Much to be done before Bandits are ours

So the Chicago Bandits professional softball team is coming to Elgin.

Actually, that's not big news. The city has been courting the Bandits for over a year to become the main tenant in a softball stadium the city would like to build on the current Spartan Meadows golf course property along McLean Blvd. Plans for a stadium have been discussed for well over a year and that's no secret.

What had been kept under wraps until it was reported exclusively in Saturday's Daily Herald was the fact the Bandits have been in negotiations with the city and Judson University to move the team here as early as next summer. They would play at Judson after the city donates $350,000 to the school for upgrades to the JU facility.

But before we start putting out welcome signs let's examine a few things.

Don't get me wrong here. Having a 4,400 seat softball stadium, a 45-acre entertainment complex and a professional franchise to anchor things is a huge positive. Next to landing the Grand Victoria Casino, this could be one of Elgin's biggest coups ever.

And I believe the stadium will happen. The location is perfect, especially when Spartan Drive gets extended to Randall Road, which could happen sometime in 2008. But the stadium is a good three years off, at least. But when it comes, expect Elgin to bid for IHSA state final tournaments, college tournaments and high-level summer tournaments.

"This is all still very preliminary," said Elgin Mayor Ed Schock on Saturday. "We've got so far to go before we build a stadium."

Like getting city council approval, which has not yet happened.

Then, the land at Spartan has to become available. Work is in the infant stages on the additional 9 holes of golf course being built that will make the current Spartan Meadows land available for stadium construction.

"That time frame is still the biggest unknown," Schock said.

Realistically, we're probably not looking at a stadium being constructed and ready for play here until 2010 or 2011, by Schock's estimation. If the deal with Judson gets done that means the Bandits would play there for two, or most likely, three years.

To bring Judson's softball facilities up to par for a professional team to call JU home will take a lot of work. There are no bathroom facilities close to the field, the closest electrical lines are at least 100 yards away from the field, there's no press box, there's no scoreboard … there are, well, a lot of things to be done.

But Schock said Bill Sokolis, vice president of the Bandits, believes the work can be done on time for the 2008 Bandits season, which starts at the end of May. The Bandits' contract at Benedictine University in Lisle expired after this past season and Bandits' principle owner Bill Conroy had not made public his plans to move from Lisle, nor would he discuss the impending deal with the Daily Herald on Friday, despite the fact his director of team operations, Gerry Clarke, did, as well as city and Judson officials.

"They went out and looked at Judson's fields and determined everything that needed to be done," Schock said. "The idea that this will work is there. Nailing down every detail is not there. The Bandits wanted an interim home and this would bring the Bandits to Elgin and create a fan base before the stadium would be up."

If the deal goes through -- and you'll see a lot of ifs here because not one iota of this plan has been agreed upon in writing yet -- it would likely mean Judson's softball team would have to give up its field for the spring schedule. But that's a small price to pay for $350,000 worth of upgrades to your facility. Those upgrades would include expanded seating, a scoreboard, dugouts, regrading the field, more or better lighting and expanded parking, among other things.

Schock reiterated the Judson deal is far from done.

"We've really just been brainstorming and this is all very tentative," he said. "We have a list and we have a budget."

Judson became the logical choice in Elgin by default more than anything. ECC wasn't all that interested and the Elgin Sports Complex would have major scheduling concerns with other events if it were to turn a field over to the Bandits, like the Rockford Park District did at the Sportscore for the Thunder last year.

And while Judson would certainly benefit from the upgrades, I have to believe the administration at Judson, a private Christian school that doesn't allow tobacco or alcohol use on its campus, would have some concerns about some things that $350,000 wouldn't pay to control. I'll let you draw your own conclusions on that one.

Again, this is no knock on the Bandits coming here. It's no secret I love softball and I'd like pro softball in Elgin more than anything. The Bandits do good things for the community, both on and off the field.

But Judson needs to control the upgrading process, and not the city or the Bandits. Sure, there are certain things the Bandits would rightfully require but when the stadium is built and the Bandits are gone from JU, it will be the school that's left to maintain the facility. The school needs to be cognizant of the fact that the Bandits are a professional sports franchise in business to make money, and not allow the Bandits or anyone else to have total control of how the facility is upgraded.

"I think the Judson thing is a win, win, win and we're all excited about it," Schock said.

Will the Bandits draw big crowds in Elgin? Initially, sure, because it's new. People are always interested in something new. However, in 2008 the Bandits and the rest of the National Pro Fastpitch league will not have marquee Olympic players like Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman on their rosters. The league has survived on those names for the last few years, whether they will admit that or not. For proof, just look at the Bandits' attendance figures when Finch was there versus when she wasn't.

The bottom line is it appears we are closer and closer to the Bandits coming to Elgin. While there still appear to be a few hurdles to clear in terms of the team coming to Judson as early as next summer, the work is being done to make that happen and that's a good thing.

Skeptics will surely wonder how it will work out at Judson -- I know I do. I also know the people involved from Judson and the city will put forth their very best effort -- and an honest effort -- to make this happen.

Let's hope the Bandits do the same.