they did not take a formal vote.
County Commissioner Eddie Lumsden said a profit and loss analysis showed that revenue generated from other activities during the event is expected to offset the expense.
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Click here for the NAIA Web site.
Click here for Shorter College’s Web site.
Click here to view the championship host agreement.
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Click here for the NAIA press release.
Click here to see the host requirements.
