Time to expand Oklahoma Memorial Stadium?

[Pete]

They want to start at the end of this season, so I suspect they have several variations on some specific concepts and the only thing left to do is to make some decisions about what precise path to take.

Then, the architecture firm will finish up the final design drawings and get things out to bid so they can start in December.

So, whether we see it or not for a while, they must have a pretty clear idea about what they are going to do.

[David]

$350-400 million for the proposed renovations? Am I the only person who looks at that number, looks at what it is going to be used for, and wonders about all the other things you could do with a sack of money that size?

We're letting OG&E tear down the Stage Center because nobody with the appropriately deep pockets was willing to step up and drop not even a tenth of that amount to save it. It boggles my mind just a little.

[Pete]

^

Yeah, it's a bit messed up in terms of priorities. I understand the need to have certain facilities like weight rooms and practice fields but so much of this goes far beyond that.

But it's the system in which OU and OSU have to compete against everyone else. They are all trying to cater to a bunch of 17 year-old recruits and they love the flashy over-the-top stuff.

However, at least the athletic department at OU is self-funded. Yes, the millions they raise could go to academics instead but the truth is that academic donations go up dramatically when the sports teams do well, so I try not to worry too much about this stuff.

[ou48A]

YEP................Great football and profitable oil = a lot more money for OU's academics and causes.

[Pete]

Also, in the Boren era they've always done a good job of balancing the athletic and academic fundraising.

They just wrapped up a big academic campaign (over a billion in capital improvements and the endowment is now well north of a billion) so now they will turn to the athletics for a couple of years.

I bet you anything that will be followed by huge push for academic programs.

[Laramie]

Also, in the Boren era they've always done a good job of balancing the athletic and academic fundraising.

They just wrapped up a big academic campaign (over a billion in capital improvements and the endowment is now well north of a billion) so now they will turn to the athletics for a couple of years.

I bet you anything that will be followed by huge push for academic programs.

Academic progress will make us attractive for any conference.

Much will hinge on the team's performance in 2014-15 because this influences your donors, strengthens your season ticket base and prompts up quality recruits. In 2013-14 we operated at 103% of capacity (A-84,800/C-82,112) with 10,000 on the waiting list. There are probably several alternative plans on the shelf.

Who knows, could we eventually see a 100,000-seat stadium before 2020? A two phrase stadium renovation-expansion where the south end zone is enclosed in 2015 and the upper deck connect from south or north as a part of a second phrase in 2016.

Phase I 2015, south end connect_Phase II 2016-18, upper deck connect

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[traxx]

As I've said before in this thread, I think a 100K stadium would be a BIG mistake. There's other 100+K stadiums that are currently having trouble filling their seats. Michigan being one. The waiting list we like to brag about is actually a waiting list of people who don't wanna donate. If you pony up the money, you move to the front of the season ticket holder waiting list. I think bowling in the south EZ is as much as we need to do as far as adding seats. You always want more demand than you can handle. You have to have some people who can't get in. But if you go down to Norman on a Saturday in the fall, you should be able to find tickets pretty easily and a lot of times it'll be below face value.

As far as academics are concerned, OU is one of the few football programs that operates in the black. Some of the money that our athletics deparmtent makes goes back into the university in places other than athletics. And some of that goes to help fund academics.

As you'll notice here: USA Today | Sports | COLLEGE

Texas, tOSU, OU, LSU and Nebbish are the only schools that operate in the black with no subsidy.

[dankrutka]

As I've said before in this thread, I think a 100K stadium would be a BIG mistake. There's other 100+K stadiums that are currently having trouble filling their seats. Michigan being one. The waiting list we like to brag about is actually a waiting list of people who don't wanna donate. If you pony up the money, you move to the front of the season ticket holder waiting list. I think bowling in the south EZ is as much as we need to do as far as adding seats. You always want more demand than you can handle. You have to have some people who can't get in. But if you go down to Norman on a Saturday in the fall, you should be able to find tickets pretty easily and a lot of times it'll be below face value.

I agree 100%. I wouldn't mind a small - maybe 4,000-8,000 seat - expansion, but not much more. I get $80-90 face value tickets to almost every game on the street for between $0 (yes, I've been handed free tickets numerous times) and $30. I pay $20 for a ticket most games. The only recent game that I paid more than $30 for a ticket was the Notre Dame game in 2012. I actually paid just over face value for a couple (just under $200). A full stadium is definitely better than a big stadium with empty seats. And I think the waiting list is definitely inflated. I'm really looking forward to the renovations. It sounds like they have the right idea.

[ou48A]

I was at the OU athletic ticket office a few weeks ago where I saw a sign indicating that OU had season tickets for sale with a donation…. Join the Sooner club for $100 a year and you have your tickets in hand from OU…But it’s very easy to score a ticket for well under face value at OU for about 99% of all home games….

All you need is to be paying attention.
As much as it would be nice to have a 100,000+ seat stadium that’s just not going to happen for many years for a combination of several reasons and Joe C has indicated as much.

[SOONER8693]

YEP................Great football and profitable oil = a lot more money for OU's academics and causes.

Preach it brother.

[David]

As I've said before in this thread, I think a 100K stadium would be a BIG mistake. There's other 100+K stadiums that are currently having trouble filling their seats. Michigan being one. The waiting list we like to brag about is actually a waiting list of people who don't wanna donate. If you pony up the money, you move to the front of the season ticket holder waiting list. I think bowling in the south EZ is as much as we need to do as far as adding seats. You always want more demand than you can handle. You have to have some people who can't get in. But if you go down to Norman on a Saturday in the fall, you should be able to find tickets pretty easily and a lot of times it'll be below face value.

As far as academics are concerned, OU is one of the few football programs that operates in the black. Some of the money that our athletics deparmtent makes goes back into the university in places other than athletics. And some of that goes to help fund academics.

As you'll notice here: USA Today | Sports | COLLEGE

Texas, tOSU, OU, LSU and Nebbish are the only schools that operate in the black with no subsidy.

I had to look at that chart and bust out a calculator for a bit before I really understood it, but even then I kind of have more questions.

Why does Michigan, a school with total revenue of $143,514,125, total expenses of $131,018,311, and a subsidy $255,832 even need the school funds for their program? And what do they do with the 12 million profit over their expenses? If more than the subsidy goes back into academics, then I would have to argue how the chart is presenting the data.

[SoonerDave]

$350-400 million for the proposed renovations? Am I the only person who looks at that number, looks at what it is going to be used for, and wonders about all the other things you could do with a sack of money that size?

We're letting OG&E tear down the Stage Center because nobody with the appropriately deep pockets was willing to step up and drop not even a tenth of that amount to save it. It boggles my mind just a little.

Well, because in the course of one season you've got more people going through OMS than I'd wager have been through Stage Center in its entire existence.

[SoonerDave]

This seems to conflict with other reports of an increase in capacity of 8,00 to 10,000 more seats but I guess we will find out fairly soon.

OU stadium renovations on the Board of Regents agenda next week | News OK

The one thing I *never* expected was a large increase in capacity. You've got places right now that have gone up to 100K, but are starting to look at the cost/reward and thinking more in terms of internal amenities, eg training facilities, meeting rooms, you name it. With people staying home more and more to watch their games on their Big Screens, there's an emerging hesitation to jump to the next big increment. I'd be surprised if we saw even a 5K increase, if that much.

[SoonerDave]

I agree 100%. I wouldn't mind a small - maybe 4,000-8,000 seat - expansion, but not much more. I get $80-90 face value tickets to almost every game on the street for between $0 (yes, I've been handed free tickets numerous times) and $30. I pay $20 for a ticket most games. The only recent game that I paid more than $30 for a ticket was the Notre Dame game in 2012. I actually paid just over face value for a couple (just under $200). A full stadium is definitely better than a big stadium with empty seats. And I think the waiting list is definitely inflated. I'm really looking forward to the renovations. It sounds like they have the right idea.

DING DING DING!!! We have a winner. The market for season tickets isn't nearly as tough as some would lead one to believe, and while I realize the waiting list is "real," the mythos behind it has grown to Urban Legend proportions.

I've been doing what you've just described to go to OU games essentially since I graduated.

In that time, I've paid over face value exactly twice: 2000 Nebraska, and 2007 Miami. The latter was only because I needed to get four together for a friend who was coming in out of town with his wife for a game, and I wanted to show him around the campus area at least a bit, rather than traipsing sidewalks looking for tickets.

The practical reality for endzone seats is that to fund them, you're going to have to give those donors at least some measure of reward, which means better seating options. What are you going to do - shove folks out of good seats *now* into the new, worse seats? Seats you could have from any of a dozen folks for less than half face in most cases?

I suspect the $350M is going to some structure and seats, but it sounds to me like the interior amenities are where the $$$ are going to go.

[Snowman]

DING DING DING!!! We have a winner. The market for season tickets isn't nearly as tough as some would lead one to believe, and while I realize the waiting list is "real," the mythos behind it has grown to Urban Legend proportions.

I've been doing what you've just described to go to OU games essentially since I graduated.

In that time, I've paid over face value exactly twice: 2000 Nebraska, and 2007 Miami. The latter was only because I needed to get four together for a friend who was coming in out of town with his wife for a game, and I wanted to show him around the campus area at least a bit, rather than traipsing sidewalks looking for tickets.

The practical reality for endzone seats is that to fund them, you're going to have to give those donors at least some measure of reward, which means better seating options. What are you going to do - shove folks out of good seats *now* into the new, worse seats? Seats you could have from any of a dozen folks for less than half face in most cases?

I suspect the $350M is going to some structure and seats, but it sounds to me like the interior amenities are where the $$$ are going to go.

The only way I see new corner end zone seats having much profitability is if the new corners become the lower level student section, opening the current lower level sections to be sold to donors.

[SoonerDave]

The only way I see new corner end zone seats having much profitability is if the new corners become the lower level student section, opening the current lower level sections to be sold to donors.

Have wondered about that myself given the obviously waning student attendance over the last few years. Think more and more folks paying full price are getting peeved at the student seats that are increasingly unoccupied..

[ou48A]

I heard more people than ever before last season complaining about the unoccupied student sections.

Instead of spending the extra millions to expand the stadium and driving up ticket and donor cost just that much more, OU should significantly shrink the student allotment to the average student attendance amount which is said to be much smaller than the student allotment.

Not only do many students not show up, of those who do, many leave after only a short time when many games are still close.
There are very often thousands of empty student seats by the middle of the third quarter on.

This is just one more reason not to make a major stadium expansion.

[ou48A]

The OU stadium projects cost total will be $380 to $400 million.
OU will build a new press box.
The Switzer center will be redone and it will include a party deck…? per Hale.

But we should hear more in the next day or 2

[BoulderSooner]

From another site.

Owen Field Renovation MegaThread: Blevins Report Pg. 12 - Page 27

Looks like new west complex built around the existing deck. And a new south end zone including bowling the corners.

Official news should come out tonight or tomorrow

[Pete]

$450 million!

[Dustin]

From another site.

Owen Field Renovation MegaThread: Blevins Report Pg. 12 - Page 27

Looks like new west complex built around the existing deck. And a new south end zone including bowling the corners.

Official news should come out tonight or tomorrow

Those renderings are a picture of a picture, so it's kind of hard to appreciate them.

[BoulderSooner]

Boulder, a revised story on News9 said the final capacity (at least from what Deano is reporting ) will be right at 88K, so the actual seat delta will only be about 6K. Given that the max crowd at OMS was the ND game in 2012 at 86K, that would bring the "unofficial" capacity up to around 92K.

Looks like this might have been spot on. Looks like I was incorrect

[BG918]

If those renderings are correct, where will the practice fields go if there is a circle drive right through them? Otherwise it looks about what I imagined it would, and will be a major project on the OU campus.

[Pete]

There are actually 3 practice fields immediately south of the stadium.

Looks like they can easily retain 2.

Love the way they opened up the south end of the stadium with a lawn and water feature. Now, that area is completely fenced off.

[BG918]

The bowled-in endzone will take out some of one of the two remaining practice fields but maybe that doesn't matter, or that will be a half field. Or they could shift the fields east-west and they might fit. Definitely pleasantly surprised that the south area will be opened up similar to what they have done on the north side. What would then go on the land between this oval and Jenkins? Would be a good spot for a future alumni center, something like what OSU and UT have near their stadiums. It would front the oval as well as Jenkins and Lindsey, and could be directly connected to the enlarged Barry Switzer Center. They could even move the Hall of Fame and other exhibits into this building so the public could have access on gamedays.


Red - Stadium Expansion
Yellow - New Circle Drive
Blue - Expanded Switzer Center
Orange - Future Alumni Center with Hall of Fame
Green - Future Student Housing

OSU Alumni Center