OT: D1

[TheBigCat2192]

Years back -- in the 'biggest capacity pi$$ing matches' -- the 'lines' on the bleachers were actually crunched closer together. All those 'inches' added up and increased seating capacity by the thousands.

I don't know the exact measurements, but they went from something like 16" to 12".

Now the trend in stadium design is the opposite. It’s more pronounced in the pros but even college teams are cutting out the cheap seats or standing room only spots to build luxury boxes or premium seats since they typically generate more revenue. I’m a bit curious to see what happens with these 100k stadium teams as their facilities age. When they get too old will the next stadium be as big or will they be more in the NFL range of 75-80k?

[Ram040506]

Now the trend in stadium design is the opposite. It’s more pronounced in the pros but even college teams are cutting out the cheap seats or standing room only spots to build luxury boxes or premium seats since they typically generate more revenue. I’m a bit curious to see what happens with these 100k stadium teams as their facilities age. When they get too old will the next stadium be as big or will they be more in the NFL range of 75-80k?

Even that range is high for the NFL, there are only 7 franchises above 75k for seating (Giants/Jets, Cowboys, Packers, Cheifs, Broncos and Panthers).

Florida State just did a bunch of renovations to their stadium taking it from around 80k from their heyday to now about 65k.

[TheBigCat2192]

Even that range is high for the NFL, there are only 7 franchises above 75k for seating (Giants/Jets, Cowboys, Packers, Cheifs, Broncos and Panthers).

Florida State just did a bunch of renovations to their stadium taking it from around 80k from their heyday to now about 65k.

I thought Oakland’s new stadium was around 75k as well. Honest mistake on my part. I know SDSU just built a new stadium recently and it’s more like an MLS stadium in terms of capacity. For G5 and lesser P5 schools that may be the way forward while even the bigger P5 schools dip towards NFL capacities if attendance trends continue as they have been.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I thought Oakland’s new stadium was around 75k as well. Honest mistake on my part. I know SDSU just built a new stadium recently and it’s more like an MLS stadium in terms of capacity. For G5 and lesser P5 schools that may be the way forward while even the bigger P5 schools dip towards NFL capacities if attendance trends continue as they have been.

State College is an outlier in many regards. Getting 110,000 up there on Dec. 21 in 20-some degrees -- with tons of students long gone -- is crazy.

I'd venture to guess you could probably count on one hand how many schools could draw like that (playoff or no playoff).

Beaver Stadium (to the bleacher people) is a gigantic high school stadium. The new NFL stadiums are like high-end hotels.

Even "Heinz Field" in Pittsburgh is already a relic -- and it's only in its early 20s.

The culture in the 'big boy' P4 and NFL is so vastly different now than 20-25 years ago. It's so expensive to attend these games. With that, the clientele level has gone up and people demand more for their $400 tickets and $150 parking.

I can't even fathom what PSU generates during one game weekend just in parking. This past Saturday we paid $175 and it felt like we parked in Lock Haven.

I went to a lot of NHL Penguins' games as a kid. Those games were insane in the 80s and 90s. You go there now (it costs a fortune) and the crowd has the same vibe as being at a hipster martini bar in Lower Manhattan. It's close to a grand for me to take the family to a Pens game -- decent tickets, parking, food, blah blah blah.

[IUPNation]

State College is an outlier in many regards. Getting 110,000 up there on Dec. 21 in 20-some degrees -- with tons of students long gone -- is crazy.

I'd venture to guess you could probably count on one hand how many schools could draw like that (playoff or no playoff).

Beaver Stadium (to the bleacher people) is a gigantic high school stadium. The new NFL stadiums are like high-end hotels.

Even "Heinz Field" in Pittsburgh is already a relic -- and it's only in its early 20s.

The culture in the 'big boy' P4 and NFL is so vastly different now than 20-25 years ago. It's so expensive to attend these games. With that, the clientele level has gone up and people demand more for their $400 tickets and $150 parking.

I can't even fathom what PSU generates during one game weekend just in parking. This past Saturday we paid $175 and it felt like we parked in Lock Haven.

I went to a lot of NHL Penguins' games as a kid. Those games were insane in the 80s and 90s. You go there now (it costs a fortune) and the crowd has the same vibe as being at a hipster martini bar in Lower Manhattan. It's close to a grand for me to take the family to a Pens game -- decent tickets, parking, food, blah blah blah.

You paid 175 to park at The game???

Oh hell no. I would have parked somewhere in State College for free and walked a few miles. You mean every lot on that campus was 175 bucks?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

You paid 175 to park at The game???

Oh hell no. I would have parked somewhere in State College for free and walked a few miles. You mean every lot on that campus was 175 bucks?

Our 'vehicle' paid that price. Granted, it was luckily divided among a few people.

[Bart]

It was much easier seeing a Penn State game in 1976. We parked in the Eisenhower Auditorium parking lot and stood around eating out of the car's trunk before walking up to the stadium. No charge to park there. Same thing in 1981 which was my last game at PSU as a graduate student.

[EyeoftheHawk]

I was at the Ohio State game this year and it was a good experience overall. No doubt the place needs a renovation and bleacher seating is what it is, but there is no atmosphere like that place on game day. I’ve been to several stadiums and there truly is nothing like it. Anyway, we paid $80 to park, had a reasonable walk to the stadium, and didn’t have any issues with getting in and out of restrooms or long waits at concession stands. Saying that, it sounds like where you’re sitting can dramatically impact the experience.

My second favorite experience was at the old Pitt Stadium. Despite being run down toward the end it was a great college football atmosphere. The last game I went to there was when Michael Vick was at VA Tech the year they went to the natty. Pitt came up short but it was a great game. The games I’ve been to in Acrisure/Heinz just aren’t the same. Those who never got to experience Pitt Stadium will never know what they’re missing.

[Ship69]

Now the trend in stadium design is the opposite. It’s more pronounced in the pros but even college teams are cutting out the cheap seats or standing room only spots to build luxury boxes or premium seats since they typically generate more revenue. I’m a bit curious to see what happens with these 100k stadium teams as their facilities age. When they get too old will the next stadium be as big or will they be more in the NFL range of 75-80k?

Northwestern's new stadium, despite being the most expensive to be constructed to this point, will actually reduce seating from 47,000 in the old Ryan Field to 35,000. It is being built with the recent decline in gameday attendance in mind at many stadiums and also with a look at more opportunities for premium seating. The temporary lakefront stadium they used during the past season and will use again next season, raised as much or more on a gameday as the former stadium with about one-quarter of its seating capacity. They found people were willing to pay a price for a better viewing experience. The new venue will feature a higher percentage of premium seating, and the AD said the higher revenue from that might actually subsidize cheaper seats in other areas of the stadium. Of course they'll probably have little control over scalpers.

It really hasn't made much sense for Northwestern, with fewer than 10,000 undergrads and an alumni base spread out all over the country, to be playing in the 47,000-seat venue. The original Dyche Stadium that became Ryan Field was built in the 1920s (my mother, who lived in Evanston at the time, remembered it being built and also that she attended a birthday party for the Northwestern coach's daugher when she was about 6 years old.) The stadium was considered a huge football palace at the time as, hard as it is to believe now, Northwestern was something of a football powerhouse through the 1930s into the '40s, an era that included three Big Ten championships and that ended with a strong team led by Otto Graham. At one point seating at that stadium was over 50,000, and they'd draw good crowds in the '50s when Ara Parseghian's NU teams would play someone such as Notre Dame. He beat Notre Dame like a drum, which is one reason the Irish hired him away from NU. After 1970, NU had a series of administrations that didn't give a damn about football, and the team, which had about a .500 all-time record up to then, became a joke for the next 25 years.

[IUPNation]

Northwestern's new stadium, despite being the most expensive to be constructed to this point, will actually reduce seating from 47,000 in the old Ryan Field to 35,000. It is being built with the recent decline in gameday attendance in mind at many stadiums and also with a look at more opportunities for premium seating. The temporary lakefront stadium they used during the past season and will use again next season, raised as much or more on a gameday as the former stadium with about one-quarter of its seating capacity. They found people were willing to pay a price for a better viewing experience. The new venue will feature a higher percentage of premium seating, and the AD said the higher revenue from that might actually subsidize cheaper seats in other areas of the stadium. Of course they'll probably have little control over scalpers.

It really hasn't made much sense for Northwestern, with fewer than 10,000 undergrads and an alumni base spread out all over the country, to be playing in the 47,000-seat venue. The original Dyche Stadium that became Ryan Field was built in the 1920s (my mother, who lived in Evanston at the time, remembered it being built and also that she attended a birthday party for the Northwestern coach's daugher when she was about 6 years old.) The stadium was considered a huge football palace at the time as, hard as it is to believe now, Northwestern was something of a football powerhouse through the 1930s into the '40s, an era that included three Big Ten championships and that ended with a strong team led by Otto Graham. At one point seating at that stadium was over 50,000, and they'd draw good crowds in the '50s when Ara Parseghian's NU teams would play someone such as Notre Dame. He beat Notre Dame like a drum, which is one reason the Irish hired him away from NU. After 1970, NU had a series of administrations that didn't give a damn about football, and the team, which had about a .500 all-time record up to then, became a joke for the next 25 years.

Seems like a lot of expense for a program that doesn’t seem to want to compete for titles…

That is the cone to Jesus moment for FBS..week out programs that **** compete and add a third D1 tier..based on capability to generate revenue and fund programs to compete.

[Ship69]

Seems like a lot of expense for a program that doesn’t seem to want to compete for titles…

That is the cone to Jesus moment for FBS..week out programs that **** compete and add a third D1 tier..based on capability to generate revenue and fund programs to compete.

More than half of the stadium is being funded by the Ryan family. And they're getting it for about $100 million more than it's costing Penn State to renovate its Erector set. As far as wanting to compete for a title, they aren't Notre Dame and probably aren't going to ante up $20 million a year to buy a roster like the thousands of crazed Ohio State fans. What they actually do annually is produce the highest academic ranking and highest graduation rates in the Big 10 year after year. If they win that side of the equation, I'm fine with that. Even though a charter member of the Big Ten, I'm sure they could be left out when the inevitable super leagues are formed, and I'm fine with that, too.

[IUPNation]

Nobody has a shred of sympathy when it comes to anything about The Overrated State University…but I did appreciate the people in the press box trolling the Tennessee-astan fans in the stands..while up big by playing Rocky Top over the PA then cutting to the Na Na NA Na NA Hey Hey Hey Goodbye song. Thry deserved it after all the **** talking they did about taking over the stadium and how the SEC is invincible.

[Ship69]

Nobody has a shred of sympathy when it comes to anything about The Overrated State University…but I did appreciate the people in the press box trolling the Tennessee-astan fans in the stands..while up big by playing Rocky Top over the PA then cutting to the Na Na NA Na NA Hey Hey Hey Goodbye song. Thry deserved it after all the **** talking they did about taking over the stadium and how the SEC is invincible.

Northwestern played the Vols in a bowl some seasons back. NU had a soft schedule that year and was overrated, and Tennessee unfortunately crushed them in the game. The Tennessee online fanbase was by far the worst of the bowl teams NU played over the years, and that is saying something. I never cared much one way or the other about the Vols before that game, but since then they can't lose enough to suit me.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Holy Toledo

[IUP24]

Nobody has a shred of sympathy when it comes to anything about The Overrated State University…but I did appreciate the people in the press box trolling the Tennessee-astan fans in the stands..while up big by playing Rocky Top over the PA then cutting to the Na Na NA Na NA Hey Hey Hey Goodbye song. Thry deserved it after all the **** talking they did about taking over the stadium and how the SEC is invincible.

Three things…

1) Tennessee fans are hands down the best fans I’ve ever interacted with. They are tremendous. They are the bastard step child of the SEC in terms of the brand schools. They’ll always be a rung below Bama, LSU, Georgia, and maybe Florida in terms of the heirarchy in the SEC - and they’ll you that and joke about it. They have not been “great” for decades. Fan support has never wavered. They travel everywhere and are mostly just excited to cheer on their team. Great, great collection of people. I traveled to Knoxville in 2021 to see Pitt. The most welcoming group of college football fans I have ever interacted with.

I know I posted this on here before and somebody (I honestly forget who) pretty much told me that I had no clue what I was talking about because they had a negative experience with Vols fans. Obviously bad folks in every group, but Tennessee fans are wonderful in totality.

2) I find it hilarious how Ohio State and their fans took every opportunity to “troll” anybody from Tennessee. They rioted because a flag was planted at midfield. They were so upset that a congressman from Ohio drafted a bill which would make it a felony to plant a flag at midfield of a football stadium in the state of Ohio. When you act like that, you lose the right to troll when you win.

3) There was a massive group of Vols fans that came to Columbus Thursday and Friday and volunteered at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. There was an interview with the organizer of that group of a few hundred people. He said “we go where our Vols go and we spread love.” I wish the story was more about that than the army of keyboard warriors on social media.