Memorial Stadium Master Plan

[venture]

There will likely be more released at a later date on this, but they are at least going back and looking at the master plan for the facility.

OU Regents discuss football stadium master plan » New and Developing » The Norman Transcript

"It's a master plan study of the stadium so we can look at the whole stadium and try to set up a series of priorities," Boren said. "We don't want to just look at little tiny pieces of the stadium by itself. We want to look at the whole stadium. It's been over 20 years since there has been a master plan look at the whole stadium."

No timetable and funded by donations.

[HangryHippo]

Excellent. I hope they're able to put some money into the concourses and restrooms. Those things are getting downright nasty and cramped. I assume this will also bring the new pressbox and maybe an addition of suites.

[ou48A]

This sounds like a major overhaul is in the works for the OU football stadium.
Sounds like this would bring all aspects up to the state of the art and expanded some?
Something like this has been needed for awhile now.

[ou48A]

From the DOK
Oklahoma planning update to football stadium "Master Plan;" stadium upgrades could be imminent | News OK

[OKCisOK4me]

Maybe they can work on piping water in for those non working water fountain issues from Game 1.

[HangryHippo]

Maybe they can work on piping water in for those non working water fountain issues from Game 1.

They've added several water fountains near the student section on the east side since the relief concert. So that's good. Unfortunately, the water they provide doesn't come out cold.

[ou48A]

OU's football facility’s hurtle has not been near as steep as most others and while many other programs have completed or are in the middle of up-dates and expansions by going basically last it's going to keep the OU facility’s fresher looking for a very long time when compared to many of these other places...

The fresh look is important to many recruits.
With this BOR action OU can now start selling these plans to future recruits.

[Geographer]

Look for strong wifi to be available throughout the stadium in the next couple seasons...this is a project that Joe C favors and has been discussed in meetings...They also want to be able to send out videos/stats/replay stuff during the game to your smart phone/device at the stadium while you're there.

[ThomPaine]

Look for strong wifi to be available throughout the stadium in the next couple seasons...this is a project that Joe C favors and has been discussed in meetings...They also want to be able to send out videos/stats/replay stuff during the game to your smart phone/device at the stadium while you're there.

I feel kinda weird about this, but I guess I shouldn't care. Half the folks under 40 are already paying more attention to their phones than they are the game anyway. I guess they have to do whatever they can to keep people buying tickets.

[mugofbeer]

I would be happy if my (*#^@^!!!!! phone could receive or send a text from inside the stadium.

[ljbab728]

I would be happy if my (*#^@^!!!!! phone could receive or send a text from inside the stadium.

You know, I think that's great for people who are interested but a text message while watching a football game is the least of my interests.

[TheSocialGadfly]

This could turn out to be a huge project. I'm excited to see the end result.

[OKVision4U]

The reason Boren wants a "new" Wholistic Approach could be because of this:

Top 50 College Football Stadiums to See Before You Die | Bleacher Report

In the report, it said that stadium would have been much higher in the survey, but: it only seats 84 K and kinda disappointing for a Top 5 program (in short). Stadium did not equal the great history.

Boren will put things where they need to be. Got no doubt.

[warreng88]

There have been multiple people who have said they cannot bowl in the stadium due to the wind in Oklahoma. If they redid the west side upper deck, they could potentially bowl in the whole north side. That would add about 20,000 people or more.

[ou48A]

You know, I think that's great for people who are interested but a text message while watching a football game is the least of my interests.

I agree... I'm there to watch a football game cheer on my team and not much more!
There are so many who spend so much time in their device that they miss a great deal of the game.... Many of the same people leave often before the games out come is finalized... It's like why do you even bother to show up.

[shavethewhales]

There have been multiple people who have said they cannot bowl in the stadium due to the wind in Oklahoma. If they redid the west side upper deck, they could potentially bowl in the whole north side. That would add about 20,000 people or more.

Ha ha, are there any links to this? As a student in civil engineering that sounds hilarious to me. We certainly have the capability to bowl in the stadium - whether or not it is worth it financially is probably closer to the real issue. How many people would you really add with those corners? And they would be cheap seats anyway.

I think the real hurdle, which someone here mentioned before, is the issues with continuing to increase traffic flow into campus without developing some serious road improvements first. I don't think there's any way the city would let them add 10,000 seats to the stadium right now.

[BoulderSooner]

Ha ha, are there any links to this? As a student in civil engineering that sounds hilarious to me. We certainly have the capability to bowl in the stadium - whether or not it is worth it financially is probably closer to the real issue. How many people would you really add with those corners? And they would be cheap seats anyway.

I think the real hurdle, which someone here mentioned before, is the issues with continuing to increase traffic flow into campus without developing some serious road improvements first. I don't think there's any way the city would let them add 10,000 seats to the stadium right now.

The city of Norman has no say in what OU builds.

[venture]

Ha ha, are there any links to this? As a student in civil engineering that sounds hilarious to me. We certainly have the capability to bowl in the stadium - whether or not it is worth it financially is probably closer to the real issue. How many people would you really add with those corners? And they would be cheap seats anyway.

I think the real hurdle, which someone here mentioned before, is the issues with continuing to increase traffic flow into campus without developing some serious road improvements first. I don't think there's any way the city would let them add 10,000 seats to the stadium right now.

City can't stop it...if OU would even do it. Of course OU wants to block any expansion of Lindsey after Berry through campus. So that kinda goes against your opinion on what needs to happen. Though we already have a thread on that.

[SoonerDave]

As far as the currency of the upgrades go, most folks here don't realize or are just forgetting the new east decks were finished for the '04 season, only nine years ago....

I, for one, would hate to see the north endzone bowled/decked. Joe C has said in the past he prefers to spend $$ on seats "between the 20's." ...

Bowling in the south endzone (including rebuildling the existing structure) is intriguing, but I suspect cost-impractical.

I think the biggest need is the pressbox. That thing is a dinosaur and was out of date ten years ago. Think it would have been redone in the last batch of upgrades were it not for the economy meltdown.

West deck concessions are in need of upgrade. The logsitics up there are a mess right now.

Glad to see they're visiting the situation.

[adaniel]

I don't think they would ever bowl in the endzone, or do anything to drastically increase seating at this time. The "6 year waiting list" is more a myth than anything, and I would hate the image of a nice, new stadium with rows of empty seats during game time (cough cough OSU cough).

Pressbox, the addition of more suites, and improving the upper west decks are probably the most pressing needs. I would second the west deck is in bad shape.

[dankrutka]

I'd love to bowl in the stadium at some point. I just don't like the end zone or the openings at all. I agree that OU does not need many more seats now. Tickets can be had to every OU game (except for very big games like Notre Dame or K-State last season) for under half of face value now. However, if they demolished the end zone seats and bowled it in as is architecturally possible with the Swizer Center impediment, it would not necessarily add that many more seats if it was just one level like the north end zone. Maybe a few thousand to get to 90,000, which would be fine.

[warreng88]

Ha ha, are there any links to this? As a student in civil engineering that sounds hilarious to me. We certainly have the capability to bowl in the stadium - whether or not it is worth it financially is probably closer to the real issue. How many people would you really add with those corners? And they would be cheap seats anyway.

I heard it about five years ago so conclusions may have changed since then. Everytime I google search for "University of Oklahoma bowl in stadium", I only get searches talking about OU's bowl games. I'll keep searching and if I find it, I will post it here.

[ou48A]

I'd love to bowl in the stadium at some point. I just don't like the end zone or the openings at all. I agree that OU does not need many more seats now. Tickets can be had to every OU game (except for very big games like Notre Dame or K-State last season) for under half of face value now. However, if they demolished the end zone seats and bowled it in as is architecturally possible with the Swizer Center impediment, it would not necessarily add that many more seats if it was just one level like the north end zone. Maybe a few thousand to get to 90,000, which would be fine.

It is entirely possible to keep the Switzer center intact and rebuild parts of the south end zone seating.
But one idea I heard that probably make a lot of sense was that they might move move the Switzer center to the Bud?

[ou48A]

As of last spring, according to Joe C OU's top priority would be a new press box that would include a small stadium expansion and span the entire west side.

The second expansion priority was a major south end zone expansion project. While OU would not charge big bucks for these end zone seats they are also probably a lot cheaper to construct at ground levels than seats that are in large upper decks.

[ou48A]

Ha ha, are there any links to this? As a student in civil engineering that sounds hilarious to me. We certainly have the capability to bowl in the stadium - whether or not it is worth it financially is probably closer to the real issue. How many people would you really add with those corners? And they would be cheap seats anyway.

I think the real hurdle, which someone here mentioned before, is the issues with continuing to increase traffic flow into campus without developing some serious road improvements first. I don't think there's any way the city would let them add 10,000 seats to the stadium right now.

Much to the chagrin of many posters here I learned late yesterday and on good authority that responsible officials at very high levels have realized the need and are quietly (just starting) working on a major new traffic plan that would help with OU football traffic. It would apparently involve some significant construction.

And as you say we certainly do have the capability to bowl in the stadium or add upper decks... For engineers this really is pretty simple stuff.