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Post by elcoyote on Oct 4, 2017 21:13:15 GMT -6
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE DOME RENOVATION? Prioritize as fans what you would like to see Priority one: New locker room, meeting rooms and coaches offices. It would be a huge boon for recruiting. Priority two: Permanent seating on the west side. Much more solid, professional look. Priority three: Don't care after that.
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Post by kiyoat on Oct 4, 2017 21:17:33 GMT -6
Build an attached giant sports bar. Change the campus boundaries so it is "off-campus".
Also, we need a South Dakota original stadium food. Like Runzas at Nebraska. Tiger meat? Kuken? Monkey balls? Chislic?
We could sell jerky and call it "Roadkill Rabbit "
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Post by Coyote Fan on Oct 4, 2017 21:37:53 GMT -6
This all depends on potential future requirements to go FBS but I don't necessarily need it to be a big as possible just overall nicer. I am one that thinks the dome as it is now is a nice facility but maybe only a fringe D1 facility. I would be happy with the west grandstands to be even steeper then what is now on the east side with plenty of seats with good site lines. Since the east grand stand is about 5800-5900 capacity just add another 6,000 on the west side and we have a nice cozy loud 12K seat stadium. We are pretty much near capacity most games so I would guess 6500-7000 as our normal attendance. It would take quite a fan surge to get up to filling up a 12K seat facility.
I never really noticed lighting being a problem but that was mentioned as something that needed to be done. Apparently the sound system could be jacked up a bit as well. The offices and locker rooms I know very little about so I won't comment on that part. I would be quite interested to see what the dome would look like with another full grandstand being added. I think it would even get louder in there.
I am one that thought basketball and volleyball needed their facility about a hundred times worse then the football team needs a renovated dome. I am one that hated the dome for basketball and really like it for football. I can understand for recruiting and raising the profile of the program that the dome renovations are necessary but for me as a fan I am ok just as things are now. I am sure many will tell me why it is not ok as it is now.
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Post by gopheryote on Oct 5, 2017 5:24:08 GMT -6
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Post by usdtator on Oct 5, 2017 7:39:41 GMT -6
That could work... although I wouldn't step foot on any level of those bleachers... That is a catastrophe waiting to happen.
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Post by kiyoat on Oct 5, 2017 7:48:51 GMT -6
[...] Since the east grand stand is about 5800-5900 capacity just add another 6,000 on the west side and we have a nice cozy loud 12K seat stadium. We are pretty much near capacity most games so I would guess 6500-7000 as our normal attendance. It would take quite a fan surge to get up to filling up a 12K seat facility. Maybe you should actually look into statistics a little if you want to throw out numbers that are based on your rapidly declining estimate of capacity and attendance. Cousin Eddie's 6 to 7k estimate for the east stands has somehow turned into 5800-5900 in your mind. I'd like to know the actual number, but can't find a seating chart. The official average attendance for the dome has been between 8000 and 9000 for the last decade, not 6500 to 7000. There may be some creative counting in those numbers, but not 2,000 seats worth. I agree that around 12k with nicer seats on the west would be a good phase one, until we prove we can sell out that number of seats, but lets stop moving the goalposts and devaluing our fan-base.
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Post by kiyoat on Oct 5, 2017 7:54:51 GMT -6
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Post by Yote 53 on Oct 5, 2017 8:25:07 GMT -6
Also remember the pool needs to find a new home, and then the current concourse can be redone/expanded. Not sure I have heard where that is in the pecking order - anyone else? This is the first I've heard that the pool needs to leave the Dome. I know that it leaks a ton, but I figured they'd just keep it down there. I don't think the pool is regulation size to host an NCAA meet. I had heard at one point there was discussion of adding on to the Wellness Center and that part of that addition would be the construction of a new pool.
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Post by Yote 53 on Oct 5, 2017 8:39:16 GMT -6
[...] Since the east grand stand is about 5800-5900 capacity just add another 6,000 on the west side and we have a nice cozy loud 12K seat stadium. We are pretty much near capacity most games so I would guess 6500-7000 as our normal attendance. It would take quite a fan surge to get up to filling up a 12K seat facility. Maybe you should actually look into statistics a little if you want to throw out numbers that are based on your rapidly declining estimate of capacity and attendance. Cousin Eddie's 6 to 7k estimate for the east stands has somehow turned into 5800-5900 in your mind. I'd like to know the actual number, but can't find a seating chart. The official average attendance for the dome has been between 8000 and 9000 for the last decade, not 6500 to 7000. There may be some creative counting in those numbers, but not 2,000 seats worth. I agree that around 12k with nicer seats on the west would be a good phase one, until we prove we can sell out that number of seats, but lets stop moving the goalposts and devaluing our fan-base. Years ago I would agree there was creative counting in the attendance, but not anymore. Division 1 has standards regarding counting attendance and when you walk into the Dome this Saturday you will hear a "beeop", "beeop", "beeop", that's the sound of your ticket being scanned in. It's all electronic now and provides for an accurate headcount. IIRC, when Coyote Landing was built it dropped capacity under 10,000 but when they turned the upper corner sections from chair seating to bleacher seating it added some seating back. I don't think it got back to 10,000 at that point but somewhere in the upper 9,000's. Now there is club seating in the South Endzone, that people seem to be forgetting about, it can probably hold a couple hundred people, maybe 300 or so. Don't forget about the skyboxes too. I would not be shocked if the 10,000 capacity number was legit, there are people crammed into every nook and cranny of that building.
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Post by sdyotefan on Oct 5, 2017 9:08:00 GMT -6
I just checked and the current FBS football minimum attendance (actual and/or paid) is an average of 15,000 for 2 years. Currently there are 106 FBS football programs plus Coastal Carolina and Liberty in reclassification to move up. In reviewing the stadium capacities the two smallest are Coastal Carolina at 15,000 and Charlotte with 15,300. There is also a requirement that there be 16 men and women's programs of which 6 must be men and 8 women (so much for equality!). FCS requires 14. So any expansion of the Dome with an eye to FBS football would have to hit at least 15,000.
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Post by kiyoat on Oct 5, 2017 10:15:21 GMT -6
I just checked and the current FBS football minimum attendance (actual and/or paid) is an average of 15,000 for 2 years. Currently there are 106 FBS football programs plus Coastal Carolina and Liberty in reclassification to move up. In reviewing the stadium capacities the two smallest are Coastal Carolina at 15,000 and Charlotte with 15,300. There is also a requirement that there be 16 men and women's programs of which 6 must be men and 8 women (so much for equality!). FCS requires 14. So any expansion of the Dome with an eye to FBS football would have to hit at least 15,000. I agree with most of your post, but there are 128 FBS schools. Far too many, IMO. Also, even though 15,000 capacity is a requirement, they don't really enforce the requirement that you meet the minimum average attendence. They haven't for years, but I'm not sure why. Last year there were 10 schools that missed the mark, and most of these schools have perennially done so for years: 14510 UMass 14192 Charlotte 13411 LA-Monroe 11190 Idaho 11019 Northern Illinois 10898 Kent State 10337 Akron 10073 Florida Atlantic 9545 New Mexico St 7789 Ball State Not saying we could slide by, but many do. Your point is valid that there are a lot of financial obstacles and requirements besides stadium capacity and attendance. Its good to look ahead, but lets win the conference a couple of times before we get too caught up in FBS planning.
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Post by sdyotefan on Oct 5, 2017 10:35:05 GMT -6
Thanks yiyoat for the discussion. I got my 106 plus 2 from NCAA statistics through last Saturday but you're right that with a general inquiry the number ranges between 128 and 130 for FBS football. Question is why wouldn't 20 FBS teams not have any stats? Like most things NCAA it's strange! I agree we don't want to get a head of ours selves with FBS--my only point was any renovation should try to hit 15,000 if possible since we're looking far into the future...
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Post by yotemeal on Oct 5, 2017 11:07:51 GMT -6
Setting cost and logistics aside (no big deal, right?), three items for consideration:
1) Creating some kind of natural light element. Most fans embrace the Dome on a cold, windy, late-fall day. But many curse it on a 65-degree October day. That light element would help. Not expecting a wall of retractable glass like US Bank, but something.
2) Permanent seating on both sides of the field, but also a design element that creates the aesthetic of a bowl or horseshoe - the hallmark of a "big time" stadium.
3) Don't forget the students. Donor amenities are essential, but equally important is student engagement to create a lively, attractive atmosphere. Be student-centric. Create a space in which they want to stay.
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Post by kiyoat on Oct 5, 2017 11:08:17 GMT -6
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Post by Coyote Fan on Oct 5, 2017 12:03:57 GMT -6
Why are people trying to argue against real numbers. I counted actual seats and made an accurate estimate based on those numbers. I counted all possible wheel chair spots and even gave my estimate extra seats for the bleacher areas. I gave the patio deck 100 people unless anyone wants to count that as 1 thousand. I gave the west side bleachers 1500 capacity which seems pretty accurate to me. I believe my total for dome capacity was 7440 but I would have to check. To get 10K in the dome the west bleachers would have to hold students like sardines to get to 3,000 and student would probably be sitting on each others laps to reach that figure. Then there would have to be 1000 more fans spread out between the small amount of fans that could watch through the glass on the south end zone. You would still be looking at about 1,000 fans having to stand around the side lines which be crazy to have that amount of people standing on the field. I took the time to do what I considered an accurate estimate. If anyone else want to do that be my guest but show your work.
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