Forbes: Football earnings in Big 12

[Buffnik]

What phases would you like to see done?

Here's mine.

Phase I: West side expansion. Press box renovation, Stadium Club expansion, covered seating expansion, Balch destruction or renovation. Add 200 level seating where we don't have it and do a full 200 level like on the East side.

Phase 2: End zone expansion. Enclose the North end zone with a full sized 200 level included. Increase the South end zone seats to the full 200 level height that's in the rest of the stadium.

Phase 3: Club level expansion. Add Club level seating above all 200 level seats in the stadium. This one might have to happen in sub-phases.

I don't know if this gets us to 80k+, but it definitely gets us over 70k without ruining views or the existing character & feel of Folsom (Frontier?). It also adds a lot of high revenue seats in the process.

 

[Darth Snow]

All nonsense of talk of stadium expansion is BS until we start selling out on a consistent basis. :smile2: Plus, practice facility upgrades first. Any expansion can be built into balch renovations etc., but major stuff like the north endzone is SUPER LOW priority over expanding dal ward etc.

 

[GoldenBuff]

So here's what I've been able to figure out big picture-wise from reading the master plan. We HAVE to expand Dal Ward in the near future to add women's facilities to be in compliance with Title IX. Balch will be addressed in some form because it is not fully sound from a structural standpoint. Major renovations or a demolition are probably in the cards here, along with a club level/pressbox makeover since they're so closely tied into the field house. The final thing that seems to be the the short term future is this hybrid parking structure/indoor practice facility that was discussed earlier. I couldn't find it again to quote but the first time I read through the plan, I saw that most of this would happen in the second half of the master plan (meaning 5-10 years from now). We'll know a lot more soon though when the new construction list comes out in the next few days.

 

[Buffnik]

So here's what I've been able to figure out big picture-wise from reading the master plan. We HAVE to expand Dal Ward in the near future to add women's facilities to be in compliance with Title IX. Balch will be addressed in some form because it is not fully sound from a structural standpoint. Major renovations or a demolition are probably in the cards here, along with a club level/pressbox makeover since they're so closely tied into the field house. The final thing that seems to be the the short term future is this hybrid parking structure/indoor practice facility that was discussed earlier. I couldn't find it again to quote but the first time I read through the plan, I saw that most of this would happen in the second half of the master plan (meaning 5-10 years from now). We'll know a lot more soon though when the new construction list comes out in the next few days.

Great info, Golden!

I'll be eager to read the new plans at the end of the week.

 

[slider]

Looks like some exciting stuff is going to be happening. Within the last 5 years we've added an indoor practice facility for 4 programs (FB, WBB, MBB, and VB). Good stuff

 

[Sexton Hardcastle]

We HAVE to expand Dal Ward in the near future to add women's facilities to be in compliance with Title IX. .

Dal Ward should be priority number one.

 

[buffsyko]

Dal Ward should be priority number one.

Yes

 

[FlatironsBuff]

I also heard the counting crows are the best band ever and will be replacing the band for most football games.

And Derek Morris will be the new frontman for the Counting Crows. Should be more to the joke but I forget Sacky's triggers.....

 

[14ers4me]

Stop being such a Debbie Downer. It's only impossible if we make it that way.

Easy there Cathy, clip your string. It's not negativity, it's being a realist. I said already I'd love to see it. You and AllBuffs and your friends getting more tix is great. Hopefully that will allow CU to sell out every game, every year. That has NEVER happened. Not with an increase in population, not with national championship teams, EVER. Here's the bottom line. A place like ****braska can increase their capacity from 80K to 100K because they have people waiting in line to get in. They could probably go to 120K if they wanted because those ***** don't have anything else to do. That is not the case at CU. We don't have an extra 30,000 people waiting in line. If we had 5000 we'd sell out every game. We don't. To expect Colorado to sell out an 80K stadium is foolish. The only way you can sell out a stadium that big consistantly is if your fan base wants to see every game-whether it's Utah State or USC. Ours doesn't. It sucks, but it's true. As others have said there are many other improvements to be made first without worrying about an 80K stadium.

 

[Razorbuff]

Easy there Cathy, clip your string. It's not negativity, it's being a realist. I said already I'd love to see it. You and AllBuffs and your friends getting more tix is great. Hopefully that will allow CU to sell out every game, every year. That has NEVER happened. Not with an increase in population, not with national championship teams, EVER. Here's the bottom line. A place like ****braska can increase their capacity from 80K to 100K because they have people waiting in line to get in. They could probably go to 120K if they wanted because those ***** don't have anything else to do. That is not the case at CU. We don't have an extra 30,000 people waiting in line. If we had 5000 we'd sell out every game. We don't. To expect Colorado to sell out an 80K stadium is foolish. The only way you can sell out a stadium that big consistantly is if your fan base wants to see every game-whether it's Utah State or USC. Ours doesn't. It sucks, but it's true. As others have said there are many other improvements to be made first without worrying about an 80K stadium.

This is true. It would be better to invest money in facilities for the athletes right now. Perhaps those would in turn benefit recruiting and help to put a better product on the field. Once that product is out there, and demand is up, then perhaps it would be time to think about expanding. However, CU is nowhere close to needing to expand. Sure the attendance numbers didn't look awful this past year, but that had alot to do with Bohn and the AD practically giving away tickets to get people in the seats. Improve the product on the field... more demand for tickets... expansion.

 

[Buffnik]

Winning is definitely the strongest driver for attendance and donations.

So, yes, the first priority with any facility investments needs to be for things that help us win. So stuff that allows our athletes to more effectively train, rehab, study, meet, practice and stay academically eligible should always be #1. For #2, it's stuff that improves the fan experience, improves profitability, and impresses recruits. If something doesn't do 1 or 2, don't buy it.

 

[Leon Sandcastle]

The final thing that seems to be the the short term future is this hybrid parking structure/indoor practice facility that was discussed earlier. I couldn't find it again to quote but the first time I read through the plan, I saw that most of this would happen in the second half of the master plan (meaning 5-10 years from now). We'll know a lot more soon though when the new construction list comes out in the next few days.

I remember seeing a scaled model of this facility that an AD official was toting around to show off as the future indoor facility for all sports....it looked awesome and everyone was getting very excited about it. The problem is that I saw this model in 1995. I would be astonished to see it built within the next 5-10 years.

EDIT: Unless/when we win the MNC...then I could see it happeneing

 

[Unleash Hell]

Dal Ward should be priority number one.

Disagree, bigger video boards should be priority #1, those things are an embarrasment. You don't know how many comments I've had from some of my husker friends who say, "are those speakers?"

 

[Buffarino]

They've had a lot of success selling the suites. The club seats, on the other hand, not so much.

Yeah, the only reason to buy a club seat is drinking (legally) in the stadium and having somewhere to go if the weather is bad. Other than that, the seats are worse than most of the stadium and they're a hell of a lot more expensive.

 

[buffaloflyer]

Yeah, the only reason to buy a club seat is drinking (legally) in the stadium and having somewhere to go if the weather is bad. Other than that, the seats are worse than most of the stadium and they're a hell of a lot more expensive.

What makes you think they are the worst seats in the house? I've sat club level and thought they were by far the best available. I've also sat in the south endzone top row under the jumbotron and that is by far the worst section in the house.

 

[Buffarino]

What makes you think they are the worst seats in the house? I've sat club level and thought they were by far the best available. I've also sat in the south endzone top row under the jumbotron and that is by far the worst section in the house.

Too high up. I prefer being closer to the field. I have sat under the jumbotron on the south endzone as well. Didn't think they were bad seats at all for the price (I think I paid $15 each for those). Of course you're comparing apples and oranges. And I never said the club seats were the worst in the stadium, I said they are worse than most of the stadium. And I stand by that statement.

 

[Darian3Hagan]

The best seat are in 117 17-20 rows up, but when I had all access passes I preferred to be on the field.

 

[Jello Bear]

It is a long term investment. And you are right it is a revenue drain, but revenue is also going to be generated from those extra sports, and if we get really good, the fans will come out in large numbers from all over the state. We can build great facillies, maybe convert Folsom field into a baseball park during the spring time or build a brand new sports facility for baseball and softball, that should be a major revenue generator.

If we don't add Shirling to the list of summer uses for Folsom, we're missing out on massive revenues and residual licensing rights in perpetuity. Everyone knows that someday it'll be bigger than monster trucking.

[video=youtube;6gu3mbl8SAk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gu3mbl8SAk[/video]