The Miami Hurricanes football program needs a new home. Hard Rock Stadium is a great NFL stadium, but it doesn’t feel like The U. The campus is 21 miles away from the stadium, and with traffic it can take an hour for students to get to the Rock. Ever since the Canes left the Orange Bowl, they haven’t been able to sustain success on the field. This is not a coincidence. Miami has had a difficult time keeping elite South Florida talent in South Florida. I think a large part of that is due to the lackluster atmosphere at Hard Rock. Imagine being an elite recruit going on official visits. You go to a sold out Swamp, Death Valley, and Samford Stadium only to go to Hard Rock and see the place half empty. Where would you go? The program needs a Miami Hurricanes future home of their own.

Tough times are not entirely due to the home stadium of Miami. However, most of those problems are being addressed. The football facility was just completed in 2020, and is up to the standard of elite programs around the country. Mario Cristobal is an elite coach who understands the culture of Miami football. He has assembled a very good coaching staff as well. And now that NIL is legal, the boosters are doing a great job at getting their players paid. John Ruiz is a billionaire who is splashing cash around the Canes program, and now he’s looking to build a football stadium for the program. The Miami Hurricanes future home is getting closer and closer each day. Yesterday we got the first renderings of the stadium, and WOW! This thing looks gorgeous.

• The Stadium

   

  Welcome to Miami! Go Canes! @HKSArchitects pic.twitter.com/bDwCUNBJTa

  — Johnny Ruiz (@johnnyruiz4) August 23, 2022

  The architect is HKS Architects , the same firm that designed SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles where the Super Bowl was held last February. The stadium will fit roughly 65,000, and there are plenty of nods to the Orange Bowl. The open endzone, the ovular shape of the bowl, and the open air design feel like the Orange Bowl, the staduim where Miami experienced their most success.

   

• Location

  Tropical Park.

  John Ruiz told Miami New Times Tropical Park give his 270-acres of land that can be developed into the new home for Miami Hurricanes football. Great news for students too; the stadium will be less than 3 miles from campus. It would also feature a separate indoor practice area for the Canes.

• What's Next

  This is not a done deal by any means. Tropical Park is owned by the City of Miami, and as of this article, the two sides have not discussed the potential build. Ultimately the decision will come down to the voters in Miami, according to Ruiz saying “Obviously, we’re going to talk to the commissioners and the mayor, but ultimately it goes out to a vote to the general public.” via the Miami New Times. Whether this is the new home of the Miami football program or not, there is real momentum within the program and I have no doubts something will stick eventually. 

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