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What more does the stadium need?

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docinjax

All-SEC
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May 25, 2004
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I just posted a similar thread on HOB. I think the stadium renovation is unbelievable. For the money we spent we really got a big bang for the buck. Having said that......

What is on the UK wish list for the stadium that could not be added due to lack of funds? For example, if we had 175 million to spend instead of 120 million, what more would we have added? Certainly not seats, since we downsized, but what amenities or other construction would we have liked to do?

A few things come to mind for me. A much bigger video board, renovation of the previous suites, wifi for the entire stadium (which I've heard is planned, but don't know for sure).

For those of you who are season ticket holders or who get to lots of games, what would you like to see added for the next time we improve the stadium? Should be a fun thread. Have at it.
 
Backs on all seats in BLUE!!!...Replace the suites that look like trailers and bigger scoreboards...GET CM NEWTONS NAME OFF THE FIELD!!!!!
 
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sluggercatfan said:
Backs on all seats in BLUE!!!...Replace the suites that look like trailers and bigger scoreboards...GET CM NEWTONS NAME OFF THE FIELD!!!!!
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Yes, seatbacks would be nice. It doesn't cost all that much comparatively and it doesn't reduce capacity like chairback seating would.
 
All blue seating. Get rid of the aluminium look. Better sound system. Some type of roof baffling would also be a good idea. BETTER concession options. I've been to several college and pro football stadiums and UK has terrible food/food options.
 
LordEgg said:
This seems minor to some folks but a serious effort at planting trees and plants would be nice. Something that is unique and blends with campus and the arboretum.
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Take it for what it's worth , but Tony Neely(sp) to my buddy and I at the preseason luncheon that they would be doing a lot on landscaping outside to match the stadium because I asked him the same question.
 
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If we had more money I would have found a way to add back an equivalent number of seats that were removed. I think the ticket demand will be back in full force over the next couple of years. Plus we don't need the Guidos out the road having anything to puff out their chests about.

I think the big screens are fine at the size they are, the problem is the big banner ads they put up on them effectively reducing them to the size we had before. Put permanent ads out on either side or put up a couple a screens designated only for changing ads and leave the jumbotrons for football. Keep improving the sound system too. Oh, and wifi that works.

People talk about concessions. I don't worry too much with that because I'm usually full when I get into the stadium from a big old tailgate meal. That being said, I would like to see more creative options like you see at baseball stadiums.
 
docinjax said:
Oh, you did it again on this site too. Nice. Either take part and have fun with what else is could be next, or don't be a complete ass and just don't respond. I think most will see this as a fun thread.
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Exactly my point! Some fans today enjoy sniveling about what they want before they even know what they have. The first game hasn't been played yet in the new stadium
 
A team like UK needs the shiniest of lures to attract fish. We don't have the luxury of selling our past performance as a recruiting tool. Therefore UK needs to always be appearing to improve something. Look at Oregon. Some of the best facilities in the nation but still they are constantly doing something.....and they can sell past performance where we really can't.

So, I guess it's not completely important what we improve as long as we don't become complacent.
 
IMO, the interior of the stadium is fine with the exception of needing more seats in the future. Sort of a different view, but I'd like to see the university build enough high rise parking structures so that students would not have to park in the area around the stadium. More grassy areas around the stadium, maybe more buildings in the future. This would make the stadium feel more like it was actually on campus. I'd like to see more grassy areas so fans could set up tent villages like the one at Ole Miss (i think it's OM)
 
Agrees on nice landscaping or some exterior thing to give it a little feel to it. What's the food concessions like - I like at the Reds stadium they have skyline and other Cindy spots anything like that going in?
 
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  • Hate the vestigial light posts in the stadium corners... Looks like an afterthought in regards to the new lighting design.
  • Bigger vid boards
  • COMMONWEALTH STADIUM sign sucks
 
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I echo the idea about landscaping. I know parking is needed, but I'd like to see some better fan areas around the stadium. Maybe give it the feel of a park. I'd love to see something where a main path into the stadium is created that is lined by our state tree. I'd like to see more blue on the exterior as well. I think they plan on adding banners that are meant to add color, so that may take care of that.
 
trueblujr2 said:
If we had more money I would have found a way to add back an equivalent number of seats that were removed. I think the ticket demand will be back in full force over the next couple of years. Plus we don't need the Guidos out the road having anything to puff out their chests about.

I think the big screens are fine at the size they are, the problem is the big banner ads they put up on them effectively reducing them to the size we had before. Put permanent ads out on either side or put up a couple a screens designated only for changing ads and leave the jumbotrons for football. Keep improving the sound system too. Oh, and wifi that works.

People talk about concessions. I don't worry too much with that because I'm usually full when I get into the stadium from a big old tailgate meal. That being said, I would like to see more creative options like you see at baseball stadiums.
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I agree with all your points except wifi I could care less about it...would love to see ice cream from rupp..the rest of the stuff I could care less about except for soda and water
 
I believe we've got a good base here but as others have commented, we have got to keep adding things. When we first built the Nutter center, it was state of the art and matched up to what rivals were doing. But nothing was really done since. I would love to see us adding new things year after year, you just keep moving up. And now that the foundation is laid, you can spend a couple million a year keeping up with the jones.
 
BlueRaider22 said:
A team like UK needs the shiniest of lures to attract fish. We don't have the luxury of selling our past performance as a recruiting tool. Therefore UK needs to always be appearing to improve something. Look at Oregon. Some of the best facilities in the nation but still they are constantly doing something.....and they can sell past performance where we really can't.

So, I guess it's not completely important what we improve as long as we don't become complacent.
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Oregon goes as Phil Knight goes:football::football::smiley::sunglasses:
 
One thing I would like to see is tours of the stadium. I would personally like to take a tour to see the press box, recruiting rooms, locker rooms and suites. If they charge $5 or $10 (I just took a tour of Notre Dame for $10), they could make a little money and I think the fans would enjoy the experience. Another idea would be to make the suite level a restaurant during the week (and off season), in which you can go and eat lunch and overlook the stadium.
 
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sluggercatfan said:
MB told me fan day that the plans are to have them installed by next season...said the cost about 700K:smiley::sunglasses::football:
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That would be nice. I know chair back seats aren't coming but it would be nice to replace the aluminum benches with that same plastic resin on chair back seats for the benches and backs. Would reduce the need to paint and ore durable.
 
docinjax said:
I just posted a similar thread on HOB. I think the stadium renovation is unbelievable. For the money we spent we really got a big bang for the buck. Having said that......

What is on the UK wish list for the stadium that could not be added due to lack of funds? For example, if we had 175 million to spend instead of 120 million, what more would we have added? Certainly not seats, since we downsized, but what amenities or other construction would we have liked to do?

A few things come to mind for me. A much bigger video board, renovation of the previous suites, wifi for the entire stadium (which I've heard is planned, but don't know for sure).

For those of you who are season ticket holders or who get to lots of games, what would you like to see added for the next time we improve the stadium? Should be a fun thread. Have at it.
Click to expand...
Is the price tag now $120M vice $110M? Often escalation in these kinds of projects. Without question most of these improvements need to be done (e.g., suites and premium seating, new press box, etc.) but I'm not sure that is a big bang for the buck. There were 4 other SEC stadium renovations done in the same time frame. Ignoring the $450M job at aTm and taking a birds eye view of the more down to earth projects...

L:SU: ~$80M renovation that included 65 suites, 3,000 "premium" seats and 1500 regular seats. Assuming 15/suite that is a net gain of 5475 seats
MO: ~$67M renovation adding 5,200 regular seats and 1000 premium seats
MSU: ~$75M renovation adding 6225 regular seats

For comparison, at UK, the top level look is adding 28 suites, ~2600 premium seats and associated amenities, new press box and a recruiting room for $110-$120M. Without question the most controversial element is the physical loss of some 6,000 seats from previous capacity. I get it that the thinking is "nicer, not bigger" but if things are on the trajectory that most believe that loss of seating may come back to haunt them in a few years. At a capacity of 61,000 UK will still be much larger than Vandy and sandwiched just between the Mississippi schools (until Ole Miss pulls the trigger on a planned expansion to about 70,000.

I'm sure everything will be uber nice for the monied fans in those premium seats but for a guy like me I'm excited about new restrooms and hopefully, MUCH better concessions. Heretofore, concessions at CWS were as bad as any venue I have ever visited.

Peace
 
As mentioned several times, two level suites (potentially 5000 additional fans) and other amenities may be added on the north side to balance the stadium and add to the intimidation factor. Winning creates further expansion and demand. If UK develops an extraordinary fan experience, better concessions and access to social media (WiFI), we would have something special in the SEC....along with a competitive, winning football program.
 
I would like bench seating, so no chairbacks. Also would like urinal troughs in the bathrooms, the kind where you just piss against the wall like the old days. Those would make me feel more like I'm at a football game and not an opera.
 
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Get rid of that gravel at the base of the walls that surround the field and replace with hedges or some sort of unique landscaping. It just looks unfinished with the gravel before and after the renovation.
Also, Permanent/illuminated Ring of Honor maybe mounted to the top of the end zone luxury box "trailers"
 
wildcats28732 said:
Get rid of that gravel at the base of the walls that surround the field and replace with hedges or some sort of unique landscaping. It just looks unfinished with the gravel before and after the renovation.

Also, Permanent/illuminated Ring of Honor maybe mounted to the top of the end zone luxury box "trailers"
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Replace the old gravel with painted blue and white gravel and we'll call it the Gravel Pit! Keep that old look from when it was originally opened ......."don't no damn nobody"..... want to come play in the gravel pit cause you gonna get knocked the hell around. We need our own thing here, between the hedges is for little bitches, come play football in the gravel pit! We need a physical theme!
 
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Few things:
  • New Commonwealth Sign (font looks childish)
  • New corner suites (current ones look like trailers)
  • Seat Backs throughout (although that will decrease capacity even more)
  • Even MORE lighting (CWS looks too dark)
  • Fresh paint on ALL exposed steel (preferably black due to weathering)
  • New Scoreboards (The Blue Paint turned out cheap looking)
  • KY Limestone around the field (the painted concrete walls looks cheap)
 
I'm not whining. I like what they've done. However, if the idea is to create a better fan experience, then outside of a better team (which is taking shape), they must invest in Wi-Fi. I love the games and hate not being connected to see what else is happening on Saturdays...
 
I would like chairbacks, I just don't know if there is room. The chairbacks in the upper deck leave no room to squeeze by in the row behind them. It is pretty tight up there.
 
I really think the stadium is heading in the right direction. Some posters have mentioned continued improvement and I personally think that is the intention of the university. I believe with the influx of the SEC $$$ that we will see more construction projects in the very near future. I believe that this will be done in phases and am hoping that increased capacity will be in one of the next 2 improvement cycles. I think that the university is doing what they can accomplish between seasons so as to not inconvenience the fans during the season, kind of like not biting off more than they can chew. As fans all we need to do is be patient and to fill the stadium. Many folks have asked the question of if coach Stoops will stay here and my thought is that the fans packing the stadium and getting behind this team will be the final determining factor of if he stays long term. Just my 2¢ worth
 
Improvements to the stadium will be ongoing. As for CMS, brother Bob has been at Oklahoma for 15 years. Brother Mike was at Arizona at least 8 years. Coach Stoops will very likely stay as long as he wishes. Translated that means he will be here for a long time. He is paid well, loves Lexington like everyone else and the university will see to his athletic needs.
 
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