You were politely asked not to follow me around posting behind me. Please do so.
Oh, and my post is spot on. Hope that helps.
Major Memorial Stadium renovations coming in 2024 (or maybe not)…
- Thread starter RBB89
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Oh, and my post is spot on. Hope that helps.
I neither follow you around nor post behind you, as all evidence here proves. Please don’t ruin any more threads with your habit of doing that. The issue of the MS east side was stated incorrectly by you, and that’s well known within University circles, though you won’t be able to find it on Wiki when you look. You’re welcome.
If I were in charge of the continuing improvement efforts...
The concourses and rest room improvements are practically the most pressing needs. But I think if the money is there, those needs should be addressed within a larger project.
West Side...Redo the press box area by "lowering it" down a few rows, making it extend the entire width of the west side structure. I'd have the inside/stadium facing part of it match the NEZ turrets in some way, but also have modern looking tinted glass. The overall structure that would face the outside of the stadium would look very similar to the NEZ...and then underneath it, it would become closed off and extensive concourse and restroom improvements could be made.
East Side...match the height and size of the West Media/Press Box structure. If that means you have to add a few rows to the East side, so be it. The structure on the East side would be mainly corporate luxury suites. Indoor/outdoor seating. All the stuff these luxury suite clientele would expect. Same thing underneath the new East structure...closed off, improved concourse and restrooms.
SEZ...make sure you alter it to match the NEZ as much as possible. Doesn't have to be a mirror image, but needs to look like it was built at the same time, and it all flows together, and looks purposeful. The recent SEZ project, I think, looks like an afterthought. Like they threw something onto the end of the stadium on a cheap budget.
Obviously any training facilities we might have that aren't up to top 25 standards, should be addressed as well. Mellencamp, training rooms, weight rooms, whatever.
The concourses and rest room improvements are practically the most pressing needs. But I think if the money is there, those needs should be addressed within a larger project.
West Side...Redo the press box area by "lowering it" down a few rows, making it extend the entire width of the west side structure. I'd have the inside/stadium facing part of it match the NEZ turrets in some way, but also have modern looking tinted glass. The overall structure that would face the outside of the stadium would look very similar to the NEZ...and then underneath it, it would become closed off and extensive concourse and restroom improvements could be made.
East Side...match the height and size of the West Media/Press Box structure. If that means you have to add a few rows to the East side, so be it. The structure on the East side would be mainly corporate luxury suites. Indoor/outdoor seating. All the stuff these luxury suite clientele would expect. Same thing underneath the new East structure...closed off, improved concourse and restrooms.
SEZ...make sure you alter it to match the NEZ as much as possible. Doesn't have to be a mirror image, but needs to look like it was built at the same time, and it all flows together, and looks purposeful. The recent SEZ project, I think, looks like an afterthought. Like they threw something onto the end of the stadium on a cheap budget.
Obviously any training facilities we might have that aren't up to top 25 standards, should be addressed as well. Mellencamp, training rooms, weight rooms, whatever.
As cool as that mega press box would be, I can't imagine we have the demand to use nearly that much space. I agree that it should be expanded width wise to allow more premium seating and some meeting/event space for ren/premium packages.
Add the east side suites phase 1 with 40 - 45 suites plus some event space (no more rows of seating are planned) and the concourse/concessions improvements you mention. All of that is generally self-sustaining as the suites will lease quickly and the concessions sales will improve.
IMO (and I know of no plans for this) but I would tear down Mellencamp and replace that with premium tailgate areas and build a new facitlity in the orange lot with direct access to the practice fields, TAH and The Rock.
Oh no...I would multipurpose the Press box side. Corporate meeting rooms maybe, any other rooms the athletics department/college might benefit from. Hell, make some of it hotel rooms or something?
Extending the press box either south or north (or both) would first require reinforcements to the existing stadium structure (this was evaluated several years ago), so I’m not sure they’ll ever do that. HOK also developed several expansion plans for MS, including East side suites. Their were several sets of renderings that floated around during that era (Rick Greenspan’s, and it was basically part of the overall MS and facilities expansion promise made to Hep to get him to come to IU).
That is basically what I said as well except in a much smaller footprint. The fact that it sits so high up is the issue IMO and would not be as desireable as a premium seat, suite or event location.
The East side suites make a ton more sense for an organization such as ours to lease. Much better views. When the suites concept was vetted pre-covid, the feeling among those that were asking was that 40-45 would be a safe number to start with. The footings were put in originally just in case an expansion was justified and well before suites were a twinkle in our eye. Those footings will come in handy once the demand is reconfirmed. Scott won't waste much time.
Yup...would assume it would take some work to reinforce. Which would easily be incorporated into the project.
They need to close off those concourse areas anyways, and need to dramatically improve the concessions and bathrooms... They can keep bandaiding the stadium with 3,4,5 more 50 million dollar projects...or they can get it "all done" at once.
If anything like my plan is accomplished...Memorial Stadium could become a viable outside concert venue. Which opens up tons of potential for income and overall use outside the 4-5 Saturdays in the fall. Would a 30-40K outside concert venue in Bloomington attract top talent like Noblesville does? No clue, I would think they could pull people from Indy and Louisville to see top talents.
The required west side changes were investigated previously. Pretty pricey and it is still too tall.
I haven't been to a concert in MS since the end zones were closed so I have to wonder what the sound would be like, It swirls now just feom the PA and band/PA. Btown is a good destination for concerts though given the appeal of the bar and restaurant scene. Like to see more.
From a great summary of IU athletics history by Ken Bikoff, which explains how the original plan for Memorial Stadium was forced to be revised when the bids came back far greater than the initial estimates, resulting in a lack of funding. It’s also why the construction of Assembly Hall was delayed by 10 years when there had originally been the intention that both football and basketball would get new buildings at roughly the same time.
“With the bid from Huber, Hunt and Nichols - let's go with HH & N, shall we - in hand, Wells and Franklin made a presentation to the Board of Trustees during their June 6 meeting. According to the minutes of the meeting, Wells and Franklin handed out, "Exhaustive data covering attendance figures over a period of years in the Indiana stadium and other stadia, athletic facilities cost estimates and student fee schedules," which were distributed and brought up for discussion. After looking over the material, the Board decided that plans for the stadium should be redrawn with some 13,000 seats above the upper vomitories on the east side, consisting of the top 37 rows, removed.
All told, the west side of the stands would feature 109 rows of seating while 68 rows would exist on the east side. The east stands, however, could later be expanded to 109 rows if IU so chose.”
“With the bid from Huber, Hunt and Nichols - let's go with HH & N, shall we - in hand, Wells and Franklin made a presentation to the Board of Trustees during their June 6 meeting. According to the minutes of the meeting, Wells and Franklin handed out, "Exhaustive data covering attendance figures over a period of years in the Indiana stadium and other stadia, athletic facilities cost estimates and student fee schedules," which were distributed and brought up for discussion. After looking over the material, the Board decided that plans for the stadium should be redrawn with some 13,000 seats above the upper vomitories on the east side, consisting of the top 37 rows, removed.
All told, the west side of the stands would feature 109 rows of seating while 68 rows would exist on the east side. The east stands, however, could later be expanded to 109 rows if IU so chose.”
Yeah, my thought would be to make the TOP of the new West Press Box/Media Center/Business Center, whatever it'd be used for...to be about in line with where the West bleachers are currently. So it'd cut off however many rows from the top of the current West Bleachers. Which would then make it easier to match the East Bleachers elevation to the west.
I assume the structural reinforcements would be significant, maybe it would preclude what I laid out? But I know they spent a lot of time and money on structural stuff for the NEZ project, and I think most would agree that was money very well spent. If the project I laid out, or any form of it, allows for good luxury suites, and improves the overall layout/accoustics to the point where MS becomes a concert destination spot...I can't imagine any structural hurdles not being worth the cost/effort, long term.
Do we want a really nice looking, big, high school stadium? Or do we want a top notch, elite, national college level stadium???
With where the world of college football is heading, I'd be doing everything in my power to ensure IU stays a solid B10 level program...if I were Dolson, and IU brass.
The study that was done established both the need for reinforcements to the existing structure but also issues of ingress and egress. The ramping would require significant revisions and several new elevators would need to be erected, as well. The price tag was extremely high.
I get what you are saying, my only push back is that those facilities would be so damned high up. We had premium seats in the press box a few years ago and were watching ants run around.
Cost wise it was meg significant and meant restrictive changes to the current concourses.
I love the stadium now and once the shitters, concessions and suites are up it will be as nice as any.
I get it! I'm assuming its expensive. I'm assuming its time consuming.
Do we want a bigger version of Carmel High Schools stadium...or do we want to have a state of the art, multi use, "as good as any other college stadium in the country", 50K seat stadium?
Do we want a summer lineup of headliner country music stars, Dave Mathews, bringing thousands upon thousands to Bloomington to show off the stadium and campus? Or again, do we want 40 ish thousand people to come to a glorified high school game, 4-5 times a year?
I hope our decision makers are thinking bigger. Bloomington is one of the most southern most B10 schools. It has some of the best weather, overall, in the B10. Tap into that! Use that. We don't have Football history billowing our sails. FORCE it!
The NEZ is as nice as any. The rest of the stadium is basically a 5x bigger version of Carmel HS.
We gotta think bigger...or IU will get left behind in the oncoming college football changes.
A
anon_mya1phvcpf5x4
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Memorial Stadium is already much better than many college stadiums. And even Carmel's football field is no where close lol
Yup, so worried about Carmel passing us up.
Well, I suppose I am biased and sentimental, I just recall what the damned place looked like in the 80s and 90s when I was a student and young alum.
I tell you one thing though, if we want to be a solid BIG program we are going to have to win more games that is for damned sure.
It would likely be the "worst" stadium in the SEC. Its in the bottom half of the B10 I'd say, taken in total. The NEZ is great, looks great, tons of function and benefits. The SEZ functionally is great, but doesn't stack up with the NEZ looks wise. The East and West sides are basically much bigger versions of nicer HS concrete bleachers...they don't match each other, they're outdated... Taken in total, when comparing to who we need to be comparing ourselves with, its not one of the better college stadiums. Compared to Purdue, Northwestern, Ball State...sure, MS is better...maybe? But college football is headed to 40-50 schools being relevant. And as good as we think the NEZ made MS...take a gander at SEC stadiums, ND, OSU, Clemson, Maryland, what USC is planning on doing, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska...not the size of the stadiums...how nice they are now.
We're about to get another big ass check from the B10...we should be pushing to think "bigger/better" than we have in the past with regards to IU football. They're going to be watching, I'm sure, what schools end up doing with their money. We don't need a 70K seat football stadium at IU right now. Probably never will. But a 50K seat MS that's state of the art, hosts concerts, and becomes a centerpiece to attract people to Bloomington year round...that could be something that buoys our football program while we're still working to bring the on field success up to top 50 standards.
Bigger is not always better. MS. Nicer than most BIG facilities
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