Board of Trustees to vote on RRS expansion next week

[Supermark101]

This is said about every stadium expansion (or new stadium built) by someone somewhere.................................

This is true, and we would probably sell out vs SEC teams. However, lets say we increase to 85,000, your still only selling 67,000 for a heavily hyped team's first game, on a beautiful day, against UTEP. That's a lot of empty seats.

Are you suggesting we add more seat instead of boxes and suits? Remember the south end zone was built in a way that a second deck can easily be added. That would add 8,000 seats.

[Inhogswetrust]

This is true, and we would probably sell out vs SEC teams. However, lets say we increase to 85,000, your still only selling 67,000 for a heavily hyped team's first game, on a beautiful day, against UTEP. That's a lot of empty seats.

Are you suggesting we add more seat instead of boxes and suits? Remember the south end zone was built in a way that a second deck can easily be added. That would add 8,000 seats.

I believe they need more club, suite type seats. I sit in the SEZ outdoor club seats. I pay more for that privilege. The seats that they proposed on the top of the SEZ were suppose to be regular priced seats and they are far away from the field. It doesn't make sense to add those type seats when the sideline upper decks aren't selling out now. Remember how they used to put up bleacher seats there on a temporary basis? Everyone complained about them that sat up there. What they are doing now with the students having that area for them if they desire is smart in my opinion. IIRC almost, if not all, of the proposed seats in the North expansion are upgrades as well. THOSE are the type that are in demand. Plus everyone keeps saying close in the north end zone. Here's our chance to get more revenue and do that. THEN if we need to ever add more regular seats then we can still do so on top of BOTH end zones. If I was a betting man though I'd bet more club/suite type suites would be added before that on top on the new North expansion or south end zone either. We also need new game day locker rooms and such which is a part of this project. That being said I always thought when the new athletic facility just south of the stadium it should have been close enough to use that new locker room and such all the time even for games. The Broyles center is way past it's prime. 

[Hoot72]

I have not read every post in this thread, and I am not going to.  In my opinion, Pryor has a friend that is a contractor (or sub-contractor) friend that feels as if he is getting shut out of the process.  Pryor is going to raise flags, question methods, and delay things -- until, he can find out why his "friend" is not being used.  That always seems to be the problem in  a nutshell.

[ricepig]

I believe they need more club, suite type seats. I sit in the SEZ outdoor club seats. I pay more for that privilege. The seats that they proposed on the SEZ were suppose to be regular priced seats and they are far away form the field. It doesn't make sense to add those type seats when the sideline upper decks aren't selling put now. Remember how they used to put up bleacher seats there on a temporary basis. Everyone complained about them that sat up there.what they are doing now with the students having that area for them if they desire is smart in my opinion. IIRC almost, if not all, of the proposed seats in the North expansion are upgrades as well. THOSE are the type that are in demand. Plus everyone keeps saying close in the north end zone. Here's our chance to get more revenue and do that. THEN if we need to ever add more regular seats then we can still do so on top of BOTH end zones. If I was a betting man though I'd bet more club/suite type suites would be added before that on top on the new North expansion. We also need new game day locker rooms and such. That being said I always thought when the new athletic facility just south of the stadium it would have been close enough to use that new locker room and such all the time even for games. The Broyles center is way past it's prime. 

I'm not sure if you picked up NWA and put it about Maumelle/Conway/Morrilton would we sellout an 80,000 seat stadium on a regular basis, not without consistent 9+ wins a season.

[Supermark101]

I believe they need more club, suite type seats. I sit in the SEZ outdoor club seats. I pay more for that privilege. The seats that they proposed on the SEZ were suppose to be regular priced seats and they are far away form the field. It doesn't make sense to add those type seats when the sideline upper decks aren't selling put now. Remember how they used to put up bleacher seats there on a temporary basis. Everyone complained about them that sat up there.what they are doing now with the students having that area for them if they desire is smart in my opinion. IIRC almost, if not all, of the proposed seats in the North expansion are upgrades as well. THOSE are the type that are in demand. Plus everyone keeps saying close in the north end zone. Here's our chance to get more revenue and do that. THEN if we need to ever add more regular seats then we can still do so on top of BOTH end zones. If I was a betting man though I'd bet more club/suite type suites would be added before that on top on the new North expansion. We also need new game day locker rooms and such. That being said I always thought when the new athletic facility just south of the stadium it would have been close enough to use that new locker room and such all the time even for games. The Broyles center is way past it's prime. 

I agree with everything your saying. I guess I misread your last post. You replied to a guy that basically said what you just did. I read it has you being against what that person said.

The problem with using the new athletic center for gameday is you have to walk, in full uniform, right before the game starts. That has to be a distraction. You also have fans cramming in to watch in a small area next to Barnhill.

[ricepig]

I agree with everything your saying. I guess I misread your last post. You replied to a guy that basically said what you just did. I read it has you being against what that person said.

The problem with using the new athletic center for gameday is you have to walk, in full uniform, right before the game starts. That has to be a distraction. You also have fans cramming in to watch in a small area next to Barnhill.

True, but Clemson and Va Tech make a big production of their teams walking/arriving at the stadium. What I don't want to see is a lot of money spent "lavishing" up the administration's offices.

[Supermark101]

True, but Clemson and Va Tech make a big production of their teams walking/arriving at the stadium. What I don't want to see is a lot of money spent "lavishing" up the administration's offices.

'

BUT your also paying for a better museum... But seriously. I agree with you about the offices. Have you ever walked thru the team areas of the Broyles Center? I have, they are not very nice looking. They look very old.

Clemson and VT don't walk thru a parking lot. I just think it would be a distraction, especially if fans were allowed nearby.

[ricepig]

'

BUT your also paying for a better museum... But seriously. I agree with you about the offices. Have you ever walked thru the team areas of the Broyles Center? I have, they are not very nice looking. They look very old.

Clemson and VT don't walk thru a parking lot. I just think it would be a distraction, especially if fans were allowed nearby.

Not since 1976 and my brief "thoughts" of walking on.

[Hogfaniam]

is there a line item proposal yet?  elevators cost x? new video boards cost x? bac updating cost x? etc?

[ricepig]

is there a line item proposal yet?  elevators cost x? new video boards cost x? bac updating cost x? etc?

Nope, I suspect that will be in the proposal next Wednesday, but I'm not sure how they do it.

[LZH]

More luxury boxes are great, but I think adding more seats is silly. Sell out the damn stadium every weekend before you add more empty seats. It just looks bad.

[Inhogswetrust]

This is about the GSD for bp.

As soon as he mentioned population I knew it was a partial factor.

[Inhogswetrust]

Every war has a moral justification.

And some that don't want it no matter what. Heck even someone in Congress voted against the WWII declaration.

[Inhogswetrust]

As a life-long Razorbacks fan and graduate of the University of Arkansas, my only "agenda" is the best interest of the school and the football program.  Do you have anything thoughtful to add to the discussion?

People can have different views of what is best for the University and Athletic department. I respect yours in this debate but I'm not convinced of your rationale.

[Inhogswetrust]

I agree with everything your saying. I guess I misread your last post. You replied to a guy that basically said what you just did. I read it has you being against what that person said.

The problem with using the new athletic center for gameday is you have to walk, in full uniform, right before the game starts. That has to be a distraction. You also have fans cramming in to watch in a small area next to Barnhill.

Correct. I'm ALL for this project and have been since it was first proposed a few years ago. It is already past due. My point about the new Athletic facility is it could have been built closer to the stadium with an attachment of some type for the players to use their regular locker room all the time even for games. Even if it meant a little different design that they did build (which I do like).

[Inhogswetrust]

'

BUT your also paying for a better museum... But seriously. I agree with you about the offices. Have you ever walked thru the team areas of the Broyles Center? I have, they are not very nice looking. They look very old.

Clemson and VT don't walk thru a parking lot. I just think it would be a distraction, especially if fans were allowed nearby.

Clemson is a fantastic environment and they have a unique player intro. They BUS the players from the locker room on one end of the stadium all the way around to the other end where they unload and then run down the hill touching Howards Rock. It is very cool! By the way Clemson is in a small population metro area about the same size as NWA tucked in a far corner of their state where a lot of fans have to drive from Atlanta and Charlotte and Columbia and other areas to attend. YET the've had a large seating capacity stadium for a LONG time even moreso than ours. It was nice even before they added their end zone similar to our SEZ.  By the way the area around Clemson the town is called the "hill country" of South Carolina. It is beautiful.

[LZH]

By the way Clemson is in a small population metro area about the same size as NWA tucked in a far corner of their state

Actually it's in the Greenville-Spartanburg metropolitan area which is about three times the population of Northwest Arkansas.

[Inhogswetrust]

Actually it's in the Greenville-Spartanburg metropolitan area which is about three times the population of Northwest Arkansas.

My bad you are correct. Forgot it had grown that much since the last time I was there. I looked it up and can't believe it is that much bigger. It used to not seem like that. I worked in Greenville years ago and it was not a lot bigger back then! Thanks for the correction.

[bphi11ips]

People can have different views of what is best for the University and Athletic department. I respect yours in this debate but I'm not convinced of your rationale.

The stadium will look great, everyone will be proud, and it may help recruiting, but it's a shame we can't fill 85,000 seats to do it.  Since we can't right now, we've found a way to pay for a fully enlosed stadium with premium seating, we think. 

Since I believe Bielema is establishing a program that can sustain decades of success the way the program established by Broyles did, I'd like to see a ratio of general seating to premium seating consistent with the rest of the stadium.  If we can't do that now, we should wait, or we should add a mix of premium and bleacher seats now and win enough to fill them.

The Razorbacks football team develops leaders through discipline and scholarship, but it is also is an Arkansas institution.  This shouldn't get lost in the moment.

[majestic]

Why is it up to NWA to fill the stadium?

[ricepig]

Why is it up to NWA to fill the stadium?

It isn't.

[wachhog]

Arkansas will win when our powerful alums who call the shots admit that coaching matters far more than their fragile  egos. Until then.,

[ricepig]

Arkansas will win when our powerful alums who call the shots admit that coaching matters far more than their fragile  egos. Until then.,

What shots are they calling?

[majestic]

What shots are they calling?

Ditto. What, "powerful alums", are calling shots? I can't think of one that would have chosen our current coach.

[Hawgar The Horrible]

Jesus H. Christ. There is no "expansion" to speak of. Renovations are taking place to accommodate huge sums of corporate dollars awaiting premium seating. Biggest no brainier in Razorback Stadium history.

[LZH]

My bad you are correct. Forgot it had grown that much since the last time I was there. I looked it up and can't believe it is that much bigger. It used to not seem like that. I worked in Greenville years ago and it was not a lot bigger back then! Thanks for the correction.

I didn't know it either until about a week ago when I was looking at the list. I would have never guessed it.

[LZH]

Why is it up to NWA to fill the stadium?

Now that is funny.

[ImHogginIt]

Correct. I'm ALL for this project and have been since it was first proposed a few years ago. It is already past due. My point about the new Athletic facility is it could have been built closer to the stadium with an attachment of some type for the players to use their regular locker room all the time even for games. Even if it meant a little different design that they did build (which I do like).

It was more important and economically feasible to have it attached to the existing indoor practice facility/weight room at the time so it could be used daily as opposed to 6 times a year on game day.

[LZH]

It was more important and economically feasible to have it attached to the existing indoor practice facility/weight room at the time so it could be used daily as opposed to 6 times a year on game day.

I wondered the same thing.

[greghog]

  The expansion is an elitist proposal:

If there was a choice being made between "high dollar" seats and "low dollar" seats, OK, you would have a point.  But that is not the case.  It is a matter of building what is in demand.  We don't sell out the "low dollar" seats, we have a waiting list for the "high dollar" seats.  It would make no sense to build seats you can't sell, and fail to build seats you can.  Lastly, there are no real "low dollar" seats.  The guy making $10 a hour and raising 2 kids can't afford even the "cheap seats."

[bphi11ips]

If there was a choice being made between "high dollar" seats and "low dollar" seats, OK, you would have a point.  But that is not the case.  It is a matter of building what is in demand.  We don't sell out the "low dollar" seats, we have a waiting list for the "high dollar" seats.  It would make no sense to build seats you can't sell, and fail to build seats you can.  Lastly, there are no real "low dollar" seats.  The guy making $10 a hour and raising 2 kids can't afford even the "cheap seats."

Maybe we're focusing on the wrong question.  Why are "low dollar" seats not in demand?  If we can't sell 85,000 tickets for Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and LSU, why are we in the SEC?

[Hoot72]

Many cannot justify the expense of going to the games any more, especially when every game is on TV.  The games are for producing revenue, and not for the enjoyment of the fan.  It makes absolute sense to build more skyboxes (because of the demand for them), and revenue is your end goal.

[ricepig]

Maybe we're focusing on the wrong question.  Why are "low dollar" seats not in demand?  If we can't sell 85,000 tickets for Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and LSU, why are we in the SEC?

Because some would bemoan the fact that only 65,000 were there to watch them play Tomato Tech the next weekend? Why are OM and MSU in the SEC when they don't sell 85,000 for those games? We can put in some additional cheaper seating fairly cheap, but we don't need cheap seating at the present time.

[Inhogswetrust]

It was more important and economically feasible to have it attached to the existing indoor practice facility/weight room at the time so it could be used daily as opposed to 6 times a year on game day.

Agree but perhaps it could have been designed or oriented differently on the property in such a way as to allow both. It really isn't that far of a distance between the south end of the stadium and the indoor practice facility/weight room. 

[ricepig]

Agree but perhaps it could have been designed or oriented differently on the property in such a way as to allow both. It really isn't that far of a distance between the south end of the stadium and the indoor practice facility/weight room. 

Well, obviously, they should have made it bigger!

[Inhogswetrust]

Many cannot justify the expense of going to the games any more, especially when every game is on TV.  The games are for producing revenue, and not for the enjoyment of the fan.  It makes absolute sense to build more skyboxes (because of the demand for them), and revenue is your end goal.

Nothing new. Many people never have been able to afford it in the entire history of college sports!

[Inhogswetrust]

Well, obviously, they should have made it bigger!

Bigger is not always better.............I think I've heard that before............can't remember when or where.   

[hogfan58]

Why is it up to NWA to fill the stadium?

THIS!

Since the interstate from I40 to Fay has been built, there is NO excuse for people from almost the entire state to get to Fay, especially from LR. Auburn isn't exactly in the middle of the state, but are you telling me that only folks from that part of Alabama go to their games?

My folks and I drive up to Fay from SW Arkansas, it's 3hr 15 almost to the minute from our driveway to our parking lot. Surely folks from the LR area can make that effort.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

THIS!

Since the interstate from I40 to Fay has been built, there is NO excuse for people from almost the entire state to get to Fay, especially from LR. Auburn isn't exactly in the middle of the state, but are you telling me that only folks from that part of Alabama go to their games?

My folks and I drive up to Fay from SW Arkansas, it's 3hr 15 almost to the minute from our driveway to our parking lot. Surely folks from the LR area can make that effort.

Why has there never been a new 4 lane Highway built direct from Fayetteville to Conway linking it with LR? Is the terrain too difficult? One would think that with all of the business growth in NW Arkansas, this would have been a natural thing to do and, it would certainly make the trip from Little Rock to Fayetteville a little shorter and shorter as well for anyone east-southeast of LR.

[ricepig]

Why has there never been a new 4 lane Highway built direct from Fayetteville to Conway linking it with LR? Is the terrain too difficult? One would think that with all of the business growth in NW Arkansas, this would have been a natural thing to do and, it would certainly make the trip from Little Rock to Fayetteville a little shorter and shorter as well for anyone east-southeast of LR.

Surely you're not serious??

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Surely you're not serious??

Yes I am serious and don't call me Shirley.

[ricepig]

Yes I am serious and don't call me Shirley.

Ok, I'll break it down for you in one word; cost. I-40 follows the River Valley to a degree from LR to Ft. Smith, find a topography map and draw a line from Fayetteville to Conway, it's not really feasible in this day and time.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Ok, I'll break it down for you in one word; cost. I-40 follows the River Valley to a degree from LR to Ft. Smith, find a topography map and draw a line from Fayetteville to Conway, it's not really feasible in this day and time.

Why has there never been a new 4 lane Highway built direct from Fayetteville to Conway linking it with LR? Is the terrain too difficult?

Well, that was part of the question that I posed, as you can see.

[bphi11ips]

Because some would bemoan the fact that only 65,000 were there to watch them play Tomato Tech the next weekend? Why are OM and MSU in the SEC when they don't sell 85,000 for those games? We can put in some additional cheaper seating fairly cheap, but we don't need cheap seating at the present time.

And you aspire to be OM or MSU?

It was a rhetorical question, and you got the point.

And "the present time" is the key.  Why rush to spend $160M to enclose the north end zone for appearances purposes just because we think 3,000 people will buy seats to be seen and talk business at games?  If we can't fill a stadium with numbers that competes with the best, we aren't likely
to compete with them often anyway.

[ricepig]

Well, that was part of the question that I posed, as you can see.

Thus the reason I asked if you were serious, since you appeared to understand the problem.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Thus the reason I asked if you were serious, since you appeared to understand the problem.

I really didn't Rice. Haven't been to that part of the state very much. That's why I posed the question.

[ricepig]

I really didn't Rice. Haven't been to that part of the state very much. That's why I posed the question.

Ok, my apologies then. They can build roads anywhere, but the cost per mile would be prohibitive in this day and time. I-49/540 had a high cost per mile that needed strong legislative help in D.C. to be funded.

[bphi11ips]

I really didn't Rice. Haven't been to that part of the state very much. That's why I posed the question.

You should spend some time in the Boston Mountains, then.  They're real mountains, not like the plateau Fayetteville is built on. 

[ricepig]

You should spend some time in the Boston Mountains, then.  They're real mountains, not like the plateau Fayetteville is built on. 

They can build an Interstate anywhere, with enough money. I remember driving I-70 west of Denver 35 year's ago, then coming back later. They built the road on top of each other, elevated. Musk just needs a quick trip up the Pig Trail to enjoy the Ozarks.

[LZH]

THIS!

Since the interstate from I40 to Fay has been built, there is NO excuse for people from almost the entire state to get to Fay, especially from LR. Auburn isn't exactly in the middle of the state, but are you telling me that only folks from that part of Alabama go to their games?

My folks and I drive up to Fay from SW Arkansas, it's 3hr 15 almost to the minute from our driveway to our parking lot. Surely folks from the LR area can make that effort.

People throw a fit because all games aren't in Fayetteville, but they also want to throw a fit because the games there won't sell out. You people are hilarious.

No need to respond, y'all know where I stand.