Stadium expansion

[Sooner24]

Dean Blevins just said on News9 that OU is going to expand by adding seats in the south endzone making the stadium a bowl and taking attendance to 90,000+. Also new suites and a new press box to be ready for the 2015 home opener.

[stoopified]

My wife just told me she read this on MewsOK.Figured I would see if anyone had any additional info.

[picasso]

Hmmm ok but I always liked seeing the campus from the east side. Ah well, gotta roll with the times.

[swardboy]

Hmmm ok but I always liked seeing the campus from the east side. Ah well, gotta roll with the times.

Buy seats on the top row. YWIA.

[Sooner24]

As long as they add 5,000 more parking spots too it's all good.

[Boomer.....]

I thought we were always told that bowling in the south end zone wasn't an option due to structural constraints.

[Sooner24]

Last time they expanded the stadium they tacked on a fee to our season tickets to pay for it. Wonder if that's the plan this time?

[TheUnnamedSooner]

I'm really surprised about the bowling in part. About 4-5 months ago, I got to participate in a survey regarding upgrades to the stadium. There was a lot of questions regarding club seats and suites, but nothing about bowling in or adding additional regular seats. Considering Dean's track record, I'm going to wait until the official announcement from the university before I believe it.

[badger]

Last time they expanded the stadium they tacked on a fee to our season tickets to pay for it. Wonder if that's the plan this time?

I'm quite sure OU will lower season ticket prices when the stadium is finished expanding ;););)

Thank you in advance for buying season tickets at full price with these added fees. I can't attend all of the games, but when I can, there's always a ticket holder ready to sell me one at below-face :)

[KantoSooner]

With OKC Metro's continued population growth, any 'empty seat' problems are likley to be short lived.

[8timechamps]

I thought we were always told that bowling in the south end zone wasn't an option due to structural constraints.

That's what I've heard in the past too.

If you look at the south end, it's not level with the rest of the stadium, so it'll be a big project if they want to bowl it in.

I'm glad they are redoing the weight room and locker room. I think both are really nice as they sit, but in today's arms race...newer is better.

[tycat947]

I'm sure with the waiting list on hand there won't be any problem selling an additional 5,000 season tickets but I sure wouldn't add many more. I just read that Kentucky is doing a $100+ million renovation and reducing the number of seats from 67,000 to 61,000. That's a pretty significant drop in capacity. With all the games on television now and so many other things going on in peoples lives, I think the attendance at collegiate events has pretty much peaked out. So, all these schools that are adding major amounts of seats (i.e. a&m, MIZ....ZOU, etc) may be crying in a few years for money to pay for these extravagant expansions and no one to fill the seats. The young people today do not have the enthusiasm which some of us older fans grew when only getting to see 3 or 4 games a year on TV and didn't have all the cable TV, smart phones, tablets, computers, etc to distract us from watching 40 or 50 games a weekend on TV. I think we have enough demand, and additional suites will provide much needed revenue, to pay off this large expansion/renovation is a relatively short period of time. But a lot of schools that don't have a self sufficient athletic department (i.e. all but 6 or 7 schools) will be in trouble in 5 to 7 years. I also read today of a school that was reducing the amount of student tickets since demand keeps going down. Again, the younger generation doesn't have the passion for collegiate athletics that a lot of us in the older generations do.

As for the empty seats at games, all the tickets are sold, but just not used. I don't care how big an OU fan I am, I'm not going to every game and wait outside and see if and where and how much tickets are and go through that hassle. And I live in Norman! If I live in Lawton, Clinton, Ardmore, Tulsa, etc, etc, and every game is on TV, I'm not going to fight that fight. But if I have season tickets, as I do, I'll attend every game. I think there is a misnomer that there is no demand for season tickets because of all the people selling outside the stadium. When I was in school, there were 18,000 student season tickets sold every year and now there are around 6,000. Enrollment then was about 21,000 and now it's 30,000+. Again, the younger generation does not have the passion. Not just at OU but pretty much all schools. This will only get worse and hurt attendance as the years go by. I think Joe C/David B are really analyzing what's best for OU and which way to go and that it's not advantageous for OU to expand to 100,000+ seats, even though right now, we could probably sell those tickets. They want to create a demand and keep the stadium as full as possible for as long as possible and that's the right way to go IMO.

[jkjsooner]

That's what I've heard in the past too.

If you look at the south end, it's not level with the rest of the stadium, so it'll be a big project if they want to bowl it in.

I'm glad they are redoing the weight room and locker room. I think both are really nice as they sit, but in today's arms race...newer is better.

This is overblown. There is not a requirement that the two have to match up perfectly. There are stadiums all across the country that have sections that don't match exactly. Ohio State and Nebraska come to mind. Our stadium will match up a lot closer than what NU did.

These "imperfections" are what gives college stadiums character in my opinion - unlike monolithic NFL stadiums that are built in one shot.

I'm a little surprised they're bowling in the south endzone simply because the seats aren't ideal. On the other hand, I'm sure it's relatively cheap as compared to building a north upper deck.

I like it simply because I think that having the open corners means that it's always easier for the visiting team to operate in the south half of the stadium than the north. I like the idea of having that advantage throughout the stadium. (Maybe slightly less due to the presence of visiting fans but still a lot louder than it is today.)


Here's a question, will they use a more rounded corner or will they just complete the elongated octagon by making straight corners like on the north side. I think rounded would give a little better sight lines by angling the seats towards the field but it of course would by asymmetrical.

Maybe we can nickname it The Octagon or the Big O.

[badger]

Fun thought: This looks like a giant O and U interlocked in a new fangled way:
http://i.imgur.com/QsZyf94.jpg

[TheUnnamedSooner]

Seems that closing in the south endzone will make it that much hotter on those really hot days. With it open, I tend to think it gives us a little breeze down below the upper decks. No?

[Eielson]

Seems that closing in the south endzone will make it that much hotter on those really hot days. With it open, I tend to think it gives us a little breeze down below the upper decks. No?

Next step; turn stadium into air conditioned dome.

**** you 'Bama and your fancy weight room.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

Ok. How about this Outlook: the open end zone allows for more Oklahoma elements (wind) that the players have to play in.

[8timechamps]

This is overblown. There is not a requirement that the two have to match up perfectly. There are stadiums all across the country that have sections that don't match exactly. Ohio State and Nebraska come to mind. Our stadium will match up a lot closer than what NU did.

These "imperfections" are what gives college stadiums character in my opinion - unlike monolithic NFL stadiums that are built in one shot.

I'm a little surprised they're bowling in the south endzone simply because the seats aren't ideal. On the other hand, I'm sure it's relatively cheap as compared to building a north upper deck.

I like it simply because I think that having the open corners means that it's always easier for the visiting team to operate in the south half of the stadium than the north. I like the idea of having that advantage throughout the stadium. (Maybe slightly less due to the presence of visiting fans but still a lot louder than it is today.)


Here's a question, will they use a more rounded corner or will they just complete the elongated octagon by making straight corners like on the north side. I think rounded would give a little better sight lines by angling the seats towards the field but it of course would by asymmetrical.

Maybe we can nickname it The Octagon or the Big O.

What's overblown? If the foundations do not match up, then there are major construction issues, which WILL require construction fixes. It's not as simple as "hey, let's close in the corners".

As for the NFL, it's not so much they are monolithic, it's more about the age of the stadium. Since most NFL teams level and rebuild, they seem to go with the "design of the time". There are still plenty of NFL stadiums that have unique characteristics. It also make a big difference that there are about 10 times as many college programs. There are a LOT of college stadiums that look the same.

As for my preference, I'd like to see it match the north end, but I really don't care. I completely agree that a bowled in stadium is better for 'home field advantage'.

[8timechamps]

Fun thought: This looks like a giant O and U interlocked in a new fangled way:
http://i.imgur.com/QsZyf94.jpg


That's a cool look, but the stadium in that picture would seat about 120,000. While that would be really cool, we'll never see that.

[8timechamps]

I'm sure with the waiting list on hand there won't be any problem selling an additional 5,000 season tickets but I sure wouldn't add many more. I just read that Kentucky is doing a $100+ million renovation and reducing the number of seats from 67,000 to 61,000. That's a pretty significant drop in capacity. With all the games on television now and so many other things going on in peoples lives, I think the attendance at collegiate events has pretty much peaked out. So, all these schools that are adding major amounts of seats (i.e. a&m, MIZ....ZOU, etc) may be crying in a few years for money to pay for these extravagant expansions and no one to fill the seats. The young people today do not have the enthusiasm which some of us older fans grew when only getting to see 3 or 4 games a year on TV and didn't have all the cable TV, smart phones, tablets, computers, etc to distract us from watching 40 or 50 games a weekend on TV. I think we have enough demand, and additional suites will provide much needed revenue, to pay off this large expansion/renovation is a relatively short period of time. But a lot of schools that don't have a self sufficient athletic department (i.e. all but 6 or 7 schools) will be in trouble in 5 to 7 years. I also read today of a school that was reducing the amount of student tickets since demand keeps going down. Again, the younger generation doesn't have the passion for collegiate athletics that a lot of us in the older generations do.

As for the empty seats at games, all the tickets are sold, but just not used. I don't care how big an OU fan I am, I'm not going to every game and wait outside and see if and where and how much tickets are and go through that hassle. And I live in Norman! If I live in Lawton, Clinton, Ardmore, Tulsa, etc, etc, and every game is on TV, I'm not going to fight that fight. But if I have season tickets, as I do, I'll attend every game. I think there is a misnomer that there is no demand for season tickets because of all the people selling outside the stadium. When I was in school, there were 18,000 student season tickets sold every year and now there are around 6,000. Enrollment then was about 21,000 and now it's 30,000+. Again, the younger generation does not have the passion. Not just at OU but pretty much all schools. This will only get worse and hurt attendance as the years go by. I think Joe C/David B are really analyzing what's best for OU and which way to go and that it's not advantageous for OU to expand to 100,000+ seats, even though right now, we could probably sell those tickets. They want to create a demand and keep the stadium as full as possible for as long as possible and that's the right way to go IMO.

I think you're correct, attendance has probably peaked. There are just too many options these days.

Ticket demand may not be as big an issue now though, with the online ticket brokers buying big lots. That's a lot of what happens with those empty seats.

I recall reading a comment by Joe C. that said something about bringing innovations to the next major stadium project. I'm sure they are going to do what they can to keep the game day experience worth the price.

[picasso]

No way it's peaked. Unless we start losing frequently.

[olevetonahill]

Hell Make it seat 200K I dont GAS, Ive been to My Last one. That having to take my Hat off to make sure I wasnt "Smuggling" in Water or whatever. did it for Me. I can Drink my Beer and watch in A/C comfort at Home, Plus NOT spend 600 Bucks for a weekend

[EpicBoner]

The young people today do not have the enthusiasm which some of us older fans grew when only getting to see 3 or 4 games a year on TV and didn't have all the cable TV, smart phones, tablets, computers, etc to distract us from watching 40 or 50 games a weekend on TV

I would say that it's mainly because tickets for non-students/alumni has gone way up and making it less appealing to go to games with all the costs associated with it.. I mean, I graduated in 2011 and loved going to all the games with my season tickets and basically could get front seats! (Ah, the golden days of being a student!!) Now, if I go to a game I will be lucky to find a decent priced ticket that seats me on the very top corner of the stadium, have to pay for parking, plus the food that sells inside the stadium is ridiculously expensive. How about all coaches take a pay cut instead so they make things a tad more affordable?

[badger]

I would say that it's mainly because tickets for non-students/alumni has gone way up and making it less appealing to go to games with all the costs associated with it.. I mean, I graduated in 2011 and loved going to all the games with my season tickets and basically could get front seats! (Ah, the golden days of being a student!!) Now, if I go to a game I will be lucky to find a decent priced ticket that seats me on the very top corner of the stadium, have to pay for parking, plus the food that sells inside the stadium is ridiculously expensive. How about all coaches take a pay cut instead so they make things a tad more affordable?

Even the students with the cheap, subsidized tickets aren't filling their section anymore... the only empty seats in the house are in the upper left corner of their section, usually. You're seeing it at student sections across the country --- the worst seats go unfilled. If it's an 11 a.m. kickoff, student attendance is even worse, regardless of the opponent.

Athletic departments seem more concerned with the here and now than their fanbase of the future, but some are at least addressing the problem. You've seen it with basketball attendance --- they put ticket prices too high, they milked alums too much, they didn't make students want to attend when they were students continuously, and you see a lot of empties now. Will this happen in football? Will fan interest wane after they are pushed too far?

Ask me in a few months, not while I'm still living vicariously through our awesome Sugar Bowl win over the almighty Saban Bammers. Excuse me, I need to go wear my Sooner Magic t-shirt :D

[KantoSooner]

Perhaps if there's someone closer in age to today's students you can explain why the students aren't turning out. I attended grad school at OU in the mid-80's and there was never any problem filling the student section with very....excited...fans. If there's something that much more compelling in Norman on an autumn Saturday, please let me in on the secret.

[badger]

I attended 2001-05, but was in band every fall :)

While attending, a lot of people I lived with/around would leave early due to having postgame plans, or it just being too damn hot :D

This was also around the time that TV seemed obsessed with starting our games at 11 a.m., so that also made some people not want to show up. (Sidenote: it also made morning band rehearsals start at 5 a.m. or so... gag)

I don't know if students still abuse this, but I also recall that some of the prime early opponent games were trying to get resold for a few hundred each. I'm not even talking OU-Texas, but games like unranked Miami. So, some are more interested in money than attending, but the older fans are guilty of this too on occasion. I paid $125 each to attend 2008 Tech, and that was the lowest price I could find that night. Many were asking $200-300 each :(

[Eielson]

Perhaps if there's someone closer in age to today's students you can explain why the students aren't turning out. I attended grad school at OU in the mid-80's and there was never any problem filling the student section with very....excited...fans. If there's something that much more compelling in Norman on an autumn Saturday, please let me in on the secret.

Didn't OU have a 103% attendance last year?

Anyway, it was a pretty depressing season until it's storybook ending. People were passing out and miserable during the ULM game. WVU confirmed that we were going to have a rough year with QB's. Things picked up, but the Texas game proved that Bell wasn't the answer. Beating an overrated Tech team brought out hopes back up, and many (crazy) students even went to Waco on a Thursday night and were back for class on Friday. That was disgusting, and nobody had interest in seeing us play Iowa State.

Students will show up for good games. They'll fill up every OU/OSU and OU/Texas game, and the line for the ND game started more than 24 hours beforehand. It's a large time commitment to make for a game against Iowa State, though, and nobody wants to pass out just for the opportunity to watch us play ULM.

[KantoSooner]

I get that people of any age enjoy conquest more than defeat. And the mid-80's had waaaaay more of the former than the latter. (oh, glorious day when Texas still had negative offense well into the third quarter - seriously it strongly resembled clubbing baby seals. And, if you can't get your shoulder behind watching UT get rag dolled like a pit bull on a kitten, then you just aren't a fan).
And I am not talking away games much; they're always weather, season, etc specific.
I've just noticed that the student section seems less 'rolicking' than it once was and wondered if anyone had insight into that. Maybe it has to do with prices. I can't recall exactly, but I don't recall my season tickets costing that much way back when. But then my memory could be flawed. Hell, I'd have given bone marrow to get season tickets when I was a student. Come to think of it, I might have done just that.

[jkjsooner]

I wonder how much of the empty corners in the student section is due to students squeezing into the prime sections. I remember back when I was in junior high (mid '80s) my brother and I would go to games with my older brother and sister who were students. I think we used regular tickets but always crammed into seats between the 40 and 50 yard lines in the student section. I remember one game there was probably 30% more fans on the row than seats.

Back then the student section had assigned seating but almost nobody followed it. The general rule was if you want your assigned seat then you better get there early enough so that those you're kicking out have a place to move to - although there was always one or two jerks who would show up right before the start wanting their seats.

Anyway, I think they control access to the student section a lot better now. That means that most fans in the student section have to have a student ticket. But I imagine the students still cram in to the best sections so that leaves the less desirable sections a lot more empty.

[KantoSooner]

No doubt they police the stadium much more thoroughly now. I can remember bringing glass liquor bottles in in '85, 86-ish. They were already tense about it, but I had a coat with pockets big enough to pour into solo cups without pulling the bottle. Very nice when you were there and it started sleeting.

[tycat947]

I would say that it's mainly because tickets for non-students/alumni has gone way up and making it less appealing to go to games with all the costs associated with it.. I mean, I graduated in 2011 and loved going to all the games with my season tickets and basically could get front seats! (Ah, the golden days of being a student!!) Now, if I go to a game I will be lucky to find a decent priced ticket that seats me on the very top corner of the stadium, have to pay for parking, plus the food that sells inside the stadium is ridiculously expensive. How about all coaches take a pay cut instead so they make things a tad more affordable?

I don't believe ticket prices have anything to do with it. They offer free basketball tickets and still only get a couple hundred at the games. And this isn't just an OU problem but a national problem that many schools are having. I just read a day or two ago of some BCS school was reducing the number of student tickets offered as student attendance had gone from a 9,000 per game average down to around 6,000. This is just going to get worse year by year as the younger generation ages and the older generation dies off. I believe that's why Joe C/David B are hesitant to expand any capacity of OMC. They sure want to improve the athlete/fan experience and amenities but are being real careful about overbuilding the number of seats in OMC.

[Eielson]

Anyway, I think they control access to the student section a lot better now. That means that most fans in the student section have to have a student ticket.

It's probably a little harder, but it's not difficult to get into the student section with a random (cheapest you can find) ticket and expired ID.

[8timechamps]

No way it's peaked. Unless we start losing frequently.

We (or at least I) was talking nationally. And by "peaked", I mean that it's not going any higher, not that it's going to go down.

[badger]

We (or at least I) was talking nationally. And by "peaked", I mean that it's not going any higher, not that it's going to go down.
Not till we expand the stadium or start bribing fire officials to look the other way I guess. Can't really fit any more people in than we already are

[jkjsooner]

It's probably a little harder, but it's not difficult to get into the student section with a random (cheapest you can find) ticket and expired ID.

Back then they didn't check ID. Even when I was in school they didn't. Speaking of, my expired 1994 ID probably isn't going to get me into the student section. I'm not sure what's changed more - the ID or me.

[jkjsooner]

Perhaps if there's someone closer in age to today's students you can explain why the students aren't turning out. I attended grad school at OU in the mid-80's and there was never any problem filling the student section with very....excited...fans. If there's something that much more compelling in Norman on an autumn Saturday, please let me in on the secret.

The games I've been to recently have had pretty good student attendance. (Basketball is a whole different issue though!)

I think things are actually better in that regard than when I was in school. Not only were we mediocre (little did we know how bad it would get a few years later) but being a fan wasn't really fashionable back then. It definitely wasn't cool to wear OU stuff on non-game days. I remember seeing more Michigan (Fab Five) attire around campus than OU attire.

I think it was the worst time. It was close enough to the Switzer years that people remembered how things were supposed to be. It was far enough away that to the media the '85 title might as well have been 100 years ago. I remember more excitement during the Blake years simply because people had dropped the expectation that we were supposed to compete.

[Eielson]

Speaking of, my expired 1994 ID probably isn't going to get me into the student section. I'm not sure what's changed more - the ID or me.

The ID itself would probably be an issue if it's significantly different. The picture would probably be fine, though. As long as the picture is the same skin color and gender, you're probably going to get through. It could be quite difficult for a male to get in with a female's ID...but I'd be lying if I said I've never seen it done. It was done with great caution, though.

[TAFBSooner]

if you can't get your shoulder behind watching UT get rag dolled like a pit bull on a kitten, then you just aren't a fan

But I just changed my signature recently . . .

[8timechamps]

Not till we expand the stadium or start bribing fire officials to look the other way I guess. Can't really fit any more people in than we already are

I'm talking national attendance.

[badger]

I'm talking national attendance.

Ah... well, Kentucky just gave Mark Stoops an extension for a 2-win season and average home attendance of 9700, so maybe standards are lower these days :P

[SOONERnTx]

Is this a true representation of what the stadium will look like? I saw it on one of the coaches tweets

[SOONERnTx]

Pic

[badger]

Update (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/ou/football/oklahoma-memorial-stadium-renovation-on-board-of-regents-agenda/article_ac4834e3-61d9-53b2-ad2f-e6233b5e809f.html)

[8timechamps]

Supposedly, this site (newspaper?) has seen the proposed changes: Never heard of this site, so thanks to The Football Brainiacs for the heads up (http://www.boydstreet.com/home/2014/6/12/ou-football-stadium-expansion.html)

When this whole thing first got announced (was rumored), I was hearing the expenditure was around $250M-$300M. If the article I linked to is legitimate, the actual cost is closer to $350M-$400M. That's a ton of money. With that kind of money, an entire new stadium could be built. I realize that there is more to this than just the stadium expansion, but damn...that's a lot of money. I'm excited.

[tycat947]

Supposedly, this site (newspaper?) has seen the proposed changes: Never heard of this site, so thanks to The Football Brainiacs for the heads up (http://www.boydstreet.com/home/2014/6/12/ou-football-stadium-expansion.html)

When this whole thing first got announced (was rumored), I was hearing the expenditure was around $250M-$300M. If the article I linked to is legitimate, the actual cost is closer to $350M-$400M. That's a ton of money. With that kind of money, an entire new stadium could be built. I realize that there is more to this than just the stadium expansion, but damn...that's a lot of money. I'm excited.

I don't believe there will be 8 to 10 thousand more seats in OMS. I'd guess about 2,000 would be max. I think most of that will come from new press box and a couple of levels of suites running from endzone to endzone on the west side. When they start replacing bench seating with chairback seating, that will reduce capacity pretty quickly. So, I'll guess probably a net gain of 2,000 to 3,000 seats. Also, LNC renovation could be included in this total cost, with LNC renovations of up to maybe $100M. Also, if they add an entrance on the south side, that must mean they are moving the the whole coaches offices and weight room to another facility. I don't see how they could have a grand entrance on the south and weave all that into the coaching office/weight room complex.

I'm sure ready to find out what they will be doing though!

[Boomer.....]

Supposedly, this site (newspaper?) has seen the proposed changes: Never heard of this site, so thanks to The Football Brainiacs for the heads up (http://www.boydstreet.com/home/2014/6/12/ou-football-stadium-expansion.html)

When this whole thing first got announced (was rumored), I was hearing the expenditure was around $250M-$300M. If the article I linked to is legitimate, the actual cost is closer to $350M-$400M. That's a ton of money. With that kind of money, an entire new stadium could be built. I realize that there is more to this than just the stadium expansion, but damn...that's a lot of money. I'm excited.

Boyd Street is a local campus magazine.

[8timechamps]

I don't believe there will be 8 to 10 thousand more seats in OMS. I'd guess about 2,000 would be max. I think most of that will come from new press box and a couple of levels of suites running from endzone to endzone on the west side. When they start replacing bench seating with chairback seating, that will reduce capacity pretty quickly. So, I'll guess probably a net gain of 2,000 to 3,000 seats. Also, LNC renovation could be included in this total cost, with LNC renovations of up to maybe $100M. Also, if they add an entrance on the south side, that must mean they are moving the the whole coaches offices and weight room to another facility. I don't see how they could have a grand entrance on the south and weave all that into the coaching office/weight room complex.

I'm sure ready to find out what they will be doing though!

I know the early speculation was that the upgrades would add a small amount of seating, but after reading the report I linked, it sounds like the kind of expansion they would be doing would add closer to 10k.

I just don't see any way the south end gets bowled without adding at least 8-10k additional seats.

I believe the new Baylor stadium was around $250M total, so even if only $200M-$250M went only to the stadium, that's quite the upgrade.

[tycat947]

I know the early speculation was that the upgrades would add a small amount of seating, but after reading the report I linked, it sounds like the kind of expansion they would be doing would add closer to 10k.

I just don't see any way the south end gets bowled without adding at least 8-10k additional seats.

I believe the new Baylor stadium was around $250M total, so even if only $200M-$250M went only to the stadium, that's quite the upgrade.

Yes, the bowling in of south endzone would bring more seats than that but if they are going to be replacing benches with chairbacks, that will reduce a lot of the gain. And I kinda see hints that the corners may not all be just seating as there might be suites/loges/etc so that would not be as much expansion either. I'm thinking we may end up in range of upper 80's (maybe 90) for final seating capacity but when you add all people on the field, stadium support staff/concessions/workers, total attendance will firmly be in low 90's, which is fine by me. I'll be surprised if net seating capacity gain is 8 to 10K. I just do not see the youth of today having as great an interest in collegiate sports as we did when I grew up so at some point down the line, we may start to see a decrease in attendance (all colleges/universities) and TV viewers. Will probably be 10-20 years down the line but the way things are now, I can see this happening. I also think all the talk of adding beer/alcohol sales now is another enticement. Not sure I want that to happen. When after a whole day of tailgating/drinking and then going to game and drinking more, that's just a recipe for lots of problems. I think David Boren/Joe Castiglione understand that and are trying to make the stadium/amenities nicer for the fans and thus entice them to attend with comforts and technological upgrades. Just anxious to see what they have planned!

[MichiganSooner]

I agree with no drinking in the stadium for the reasons given above. Interesting point you made about future attendance at football games. I never thought about it but attendance will likely drop because of the passing away of the Baby Boomer generation. Sadly, that includes me. The Boomers are 54-68 years of age and represent a huge segment of the total nation's population.

[8timechamps]

Yes, the bowling in of south endzone would bring more seats than that but if they are going to be replacing benches with chairbacks, that will reduce a lot of the gain. And I kinda see hints that the corners may not all be just seating as there might be suites/loges/etc so that would not be as much expansion either. I'm thinking we may end up in range of upper 80's (maybe 90) for final seating capacity but when you add all people on the field, stadium support staff/concessions/workers, total attendance will firmly be in low 90's, which is fine by me. I'll be surprised if net seating capacity gain is 8 to 10K. I just do not see the youth of today having as great an interest in collegiate sports as we did when I grew up so at some point down the line, we may start to see a decrease in attendance (all colleges/universities) and TV viewers. Will probably be 10-20 years down the line but the way things are now, I can see this happening. I also think all the talk of adding beer/alcohol sales now is another enticement. Not sure I want that to happen. When after a whole day of tailgating/drinking and then going to game and drinking more, that's just a recipe for lots of problems. I think David Boren/Joe Castiglione understand that and are trying to make the stadium/amenities nicer for the fans and thus entice them to attend with comforts and technological upgrades. Just anxious to see what they have planned!

Good point, the chairbacks would certainly offset any major gain in seating.

I don't know if the younger generation will be as interested, or not. My boys (ages 15 & 19) are both big fans, and neither is from Oklahoma (obviously raised in an OU household). However, I don't see their friends with the same interest in college football. They have some friends that are big college football fans, but the majority aren't. That may have more to do with where we live though. Professional sports rule this state. It will certainly be something to watch (the up and coming fans).

[tycat947]

Good point, the chairbacks would certainly offset any major gain in seating.

I don't know if the younger generation will be as interested, or not. My boys (ages 15 & 19) are both big fans, and neither is from Oklahoma (obviously raised in an OU household). However, I don't see their friends with the same interest in college football. They have some friends that are big college football fans, but the majority aren't. That may have more to do with where we live though. Professional sports rule this state. It will certainly be something to watch (the up and coming fans).

I'm just gauging this on when I was in school in 76-81, we had about 18,000 student season tickets. Now, we have about 6,000 student season tickets and some games a lot of them stay home. Enrollment now is about 31,000 versus 21,000 then (includes all 3 campuses). Even Alabama was complaining about student attendance just this year. If you have student attendance at Alabama after their last 4 or 5 year run, then something is wrong. We can only get a few hundred students at basketball games and they've tried about every trick in the book, including free tickets (refund after perfect attendance!) so, it's not an OU problem IMO. I see lots of non-full arenas in basketball especially and there have been articles mentioning this as a problem too. There are a few exceptions but I think overall it's a trend in collegiate athletics unfortunately. OU, academically and athletically, are really at the apex in the history of this university in terms of being successful so you'd think that all that success would generate interest/attendance in the many successful athletic programs we have, especially football, but I don't see that as much. I think with the advent of computers/smart phones/tablets and wifi access almost everywhere, it's just too easy to watch on your electronic device (and also large screen TVs in high definition) and stay home or have a party at home with a host of friends. Hopefully, this trend will stop and the demand to attend these events will return to the youth.

[8timechamps]

I'm just gauging this on when I was in school in 76-81, we had about 18,000 student season tickets. Now, we have about 6,000 student season tickets and some games a lot of them stay home. Enrollment now is about 31,000 versus 21,000 then (includes all 3 campuses). Even Alabama was complaining about student attendance just this year. If you have student attendance at Alabama after their last 4 or 5 year run, then something is wrong. We can only get a few hundred students at basketball games and they've tried about every trick in the book, including free tickets (refund after perfect attendance!) so, it's not an OU problem IMO. I see lots of non-full arenas in basketball especially and there have been articles mentioning this as a problem too. There are a few exceptions but I think overall it's a trend in collegiate athletics unfortunately. OU, academically and athletically, are really at the apex in the history of this university in terms of being successful so you'd think that all that success would generate interest/attendance in the many successful athletic programs we have, especially football, but I don't see that as much. I think with the advent of computers/smart phones/tablets and wifi access almost everywhere, it's just too easy to watch on your electronic device (and also large screen TVs in high definition) and stay home or have a party at home with a host of friends. Hopefully, this trend will stop and the demand to attend these events will return to the youth.


About 3 or 4 months ago, I read an article about the overall decline in college sports attendance. I think there was even a small thread about it here (but that may have been elsewhere). Anyway, it said that college game attendance had seen a steady drop-off in recent years. Obviously, the big programs continue to fill their stadiums, but student attendance was one of the discussion points. And like you said, OU's student attendance has certainly dropped off.

There's no question that TV has a big part in that. I'm a little younger than you, but when I was growing up there was typically one (maybe two) televised games a week. If you were lucky, OU would be one of those. Nowadays, you can watch just about every team, every week on TV. Like you said, it's just become too easy.

I still don't understand the student thing though. I didn't miss a game, and wouldn't now either (if I had the chance). That could certainly be attributed to decreasing interest too, but probably TV.

[badger]

I still don't understand the student thing though. I didn't miss a game, and wouldn't now either (if I had the chance). That could certainly be attributed to decreasing interest too, but probably TV.

Costs of everything, including being a student, have gone up. When my brother first arrived on campus in 1998 I think, they were selling student tickets for $50 total. Concessions were probably a bit easier on the wallet as well, in addition to parking and other gameday fare.

I think there's a certain level of apathy to factor in, but maybe OU and other universities are losing a generation by pricing them out. At least the students haven't given up on attending college period, even if they've given up on attending games

[badger]

btw, regents agenda here in pdf format (http://www.ou.edu/regents/official_agenda/JuneFinalAgenda.pdf). Will discuss Weds. Here's the text of the stadium proposal:


AGENDA ITEM
4
5
ISSUE:
GAYLORD FAMILY
-
OKLAHOMA MEMORIAL STADIUM
MASTER PLAN UPDATE
–
NC
ACTION PROPOSED:
President
Boren recommends the Board of Regents:
I.
Include the Gaylord Family
–
Oklahoma Memorial Master Plan updates
developed to date on the Campus Master Plan of Capital Improvements Projects
and approve
the
further development of
projects consistent with the Gay
lord
Family
-
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium master planning process
;
and
II.
Authorize the University administration to negotiate the terms of an agreement
for
full architectural services with Populous, Inc., the master plan architect, for the
further design and
development of stadium projects consistent with the Master
Plan updates, which projects will be subject to additional approval of the Board of
Regents.
BACKGROUND AND/OR RATIONALE:
At the October 2013 meeting, the Board of Regents was presented with
information
concerning upcoming activities to review and update the Gaylord Family
-
Oklahoma Memorial
Stadium (GFOMS) Master Plan, consistent with the phased approach for development and
improvements to the stadium. Utilizing the professional expertise and
services of Populous, Inc.
of Kansas City, operational, structural, team use, recruiting, and fan experience aspects of the
GFOMS have been carefully reviewed to develop a long
-
term strategic plan for the ongoing
success of the venue. Development of such
a long term strategic plan is a process that requires
continuous review and refinement as elements of the plan are implemented; needs of the facility,
student athletes, and patrons evolve; and industry standards and technology progress.
To date, certain
significant student athlete, team, operational and stadium
improvement projects have been identified that will combine new state of the art features and
elements to create
an enhanced
experience for OU’s athletic teams, students, student-athletes, alumni, fans, and visitors. In addition, existing space located in the stadium’s north end zone
will be renovated to house academic
aspects of the University.
The conceptual project elements identified to date and initially outlined as part of the GFOMS Master Plan update process will be presented to the Board. With the Board’s approval,
the GFOMS Master Plan updates will be included and placed on the
University’s
Campus Master
Plan of Capital Projects
.
Elements other than those initially detailed may continue to develop
consistent with the master plan process and facility requirements.
Additionally, with approval of this agenda item, University administration will
proceed with Populous to develop the project(s) presented. Such projects will be presented
to the
Board consistent with Board policy and require specific approval of the Board, including the
identification and availability of funding for any such project.

It is anticipated that the Board will be presented with a recommendation at the
September 2014 meeting for selection of a construction management firm to provide at risk
construction management services for the development and implementation of projects
consistent with the Master Plan updates.
Funding for architectural services and further project development have been
identified and are available from Athletics Department capital funds.

In a nutshell, no specifics, just starting the planning phase

[tycat947]

Amazing! More than I expected!

http://gfoms.com/

[colleyvillesooner]

tGR72NqlCOU

Pants explosion

[Boomer.....]

http://i.imgur.com/EaNtXvs.gif

[swardboy]

^ is right!

[jkjsooner]

Is that a complete rebuild of the west upper deck?

[cvsooner]

Stoops is now set to earn over $5 million. Heupel boosted to $600,000. Castiglione to top a million bucks.

Tuition goes up 4.8 percent.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

Looks like the west upper deck is being redone as well as the south endzone.

[Boomer.....]

Stoops is now set to earn over $5 million. Heupel boosted to $600,000. Castiglione to top a million bucks.

Tuition goes up 4.8 percent.
No tuition funds go towards the renovation.

[cvsooner]

No tuition funds go towards the renovation.

I understand. I just note how that semi-sort-of-I'm-sure-it's-a-coincidence how the price increase got in there.

[jkjsooner]

This is all an elaborate hoax. Our resident architects told us there was no way to fill the corners in.

Seriously, this is great but I'm most excited about filling in the corners (even if not many seats) so that we can keep some of that noise in the stadium.

[Phil]

This is all an elaborate hoax. Our resident architects told us there was no way to fill the corners in.

Seriously, this is great but I'm most excited about filling in the corners (even if not many seats) so that we can keep some of that noise in the stadium.

There was no way to properly fill the corners in with that concrete monstrosity down there. Nice to see that eyesore is going to be removed.

[badger]

Stoops is now set to earn over $5 million. Heupel boosted to $600,000. Castiglione to top a million bucks.

Tuition goes up 4.8 percent.

Therefore, the athletes got a 4.8 percent raise, as their tuition is part of their athletic scholarships.

Take THAT, Ed O'Bannon :P

[tycat947]

I understand. I just note how that semi-sort-of-I'm-sure-it's-a-coincidence how the price increase got in there.

Unfortunately, since the State of Oklahoma continues to reduce the amount of funding for ALL education every year, the tuition has gone up most every year. This is also one of the lower increases in the last 7 or 8 years. The reason they are all announced together is because regents approved these at the same time in meetings this week.

[8timechamps]

This is all an elaborate hoax. Our resident architects told us there was no way to fill the corners in.

Seriously, this is great but I'm most excited about filling in the corners (even if not many seats) so that we can keep some of that noise in the stadium.

When, exactly, was it said "there was no way to fill in the corners"? I know some of us questioned it, as the south end isn't level with the remainder of the stadium.

I too am excited about that aspect, but it looks like there is going to be a major overhaul of the south end.

[MichiganSooner]

When, exactly, was it said "there was no way to fill in the corners"? I know some of us questioned it, as the south end isn't level with the remainder of the stadium.

Don't know exactly when it was ever said but there have been comments aplenty on how the south end would never be bowled in over past several years. Several people have quoted JC as saying it would never happen. People have speculated it would be similar to Nebraska and Ohio State. I am very excited about the announcement today.

[8timechamps]

Don't know exactly when it was ever said but there have been comments aplenty on how the south end would never be bowled in over past several years. Several people have quoted JC as saying it would never happen. People have speculated it would be similar to Nebraska and Ohio State. I am very excited about the announcement today.

I know, I was giving JK a hard time.

I have never heard Castiglione say it, but I have read a lot of comments about it, and just from looking at the stadium (in it's current form), it's easy to see that it would take a major project to bowl it in...fortunately, that's what we're getting.

I figured I'd be impressed with the upgrades, but I was blown away. It's certainly exciting!

[Mazeppa]

It is a good day to be a Sooner Fan

[CatfishSooner]

awesome

[swardboy]

Is it too early to say what season this will be ready?

[Boomer.....]

It should be ready by the start of the 2016 season.

[picasso]

It still don't hold no candle to Poketopia.

[PrideMom]

colleyvillesooner put the video of the expansion, or go to: http://gfoms.com/ and see it for yourself. Please note the size of the jumbo tron, and the entrance to the south endzone. They designed it so if future expansions are needed, it can be done more easily. Truly AWESOME! It certainly surpasses Jerry's World!

[SoonerMachine]

This goes beyond anything I was imagining! I just hope they spruce up all the older/original (interior) parts of the stadium.

[picasso]

I don't know about you guys but I always liked the gravel and old timey stuff underneath the east side. I'm glad I got tp experience that.

[tycat947]

I don't know about you guys but I always liked the gravel and old timey stuff underneath the east side. I'm glad I got tp experience that.

LOL! "Pneumonia Downs"!

[Sooner24]

LOL! "Pneumonia Downs"!

No kidding! There was a huge cloud of dust hanging in the air all the time.

[champions77]

They mention just the pressbox being torn down, but it would appear that the whole west side upper deck and pressbox have to go. How do you make one large deck into two smaller decks at different levels without starting over?
As to the south end, I think it has to go too. I believe that the south end rises up a little higher than the rest of the lower bowl does. Wow ole Barry and Wade Walker and the Prez at the time were not on their game to approve the way they built the south stands. Why they would build it at a different rake and height than the rest of the stadium appears to be one of the more stupid things OU has ever done. Absolutely zero concern for future expansion. Incomprehensible.

Overall the plans look fantastic. Finally going about this in a first class way. Couldn't be happier. Now if they can raise enough money to avoid scaling back the project, we will truly have a "Palace on the Prairie". It's about time.

[SoonerPride]

They mention just the pressbox being torn down, but it would appear that the whole west side upper deck and pressbox have to go. How do you make one large deck into two smaller decks at different levels without starting over?
As to the south end, I think it has to go too. I believe that the south end rises up a little higher than the rest of the lower bowl does. Wow ole Barry and Wade Walker and the Prez at the time were not on their game to approve the way they built the south stands. Why they would build it at a different rake and height than the rest of the stadium appears to be one of the more stupid things OU has ever done. Absolutely zero concern for future expansion. Incomprehensible.

Overall the plans look fantastic. Finally going about this in a first class way. Couldn't be happier. Now if they can raise enough money to avoid scaling back the project, we will truly have a "Palace on the Prairie". It's about time.

Yes. Exactly.

If you look carefully at the renderings they are tearing down the Switzer center and south end zone completely and starting from scratch. New bowled in end zone, and interestingly a whole new fan entrance accessible from Lindsey. The practice fields get divided in half. Bizarre.

The West upper deck and press box get completely razed and started over from scratch as well. It appears that there are two decks matching the east side. Probably so in the future they could upper deck the north end zone and make everything line up.

That's why the cost is almost 5x what it cost to erect the east upper deck. Sure that was 10 years ago and there inflation to account for, but that was "only" $75 million.

At $370 million this is a major overhaul.

And I can't freaking wait!!

[SoonerObsession]

I am really excited about this, but it appears to me that for at least one year of football, the stadium will be a mess (not to mention about 20,000 seats short) while renovations are being made. I just don't see how they can tare down the west upper deck and build two decks in between football seasons. I don't think they will do this whole project in one year, but the west side of the stadium itself seems impossible to complete in 8 months.

[8timechamps]

I am really excited about this, but it appears to me that for at least one year of football, the stadium will be a mess (not to mention about 20,000 seats short) while renovations are being made. I just don't see how they can tare down the west upper deck and build two decks in between football seasons. I don't think they will do this whole project in one year, but the west side of the stadium itself seems impossible to complete in 8 months.

It's going to be interesting. It's going to be a challenge to do all of the work in the south end and the west side without it interfering somehow.

[picasso]

It's going to be interesting. It's going to be a challenge to do all of the work in the south end and the west side without it interfering somehow.

Naw, the Pokes did it. They had a big hole in the west end zone for one season. And I don't mean that one chick I met at Joe's Weekend that time.

[jkjsooner]

Yes. Exactly.

If you look carefully at the renderings they are tearing down the Switzer center and south end zone completely and starting from scratch. New bowled in end zone, and interestingly a whole new fan entrance accessible from Lindsey. The practice fields get divided in half. Bizarre.

The West upper deck and press box get completely razed and started over from scratch as well. It appears that there are two decks matching the east side.

It doesn't appear that the decks match exactly. The east has a suite level, a smaller club level, more suites, and then the upper deck. The west will have two decks that appear to overlap a bit. But they will be a lot closer but not close enough to seamlessly match up the two with a north addition.

Anyway, I have to think that they can reuse some of the superstructure of the existing upper deck. Doing so might also make is possible to finish between seasons.

[KantoSooner]

I used to bitch a lot about how long projects took. Then I finally listened to a friend who does heavy construction. There's a lot of waiting that has to be done to allow for concrete, for example, to cure enough to continue.
I'm thinking we're going to play the '15 season in a crippled facility.
Worth the wait, but it's going to be ugly for a short while.

[MichiganSooner]

The work of the east upper deck and the outside of the north endzone took 2 summers to complete. Seems like the west side and south end would definitely take 2 summers to complete.

[jkjsooner]

The work of the east upper deck and the outside of the north endzone took 2 summers to complete. Seems like the west side and south end would definitely take 2 summers to complete.

A lot of that was building up the concrete structure to support the deck. It kind of went along with what Kanto said. They would pour up to a certain height and then wait for a long time then pour horizontal sections, then wait again, etc. If they are able to use much of the existing structure they could shave off a considerable amount of time.

[PrideMom]

We have season tickets on the west side upper deck, and I just hope they improve the slope of the ramps. Adding more elevators is not enough, escalators would work better. We enjoy where we sit, only two rows down from an entrance, and only eight rows up from the edge, so we are not too high up and have a great view.

[PrideMom]

I used to bitch a lot about how long projects took. Then I finally listened to a friend who does heavy construction. There's a lot of waiting that has to be done to allow for concrete, for example, to cure enough to continue.
I'm thinking we're going to play the '15 season in a crippled facility.
Worth the wait, but it's going to be ugly for a short while.

We were amazed when they did the East side, that even the landscaping was in before the first game. They used pre-cast concrete, and set them in sections, so there was no wait for the concrete to cure. This is a bigger endevour, but should blow your socks off!

[soonerboomer93]

They can't precast the structural concrete. They use precast for the seating though (same with all the new stadiums)

[jkjsooner]

They can't precast the structural concrete. They use precast for the seating though (same with all the new stadiums)

I still maintain that most of the structural concrete will remain in place. I'd bet enough so that they could complete it in an offseason.

Note: I really have no idea what I'm talking about.

[KantoSooner]

Note: I really have no idea what I'm talking about.

This is SF.com baby! WE don't let little things like that get in our way!

[champions77]

Unfortunately, since the State of Oklahoma continues to reduce the amount of funding for ALL education every year, the tuition has gone up most every year. This is also one of the lower increases in the last 7 or 8 years. The reason they are all announced together is because regents approved these at the same time in meetings this week.

What do we have about 40 colleges and Universities in Oklahoma that rely to some degree on State funding? For a population of less than 4 million? That and how many School Superintendents 600?

It's too bad that bad decisions made 100 years ago continue to haunt us to this day. Quantity education instead of quality education.

[KantoSooner]

I'd definitely agree that we have far too many superintendents (and far too many crappy tiny town schools for that matter). The structure of our public college and university system is, however, pretty cool and the schools seem to have healthy enrolment. There are tiers of access for those who don't meet OU/OSU standards or who are not able to afford the 'top tier' schools. And maintaining these schools also brings into reach college level courses for people who due to career need or personal interest want to take some continuing ed courses.

The main problem with education at all levels in Oklahoma is that we fail, as a state, to have much respect for education and thus would prefer to expend nothing on it. The mistrust of 'book larnin'' and deification of 'tradition' and 'common sense' are two of the least attractive things about our state.

[jkjsooner]

I'd definitely agree that we have far too many superintendents (and far too many crappy tiny town schools for that matter). The structure of our public college and university system is, however, pretty cool and the schools seem to have healthy enrolment. There are tiers of access for those who don't meet OU/OSU standards or who are not able to afford the 'top tier' schools. And maintaining these schools also brings into reach college level courses for people who due to career need or personal interest want to take some continuing ed courses.

The main problem with education at all levels in Oklahoma is that we fail, as a state, to have much respect for education and thus would prefer to expend nothing on it. The mistrust of 'book larnin'' and deification of 'tradition' and 'common sense' are two of the least attractive things about our state.

I agree with everything you said even though that would mean that the town I grew up in could lose its school.

I was surprised when I moved to Maryland that there was one county superintendent. That one guy was probably in charge of a multiple of a few hundred students for every student my school's superintendent was in charge of.

Given, that guy probably made three or four times what my school's superintendent makes and there are probably assistants who make more than my school's superintendent makes but it still shows a little of the inefficiency in our model.

Agree with your last paragraph as well.

[jkjsooner]

As for higher education, it has increased at an exponential pace for the last 30 years almost everywhere. Actually that doesn't really explain what I mean since even adjusting to inflation is an exponential curve but you get my point. It has increased quite a few points above normal inflation every year and in time that means it costs a lot more (probably at least 4 times adjusted for inflation) than it did when I was in school.

This is happening everywhere. I don't know if it's the federal money going towards student loans or something else. In either case, a school has to remain competitive so they can't just jump off of that treadmill.

One of the reasons is the explosion in facilities and services for students. We certainly didn't have rock climbing walls or all you can eat Chik Fil A at the cafeteria when I was in school. Or a cafeteria that looks like a cross between a sports bar and a coffee shop. But I think these are only a fraction of the reason that tuition has increased so drastically.

Damn, I would be in trouble with all you can eat Chik Fil A...

[KantoSooner]

You've got that right. I'll come right out and say it: I far preferred the 'genteel poverty' of my college days. The facilities were a little beat up. The cafeteria sucked, but you ate there anyway because the mealplan was cheap and you didn't have money to eat out. My freshman dorm had been built in 1837 and you could feel the wind blow....inside your room. The professors were extraordinary, but not pulling down big salaries; neither were the administrators. You went there to learn. If you were too prissy about the conditions, then you could go elsewhere.Basically, we studied, slept, partied (alums made sure we had limitless beer) and worked out (a little). Thus did four years pass.
I think we need to return to a much more monastic approach to higher ed.