Stadium upgrade size

[knightraveler]

I personally feel that the stadium upgrade plans for total seating is too low. We were at or near capacity in the AAC. I feel total seating of 55k to 60k is more appropriate and will allow for the greater fan interest and support in the Big12. I don't want to see us go through the mess of construction again in 5 years because we didn't plan for growth.

 

[muckdawg24]

I think fewer in person attendance is a trend that will continue so ameneties are what will be attractive to fans and generate revenue.

 

[Drew-C-F]

I was initially thinking 50k but voted for 55k with the hope that B12 inclusion brings in at least 10k more fans on average including visiting team fans.

 

[SCKnight]

More luxury seating. We don't need more #s yet and until we sell out with no cheap seats wanting a bigger stadium is just ego (see usf). We have a real advantage with our current arrangement.

 

[UCFloridaTech]

I personally feel that the stadium upgrade plans for total seating is too low. We were at or near capacity in the AAC. I feel total seating of 55k to 60k is more appropriate and will allow for the greater fan interest and support in the Big12. I don't want to see us go through the mess of construction again in 5 years because we didn't plan for growth.

Can you include 'add shade and fan mist-ers around the entire stadium' as a poll option?

 

[goodknightfl]

Going to big would be a bigger mistake than not big enough. If you add 2 to 3k seats total, but upgrade a lot more seats, that is better than adding 10k. In the times we now live in the mega stadiums are a relic.
Eventually I would love to see UCF in the upper 50's with plenty of luxury seats and more boxes, but I don't think we need to get there yet.

 

[Shark19]

What are the stadium sizes of the original 8 schools? That should be our 3-4 year target.

 

[Stormthecourt?]

What are the stadium sizes of the original 8 schools? That should be our 3-4 year target.

We’re already bigger than Baylor and TCU. So not that bad

 

[Poolside Knight]

I think going higher than 50K is a
Bad idea

Just improve amenities and do everything to make the Stadium cooler(surface temps)

 

[Knight Strength]

Install wider seats with backs and build a tower around the whole stadium.

 

[mr. knightman]

Comparable "POWER 5" Stadiums:

Wake Forest - 31,500
Duke - 33,940
Washington State - 35,117
Vandy - 40,550
Boston College- 44,500
Baylor - 45,000
Utah - 45,017
Oregon State - 45,674
Carrier Dome - 49, 250
Northwestern - 49,256
TCU - 50,000
Stanford - 50,000
Kansas - 50,000
Minnesota - 53,000
Kansas State - 52,000
Rutgers - 52,454

4 programs listed are Big 12.

 

[Knight Strength]

Whatever changes are made have to make sense financially

 

[vroomba]

Id want to see consistent sell outs and improved stadium features before expanding. Concessions could be improved, convert some seats to chairback, shade, wifi, etc...

 

[Knight Strength]

Id want to see consistent sell outs and improved stadium features before expanding. Concessions could be improved, convert some seats to chairback, shade, wifi, etc...

Agree. They need to put in fountain machines that fans can refill their own drinks at to reduce concession lines.

 

[vroomba]

Agree. They need to put in fountain machines that fans can refill their own drinks at to reduce concession lines.

Definitely shouldn't take as long as it currently does to get through the lines. Think I spent at least 1/3rd or more of a quarter in line at the ECU game, which wasn't even sold out.

 

[Square Knight]

The original football facilities plan had two stadium capacity components.

1. Add a small 3rd deck on each side of the large scoreboard for around 1,500 additional student seating. To me, that always seemed like a weird thing to do.

2. Convert the 2nd deck of the south end zone to premium Loge seating for additional ticket revenue, which combined with the patio area for coach's families would have reduced the number of seats in those sections by about 3,500.

Recently, TMo has said that he probably doesn't want to do the Loge seating in the south end zone. He says he saw the advantage of our loud stadium this past season and doesn't want to reduce the stadium capacity.

But the 3rd deck "wings" on each side of the large scoreboard for additional student seating seems to still be something he is considering.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

You shouldn’t even need to leave seat to get drinks and some food. Have them come to you. I rarely eat at games. I eat before and after. It’s 3 hours. Pretty much only fat people need to eat in a 3 hour window.

 

[Square Knight]

Personally, I thought that instead of doing the "wings" on each side of the large scoreboard for student seating, a better idea would be to build a 3rd deck along the east sideline for ticket sales, and expand the current student seating to include the parts of section 217 and 222 that are not currently student seating.

Adding a 3rd deck along the east sideline with 30 rows of seats (seven sections with 33 seats across in each section) would add 6,930 seats

 

[Knight Strength]

You shouldn’t even need to leave seat to get drinks and some food. Have them come to you. I rarely eat at games. I eat before and after. It’s 3 hours. Pretty much only fat people need to eat in a 3 hour window.

I like to eat junk and drink beer at a game. It adds to the experience. I don't do those things otherwise.

 

[PositYourself]

You shouldn’t even need to leave seat to get drinks and some food. Have them come to you. I rarely eat at games. I eat before and after. It’s 3 hours. Pretty much only fat people need to eat in a 3 hour window.

While that's pretty funny, people get drunk and want food, or non-alcholics just wasn't able to get a bite before the game. It's not realistic to tell fans to just "deal with it"

 

[Knight59]

Would love to see beer sales like so many other P5 stadiums. Huge $ maker too.

 

[U C to the F]

You shouldn’t even need to leave seat to get drinks and some food. Have them come to you. I rarely eat at games. I eat before and after. It’s 3 hours. Pretty much only fat people need to eat in a 3 hour window.

You are very cheap and not fun sounding. Consistent…

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

I like to eat junk and drink beer at a game. It adds to the experience. I don't do those things otherwise.

Yeah I meant they should be walking around selling beer and drinks plus easy things like Hot Dogs and pretzels. Shouldn’t have to miss game getting drinks.

 

[Shark19]

You shouldn’t even need to leave seat to get drinks and some food. Have them come to you. I rarely eat at games. I eat before and after. It’s 3 hours. Pretty much only fat people need to eat in a 3 hour window.

Fat people can also go without grub for 3 hours.....the marketing of the sport includes a food/drink component as adding fun to the experience, and this goes back over 100 years at this point.

Personally, I would ban alcohol sales at all sporting events but like food, alcohol is marketed as part of the live sporting experience.

 

[knightraveler]

You shouldn’t even need to leave seat to get drinks and some food. Have them come to you. I rarely eat at games. I eat before and after. It’s 3 hours. Pretty much only fat people need to eat in a 3 hour window.

We want people to eat and drink at games. There is a very high profit margin from food and drink. But like you and some other people have said it should be much easier in todays world to have an app on your phone in which you can order and have it delivered. They could even make some extra money on a delivery fee to your seat. I'd know I would pay it rather than standing in line.

 

[knightraveler]

Fat people can also go without grub for 3 hours.....the marketing of the sport includes a food/drink component as adding fun to the experience, and this goes back over 100 years at this point.

Personally, I would ban alcohol sales at all sporting events but like food, alcohol is marketed as part of the live sporting experience.

Alcohol does have a negative effect on peoples behavior yet it does have a high profit margin. And don't forget many have been drinking before the game even started at tailgating. If we could limit the number of beers to 2 during the game using an app as the only way of ordering beer..that may help. That would mean if you ordered 2 beers and gave them to others in your party then the app would know you used up your limit. You would have to get another in your party to order a beer for you in that case. I had several bad experiences with intoxicated people at games. Many people don't go to games because of the behavior alcohol encourages.

 

[knightraveler]

Can you include 'add shade and fan mist-ers around the entire stadium' as a poll option?

I'm with you on that. We should have a retractable canopy system. If the Romans could do it 2000 years ago will should be able to do it today.

 

[UCFloridaTech]

I'm with you on that. We should have a retractable canopy system. If the Romans could do it 2000 years ago will should be able to do it today.

Let's Go UCF Engineering!!! ...a huge-ass opaque shade-casting (literally and metaphorically) UCF banner hung from a tethered solar-powered balloon, that auto-repositions itself with the rotation of the Earth and Sun's celestial path based on time & date.

It's there, right in front of you!

 

[Square Knight]

We want people to eat and drink at games. There is a very high profit margin from food and drink.

There is high markup, but the company that holds the concession contract gets most of that. UCF Athletics gets some percentage, but not as much as most people think.

 

[knightraveler]

There is high markup, but the company that holds the concession contract gets most of that. UCF Athletics gets some percentage, but not as much as most people think.

Well if that is the case maybe it is not worth the headaches it causes.

 

[mr. knightman]

Should be noted, and anyone involved in sound-engineering should know what I am talking about...

SIZE of the stadium has little to do with volume of crowd noise on the field versus incline and relative seat placement in relation to the field.

It doesn't matter what stadium you are in, if you are on the field you are only hearing the bottom 20 or so rows as they create an "oscillation buffer" that blocks noise from higher/further-away seats.

People that have been to larger stadiums, like Ohio State and others can tell the difference.

The design for bounce house, while simple, is brilliant in that they increased the incline of the stadium seating to a higher grade which makes the first 20-25 rows much closer to the field than most stadiums even twice the size, creating a much louder "noise zone". At the loudest points of the stadium, it is those bottom rows that impact the field with the highest decibels.

A more rough example of the "oscillation buffer"; anyone seated in the stands would hear EVERYTHING nearby (or even themselves) due to being off-set....and not the people immediately accross from them on other side of stadium as the people that are closer "drown" them out. Similar principle, but more focused on the field.

My point: anything done to add or actually subtract a few thousand for overall stadium improvement should not impact overall field-level noise.