I've seen it said that converting to seatbacks would be damn near impossible; the depth of the stepping of each row is too shallow. There's just not enough room.
Should We Build a Bigger Stadium
- Thread starter Rotonda Jim
- Start date
I've seen it said that converting to seatbacks would be damn near impossible; the depth of the stepping of each row is too shallow. There's just not enough room.
The easy compromise would be to keep the aluminum bench seats while upgrading them by putting 1.5 to 2 inch thick closed cell foam (think winter camping ground pads) down underneath heavy duty sail cover type material: https://www.sailrite.com/Selecting-the-Right-Marine-Cover-Fabric
You could have the covers computer laser designed to have an interlocking IU on the East side (smaller and theoretically cheaper) or wherever it looks best (north end or W side [?])...
Might still not have any back support but this configuration would seriously upgrade the comfort level of those aluminum bench seats and might just help keep a few butts in the stands past halftime....
The pads and covers should last up to 7 + years if only put down before the first home game and put into storage after the last..., so basically..., in use for 4-5 months max and in storage and out of the sun for 7+ months...
The only problem I can foresee with the above configuration is that while using a crimson color ( best look and only real option , in my opinion ) it would soak up the suns heat during August and September games... The theoretically "easy" fix there would be to use space blanket type reflective Mylar rolled out over the seat cover material until as close to possible as is practical prior to the gates opening... *(only on game days where at kickoff thr temperatures were above 70 degrees)*... That would prolong the life of the seat material also...
There you go Scott D. ... Git er done...🍺😉😎
-When the stuff fades out you can chop it up and sell it for souvenirs like the basketball court floor...-
... How about putting up some scarecrows to scare away the geese and birds so we don't have to sit on all of the bird sh*t... that would be nice too.
A statue of purdue Pete should do the trick
As long as those birds on only dump on the p u seating areas prior to the Bucket game I think we should seriously consider putting bird seed down the day before... 😉
Actually..., if that's a real concern..., that's an easy fix too... Just use the Mylar roll on, roll off cover mentioned above all season long and hose it off, or replace it as needed...
If they use the reflective stuff, Crows and p u birds (grackles) hate it...; throw in a few reflective (kids type) wind twirlers (don't know the correct name) and problem solved...
If it's geese involved I'd suggest a state sanctioned hunt...😉
They would not have to play elsewhere during a redo. They did not move when the two end zones were done. They just roped those areas off For game days.
I believe it is out of the question for IU to build a new stadium. There is no one there interested in doing that. If they are not going to replace Assembly Hall when they had the chance a few years ago they will certainly not be interested in a new FB stadium.
Nah... The concept is solid but that specific statute is certain to only draw more sh-t birds...
The lower SEZ sections are weird. The indoor/food/bar area is just ok and fans with seats elsewhere can go in there, but the rail of seats by the window are not good views with people standing outside around the tables. We bought a table for business use last year and it was ok until about the MSU game when the shade and wind whipped through making it miserable while the main stands were nice. People with seats elsewhere, but visiting the indoor area, bitched at our clients at one game for standing up at our table for big plays etc. We did not renew that table.
I have never been on the deck upstairs but will try to get there this season.
That would also scare away the children. Creepy as hell.
No geese were involved in that mess all 23 visiting pu fans are still sobbing about.
The need for an actual press box has changed dramitcally with technology. We do need to add more suites which would obviously be on the east side. There have been a number of proposals, three levels with ~45 suites of differing size would seem to make sense. I don't think they would have much issue leasing them if the price was fair and then raise it when and if the program improved. Purdue does ok with theirs and IU has a lot more corporate cash available.
Better, not bigger.
Dome.
Nicest, most fan-friendly, comfortable game facility in the new Big 64.
Fans will continue to stay home from 4 hour games full of boring TV timeouts, so 40,000 seats plus suites is all you need.
Dome.
Nicest, most fan-friendly, comfortable game facility in the new Big 64.
Fans will continue to stay home from 4 hour games full of boring TV timeouts, so 40,000 seats plus suites is all you need.
We’ll never go that small. Demand is tepid and we don’t have suites because the repeated outreach to secure commitments for them has fallen flat, but we should always be able to draw at least 50,000. Fred Glass would’ve loved to have built suites, and Rick Greenspan tried like crazy to get people to make financial commitments. They both got crickets. They would’ve pushed out the north wall if they’d had commitments at AH, and Glass couldn’t even get that. We just need to build a winning program to get to that reality.
If we keep thinking and doing like we always have, things will stay the same. Big mistake.
Refusing to build suites until there were commitments was a mistake.
Picking a seating capacity based on the old market circumstances is a mistake.
Indiana has not, does not and will not pull in 50,000 Indiana fans to football games. History shows it. Current circumstances are exactly opposite.
Alabama, Ohio State - all the big boys - are seeing decreases. Lots of reasons. Costs. Soccer. Boring in-stadium experiences. Whatever. Build 50,000 at IU and you will have 10,000 empty. Build 40,000 and it will be a hot ticket.
We are on the verge of a new industry. We will have 1 shot to do this right. Doing what we have done in the past based on the ideas and factors we used in the past is a mistake. Waiting until we win to create demand is a mistake. It keeps our malaise in place and make the road forward harder. Hep knew that. It’s why he needed construction NOW not later.
Give me a suite and I’ll sell it. Give me a piece of paper and a 2-10 season and nobody will commit.
Agree with this. There needs to be some foresight here and proactive moves made, rather than simply reacting, which has been the general mode with IU athletics, generally, in the past. In a perfect world, yes, there would be commitments made and contracts signed for suites and clubs prior to building. Given the current offerings, I'm not surprised that people are saying 'meh' about it.
Would love to see the addition of 50ish suites on the east side, along with a club or two in the same facility. Build out a large common space as part of the facility that can be used for meetings, weddings, etc., on non game days. Additionally, I would like to see them take a large chunk of the best seats on the west side and rebuild that section with chair back seats and some new entrance/exit ramps leading to a club section that would be build over top of a part of the main concourse. This would lower capacity to 48K-50K, which is sustainable for IU football. I think that designing the new suites/clubs on the east side to accommodate for a potential seating addition would be wise, though.
Otherwise, the Missouri example I used previously would be a good idea if a general maintenance of the current capacity is a priority.
Realistically, with the new TV deal, if it comes in as expected, will potentially leave open an additional $25 million per season that could go to the football program. That would likely be sufficient to sustain the debt payments for the $100 million or so it would cost, between this and a new indoor facility.
We haven’t drawn 50,000 consistently because we’ve done everything but focus on the one thing that would change that unfortunate circumstance: Build a winning football program. Go ask Iowa and Wisconsin what attendance was like before they built winning programs and what it’s like now. Winning cures this. Losing creates more excuses.
Really like the size and look of MS. Just keep making common sense tweaks for fan friendly game day. Seems to me more restroom attention needed and try food trucks to pull folks in from lots. Also I've always enjoyed a good halftime marching band show. If the present director can't create it find somebody that will. As far as music students not wanting to be in the marching band offer them something for their participation for all home games. Lots of businesses would probably donate support for the shows provided. Somebody mentioned giving free tickets to youths(2-300 a game) around the state to attend games. Seems to me that is a damn inexpensive promotion to fill seats and build future fan support. Find a direction, find the flow and get your feet wet.
All true....
.... and it amazes me that IU has one of the most highly respected business schools in the country with the Kelley School of Business... yet.... not one single person running IU's athletic department, now or any time in the past 20 or 30 years, has shown me that they have a lick of sense about running the "business of IU".
Win or lose they don't know how to CREATE demand for their product... Smart marketers, they're not. Same ole, same ole..... while new ideas and methods keep passing them by.
All we ever hear is how they can't fill the stands...
....they could fill them if they'd just get 80% of the Tailgate crowd inside the stadium....
... the potential is there but IU sits on their hands and lets it squander away...
... With all of the "business brains" at IU they should be ashamed of themselves for not being able to come up with ideas that will move the tailgaters into the stands for the duration of the game...
Obviously, have a winning team is the first answer but make the in-stadium experience as fun for the tailgaters as it is for them to sit outside the stadium.
Last edited:
Same old claim.
You are wrong. It’s not the 1980’s anymore.
Even the attendance numbers during Mallory’s best years were fake - they reported sales, not attendance. I was there. I had eyes.
I was there for Pont too. And Corso. And that sumbitch Wyche. And DiNardo. Hep. Wilson. And Allen.
Winning is NOT enough. Winning will not fill Memorial Stadium anymore.
College football attendance declines for seventh straight season to lowest average since 1981
Even the best teams and conferences across college football saw attendance drops this season
www.cbssports.com
Going to a game is a hassle where the fan now comes last. Where even the premium seats can’t hold the legs of a guy over 6 feet tall. Where concessions are an amateur hour at premium prices and they run out of water in September. Where games are scheduled for noon despite the heat and other factors that keep fans away from noon games.
If traditional winners are seeing attendance decline, IU needs to get real fast. The old saw of “win and they will fill it” is blind to the current market reality.
I've heard that before, too. There's an engineering solution for just about everything. I don't think this one is particularly complicated. They've already figured it out with the small handicap accessible sections on the east side - basically, make two risers one to provide more space. The skeleton of VA Tech's Lane stadium is basically the same as ours, and they've also figured out a solution and managed to put seatbacks in a small section. The loss of seats may make it prohibitive for the majority of the stadium, but there has to be a way to get a few thousand setbacks in. Especially if it is paired with adding suites, the loss of bench seats may not impact the overall capacity by much.
Last edited:
I was there for all of that and you couldn’t be more wrong about the one thing that matters: Winning. Saying winning is not enough when we’ve never won makes no sense whatsoever. We’ve never won on a consistent basis. Ever. Not with Johnny Pont or Corso or Wyche or Mal or Cam or DiNardo or Hep or Lynch or Wilson or Allen. None of them built a winning program and a winning culture. We’ve had years of fan apathy as a result.Same old claim.
You are wrong. It’s not the 1980’s anymore.
Even the attendance numbers during Mallory’s best years were fake - they reported sales, not attendance. I was there. I had eyes.
I was there for Pont too. And Corso. And that sumbitch Wyche. And DiNardo. Hep. Wilson. And Allen.
Winning is NOT enough. Winning will not fill Memorial Stadium anymore.
College football attendance declines for seventh straight season to lowest average since 1981
Even the best teams and conferences across college football saw attendance drops this season
Going to a game is a hassle where the fan now comes last. Where even the premium seats can’t hold the legs of a guy over 6 feet tall. Where concessions are an amateur hour at premium prices and they run out of water in September. Where games are scheduled for noon despite the heat and other factors that keep fans away from noon games.
If traditional winners are seeing attendance decline, IU needs to get real fast. The old saw of “win and they will fill it” is blind to the current market reality.
Last edited:
I agree with the sentiment to a point. Winning is ultimately the biggest factor to having more people wanting to come to IU football games. That said, making the experience as easy, comfortable, and affordable as possible is a major factor, as well. There are no other states within the B1G and, really, the national footprint, apart from Florida and California, that have three power conference programs (looping ND in on this) in their state. The other examples have populations that dwarf that of Indiana. So, it is a highly competitive environment, in many cases. Add to this the fact that there is a portion of the population that will not go to an IU football game because they are Purdue, ND, Louisville, Cincinnati, UK, OSU, or Michigan fans, and the numbers drop a bit more. Plus, you have the Colts factor, taking up discretionary income for a certain number of fans.
To maximize attendance, putting a successful, enjoyable product on the field is first and foremost. I think that there need to be more premium seating options at different price points, while also divorcing the ability to purchase those from donations. There also needs to be more ways to make attendance attractive from a cost perspective. Lower the prices for tickets in the corners, make kids free or close to free, enhance free or low cost parking options, etc. Improve concessions and make them less expensive.
The travel from Indianapolis and Louisville areas isn't easy. IU is one of the only, if not the only, B1G school without direct interstate access from the population center(s) of their respective states. That will be resolved eventually, but it makes things that much more difficult. Plus, Bloomington is one of the smaller cities in the B1G, so there is a limited local population and corporate base to draw from.
It is a challenge, but it is one that can be met.
If they can figure that aspect out they won't have much issue selling several hundred of those seats at a premium. Glass and Dolson already had the alumni/business feedback they needed to pull the trigger on east side suites pre-covid so it will be interesting to see if/when they pull the trigger...it is not a small undertaking particularly with supply chain and labor issues. I have a buddy who is a developer and even the elevators have been a hassle for them.
Deck upstairs is weird, too. There are a couple of temporary bleachers with seats, some high-top tables at the railing and some couches and picnic tables that lack views of the field but the game is on TVs. Those that arrive early enough, grab the high-top tables and have a good view. For the rest, the view isn't great but the area allows for socialization. There are two concession stands and restrooms nearby both are convenient.
Our stadium is fine. More than fine. More eyes watching on television.
Now the field? Yes. It always looks faded and shabby.
Now the field? Yes. It always looks faded and shabby.
That area was definitely not well conceived but, until there is even a small bit of demand for suites, it will have to do. Glass spent like a Carmel housewife, albeit on a much more modest Zionsville / Brownsburg budget, and he’d have stayed had suites been a possibility. The SEZ isn’t a viewing area per se, but it wasn’t intended to be. On the other hand, the 1k-2k tailgaters who show up only during good weather and don’t follow the program probably consider their trucks and mini-vans suites, too, so there’s that.
Last edited:
We drew 48k for freaking Idaho last year. 50k for MSU. Two sellouts for UC and OSU. Don’t go 2-10 and get back to bowling and we can get those crowds again.
Wait, really? The new stuff they put down a few years back looks great. Still looks great after 6-7 years. The surface before was what was bad.
To be honest it’s not really for die hard fans. It’s pretty much entirely for socialization.
Maybe it's the glare? Always looks faded on TV. In person it looks fine. But most fans and recruits see the TV broadcast.
I think it is an eye sore and I have heard others say it is an eye sore. Sorry I haven't a list of people's opinion on the matter
Also, I never said it was simply updating. I was commenting on what I would do next to improve the stadium.
As I said, I have not been up there yet, but it seems to be an attempt at moving some of the pure tailgaters inside, which is not a bad idea.
It is neither "faded" nor "shabby", it is in good shape for it's age. I have noticed It can look shiney in the sun, especially on TV, don't know why.
I didn't make it there last year (and of course not the year before) but in the past it's looked dirty or grimy to me. I think that's just how the turf looks with the black rubber pellets just below the surface. Looks fine on TV, though. <shrug>
TVs come with a black pellet filter
I would rather build a new indoor practice facility, turn Mellencamp into a 2nd weight room for non-football varsity athletes, and at a minimum have architectural renderings drawn up that show what the addition of suites to either the East or the West stands would look like. If the Admin can't be at least that proactive, especially when $85-100 million starts flowing in, then maybe money isn't the real issue.
Or maybe that money's already been earmarked for something like the Global & International Studies program. But I'm hoping the new President isn't cut from the same cloth as the last one.
Similar threads
