View Full Version : Time to expand Oklahoma Memorial Stadium?
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OKVision4U 12-19-2013, 05:57 PM Yes, ...it looks like I may be very close to this subject. 100K / South End with Suites / Overall upgades in seats / plus the pressbox. ...and that Ruth Chris Steakhouse too. ...the Billy Sims BBQ as well. ...that Fanzone Experience. Boomer.
This was not news to me. lol.
SoonerDave 12-19-2013, 05:58 PM At OU the best seats for viewing the development of a football play are in the center of the end-zone about 50 rows up..... Unlike some end zone seat in some stadiums you are still close to the field..
I know of several football coaches who love this angle of view.
:o
I might disagree with you on that a bit...there's very little you can't see from a 50-yard-line seat on either of the upper decks. You can see routes unfold, holes open, you name it......I *love* sitting up there.
Laramie 12-25-2013, 11:00 PM Great find, ou48
"Oklahoma has, in spite of all of Stoops' success, and all of the upgrades that were made upon his arrival, again fallen behind the eight-ball in the never ending 'facilities war'.
Sure, every program has nice facilities, places that would be upgrades over anything a top prospect has seen at his high school. But what about a comparison against the kind of programs that Oklahoma is expected to compete with on the recruiting trails?"
Our football venue is slowly succumbing to obsolesces among the Top 25 collegiate football stadiums . Howard Schnellenberger referred to Owen Field as a 'Grand old lady...'
Ranking the Nation's Top 25 College Football Stadiums | AthlonSports.com (http://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-football-2013-ranking-nations-top-25-stadiums#1)
University of Oklahoma currently sits at number 18.
Recruits want to be a part of success; especially aligning themselves with a program as storied as that of our Oklahoma Sooners. It's time to spruce up the 'Grand Old Lady." Expansion and renovation needs to take place.
http://files.sharenator.com/g2-s2100x1500-59966-580.jpg
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
New press box facilities and a modest expansion of 6,000-8,000 by closing the south end zone corners should bring seating capacity to around 90,000. Let's hope the news arrives around Christmas.
The release of Drunkenbuerger; it's time to put a new face on Howard Schnellenberger's 'Grand Old Lady...'
“You don't want more than 90,000 people here,” Switzer said. “We're a small state and you want them to fight for those tickets and it be a premium for them to come to Oklahoma games.”--OU football: Upgrades to Gaylord Family ? Oklahoma Memorial Stadium might be in the works | News OK (http://newsok.com/ou-football-upgrades-to-gaylord-family-oklahoma-memorial-stadium-might-be-in-the-works/article/3896806)
http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif "Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.
OKVision4U 01-05-2014, 09:47 AM A new face-lift on the stadium will help all the other recruits make up their minds too. Boomer.
ou48A 02-26-2014, 02:22 PM Joe C. is scheduled to be on KREF at 1:17 PM Thursday
Joe C. will supposedly be asked about some of the new OU athletic facility's?
Just the facts 02-26-2014, 02:49 PM Ranking the Nation's Top 25 College Football Stadiums | AthlonSports.com (http://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-football-2013-ranking-nations-top-25-stadiums#1)
I don't get these rankings at all. Maybe if they had provided some kind of criteria it would have helped (or maybe I just missed them). If they are going just by architecture and natural beauty Franklin Field (University of Pennsylvania) and California Memorial Stadium (Cal) should be at the top of the list.
ou48A 02-26-2014, 03:07 PM I don't get these rankings at all. Maybe if they had provided some kind of criteria it would have helped (or maybe I just missed them). If they are going just by architecture and natural beauty Franklin Field (University of Pennsylvania) and California Memorial Stadium (Cal) should be at the top of the list.
Most of the time the rankings like these have almost nothing to do with the architectural attractiveness of a stadium... It's all most always about the atmosphere in and around the stadium that's created by the home fans and the intimidation factor that some stadiums with their fans have more of than others.
It would be wise IMO if OU try’s to enhance its own intimidating atmosphere with any new stadium construction.
ou48A 02-27-2014, 01:59 PM Joe C. was on KREF this afternoon and indicated the following:
Joe C indicates they will have an announcement ASAP, after all studies are complete
They have looked at all options including the outlandish.
They want to provide the best college atmosphere possible for all athletes and make it a great experience for fans.
The weight room will be expanded. He made it sound like it would be in the south end zone. The South end-zone will under go a major reconfiguration and see a significant seating change...... and be bowled in to the extent possible.
Expanding the stadium into the practice fields is not desirable according to Joe C.
Sounds like many seats will have chair backs.
Total stadium capacity will not be altered in a significant way.
They have a goal of providing state of the art electronic experience for fans that will be designed to be upgraded as new devices are developed.
A new press box with suits sounds highly likely.
It will be the largest athletic fund raising campaign in OU history. It will be very big deal.
Joe C indicated that their was not a lot of data that supports a major football stadium expansion. He indicated that the states population needs to grow before they would likely make a major expansion.
The LNC sounds like it will see a very significant re-do.
ou48A 02-27-2014, 03:38 PM Joe C says this will involve hundreds of millions of dollars.
Note: This comes on top of about 185 million dollars worth of OU football stadium improvements since Joe. C has been at OU.......
So it's not like they are starting from scratch.
ou48A 02-27-2014, 03:44 PM Joe C. indicated these projects will change the face of what things look like for 50 years!
Plutonic Panda 02-27-2014, 04:12 PM that sounds like that will be awesome!
OKCretro 02-27-2014, 04:30 PM disappointed to hear about LNC. We need a new arena period. Need suites and the seats are too spread apart. Should play in the small arena for a year while we tear down and rebuild LNC.
^
When they invested millions in the practice courts at LNC I knew it would be staying.
However, they can easily reshape it to a pure basketball venue vs. a multi-purpose, round bowl.
Excited to learn more. When Joe C speaks publicly, you know it's going to happen.
No ego or flash, just quietly among the very best -- if not *the* best -- AD's anywhere.
ou48A 02-27-2014, 05:21 PM disappointed to hear about LNC. We need a new arena period. Need suites and the seats are too spread apart. Should play in the small arena for a year while we tear down and rebuild LNC.
Joe C indicated the LNC capacity will probably decrease in all likelihood.
Several months ago somebody at OU told me they would likely bring the seats on the sides closer to the court and enhance premium seating.
I'm pretty sure that if there were enough fan demand that OU would be willing to build a new arena....
but its just not justified at this point.
ou48A 02-27-2014, 05:26 PM As I said, Joe C said the projects would involve hundreds of millions but the number I hear being kicked around for all projects is 400 million +. I suppose this could change though because the studies are not complete and more donations could be made.
I'm pretty sure this will make the OU football facility among the very best for both players and fans....
It sounds like the electronic stuff they will be doing for fans will be very unique.
BoulderSooner 02-27-2014, 06:11 PM Joe C indicated the LNC capacity will probably decrease in all likelihood.
Several months ago somebody at OU told me they would likely bring the seats on the sides closer to the court and enhance premium seating.
I'm pretty sure that if there were enough fan demand that OU would be willing to build a new arena....
but its just not justified at this point.
Capacity will go down in the Linc because of the addition of suites and club level seating
OKCretro 02-27-2014, 07:21 PM They could easily build a new arena on the south, west or east of the practice facility and could have a connector.
Lots of space, just parking lots and a grass field
ou48A 02-28-2014, 02:32 PM This is a transcript of the interview Joe C. gave on KREF about the thoughts and plans for Memorial Stadium & Lloyd Noble Center renovations.
OU Director Of Athletics, Joe Castiglione, Discusses Stadium/Arena Renovation Plans | The Football Brainiacs (http://thefootballbrainiacs.com/ou-director-of-athletics-joe-castiglione-discusses-stadiumarena-renovation-plans)
SoonerDave 02-28-2014, 02:43 PM Probably a 50/50 split of what I expected versus what wasn't expected.
I am not at all surprised there is no desire to expand the stadium's seating capacity.
I am surprised there is a focus on bowling the south endzone. Really didn't think that one would hit.
It surely reads to me that a tandem south endzone overhaul/weight room expansion tells me that the current SEZ structure could be significantly altered - surely that's what he was referring to when he was talking about "piecemeal" previous expansions. The SEZ looks like it was designed and built on another planet compared to the rest of OMS...
traxx 02-28-2014, 04:29 PM Who is this Joe C. you guys are talking about?
Seriously though, glad to hear that we're not expanding seating capacity. I think all these teams that are in an arms race to have 100K+ seating will be sorry. Even the traditional powerhouse teams are having some trouble putting butts in seats. With HDTV making the at home watching experience so great, this will continue to be a problem.
I would've liked for another arena to be built but can understand why they wanna keep the LNC. If they redesign it to be a basketball arena instead of a multipurpose arean, that'll be good. All these changes sound promising.
BoulderSooner 03-01-2014, 10:49 AM He did not say OU is not expanding. Expect a 5 to 10k increase in seats
ou48A 03-01-2014, 02:26 PM He did not say OU is not expanding. Expect a 5 to 10k increase in seats
I trust and respect your opinion.:)
But I get the feeling that you know something that you are not telling us.
Care to elaborate?:wink:
Thanks
ou48A 03-15-2014, 11:24 AM A local sports writer told me yesterday that OU “might” have some type of stadium announcement at it's next Board of Regents meeting next month?
Also, OU apparently wants to maximize the number of suits in the stadium.
SoonerDave 03-15-2014, 11:32 AM I think the thrust of what Joe C said was that upgrading and enhancing the stadium was the focus, but seat expansion for it's own sake was not an objective. If the stadium capacity increased as a result of the other changes, so be it, but expansion of the stadium seating capacity was not, as I heard it, a primary objective of the upcoming upgrades.
I think Joe C is learning a valuable lesson from the folks in Nebraska who are apparently already lamenting their recent seating expansion, and also looking at how the secondary ticket market for home games is typically very soft. If other schools have already learned that adding seats isn't a wise idea, its great we've got an AD smart enough to not repeat the mistake.
Think the renovations are exciting, always fun to see OMS brought more up-to-date.
In modern times, it's all about suites and I'm sure that will be the main focus.
I know they'll be adding some at Loyd Noble as well.
The money those things generate is pretty astounding.
ljbab728 03-15-2014, 09:27 PM Also, OU apparently wants to maximize the number of suits in the stadium.
Well, I'm not going to start wearing a suit to the games. :)
mugofbeer 03-15-2014, 11:22 PM Well, I'm not going to start wearing a suit to the games. :)
Why not? My dad always wore his jacket and tie to the games until the 90s
ljbab728 03-15-2014, 11:41 PM Why not? My dad always wore his jacket and tie to the games until the 90s
Well, I'm sure I have worn a sport coat to games before. I specifically remember one I wore to the "game of the century" against Nebraska. But never a suit.
OKVision4U 03-16-2014, 10:13 AM I think the thrust of what Joe C said was that upgrading and enhancing the stadium was the focus, but seat expansion for it's own sake was not an objective. If the stadium capacity increased as a result of the other changes, so be it, but expansion of the stadium seating capacity was not, as I heard it, a primary objective of the upcoming upgrades.
I think Joe C is learning a valuable lesson from the folks in Nebraska who are apparently already lamenting their recent seating expansion, and also looking at how the secondary ticket market for home games is typically very soft. If other schools have already learned that adding seats isn't a wise idea, its great we've got an AD smart enough to not repeat the mistake.
Think the renovations are exciting, always fun to see OMS brought more up-to-date.
RE: Nebraska, I bet there were other factors that played "bigger" roles than just "too much inventory". Winning at an elite level, is what their fanbase is accustomed to. Big Ten conference was not as attractive to fans as they were advertised. The fans lost out in the OU / Neb rivalry game. ...the Husker fans are very close to OU fans, we get spoiled to winning the NC and average doesn't taste that good.
Its not too many seats, it's all the other factors that are far more visible now.
SoonerDave 03-16-2014, 10:29 AM Its not too many seats, it's all the other factors that are far more visible now.
The folks who actually study this stuff from a business perspective disagree with you.
Attendance plateau changes colleges? view - SportsBusiness Daily | SportsBusiness Journal | SportsBusiness Daily Global (http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2012/01/02/Research-and-Ratings/College-football.aspx)
OKVision4U 03-16-2014, 10:54 AM The folks who actually study this stuff from a business perspective disagree with you.
Attendance plateau changes colleges? view - SportsBusiness Daily | SportsBusiness Journal | SportsBusiness Daily Global (http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2012/01/02/Research-and-Ratings/College-football.aspx)
No SD, that is what we call ( CYA ) in the BIG business world. ...but nice try.
...from IlikeBraumsproductsbutIdon'thave4hourstowaitinline whilethe12yearoldlearnshowtocountchangewitha$5.00b illona$4.75orderIhaveoptionsnow!
onthestrip 03-16-2014, 12:27 PM Must be nice to have a sports thread where rival school posters don't have to take it over with their unwanted opinions.
SoonerDave 03-17-2014, 02:14 PM Well, I'm sure I have worn a sport coat to games before. I specifically remember one I wore to the "game of the century" against Nebraska. But never a suit.
LOL I think I grew up just after the tie-wearing era ended. I can't even fathom of wearing a tie to a football game, let alone a complete suit. I mean, a suit?!? Wow.
Suit, tie and HAT were standard attire at games for decades.
Really hard to believe but also pretty cool.
ou48A 03-17-2014, 03:06 PM Getting dressed up for games is still fairly common in the deep south, at most of the major football playing schools. You can still see some of it on TV.
On my trip to Tuscaloosa in 2003 many students had a date. Most guys wore a tie while the very hot looking girls wore cocktail dresses.
The members of various Greek houses stood on their front lawns and sung the various school songs at length before they walked to the stadium with chants along the way.
I have never seen anything close to that much heartfelt passion in Norman from OU students.
Most OU fans could not walk 10 feet with out being welcomed and offered food and drink.
Their campus atmosphere that day was what I wish all of college football could be.
PS: The extreme heat and cold that we see in the Big 12 makes dressing like they do a little tougher.
+Its nice to be 3-1-1 all time against Alabama.
ou48A 03-26-2014, 04:23 PM Pending the Regents approval OU will be upgrading its weight room with new equipment, renovating the coaches offices and it's athletic academic center
http://www.ou.edu/regents/official_agenda/MarchFinalAgenda.pdf
ou48A 03-27-2014, 02:01 PM Take this for what its worth.....? Hale on KREF just said that OU would be conducting a 500 million dollar fund raising campaign for its athlete facility's with most of going for football stadium improvements.
If this is true....? I find that to be a very surprisingly high amount of money.
dankrutka 03-27-2014, 02:55 PM Their have already been rumors out there that a $300 million upgrade was on the way for the football stadium.
dankrutka 03-27-2014, 02:59 PM Getting dressed up for games is still fairly common in the deep south, at most of the major football playing schools. You can still see some of it on TV.
On my trip to Tuscaloosa in 2003 many students had a date. Most guys wore a tie while the very hot looking girls wore cocktail dresses.
The members of various Greek houses stood on their front lawns and sung the various school songs at length before they walked to the stadium with chants along the way.
I have never seen anything close to that much heartfelt passion in Norman from OU students.
Most OU fans could not walk 10 feet with out being welcomed and offered food and drink.
Their campus atmosphere that day was what I wish all of college football could be.
PS: The extreme heat and cold that we see in the Big 12 makes dressing like they do a little tougher.
+Its nice to be 3-1-1 all time against Alabama.
I went to Tuscaloosa in 2003 also (and really enjoyed it) and I'm glad OU is not like southern schools. Do I want OU students dressing up in ties and singing songs to go to a football game? Not really. I find it kind of weird. I love tradition, but people can also be a little too fanatic about it (see Texas A&M). I'm good with OU's balance. Also, OU fans are very welcoming. We're not the south, and I'm good with that.
ou48A 03-27-2014, 04:46 PM I went to Tuscaloosa in 2003 also (and really enjoyed it) and I'm glad OU is not like southern schools. Do I want OU students dressing up in ties and singing songs to go to a football game? Not really. I find it kind of weird. I love tradition, but people can also be a little too fanatic about it (see Texas A&M). I'm good with OU's balance. Also, OU fans are very welcoming. We're not the south, and I'm good with that.
That's their tradition and their passion....
They would likely find what we do or don't do “ kinda of weird” and I have heard some fans from other teams express that what we do is “kinda of weird.”
I would agree that most OU fans are more than welcoming but I have heard fans from other teams some times say they feel “kinda of weird” about how warm we great them.
Balance is all in the eye of the beholder!
But a good many OU students could clearly and without question be better fans at the games.
ou48A 03-27-2014, 04:51 PM Their have already been rumors out there that a $300 million upgrade was on the way for the football stadium.
Yes but the rumors about the amount of money involved keep escalating. With today’s 500 MILLION being the largest that I have heard of.
Joe C him self said it would be hundreds of millions in total.
Laramie 03-27-2014, 06:14 PM Yes but the rumors about the amount of money involved keep escalating. With today’s 500 MILLION being the largest that I have heard of.
Joe C him self said it would be hundreds of millions in total.
Yes the price keeps escalating. It's probably safe to say that the renovation and modest expansion of 'Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will probably settle in the $500 million range which will include improvements on the press box side of the stadium and enclosing the south end zone seating.
I'm predicting that you're probably looking at a stadium that will eventually seat somewhere around 90,000 with seats added to close the south end zone and some pretty elite suites on the press box side as that area is due for some needed upgrades.
This could include a retrofit of the press box side upper deck with suites, new upper deck seating and press box facilities.
Has anyone seen anything in print about future renovations at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium?
http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif "Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif
ou48A 05-04-2014, 11:07 PM Dean Blevins KWTV OKC reports on OU Stadium expansion+
South End Zone will be bowled in after the existing season and existing suites will be upgraded with new suites added in the South End Zone as well. A new press box will run the length of the west side upper deck. Seating capacity will be more than 90,000.
Blevins also said that construction will begin after the last OU home game this. Work will be done around the clock
Blevins also just reported that this expansion & renovation would be approved at the next Board of Regents meeting. Cost is $350-$400 million. This will include a weight room, training, and locker room facilities would be totally remodeled and upgraded.
This is all going to be VERY state of the art.
Holy cats!
Another $300 to $400 million?? That's a ton of money considering they've spent $125 million just on the stadium over the last 10 years (doesn't include practice facility, Headington Hall, etc.).
To put that into perspective, OSU spent $260 million for their entire stadium project.
ljbab728 05-04-2014, 11:27 PM Here is a link to the story.
EXCLUSIVE: OU Set To Announce Football Stadium Expansion - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/25426132/exclusive-ou-set-to-announce-football-stadium-expansion)
ou48A 05-04-2014, 11:34 PM Holy cats!
Another $300 to $400 million?? That's a ton of money considering they've spent $125 million just on the stadium over the last 10 years (doesn't include practice facility, Headington Hall, etc.).
To put that into perspective, OSU spent $260 million for their entire stadium project.
Actually I think the total figure for all OU football stadium improvements under Joe C prior to this has been somewhere close to $180 million.....?
I hope OU has some big donors.
An OU official who I talked to this weekend at length, told me that OU would kick off a formal fund raising campaign this June or July.
ou48A 05-04-2014, 11:38 PM By comparison Baylor is building an entire new stadium from scratch for about 250 million.
Regents Approve Construction of Baylor Stadium - Baylor Bears Official Athletic Site - BaylorBears.com (http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072012aab.html).
ou48A 05-04-2014, 11:40 PM A nice thing for OU is that if the demand is ever there for future expansion a north end zone upper deck could put OU's stadium well beyond the 100,000 mark.
If they are going to spend another $300+million it would have to include something like completely replacing the west upper deck. The entire east structure including the club level and suites was only $50 million.
Snowman 05-04-2014, 11:45 PM By comparison Baylor is building an entire new stadium from scratch for about 250 million.
Regents Approve Construction of Baylor Stadium - Baylor Bears Official Athletic Site - BaylorBears.com (http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072012aab.html).
Reminds me of references to stadiums as an island in a sea of parking lots, from two sides it will look a bit like an actual island, with it being built on the other side of the river from everything else on campus it pretty much is too.
SoonerDave 05-05-2014, 07:02 AM No question in my mind that the lion's share of the expansion cost will be due to the new pressbox construction. You've got demo of the existing structure plus entirely new construction that will span the entire west deck. There's also the question of how they plan to handle the rake difference between the sidelines and the south endzone, which could imply some structural changes to the current s. endzone structure.
Aside from the press box and the eye candy of having a bowled-in stadium, I think the lion's share of this $300M expansion is going under the hood. Heck, you could conceivably put in semi-permanent temporary bleacher structures ala the Cotton Bowl to fill in the corners on the cheap if you wanted.
Will be great fun to watch it all unfold, see how the details in reality match up with the report.
Laramie 05-05-2014, 11:45 AM Great news about the stadium expansion. This should move me up on that waiting list of 15,000.
http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif "Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif
warreng88 05-05-2014, 11:59 AM It funny, Dean Blevins tweeted, "Latest info on renovations at OU's Memorial Stadium that I brought you first last night. #OU #sooners #moreseating." First? Really? Pretty sure we were talking about this a couple of months ago...
I'm beginning to think this is all getting confused..
Last February, Joe Castiglione was interviewed saying they had just commenced a study to look at the long-term stadium plan, as well as virtually all the other athletic facilities.
Every May the Board of Regents meets to review and update their list of capital projects, both in progress and proposed. As of last May, there were only minor athletic facilities on the list (like the OU Boathouse).
Now, their 2014 meeting is approaching (May 8th or 9th) and Dean puts out this cryptic information. To date, there hasn't even been a fundraising plan announced... Last time OU did something like this there was a huge PR campaign and the whole thing lasted several years.
I suspect they are going to the Regents with a conceptual plan and then will kick off the fundraising.
And I'm sure a big chunk of the $300+ million will be used for other athletic facilities, like a major re-do of Loyd Noble.
SoonerDave 05-05-2014, 12:42 PM I'm beginning to think this is all getting confused..
Last February, Joe Castiglione was interviewed saying they had just commenced a study to look at the long-term stadium plan, as well as virtually all the other athletic facilities.
Every May the Board of Regents meets to review and update their list of capital projects, both in progress and proposed. As of last May, there were only minor athletic facilities on the list (like the OU Boathouse).
Now, their 2014 meeting is approaching (May 8th or 9th) and Dean puts out this cryptic information. To date, there hasn't even been a fundraising plan announced... Last time OU did something like this there was a huge PR campaign and the whole thing lasted several years.
I suspect they are going to the Regents with a conceptual plan and then will kick off the fundraising.
And I'm sure a big chunk of the $300+ million will be used for other athletic facilities, like a major re-do of Loyd Noble.
I dunno, Pete. The peculiar logistics of the kind of work they're supposedly going to do to OMS (particularly in terms of the west press box) will make that project much more expensive than just an expansion. Back in '03, when they built the new east decks, they had virtually zero demo to do - there was nothing there except Jenkins Avenue that they just had to move east a bit. Not so with the pressbox; one of the reasons that project got delayed as much as it has (even beyond the financial meltdown) is because of the logistical difficulties and consequent expense of doing all the demolition of the existing pressbox plus all the construction on the new superstructure for its replacement. If its true that it will span the entire west deck, and I've heard nothing different about that amid the various forms of speculation, then that's a pretty big structural change to the west side as well. The presence of the parking garage makes the project much more complicated logistically, combined with the fact you've got to be careful how much heavy equipment you can put inside the stadium without damaging the playing surface.
And as I noted before, they may also be undertaking some similar structural changes to the south endzone. They've got to deal with the rake differences somehow (and there are numerous notions how that will be accomplished), but no matter which one you take it's not a simple as a straight-up build, I don't believe. The most extreme notion I heard was to RAZE the south endzone structure and rebuild the entire thing from scratch - but then you've got to dismantle and store that mammoth scoreboard before you can do that.
Mind you, I don't have any special insight on any of this, just some speculation based on watching the place get amended several times since I was a kid. All this is to say that the kind of expansion being discussed could easily get really expensive really quickly simply by virtue of the unique logistics around the stadium as it sits right now, making it unique among other comparable projects like OSU's stadium reno or Baylor's new facility build.
Now, if this ends up being a Dean Blevins red herring, and its all a re-hash of info we've heard before, then who knows what will happen. I personally think the general plans have been in place for some time, and the Joe C. announcement you mention is simply the "public face" of the, ahem, "process" to explore how the stadium could be rebuilt, when in reality that's long-since been decided. I suspect the regents know exactly what's going to happen, and already have much of the funding "unofficially" in place. I remember Joe C talking about the press box project when the economy melted down, and the prospective donors dried up, and he was adamant that "We would not undertake a project that wouldn't be fiscally sound," and I think that was an implicit concession to the idea that their funding sources simply dried up as the economy tanked.
Urbanized 05-05-2014, 01:11 PM Also you would have to deal with the Switzer Center and team offices/workout facilities, which represent tens of millions in existing infrastructure. The disruption would be extreme. I've never understood the issue with the rake anyway. You can continue/bowl the ends from either the O.G. stadium or the south end zone without actually CONNECTING to the other. You might have small pie-wedged gaps left to preserve sight lines, but it will essentially be a bowled stadium.
I'm not crazy about expansion though. Even with the addition of the outdoor concourse area last time the stadium expanded, the additional bodies made it almost impassable at times underneath the stadium and on ramps, and it definitely made it more difficult to get anything approaching face on a regular basis when reselling. I'm not looking to scalp, but I would like to recapture face value when I have extras, as I do nearly every game. Another expansion and I'd probably just as well lay the extras on the ground outside the stadium.
SoonerDave 05-05-2014, 01:32 PM Also you would have to deal with the Switzer Center and team offices/workout facilities, which represent tens of millions in existing infrastructure. The disruption would be extreme. I've never understood the issue with the rake anyway. You can continue/bowl the ends from either the O.G. stadium or the south end zone without actually CONNECTING to the other. You might have small pie-wedged gaps left to preserve sight lines, but it will essentially be a bowled stadium.
I'm not crazy about expansion though. Even with the addition of the outdoor concourse area last time the stadium expanded, the additional bodies made it almost impassable at times underneath the stadium and on ramps, and it definitely made it more difficult to get anything approaching face on a regular basis when reselling. I'm not looking to scalp, but I would like to recapture face value when I have extras, as I do nearly every game. Another expansion and I'd probably just as well lay the extras on the ground outside the stadium.
That's why I think there was no emphasis on expansion except that which was essentially incidental to whatever changes they made. That is, the old STEP program that built the west deck in 1974 was specifically to enlarge the stadium by about 10K seats, but the renovations this time are to add new internal team amenities that I believe will incidentally lead to more seating. Expanding in that vein isn't their primary objective.
And selling tickets on game day has been a losing proposition down there for close to thirty years or more. When my mom lost interest in going to the games, she used to try to have me sell her tickets, but I could never get anything for them, and I had better student seats (they were reserved back then), so she let them go. I've never had OU season tickets since then, and have always had my choice of tix outside the stadium on game day and paid over face one time - Nebraska 2000.
adaniel 05-05-2014, 01:39 PM An increase in capacity of 6K is definitely on the high end of what can be absorbed by the current market, but probably doable in the long run. The record for a crowd (I think) was 89K for the 2012 OU-Notre Dame game, which is still above the proposed new capacity.
I do worry about when we play the Iowa States and North Texases. Even now there are vast swaths of empty seats even though they are official sellouts.
SoonerDave 05-05-2014, 01:46 PM An increase in capacity of 6K is definitely on the high end of what can be absorbed by the current market, but probably doable in the long run. The record for a crowd (I think) was 89K for the 2012 OU-Notre Dame game, which is still above the proposed new capacity.
I do worry about when we play the Iowa States and North Texases. Even now there are vast swaths of empty seats even though they are official sellouts.
Yeah I think we've obviously had some generous supporters that have bought up excess tickets to keep that "sellout" streak alive, especially when there are huge chunks of empty seats (student section in particular) in the stadium. That November Iowa State game a couple of years back that was played in conditions not too departed from the Antarctic was clearly one of those games...and I remember back in 03 as my son and I looked for tickets around the stadium for the season opener, two guys with official OU nametag/ID badges came along, one carrying a big glassine envelope filled with tickets asked me "Hey, looking for tickets? How many do you need," and I said "two.." and he stuck two tickets in my hand. He started to walk off, and I asked him "hey, wait, how much?" and he said "free, enjoy the game." Couldn't believe that one :)
I'm guessing they have a short-list of donors/sponsors who can be contacted to buy up blocks of unsold tickets so many minutes/hours before a game so as to avoid any risk of losing the sellout streak. I also think the ebbing student enthusiasm has started to "stick in the craw" of some ticketholders that they should start reducing student ticket allotments if they're not going to use them.
kevin lee 05-05-2014, 08:12 PM I'm trying to figure out how a $300 million dollar project is only going to take 9 months to finish?
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