Folsom Field Expansion (Theorectically)

[SINKRATZ]

Before we add seats I'd rather they focus on improving the game day experience for the existing fans - add seat backs, brand new sound system, address deferred maintenance everywhere, renovate bathrooms, add TVs and radio feed throughout concession areas, boost WiFi, continue efforts to improve tailgating and outside stadium programs (I.e. beer gardens), modernize gate entry process.

Make it more enjoyable to attend a game so tickets are more valuable and become harder to get. Then worry about expanding capacity. You don't increase supply before increasing demand.

 

[Buffnik]

The only problem with improving existing seats with chairbacks before expanding is that we lose capacity again before we gain it back. Folsom is already a very small P5 stadium. Very bad optics if capacity dips below 50k.

 

[SINKRATZ]

The only problem with improving existing seats with chairbacks before expanding is that we lose capacity again before we gain it back. Folsom is already a very small P5 stadium. Very bad optics if capacity dips below 50k.

So what? I'm not sure why the optics of our capacity matters. Reducing capacity a little is fine in the short term - if we're near sellouts for a few years (with a smaller capacity) it's an easier sell to increase capacity down the road. Having a bunch of empty seats and dirt cheap tickets is worse optics IMO and probably hurts season ticket sales since you can usually get cheap tickets on short notice.

 

[BUffsNation]

Yea screw the views. I would love to be in the 70k - 75k stadium capacity club.

This is the 2013 freshman orientation. I know the 2015 filled the whole south curve but couldn't find a picture. 2016 enrollment was up 6%. We have 27,000 undergrads now. What did we have in 1990?

Also F*ck the owners of the Rockies. After Jerry McMorris (CU alum) died and the new sh*t sticks took over they killed the team. They don't care if the Rockies ever win a game. They are just sucking the money up as much as they can. They would turn the whole place into a cesspool bar if they could. Turning the stands into a bar area was spitting in the team and fans faces. I refuse to go to a Rockies game and have not been to one in 4 years because of them. I won't support those f*cks

 

[Buffnik]

So what? I'm not sure why the optics of our capacity matters. Reducing capacity a little is fine in the short term - if we're near sellouts for a few years (with a smaller capacity) it's an easier sell to increase capacity down the road. Having a bunch of empty seats and dirt cheap tickets is worse optics IMO and probably hurts season ticket sales since you can usually get cheap tickets on short notice.

As long as there were plans for expansion approved, I suppose I could live with the first steps in the project being chairbacks at the 100 levels.

What would people think about expanding 203-213 so that the south end zone second level went up as high as the 200 sections do on the east side?

I don't think it would disrupt those Flatirons views people care so much about and it could dramatically increase capacity for the less expensive seats that are most in demand.

 

[DBT]

Yea screw the views. I would love to be in the 70k - 75k stadium capacity club.

This is the 2013 freshman orientation. I know the 2015 filled the whole south curve but couldn't find a picture. 2016 enrollment was up 6%. We have 27,000 undergrads now. What did we have in 1990?

Also F*ck the owners of the Rockies. After Jerry McMorris (CU alum) died and the new sh*t sticks took over they killed the team. They don't care if the Rockies ever win a game. They are just sucking the money up as much as they can. They would turn the whole place into a cesspool bar if they could. Turning the stands into a bar area was spitting in the team and fans faces. I refuse to go to a Rockies game and have not been to one in 4 years because of them. I won't support those f*cks

Alrighty then.

 

[BUffsNation]

Why the hell do we care about chair backs? Buy one like I do with my season tickets. How many of the huge teams have them in their stadium. Only one I can think of is Miami .

 

[DBT]

I think adding seating is probably low on CU's "To Do" list.

 

[Buffnik]

Why the hell do we care about chair backs? Buy one like I do with my season tickets. How many of the huge teams have them in their stadium. Only one I can think of is Miami .

Stanford did it. Was very nice.

 

[BUffsNation]

that is why it is theoretically and 5 years from now.

 

[skibum]

Yea screw the views. I would love to be in the 70k - 75k stadium capacity club.

This is the 2013 freshman orientation. I know the 2015 filled the whole south curve but couldn't find a picture. 2016 enrollment was up 6%. We have 27,000 undergrads now. What did we have in 1990?

I think (and am too lazy to look it up), in 1990 there were just under 20,000 undergrads, and with grad students total enrollment was around 27,000.

 

[Gramburglar]

I agree that dipping below 50k is bad, but what makes Folsom unique are the views. What about a full demo of Blach and then construct a new main stand in its place. The south endzone bowl could be extended and then if needed a club level equivalent high stand cold be added, but it may not need to go higher than the current height of Blach. In addition the light poles can be removed good sound system can be affixed to the frame of the stand. It may too be a way to conserve the the field house interior uses (although it may be smaller) and increase capacity.

 

[CUBUFF80]

CU was ranked for 7 years in a row and never sold out every game. I think expansion would be a really terrible idea. BUT if we were to do it, it should be done by getting rid of Balch and building something back there.

Agree, expansion would be a risky proposition. As I recall, they've always been talking about Balch for demolition if it were to occur.

 

[Bear Fiend]

I wasn't able to read all of the words (Giddiness), but out of curiosity, what is your net worth (Theoretically)?

ETA: I'm off to bed (temporarily), but let'$ chat soon

$5 if you can guess how much whiskey the jackass that wrote this had...

 

[SINKRATZ]

Why the hell do we care about chair backs? Buy one like I do with my season tickets. How many of the huge teams have them in their stadium. Only one I can think of is Miami .

Why do we care? Because it's more comfortable and CU is not a place that fills up regardless of how the team performs (*cough* Nebraska). Why not actually be proactive with stadium upgrades for a change instead of falling behind then playing catch-up a decade late?

 

[MtnBuff]

We could do seatbacks and increase capacity. Just hire the same people who design seating on airplanes. They might be able to wedge 60k plus and add space for those willing to pay for first class.

Nah, no thanks.

 

[DBT]

Why do we care? Because it's more comfortable and CU is not a place that fills up regardless of how the team performs (*cough* Nebraska). Why not actually be proactive with stadium upgrades for a change instead of falling behind then playing catch-up a decade late?

Packing into bleachers sucks. Putting stadium seating in would be no simple thing. I'd expect you'd have to demolish and rebuild the substructure.

 

[SINKRATZ]

Packing into bleachers sucks. Putting stadium seating in would be no simple thing. I'd expect you'd have to demolish and rebuild the substructure.

I'm not talking about stadium seating, just putting seatbacks on the bleachers wouldn't be that tough.

 

[Buffnik]

I'm not taking about stadium seating, just putting seatbacks on the bleachers wouldn't be that tough.
View attachment 21832

Would be a huge improvement. (Thought I'd prefer at least the premium fee seats between the 35 yard lines to be full seats with cup holders.)

The other thing is that there are some cool ways to design them now in different colors. Minnesota killed it on that.

 

[Bison]

Utah used to have an "UTAH" just like we have our "COLORADO" on the South stands before they razed the stadium and rebuilt it for the 2002 Olympics. They recently painted an "UTAH" on the roof of a building that overlooks one endzone.

I think one of the concepts had a COLORADO on the light towers above the stadium. Given that the P12 is fining us for students rushing the field too soon, I wonder how long it is before the admin says enough is enough and does something to the South end zone area?

Also is it possible to raise the field so we could have more athletic events such as men's lacrosse at Folsom Field?

 

[StormTrooper]

Agree, expansion would be a risky proposition. As I recall, they've always been talking about Balch for demolition if it were to occur.

What I would like to see is them wrapping around the seats on the northwest side to close it off, getting rid of Balch and replacing it with some updated, more desirable club seating and suites that are closer to the field, and moving the press box to where the current suite level is. Capacity would remain unchanged. It would be cool to see the 200 level extended along the west side, but that would add about 5,000 seats which I'm not sure is a good idea.
The only downside about moving the press box to the other side is that it would change the side the TV cameras are on, and I think that would hurt my brain.

 

[pcbuff]

I don't see it. After 5 years of sell outs, then maybe. But the pendulum swing is easy to forecast, and the aesthetics as they exist are too spectacular.

 

[Alfred91]

A Balch redo is necessary now.

I can see the argument that everything else might be a little premature.

But Balch either has to go (preferable) or be completely re-done.

 

[14er]

 

[Shldr2Shldr]

I agree. But there might be a push from some to preserve it. And it could be done correctly to keep the exterior appearance and modernize the interior. But just an opinion. I'll be 75 or 80 before any of that happens. Haha.

It's bordering on being condemned. It will come down when CU is ready for it to come down.

 

[Shldr2Shldr]

Why the hell do we care about chair backs? Buy one like I do with my season tickets. How many of the huge teams have them in their stadium. Only one I can think of is Miami .

A lot of them.

CU needs to add something to the seating between the 30's to increase demand there.

 

[DBT]

It's bordering on being condemned. It will come down when CU is ready for it to come down.

May be. But I'd bet there will be some plan to preserve it in some manner. Maybe some sort of architectural treatment.

 

[Alfred91]

Sweet renderings.

 

[Bison]

With the COLORADO BUFFALOES on the light fixtures, does it make it easier for CU to make changes to the south stands? I'm thinking it would be the phase after we bowl in the stadium by redoing the northwest edge seats.

 

[Shldr2Shldr]

With the COLORADO BUFFALOES on the light fixtures, does it make it easier for CU to make changes to the south stands? I'm thinking it would be the phase after we bowl in the stadium by redoing the northwest edge seats.

You can't remove that ramp. It is an iconic piece of Colorado football.