Stadium Upgrades

[bstuff1979]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OK_OU_REGENTS_OKOL-?SITE=OKTUL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-12-11-18-05-23

Don't think it's been mentioned yet, haven't seen it. Though, it's not what you're probably hoping it is. General upgrades to the Switzer Center and W. side of the stadium. No enclosing of the south endzone.

[MextheBulldog]

"studio and office space for Sooner Vision"

[MamaMia]

They would have to pretty much re-do the whole building on the south to enclose the south end zone since those seats are at a different angle. I heard that they were thinking about either adding more seats to the north end zone or making another couple of club levels over there.

[stoopified]

120,000 seat dome ,the only way to go.

[silverwheels]

120,000 seat dome ,the only way to go.

Absolutely not. The stadium, attendance-wise, is fine as it is.

And domes? Football should not be played in a dome.

[TopDawg]

They would have to pretty much re-do the whole building on the south to enclose the south end zone since those seats are at a different angle. I heard that they were thinking about either adding more seats to the north end zone or making another couple of club levels over there.

While the presence of the Switzer Center and the plaza at the base of the flag poles would present some engineering troubles...I don't think the different grade of the south endzone seats is a problem at all. I know they've said it's an issue, but it's only an issue if you want the rows to line up perfectly. I don't see why we couldn't have something akin to what Nebraska has in their endzone where the two sections are split by a retaining wall where they don't match up.

http://www.amasis.com/diamondvision/nebraska/nebraska-4.jpg

If we moved a street to add the east side upper deck, surely we can figure out some way to close in the south side.

[sooner518]

:stunned: That's like 1/10th of what OSU spent on their stadium upgrades! I bet you Gooners are gettin nervous about the "Best Facilities in the history of the universe" being a mere 90 minutes from your so-called "stadium". Gooners!!!! :stunned:

[MamaMia]

We need that nice breeze we get from the south during the hot games.

[fadada1]

that picture is farked. no way nebraska was winning.

[Dan Thompson]

Double deck the north end. Maybe I could get a ticket at face value if there were more seats.

[texas bandman]

While the presence of the Switzer Center and the plaza at the base of the flag poles would present some engineering troubles...I don't think the different grade of the south endzone seats is a problem at all. I know they've said it's an issue, but it's only an issue if you want the rows to line up perfectly. I don't see why we couldn't have something akin to what Nebraska has in their endzone where the two sections are split by a retaining wall where they don't match up.

http://www.amasis.com/diamondvision/nebraska/nebraska-4.jpg

If we moved a street to add the east side upper deck, surely we can figure out some way to close in the south side.

That's one ugly stadium!

[Sooner98]

that picture is farked. no way nebraska was winning.

Must've been a picture from the 90's. ;)

[TopDawg]

That's one ugly stadium!

It's not a beaut, that's for sure...but it's not ugly because those two sections don't match up row-to-row.

[TopDawg]

We need that nice breeze we get from the south during the hot games.

We need a contract that allows us to play our early-season nationally televised games at night. :D

[TopDawg]

:stunned: That's like 1/10th of what OSU spent on their stadium upgrades! I bet you Gooners are gettin nervous about the "Best Facilities in the history of the universe" being a mere 90 minutes from your so-called "stadium". Gooners!!!! :stunned:

Switzer said he was pretty impressed at the quality of the facilities they're building up there...that they will be the best he's ever seen.

Maybe he was just being nice since Pat Jones was in the room, but I've never known Switz to tread lightly around a subject...especially when it comes to OSU.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

We need that nice breeze we get from the south during the hot games.

Exactly, you think it's hot now! We need to build up, that will make it louder and more intimidating to visiting teams.

[fadada1]

Switzer said he was pretty impressed at the quality of the facilities they're building up there...that they will be the best he's ever seen.

Maybe he was just being nice since Pat Jones was in the room, but I've never known Switz to tread lightly around a subject...especially when it comes to OSU.
[hairGel] INAKURIT!!!

[TopDawg]

[hairGel] INAKURIT!!!

THAT'S NOT TRUE! (http://youtube.com/watch?v=yOJ99gipUCQ) [hairGel]

[OUAndy1807]

wow. that should be cool.

[bstuff1979]

Switzer said he was pretty impressed at the quality of the facilities they're building up there...that they will be the best he's ever seen.

Maybe he was just being nice since Pat Jones was in the room, but I've never known Switz to tread lightly around a subject...especially when it comes to OSU.

I'm actually not really shocked, because (with the money spent) it should be. Thing is, a Ferrari looks great but doesn't run well with a engine from a '87 IROC Z (with Gundy's hair, that's the only example to use). You can have all the facilities, but without the atheletes and coaches it doesn't do much for you. It's a chicken before the egg thing, I'm just pleased I'm not aggie.

[Soonersince57]

I've also heard the north end zone would be next. Some suites and additional seating and somehow connect the east and west upper decks.

[Fraggle145]

Double deck the north end. Maybe I could get a ticket at face value if there were more seats.

This is correct. well except finding tickets, that is easy, I ahve never struggled to find a ticket at or under face. to create more noise you build up not out.

[OUAndy1807]

I agree that the next project will probably be a north deck.

[colleyvillesooner]

you agree or you know? :D

[OUAndy1807]

I agree. I don't know anything.

[TopDawg]

I'm actually not really shocked, because (with the money spent) it should be. Thing is, a Ferrari looks great but doesn't run well with a engine from a '87 IROC Z (with Gundy's hair, that's the only example to use). You can have all the facilities, but without the atheletes and coaches it doesn't do much for you. It's a chicken before the egg thing, I'm just pleased I'm not aggie.

Well, the idea is that the facilities help you get the athletes which either helps you get better coaches or makes your current coaches seem better.

Switzer's the one who said it...something like "these kids don't care about who coached here 10, 20, 30 years ago. They care about where they'll be spending most of their time for the next 4 years. They want what's shiny and new."

[colleyvillesooner]

I agree. I don't know anything.

got it.

[bstuff1979]

Well, the idea is that the facilities help you get the athletes which either helps you get better coaches or makes your current coaches seem better.

Switzer's the one who said it...something like "these kids don't care about who coached here 10, 20, 30 years ago. They care about where they'll be spending most of their time for the next 4 years. They want what's shiny and new."

Absolutely, the facilities get the recruits a good deal of the time. With osu (if I was a fan, though I'm not one that will wish them bad luck 100% of the time), I would be concerned that they don't have the coaches to get the proper results out of those recruits. Maybe not as bad as it was here with Blake, but certainly (no question, in a great way) Gundy isn't in the same league as Stoops. Maybe I'm wrong, but w/ the loss of Fedora and continued uncertainty on defense...they've got a shiny new sports car and nobody that knows how to drive anything other than automatic. I'd like to see it back to OU vs. osu as a top 25 matchup, but I won't hold my breath. OU had better continue to upgrade the facilities in Norman, though that's more a concern for the long-term future. I highly doubt that OU's going to lose out on a bigtime recruit to osu, local or national, unless it has to do with playing time.

[OklahomaTuba]

An updated pressbox with more suites is the only thing that makes economic sense in the short term.

[Sooner98]

Is there really a huge demand right now for more seats? It seemed that with several of our games this year, especially the less exciting games, there were lots of people before the game, holding tickets up in the air for sale. Like Tuba said, I would like to see the money go toward things like an updated pressbox with more suites. A new, better sound system would be nice, too. I'm anxious to see what the new south endzone jumbotron is going to look like.

[OSUAggie]

Absolutely, the facilities get the recruits a good deal of the time. With osu (if I was a fan, though I'm not one that will wish them bad luck 100% of the time), I would be concerned that they don't have the coaches to get the proper results out of those recruits. Maybe not as bad as it was here with Blake, but certainly (no question, in a great way) Gundy isn't in the same league as Stoops. Maybe I'm wrong, but w/ the loss of Fedora and continued uncertainty on defense...they've got a shiny new sports car and nobody that knows how to drive anything other than automatic. I'd like to see it back to OU vs. osu as a top 25 matchup, but I won't hold my breath. OU had better continue to upgrade the facilities in Norman, though that's more a concern for the long-term future. I highly doubt that OU's going to lose out on a bigtime recruit to osu, local or national, unless it has to do with playing time.

Your scale is too difficult on Gundy if you're comparing him to Stoops. Stoops is a once-a-generation type of coach for a big program to land, much less a program of the stature of OSU.

Gundy just needs to succeed at the level of.. say.. Houston Nutt to be considered successful by OSU standards. Although I don't really think he does himself any favors with his dumb *** remarks to the media on certain subjects (not including the Carlson thing), I haven't seen a whole lot to show me he's an incompetent coach.

I don't think the offense will miss a beat without Fedora. We'll still run the same scheme (assuming we promote from within, which seems pretty certain at this point), and the offensive coaches are obviously well-informed with Fedora's system. The playcalling will be done differently, which probably won't be a bad thing. Fedora seemed just slightly above average as far as calling a game is concerned.

As far as the facilities... yipee. The idea of having them (since pretty much 0 of them are complete as far as the players' situation is concerned) has been enough to get big recruits on campus and talk about how much they enjoyed the visit for at least a day or two before they commit somewhere else. We need to win some ****ing games to change that, which starts with hopefully improving the defense to slightly below average.

I didn't read the article on the OU upgrades, but hopefully the ****er situation under the west end is considered.

[SoonerBacker]

Your scale is too difficult on Gundy if you're comparing him to Stoops. Stoops is a once-a-generation type of coach for a big program to land, much less a program of the stature of OSU.

Gundy just needs to succeed at the level of.. say.. Houston Nutt to be considered successful by OSU standards. Although I don't really think he does himself any favors with his dumb *** remarks to the media on certain subjects (not including the Carlson thing), I haven't seen a whole lot to show me he's an incompetent coach.

I don't think the offense will miss a beat without Fedora. We'll still run the same scheme (assuming we promote from within, which seems pretty certain at this point), and the offensive coaches are obviously well-informed with Fedora's system. The playcalling will be done differently, which probably won't be a bad thing. Fedora seemed just slightly above average as far as calling a game is concerned.

As far as the facilities... yipee. The idea of having them (since pretty much 0 of them are complete as far as the players' situation is concerned) has been enough to get big recruits on campus and talk about how much they enjoyed the visit for at least a day or two before they commit somewhere else. We need to win some ****ing games to change that, which starts with hopefully improving the defense to slightly below average.

I didn't read the article on the OU upgrades, but hopefully the ****er situation under the west end is considered.


OUr stadium is not directionally challenged. There is no "west end."

[garland sooner]

Why add more seats? I say leave our stadium like it is. Just get rid of the "Gaylord Family" part out of its name and I'll be happy.

[RedstickSooner]

350,000 seat stadium -- big enough so it'll have its own weather pattern.

It'd need an artificial sun, though. How far off are we on fusion at this point? I keep hearing 50 years, but it's been that way since I was a kid. So, surely, we're closer by now.

Or are fusion and the metric system somehow related?

[SoonerShark]

I like the way our seats are closer to the field rather than bowing out like most stadiums. However, the new upper deck is too far from the field. An overhang over the lower level would make it better. I hate the new upper deck. You are better off sitting in Shawnee than trying to watch from row 24 of the new deck. I sat on row 17 once and have never been up there again. We need a stadium more like the Rose Bowl. Are we insured if a tornado rips it apart?

[SoonerMom2]

What recruit would want to live in Stillwater versus Norman if they had a choice? Stillwater will always be second rate to the city of Norman and we sit minutes south of Bricktown not having to travel on a road that takes forever to get to I-35 from Stillwater and then more of nothingness to get to OKC. No thanks!

We almost ended up in Stillwater when my husband was transferred to OK -- the kids I detested Stillwater the first time we visited before a decision was made where to live. One trip to Norman did it for us and we have been in Norman ever since. Will never forget driving that long drive into Stillwater and thinking we are not living in this place in the middle of nowhere.

Didn't agree with Switzer when he said it about OSU and still don't. You can pretty something up but the way they have gone about the upgrades left a bad taste. Do you want to play for Championships or for 6-6 record? Most recruits want to look up at those seven national championships and be part of Number 8! Heard today with losing Fedora, it is a major set-back to the program -- where do you go from 6-6? Losing record?

Didn't even know there was an Oklahoma State until we moved to Oklahoma. I always admired Oklahoma growing up in Ohio but never heard of Okie State. Thought there were only two OSU's -- tOSU and Oregon State. Shocked to find out there was an OSU in Oklahoma and didn't learn that until we were being transferred with the impending closure of Kelly AFB.

[Jacie]

Whilst ticket demand exceeds ticket availability, there are a couple of things we should not do to OUr stadium.

Don't ever overbuild. Empty seats are never in fashion. Better to have demand > supply. It is an old adage but it is always true: leave em wanting more.

The other thing is more about personal taste. I have never been in favor of adding more bad seats. If the additional seats are not a good viewing angle or so far from the field it is as if you are watching tiny red and white dots moving across a green field then don't build em. The appeal of attending a game is that feeling of being a part of it, that you are close enough to things that if you were to yell something during a quiet moment someone down on the field would actually hear you.

Upgrade the facility but don't change the configuration.

[VMG]

Do they teach a special kinda math in Stillwater? How do they expect to fill a 60,000 seat stadium with a fan base that currently shows up on Saturdays to the tune of about 40,000?

[OklahomaTuba]

Obviously the only time they will fill their stadium is when they play OU.

I actually think it was nice of T Boone & the aggots to think about us

[OUAndy1807]

it wasn't full last year even when OU visited.

[bluedogok]

Why add more seats? I say leave our stadium like it is. Just get rid of the "Gaylord Family" part out of its name and I'll be happy.
I would guess that you already have your season tickets :rolleyes:

[OK2LA]

THAT'S NOT TRUE! (http://youtube.com/watch?v=yOJ99gipUCQ) [hairGel]

Another good Switzer story . . .

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kQMpgnI5ERA&feature=related

[TopDawg]

Didn't agree with Switzer when he said it about OSU and still don't.

----------

I always admired Oklahoma growing up in Ohio but never heard of Okie State.

Clearly being raised in Ohio has had a negative impact on the way you view The King.

[jkjsooner]

I like the way our seats are closer to the field rather than bowing out like most stadiums. However, the new upper deck is too far from the field. An overhang over the lower level would make it better. I hate the new upper deck. You are better off sitting in Shawnee than trying to watch from row 24 of the new deck. I sat on row 17 once and have never been up there again. We need a stadium more like the Rose Bowl. Are we insured if a tornado rips it apart?

Welcome to the age of luxury boxes. Most new stadiums have little or no overhang because the luxury boxes make it very hard to have an overhang.

Even if you have the luxury box as part of the overhang, the deck above it would have to be prohibitively steep to accomodate sightlines due to 1) being closer to the field and 2) high up due to the presence of the luxury box.

[bstuff1979]

Clearly being raised in Ohio has had a negative impact on the way you view The King.

A buckeye is: a). a poisonous nut; or b). a delicious desert treat.

The answer is...both. So, you can see how this may have induced the sort shortcomings in judgement that would lead to a questioning of Barry Switzer's opinion(s). Ohio is a nice place to live, but there are a number of very serious risks including, but not limited to, being a fan of tOSU.

[SeattleOUstudent]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OK_OU_REGENTS_OKOL-?SITE=OKTUL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-12-11-18-05-23

Don't think it's been mentioned yet, haven't seen it. Though, it's not what you're probably hoping it is. General upgrades to the Switzer Center and W. side of the stadium. No enclosing of the south endzone.
Anyone have any pics up of the new jumbotron?

[TheUnnamedSooner]

I tried, but it is so GINORMOUS that it wouldn't fit on the camera. And I'm in texass.

[Animal Mother]

I'm actually not really shocked, because (with the money spent) it should be. Thing is, a Ferrari looks great but doesn't run well with a engine from a '87 IROC Z (with Gundy's hair, that's the only example to use). You can have all the facilities, but without the atheletes and coaches it doesn't do much for you. It's a chicken before the egg thing, I'm just pleased I'm not aggie.


Anyone that isn't an Aggie should be made aware of such thinking. On any given day that your life is sucking you can think "It could be worse. I could be an Aggie". Then you feel all better. I used watch Don Imus on days I felt that way just after awakening.

[Animal Mother]

350,000 seat stadium -- big enough so it'll have its own weather pattern.

It'd need an artificial sun, though. How far off are we on fusion at this point? I keep hearing 50 years, but it's been that way since I was a kid. So, surely, we're closer by now.

Or are fusion and the metric system somehow related?


Fusion officially came about with the release of Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" in 1969.

[soonerfan28]

The only thing that matters about a stadium is how many national and conference championship banners you have.

[OUAndy1807]

The only thing that matters about a stadium is how many national and conference championship banners you have.
oh no. we have no championship banners.

[colleyvillesooner]

I hear they're going to put a huge wooden fence around the jumbotron

[soonerfan28]

oh no. we have no championship banners.
You know what I mean.

[jkjsooner]

This is correct. well except finding tickets, that is easy, I ahve never struggled to find a ticket at or under face. to create more noise you build up not out.

Sorry, but building up would not have the same impact as filling in the corners. A lot of noise escapes out of the corners. Just compare the impact of the fans when the opposition is buried deep in the north endzone to the the impact when the oppostion is buried in the south endzone.

I'm not saying we should fill in the corners for that reason....

I find it funny that so many people say the corners can't be filled in yet they turn around and spout nonsense about joining the upper decks in the north endzone. Have you guys ever actually looked at the upper decks? They're not even remotely similar!

And, by the way, we don't need a 100k+ stadium. We would rarely fill it and it is in the best interest of the program to fill the stadium every game. We also could be a few years away from another Gibbs type regime. (Not predicting it but all programs have ups and downs.)

[soonerboomer93]

um, actually the architechs made it possible for the 2 upper decks to be joined whne they added the new one. i recall them discussin that it was part of the plans to make sure it was possible to bring them in line (or some **** like that)