OU Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium

[Kerry]

I REALLY hope you are being sarcastic...

The stadium only needs to move across the street to where the large parking lots and track are. The current site can then be used for a new parking garage and classroom space. An alternative would be to continue the new upper deck all the way around to where it meets the old upper deck and then tear down the old upper deck. That should keep the number of seats the same until a new upper deck and press box could be built on the west side.

[MikeLucky]

The stadium only needs to move across the street to where the large parking lots and track are. The current site can then be used for a new parking garage and classroom space. An alternative would be to continue the new upper deck all the way around to where it meets the old upper deck and then tear down the old upper deck. That should keep the number of seats the same until a new upper deck and press box could be built on the west side.

Wow, you weren't.... that makes me sad for you....

Have you been to many other football stadiums? If you had, then you would never EVER recommend building a new stadium...

[soonerliberal]

Memorial Stadium is top notch for a collegiate football stadium. While it certainly is not in the same league as the stadium in Arlington, it is one of the top 10 college stadiums in the US when it comes to aesthetics, structure, and overall fan experience. In order to improve upon it by moving, OU would have to raise upwards of half a billion dollars. Not happening this century.

[kevinpate]

Kerry,

With respect, you'd have a better shot at successfully organizing 90% Democratic majorities in the OK House, Senate and 100% of all State wide offices in 2014 than you'd have of moving OU football to a new home stadium any time in the foreseeable future.

You fall and hit your head or something?

[ou48A]

OU has spent close to one hundred million dollars (give or take a few) in the past 10 to 15 years on its football stadium.
There are always a few things on the wish list but building a brand new stadium would be a pure waste of money-- all for a fantasy.
With the cost increases of steel and other materials it would probably cost close to a billion dollars.

Tearing down the west upper deck and building a new one to match the new east upper deck is stuff of pure fantasy as well.
OU’s football stadium may not be perfect but it is very nice looking when compared too many other older on campus stadiums that have also been added on to several times.

[Andrew4OU]

I would be in favor of just building a new stadium altogether. Maybe something that doesn't look all mish mashed and thrown together in a hodge-podge of styles.

Have you visited very many college football stadiums? I think OU has done - for the most part - a good job of matching the newer additions to the original stadium. Most college football stadiums look hodgey-podgey, especially the larger ones. The first one that comes to mind is Texas A&M. Blech....LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas also come to mind. We're in good company.

[ou48A]

Have you visited very many college football stadiums? I think OU has done - for the most part - a good job of matching the newer additions to the original stadium. Most college football stadiums look hodgey-podgey, especially the larger ones. The first one that comes to mind is Texas A&M. Blech....LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas also come to mind. We're in good company.

A&M is a good example. It looks like a giant fishing tackle box.

[MikeOKC]

Moving? Even moving across the street would ruin a great college tradition. It's not just the stadium - it's the history and the tradition of Owen Field. They've been playing on that field since 1923 (albeit with a few renovations for that awful carpet and back to grass). Too much history and tradition to even think about moving.

[Kerry]

The new stadium at the University of Minnesota cost $288 million. The new BrightHouse stadium at the University of Central Florida cost a mere $55 million. I think you might be exaggerating the cost of a new college football stadium.

Could this be the new Memorial stadium that made the news two years ago?



Just kidding with the photo.

[soonerliberal]

The new stadium at the University of Minnesota cost $288 million. The new BrightHouse stadium at the University of Central Florida cost a mere $55 million. I think you might be exaggerating the cost of a new college football stadium.

Both of those stadiums have less than 51,000 seats and lack many of the same amenities that Memorial Stadium currently provides.

[Kerry]

Both of those stadiums have less than 51,000 seats and lack many of the same amenities that Memorial Stadium currently provides.

Even if it cost twice as much it is still under $500 million. For the record, I know this isn't going to happen but I imagine someday they will wrap the new upper deck all the way around and replace the old upper deck.

[MikeLucky]

Look, I'm not even going to get into a cost discussion at all about this. Even if someone gave OU twice the money necessary to build a new stadium... you don't....

While it certainly is not in the same league as the stadium in Arlington

It most definitely isn't in the same league as Jerry's dump... I would set that place on fire before I'd go to see another game there. You can't even compare the two.... the dump in Arlington has bad sightlines, horrible acoustics, stupidly priced concessions, and is nothing but a soul-less shell designed to make money....

Memorial Stadium is a "living" building. When you step inside you don't just feel like you are in a structure with a bunch of seats for people to watch a game. You can feel the history... the ghosts of the past players, games, families, and emotion.

The spaceship in Arlington will be long gone and fans will still be walking into Memorial Stadium and feeling that rush of emotion that is the past, present and future all hitting you at once and making you remember why it is so special to you in the first place....

Oh, but jerryworld has go-go dancers....

[Andrew4OU]

Look, I'm not even going to get into a cost discussion at all about this. Even if someone gave OU twice the money necessary to build a new stadium... you don't....



It most definitely isn't in the same league as Jerry's dump... I would set that place on fire before I'd go to see another game there. You can't even compare the two.... the dump in Arlington has bad sightlines, horrible acoustics, stupidly priced concessions, and is nothing but a soul-less shell designed to make money....

Memorial Stadium is a "living" building. When you step inside you don't just feel like you are in a structure with a bunch of seats for people to watch a game. You can feel the history... the ghosts of the past players, games, families, and emotion.

The spaceship in Arlington will be long gone and fans will still be walking into Memorial Stadium and feeling that rush of emotion that is the past, present and future all hitting you at once and making you remember why it is so special to you in the first place....

Oh, but jerryworld has go-go dancers....

This. I can't believe people want to move the RRS to Cowboys Stadium. That place is an atmosphere vacuum. I attended last year's BYU game and this year's Big 12 championship game. I was expecting some improvement in the acoustics. NOTHING was audible! I couldn't hear the announcer or the bands. Terrible place for a college football game. I'll take the Cotton Bowl and Oklahoma Memorial Stadium over Jerry World ANY day.

[ou48A]

Not only are those 2 stadiums much smaller they were built when the contract cost of materials were much cheaper and they may have used cheaper construction materials than what OU would use.

Has anyone seen the cost of commodities like copper, steel, and the fuel prices that haul the goods?

Because it takes more materials it cost a lot more per seat to build if building an upper deck. Besides the corners of the south end zone OU can only build seats that are VERY high.

There are other ways to improve the OU stadium besides expansion.
Perhaps what may be on a person’s personal wish list besides expansion should be included in the discussion of this thread.

Adding more endowed athletic scholarships and endowing the coaching salaries would help OU athletics.

[ou48A]

this. I can't believe people want to move the rrs to cowboys stadium. That place is an atmosphere vacuum. I attended last year's byu game and this year's big 12 championship game. I was expecting some improvement in the acoustics. Nothing was audible! I couldn't hear the announcer or the bands. Terrible place for a college football game. i'll take the cotton bowl and oklahoma memorial stadium over jerry world any day.

+1 in a big time way!

[ou48A]

but I imagine someday they will wrap the new upper deck all the way around and replace the old upper deck.

If they did it would be totally unnecessary and an expenditure of money that could be far better used elsewhere within the OU athletic department.

[ou48A]

From a fans point of view this is my non expansion wish list for OU’s stadium and campus area.
With the growth of OU and the Norman area much of this is already needed.

Better streets and highways leading in and out of campus / Norman.
Better parking.
Commuter rail with an OU station.
Better restrooms on the west side and in the north end zones.
Red Laser lights that would give the night time sky a crimson glow.
They could also project an inter locking OU on a cloud deck.
OU could light the night sky with red lasers after a road win.
Better field stadium lighting and better lighting around the campus area.

[YO MUDA]

Dont hate me but I think south of the Lloyd Noble would be a great place for a new stadium. Easy access to Hiway 9. plus more parking.

[MikeLucky]

Dont hate me but I think south of the Lloyd Noble would be a great place for a new stadium. Easy access to Hiway 9. plus more parking.

That is EASILY the worst idea in this entire thread...

[Snowman]

Seem to do ok at home even with the lack of deafening crowd noise other stadiums enjoy

OU has a reputation for being loud stadium, it may have gaps in the end zone, but it also has possibly the least distance between the playing surface and where the fans sit due to when they removed the track and lowered field down 6 feet to put in as many seats between the field and existing seats as they could get away with in NCAA rules for distance to the field.

[Soonerman]

That is EASILY the worst idea in this entire thread...

This

[soonerfan_in_okc]

Dont hate me but I think south of the Lloyd Noble would be a great place for a new stadium. Easy access to Hiway 9. plus more parking.

how about a new basketball stadium south of lloyd noble. that is what we need.

[ljbab728]

how about a new basketball stadium south of lloyd noble. that is what we need.

I'm thinking that maybe they should move back to the old field house north of the football stadium. It holds about the number of people they're drawing now. LOL

[BG918]

I'm thinking that maybe they should move back to the old field house north of the football stadium. It holds about the number of people they're drawing now. LOL

They should at least have the men's and women's exhibition games there. If they decide to build a new arena it will be on campus, on the Duck Pond parking lot, and will likely be smaller than LNC at 10,000 seats. Such a location encourages people to park in different locations around campus so traffic is not as much of a problem leaving games, and also promotes going to Campus Corner before/after games similar to how the Ford Center, er OKC Arena works with Bricktown. It also gives the OU campus a larger venue for speakers and special events. There are no current plans to do this however.

[metro]

Personally I'd rather see the RRR move to home and home, but id rather have it at Jerry World if it's going to stay in Dallas.