Attendance Stat

[Saint3333]

The university has a capital campaign going on right now and will likely have another call to arms on 11/9, if the money was available we'd have 30k permanent seats.

[yosef13]

This is a business decision. You don't add capital projects which you aren't able to pay for. We have two options, use donations to fund the project or use revenue from tickets sold.

Demand isn't high enough consistently.

Or use a Public, Private, Partnership model which the board has approved for the north end zone project. This will allow us to use other forms of revenue such as mixed use leases, rather than than relying on donations and tickets sales alone. Smart move by the powers that be.

[bcoach]

I don't think lowering the field is economically feasible.

Its not

[Saint3333]

Publics in P3s will only invest in projects in which they see a return. I imagine they will invest in the north endzone project which will be predominantly club seating which demand is able to support.

[NoLongerLurking]

Lets raze some academic buildings and build something. Just make sure to leave Justice Hall unmolested in the process.

[App91]

I think before we look at expanding, we need to have a serious push to grow the Yosef club. That in itself would help season ticket sales, but there are about 120k living alumni and about 4k YC members? that is terrible.

[yosef13]

Publics in P3s will only invest in projects in which they see a return. I imagine they will invest in the north endzone project which will be predominantly club seating which demand is able to support.

My understanding is the Public aspect will also include retail space. Is this your understanding? If this correct, I'm sure a number businesses would like to open shop on campus.

[Saint3333]

Haven't heard retail, I had heard some medical facility. Lots of options on the table for sure.

[Rick83]

I don't think lowering the field is economically feasible.

Its not

I'm just curious if you guys are basing this off of engineering studies you've seen or read about? Seems to me that lowering the field would be the best option for both expanding the seating and preserving the character of Kidd Brewer. They had to deal with rock with the new tower on the west side, and will have to deal with it with the north end building project and I'm sure they blasted through it. I understand it's a much larger space but they move mountains all the time up there. The decision's already been made that we're not going to move the stadium off campus somewhere because everyone loves it where it is so we have to work with what's there. Also, I believe there's been discussion of an underground parking deck in the stadium parking lot area so I'd have to believe that the soil/rock situation would be similar.
I'm not an engineer so may have no idea what I'm talking about...

[MDaniels84]

Someone can (and will) correct me if I am wrong but I think that the biggest obstacle in the way of lowering the field is the fact that a creek runs under the stadium.

[appst89]

I've been told by some pretty reliable people that lowering the field is not possible because of the solid rock beneath the stadium. It's not even being discussed any longer.

We've done several piecemeal additions over the years which have put us where we are. I don't deny that changes are needed. Seating probably needs to be increased, but that has to be paired with infrastructure upgrades. We are woefully short of bathroom and concession facilities when we have a large crowd. I just hope that whatever changes are made they are well thought out and designed for future needs rather than the approach that has been taken in our most recent expansions/renovations.

[Saint3333]

Has everyone forgot the drilling delays for the scoreboard already. This isn't the piedmont clay most of us are used to in our backyard.

[WVAPPeer]

No one has commented on this - is this not possible for a short-term answer?

Until anything major can be done why not set up the South Endzone same as the North? - there would still be some hill space at the top and those bleachers would be right down on the back of the end zone just like at the other end ---

[Rick83]

Has everyone forgot the drilling delays for the scoreboard already. This isn't the piedmont clay most of us are used to in our backyard.

Saint, everyone knows that there's rock there and that point isn't being argued. Rock can be dealt with; it's dealt with probably with most construction that happens up there. It sounds like from some connected posters, it's already been evaluated (I'm assuming by engineers) and been determined it's not feasible which is a shame.

[ArmantiWaterSafety]

I think before we look at expanding, we need to have a serious push to grow the Yosef club. That in itself would help season ticket sales, but there are about 120k living alumni and about 4k YC members? that is terrible.

Agreed, but I do think it is sort of a confusing program to some. I am a member, but I can see why some would be hesitant to do so. Especially with newer alumni (I graduated in 2013 for reference), I've talked to a lot of of people that like one stop shops. Since there's not a "here is a 1,000 dollar option that includes a parking spot in one of these lots, season tickets in one of these sections, and the rest is to scholarships" one press of a button and you're done option, people don't want to do it. Just my 2 cents. Not that it is really complicated, but some choose not to dive into it.

[Rick83]

I've been told by some pretty reliable people that lowering the field is not possible because of the solid rock beneath the stadium. It's not even being discussed any longer.

We've done several piecemeal additions over the years which have put us where we are. I don't deny that changes are needed. Seating probably needs to be increased, but that has to be paired with infrastructure upgrades. We are woefully short of bathroom and concession facilities when we have a large crowd. I just hope that whatever changes are made they are well thought out and designed for future needs rather than the approach that has been taken in our most recent expansions/renovations.

Agree on the infrastructure changes, additional and upgraded bathrooms, additional exits from the upper levels to the ground. Go back to selling drinks and snacks from hawkers in the stands. I wonder if we had better exiting if people would be more likely to stay until the end of the game. The better we can make the experience, the more likely that people will come.

[bcoach]

We need infrastructure improvements before we ever think about adding one more seat.

[EastHallApp]

We need infrastructure improvements before we ever think about adding one more seat.

The two may go hand-in-hand, but I would agree that having portojohns scattered around the stadium is a bigger issue than whatever seating challenges we may have.

[NewApp]

We need infrastructure improvements before we ever think about adding one more seat.

What particular infrastructure improvements do you see as needed, bcoach?

[APPdiesel]

No one has commented on this - is this not possible for a short-term answer?

Until anything major can be done why not set up the South Endzone same as the North? - there would still be some hill space at the top and those bleachers would be right down on the back of the end zone just like at the other end ---

My guess would be because we just built a multi million dollar score board and sight lines to it would be compromised in select parts of the stadium...unless you're suggesting something small like the original temporary bleachers that were only 15 or so rows high. Some people really enjoy the hill though so you could then be blocking their sight lines to the field.

My suggestion would be a future compromise. Leave Miller Hill partially open and partially seated. IE seats in the corners, grass in the middle (ala Clemson) or seats in the middle, grass in the corners.