Only days after winds higher than 70 mph knocked down a light pole onto seats at Hughes Stadium new Colorado State athletic director Jack Graham said "A new stadium is going to happen. This is not a 'maybe it's going to happen' kind of a conversation. We are actively moving toward the construction of a stadium on our campus and it is going to happen."

The wind damage was not the reason for the new stadium idea, it is something that has been in the works for some time. Not only does Graham want to upgrade, but he also wants the new stadium to be right on the CSU campus unlike Hughes Stadium. Graham says he promises to "engage the community" when deciding on a site.

Cost of the new facility is assumed to be between 100 and 200 million dollars which will be funded by alumni donations and private funding, not money from Colorado taxpayers.

Hughes Stadium opened in 1968 on the west edge of Fort Collins, four miles west of the school's main campus. The stadium has a seating capacity of 34,400, and cost just under 3 million dollars when it was built.

CSU Facilities Management Director Steve Hultin says fans shouldn't be concerned about the five other light poles around the field. For now, Hughes Stadium is still the home of Rams football. Graham says he hopes the stadium would be constructed in time for the 2014 football season.

Contributed by Shawn Patrick

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