When the Big Ten expands to whatever number it ends up being, IU will have the second smallest stadium in the conference. Only Northwestern will be smaller. We already have way too many recruiting challenges that make our situation close to hopeless if we want to compete with the big boys. Yes, our training facilities are top notch so would it now be the time to add twenty or thirty thousand seats to our stadium to give prospects something more to consider when IU recruits them?
Should We Build a Bigger Stadium
- Thread starter Rotonda Jim
- Start date
Well, Minnesota’s brand new stadium only seats 50,800. Rutgers is essentially the same as IU at 52,400 and Maryland is only 54,000. I think the trend with all the TV games is to keep the stadiums smaller and raise prices if the demand goes up.
The original design and intention was that the east stands would mirror the west ones, but funds were short, so they stopped roughly two-thirds of the way up. Merely finishing that side would add roughly 11,500 seats, pushing existing capacity to roughly 64,000, if no other renovations occurred.
If the west side is reconfigured at the top to include suites, the maximum attendance will decline. Additionally, any premium seating in the main stadium would also lower the attendance. Both of these projects have been discussed at different times in the last two decades, but obviously nothing has occurred. One or both of those occurrences would open the door to an east side expansion, but that would likely be done to maintain or only slightly increase the overall capacity. If it ever grows, I would expect it to top out at roughly 60,000, unless demand really takes off.
Let's talk about it once we routinely, consistently fill the seats we already have.
Huntington Bank Stadium can be expanded “up”, but I don’t know where it tops out.
Kinnick (Iowa) tore down and rebuilt their north stands, resulting in more premium seating and amenities but a slight reduction in capacity (Just under 70,000). Camp Randall is preparing to do the same thing with their south stands, which will result in a net loss of a few hundred seats (capacity will be just below 80,000). UNL added a third deck on the east stadium side several years ago, pushing capacity to 91,500. Illinois did their renovation several years ago, resulting in a net reduction at Memorial Stadium. Purdue opened up Ross Ade several years ago, installed premium seating, and leveled the south stands. Their capacity used to be close to 70,000 but is now in the low 50’s. UM, OSU and PSU have grown some over the years, and PSU is on the edge of a massive renovation of Beaver Stadium (headed by Pat Kraft). Spartan Stadium was renovated a number of years ago when they lowered the field, but capacity has been steady for a long time. NU - Ryan Field is a dump. USC just did a massive overhaul of the LA Memorial Coliseu, shrinking capacity below 80,000. The Rose Bowl has been renovated several times through the years, with capacity now in the low 90’s, which is down from its peak of 102,000 or so.
The 2022 class is ranked #19 nationally (4th in the Big Ten) per Rivals and #26 nationally (5th in the conference) according to 247Sports. This is IU's best class in the recruiting rankings era.
If we start winning games again, recruiting should be fine. It's clearly a Tom Allen (and staff) strength.
Could we afford the cardboard fake fan cutouts necessary to fill the additional empty seats?
If it was up to me, then the next project would be updating the press boxes and possibly include suites around it as part of the project.
Next, if we start filling our stadium regularly, then I would look into raising the east stands to match the west stands.
Next, if we start filling our stadium regularly, then I would look into raising the east stands to match the west stands.
Honest, ignorant question: whom does updating the press box benefit, other than the press?
it would look better than the current eyesore and if it included suites, it would benefit more than just the press.
Money made from the suites would eventually pay for the renovation.
Who thinks it’s an eyesore?
Also, adding suites is rather more than simply “updating.”
It currently includes some limited “suites”, though that’s a generous description. Presumably, any expansion would include both an upgrade to what is there along with extensions both north and south along the top of the stadium. Several years ago, HOK submitted several designs, including both an east and a west suite expansion (the east presented far fewer impediments, as the west would require some fairly extensive engineering refinements to the existing structure. The east suite expansion was simply a ground up project that would go above the existing stands). There has to be demand, along with a financial commitment, for this to ever proceed. Building a winning program would be helpful, obviously.
Go Hoosiers.
No. More suites/press box? Absolutely. Even with the program continuing to grow, we likely won't ever need an 80,000 seat stadium. Besides, consistantly filling up Memorial Stadium as it is now can be quite loud/a fun atmosphere. But like i said, suites along the east side would bring in more cash.
Also, like Bowlmania just said, our recruiting has been fine.
My guess is that they would leave the current press box, renovate it, and then put suites on the east side. Kind of like Wisconsin.
How long would the redo take? Would we play elsewhere for 1 season? Would we close one side and play with only the press box side?
Is it out of the question to build another football and/or basketball stadium elsewhere?
Is it out of the question to build another football and/or basketball stadium elsewhere?
As I mentioned in an earlier post, that was structurally easier and definitely less expensive. One of the issues was a change in parking (they likely would want a premium access lot), as it would likely need to eat up some of the very limited space between AH and the east side entry. But it’s been a few years since they looked extensively at it. But doing suites on the east side was definitely the easier route.
Go Hoosiers.
Use of the stadium could continue through any of these renovations.
Given they just renovated assembly hall instead of rebuilding, I highly doubt we will see a new stadium for a long time.
I probably have a better chance of going on a date with Jessica Alba than IU building a new football and basketball stadium.
Last edited:
I felt for sometime IU should be giving seats in 119 to kids
for free just to build up a fan base.
I remember my first IU football game when I was a wee lad
was made possible because of a free ticket from a
church group, the rest is history.
Not sure we need 10k more empty seats to show on tv.
My plan would be to renovate and expand the press box which could eliminate maybe a thousand seats.
Putting capacity at about 51k meaning less empty seats
Let’s face it,IU will never consistently sell out so the less empty seats the better,just my opinion.
My plan would be to renovate and expand the press box which could eliminate maybe a thousand seats.
Putting capacity at about 51k meaning less empty seats
Let’s face it,IU will never consistently sell out so the less empty seats the better,just my opinion.
We need to update or build a new indoor practice facility. I’m not joking about this but Div III Wittenberg has a nicer practice facility than we do.
This is the correct answer.
A new indoor facility would help the team in a number of ways, not only on the field but also be another tool for the staff to use in recruiting.
It's long overdue.
Definitely no additional seating at this time. I would like the addition of new suites/premium seating on the east side, similar to what they have at Virginia Tech. The existing suites and club area in the press box is not very good, as there is limited kitchen space up there, since everything was retrofitted 15ish years ago. Adding suites/club on the east side will allow the building of these facilities without the constraints of an existing footprint, enabling for much better common space in the facility that can be used year round for other events, the way that the Hall of Champions is used. Additionally, I wouldn't be opposed to adding some additional premium seating options on the west side, including chair back seats, like in the Hall of Champions area. This would probably bring total capacity down to about 50K.
Going this route would essentially completely hem in any expansion opportunities for the stadium down the road. They could do something like Missouri did with their stadium by adding suites/club on the west side of their stadium, but incorporating a small upper deck, adding about 5-7K seats. This would at least keep the door open on the ability to expand further. With the loss of seating for additional premium seats on the west side and the addition on the east side, would probably put MS capacity around 55K, which is a reasonable number for the foreseeable future.
Going this route would essentially completely hem in any expansion opportunities for the stadium down the road. They could do something like Missouri did with their stadium by adding suites/club on the west side of their stadium, but incorporating a small upper deck, adding about 5-7K seats. This would at least keep the door open on the ability to expand further. With the loss of seating for additional premium seats on the west side and the addition on the east side, would probably put MS capacity around 55K, which is a reasonable number for the foreseeable future.
Mizzou’s upper deck is on the east side, since their press box and virtually everyone else’s is on the west. Their capacity is now just over 60,000.
I think if they doubled the number of urinals and beer taps most would be really happy with that.....
Getting some nice concourse t.v.’s would be a start. The Sanyo 32” displays they have out there while awaiting concessions are downright amateur.
We’ve got a gigantic Jumbotron inside and then old school at the end of the entry ramps. Those could be installed in a week’s time prior to the 2022 season.
We’ve got a gigantic Jumbotron inside and then old school at the end of the entry ramps. Those could be installed in a week’s time prior to the 2022 season.
Thanks for clarifying. I think their capacity was lowered significantly with their reworked south end zone seating. They were over 70K when their east side work was completed.
And then they will leave at halftime.
Sorry, but we can’t fill it now
I wish we had the demand right now to necessitate a bigger stadium, but it's just not there, and I don't anticipate it will be any time soon. After recently buying tickets for the Illinois game, it's clear that there is definitely demand for more premium seating, of which we have very little and was really difficult to come by. It's my first game back in a number of years (I live out of state), and I wasn't't super thrilled by the idea of seating on aluminum benches and roughing it like I did as an 18 year old. It's been years since I've been to any event anywhere with an aluminum bench seat.
I think the next move for the stadium should be to convert as many bench seats as possible to seatbacks and to make up for the loss with suites/loge boxes/other premium options, either through a renovation and expansion of the press box, the addition of premium suites on the east side, or both. 50-55k is probably the right amount of seating for us, but IU could earn lots more money if a much bigger chunk of those were from premium seating options. I'd love to see us get to 60-65K, but that's likely either a never needed or not needed for decades.
I have been to Mizzou only once when we played there several years ago. It needed work and the tailgate scene was awful.
The SEZ indoor seating and outdoor tables have not done well. The upper deck is fine
When I was buying, the NEZ and SEZ were both sold out, save the 'rooftop at the rock.' It's hard to call something premium seating when it requires that you stand the whole game and don't actually have a guaranteed seat or any actual view of the field. Tables and beer = good. Tables and beer with no seats = bad. Premium seating should have really been prioritized on the sidelines.
if you mean build the program and they will come, you're absolutely right.
As long as they aren't somehow interconnected (you'd know if it was if Silver Thunder was coming out of the taps.....)
They tore out the south end zone stands a few years ago, which greatly reduced the capacity.
The best part of SEZ from a fan perspective is you can get inside and undercover. As a place for outdoor viewing, it badly needs a re-think / re-imagine.
Similar threads
