You seem to miss the fact that donations don't lower tuition. It can be used to give out scholarships and grants to students to help them cover the cost of it, but it doesn't lower it. That's an important distinction.
You seem to miss the fact that they just raised tuition at OU. Because there was too little revenue and too many expenses. Why do they continue to shift the cost toward the students. BECAUSE THE STUDENTS ARE SUCKERS and PASSIVE VICTIMS and football fans are hellbent on watching young men destroy each other's bodies, using their foreheads as blunt instruments. Less than 60% of OU students pay their student loans back, yet you people want to make it more expensive. An honorable president would direct donations into the endowment and even the general operating budget and cut costs. UT's endowment is 6 billion and OU's is 1.6. Instead of catching up they want to expand the cathedral of the religion of violence (Memorial Stadium). We have a bandwagon problem. Its really bad when alumni want more football at the students' expense.

I think this thread needs some cleaning up.

I think this thread needs some cleaning up.

I agree. Shouldn't there be a seperate thread for rising tuition costs at OU?

Bigger may not necessarily be better.

Why College Football Is Studying Major League Soccer - WSJ (http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/why-college-football-is-studying-major-league-soccer-1405556573-lMyQjAxMTA0MDEwOTExNDkyWj)

One of the interesting things is that the big standards with the huge banks of lights in the four corners will be replaced with thin strips along the top of both upper decks.

I'm sure that's a function of new technology around LED/HID lighting and looks way more sleek.

I was just looking at the renderings again and noticed this. I think the four corner post lights are now outdated and new stadiums have them along both sides instead of the corners. Remember OU didn't even have lights until 1997.

I was just looking at the renderings again and noticed this. I think the four corner post lights are now outdated and new stadiums have them along both sides instead of the corners. Remember OU didn't even have lights until 1997.

OU had lights before that. They just weren't suitable for a major college game. When I went to Norman HIgh School in the early 60's, we played our games at night at Owen Field. The OU freshman team (remember those days?) played night games there when I was at OU in the late 60's.

.
Bigger may not necessarily be better.

Why College Football Is Studying Major League Soccer - WSJ (http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/why-college-football-is-studying-major-league-soccer-1405556573-lMyQjAxMTA0MDEwOTExNDkyWj)
That's why they aren't increasing seating.

http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/photo/2014/06/25/0ap2000000361585.jpg
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium renovation plan.

A modest increase (expansion) in the stadium would have been nice; however many of the expanded college stadiums have these enormous end zone seats (example: Penn State, Nebraska, Texas A & M) which takes on a 'Frankenstein Stadium' appeal (thrown together). Our new stadium plan keeps the original feel of the stadium in tact.


The Parade of Frankenstein Stadium Monsters

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608042196893303675&pid=15.1&P=0
Beaver Stadium, Penn State (Capacity: 106,572, It looks like a beaver :D)

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608002373953978680&pid=15.1&P=0
Memorial Stadium, Nebraska (Capacity: 90,000)

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607992053148288572&pid=15.1&P=0
Kyle Field Stadium, Texas A & M (Capacity: 102,512)

OU had lights before that. They just weren't suitable for a major college game. When I went to Norman HIgh School in the early 60's, we played our games at night at Owen Field. The OU freshman team (remember those days?) played night games there when I was at OU in the late 60's.

you mean to say, the lights weren't suitable for nighttime TELEVISION broadcast.

you mean to say, the lights weren't suitable for nighttime TELEVISION broadcast.

No, that's not it. It wasn't suitable for a major college game even with no television. It was light enough to be playable and that was about it. I went to many night games there during that period so I know what I'm talking about.

Seeing this bumped up reminds me...

They were supposed to reveal the final plans this month so they could start work in December.

Seeing this bumped up reminds me...

They were supposed to reveal the final plans this month so they could start work in December.

I assume they are just adding on to the Switzer Center and not completely redoing it?

Did I miss in any article where they said there was going to be BBQ? And that wouldn't be too bad of a guess because Billy Sims is a Heisman trophy winner from OU and happens to own a BBQ joint of the same name... And why does it really matter anyways? OU48A and Pete are really the only ones who knew something from the beginning and it all was correct. Although, I think OU48A initially said the south EZ was not going to be bowled in and that ended up happening.

The thing to keep in mind that as this unfolded over several months OU went back and forth about what they wanted…..
So things changed…..My sources while relatively well connected are not people that I speak to with high frequency.
Even after this last summer’s announcement not everything had been fully nailed down.

In the spring and early summer of 2008 behind the scenes OU was planning major stadium improvements. When the economy crashed including energy Boren decided that the timing for such a project wasn’t right.

Flush off the Sugar Bowl win and only after several years of very strong arm twisting from key OU supporters Boren was finally convinced to move forward with stadium improvements this past summer.

While it’s hard to find major faults in the job Boren has done for OU he simply doesn’t understand the timing of the boom and bust cycles of the energy business that OU is so dependent on for donations. Boren could have had the energy donations necessary for major stadium improvements in 2005/2006/ 2007.

In case you haven’t noticed crude oil is currently in big time crash mode. I sincerely hope I am wrong but I fear the energy donations for OU may not be near as big as hoped for and that Boren has once again waited far too long to act…

This poor timing and poor understanding of business side of oil and NG that is by far OU’s biggest $ contributor is probably Boren’s biggest blunder at OU.....This also impacts all aspects of the university.

Normally, these kind of big fund raising announcements aren't made until they are pretty darn sure of the outcome. Trust me, there were a lot of assurances of big gifts given BEFORE going public. Boren, or any U President is not going to announce and then look stupid if funds aren't there.

Normally, these kind of big fund raising announcements aren't made until they are pretty darn sure of the outcome. Trust me, there were a lot of assurances of big gifts given BEFORE going public. Boren, or any U President is not going to announce and then look stupid if funds aren't there.You would think, but there were several who did pull out after the crash of 2008. It could happen again?
It would have been far smarter to fund raise getting much of the money in hand at the start of the oil boom.

I'm sure this is still going forward I was just wondering when they would announce the final plans.

They have to be close to finishing them up because construction is going to start in December.

My guess is that an announcement will be made near the end of this month during the board of regents meetings. OU will be doing this in phases and doing sections of the stadium. Depending on how donations (money in hand) go they could cut or delay parts of the plans and move forward when conditions / donations warrant.

But this is a fluid situation that will see a few key individuals making decisions that will impact the future of the total project.
I sincerely hope they come through for OU in full... but at this point I don’t believe the total project is guaranteed?
There is always the next boom.

The stadium renovation project just needs to be fine tuned as it approaches the timetable for construction. I wouldn't look for any major changes. The pledges often exceed the necessary amount to complete the project as they anticipate that there will be some last minute withdrawals.

When the project is opened for bids; we should have a better handle on the overall scope.

They are also saying the new video board atop the south EZ will be the largest in college football.

So is the current one being moved to the north end zone?

So is the current one being moved to the north end zone?

Yes, at least part of it.

Awesome.

I *know* absolutely nothing of detail, but it would make sense to me that OU would have planned to make their next big splashy announcement about it during a high-profile football week, and going into this season most everyone thought OU-Baylor was going to be a big BIg 12 title-impacting game. Although the importance of that game is less than it once was, I still wouldn't be surprised if we heard something this coming week.

Pete, Do you have any kind of update on this? Is construction started or planned to start? Have seen or heard much coverage about it in a while. Also Any word of a Lloyd Noble renovation?

I thought it was suppose to after this seasons football?

Pete, Do you have any kind of update on this? Is construction started or planned to start? Have seen or heard much coverage about it in a while. Also Any word of a Lloyd Noble renovation?

I had mistakenly thought work was due to start at the end of this season, but it will be after the next.

They are still finalizing the stadium plans, doing a lot of early fund raising and then will kick off a huge campaign for the stadium and improvements to Lloyd Noble and I'm sure other athletic facilities.

I had mistakenly thought work was due to start at the end of this season, but it will be after the next.

They are still finalizing the stadium plans, doing a lot of early fund raising and then will kick off a huge campaign for the stadium and improvements to Lloyd Noble and I'm sure other athletic facilities.

Ahhhh.... I am still glad we are getting this beauty of an addition, but now it's a year and a half out before they even begin construction?

Anything worth having is worth the wait...
http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ou117.jpg

Hard to be certain from that rendering, but it looks like the Sooners are about to be burned deep. By a team having one halfway decent year after spending decades as a bottom-feeder.

Somebody with the OU athletic department called me earlier today.

When asked about the stadium they indicated that parts of the project would likely be done in phases… When asked they indicated that the what and when will depend on the availability funding.
They hope to have what they are doing on the first phase firmly determining by early spring …. But right now things are still undetermined.
IMHO the oil crash and poor performance on the field have very much adversely impact fund raising efforts at OU.

https://oklahoma.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1730619

Being postponed due to oil prices.

Jason Kersey is saying on twitter that Boren is strongly denying that the renovations have been postponed. https://twitter.com/jasonkersey
I don't even know what's going on anymore. My guess is that the do the weight room and south end zone but delay doing the upper deck on the west side.

https://oklahoma.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1730619

Being postponed due to oil prices.

Everything is always subject to change but Boren says that's not true.

OU football: David Boren denies report of stadium expansion delay | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/ou-president-denies-report-of-stadium-expansion-delay/article/5388562)


LAWTON — Calling it “erroneous” and “inaccurate,” David Boren emphatically denied a report that he’s postponed football stadium renovations.

The University of Oklahoma president did, though, admit that falling oil and gas prices have hurt fundraising efforts for all OU projects, including the $370 million proposal to renovate Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

“I don’t know where you got your information,” Boren told a SoonerScoop.com reporter after pulling a printed-out copy of the report from his jacket.

“Must have been from the athletics department from the way it reads, someone who works over there. But I don’t know where you got it. You didn’t get it from me. It’s inaccurate. You didn’t get it from the board of regents.”



You have to realize that just saying that the project might be delayed could cause donations to slow down.

OU now has the money for the first phase of the OU football stadium project.…..!

The first phase will be a $160 million south end zone project that will bowl in the stadium and include suits and other fan and player amenities… OU should have an announcement early next week about this.
OU has changed a few stadium plans since the release of the renderings.

For better or worse?

For better or worse?

It doesn't have to be better or worse, plupan, It could just be different.

It doesn't have to be better or worse, plupan, It could just be different.What I meant was: did it get downgraded?

Looks like it is proceeding, although the budget has been halved and other improvements are being moved to the future.

OU stadium project scaled down | News OK (http://newsok.com/ou-stadium-project-scaled-down/article/5400064?custom_click=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)

Looks like it is proceeding, although the budget has been halved and other improvements are being moved to the future.

OU stadium project scaled down | News OK (http://newsok.com/ou-stadium-project-scaled-down/article/5400064?custom_click=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)

Bad headline and incorrect facts. This has not been reduced or scales down. It was going to be in phases the entire time this is phase one.

Bad headline and incorrect facts. This has not been reduced or scales down. It was going to be in phases the entire time this is phase one.


The source said the new plan delays the later phases of the project, which include the west-side upper deck renovation and stadium infrastructure. The cost of the plan now goes from $350 million to approximately $160 million, the source said.

The original plan suffered poor timing, with the drop in oil prices and OU's disappointing 2014 season. The new plan calls for 28 luxury suites, and the source said all have been sold. The plan prioritizes student athletes, with the new training facility that will be used by all sports, and is the most dramatic for fans, with the stadium bowl. The source said the other stadium improvements do not have a timetable.

In other words, they'll get to it when they get to it.

In other words, they'll get to it when they get to it.

Which is not new. It was always to be done in phases as money became available. Phase 1 was always starting in nov/dec 2015. Nothing new what so ever. Nothing delayed or scaled back

Which is not new. It was always to be done in phases as money became available. Phase 1 was always starting in nov/dec 2015. Nothing new what so ever. Nothing delayed or scaled backAre you sure?

There have most certainly been delays with this project, but I haven't seen anything cancelled. They've just implemented the phase approach and extended the timeline.

Bad headline and incorrect facts. This has not been reduced or scales down. It was going to be in phases the entire time this is phase one.

Thanks for the clarification, although you can't expect too much from Berry "OKC Boomers" Tramel.....

There have most certainly been delays with this project, but I haven't seen anything cancelled. They've just implemented the phase approach and extended the timeline.

This. The weight room is slightly smaller. But more suites and club seats in the south end zone.

NOT "scaled down". And phase 1 of several.

Exactly, and if you look they have already presold all the suites. I think it all looks great.

"Phase I" Pics
http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/oklahoman_gallery-a5c54b153317b6c31d41109426c69857.jpg

http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/606x404-f8b96f49a8edb5ddb627f455a63fd97a.jpg

http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/606x404-b62708980b67b86066a5a25f64e4f905.jpg

http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/606x404-b98f08eaad72c63f1fac5c3a4f489b0a.jpg

http://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/606x404-11529cccdad856afea51098d9ceb6d7a.jpg

There have most certainly been delays with this project, but I haven't seen anything cancelled. They've just implemented the phase approach and extended the timeline.

Given the scale of what they planned, delays and an extended timelines tend to be more common than not.

The main thing is to get this first phase done because it contains all the workout facilities which will be a huge recruiting tool.

The other phases are just to make the stadium look better and to add fan amenities, all much lower priorities.

This. The weight room is slightly smaller. But more suites and club seats in the south end zone.

NOT "scaled down". And phase 1 of several.

What's with the big plaza areas in the corners though? I haven't had time to do a full comparison yet, but there's definitely a lot that's been changed. The South end zone building looks a lot smaller in the new renderings versus the originals.

Still an awesome project, but obviously a lot has indeed been switched around and scaled since the original glorious proposal.

Also, "phase 1" may be a bit disingenuous since who knows how long it will take to roll out the rest of the improvements. There's a big difference between getting it all at once and having hands down one of the nicest stadiums in the country and having a slowly evolving mish-mash of old and new like most other stadiums. If it's all done in under a decade though I'll be happy.

Does anyone know an exact (or close to) number of regular seating this will add?
From what I've seen around, it won't be very much, something very marginal. And I think I read that the number of seats could actually be decreasing overall (just tried perusing around the web)? Surely that won't be so? This trend of more suites in every stadium and fewer regular seats is silly. I guess they make their money there, but to me, having a larger capacity for the "regular fans" is what it's about and is something to brag about, see the Big House, for example.

As long as huge loans to the athletic department from the university general fund are written off a couple of times a decade (to make it look on paper like it's "self-supporting" when it is not) - no stadium, no more pretense of "student athletes." If you want proof of what I just wrote - it's coming in a rather spectacular fashion from well respected sports journalists. It's actually been talked about - but hushed up to protect the football program. Get creative and use Google. This whole "self-supporting" nonsense has been a big sham. It's going to be a long fall. A shame what is done in this day and age for a game. Please don't kill the messenger.

If it can be found through a Google search then it's on the internet, which means you could just link the proof instead of attempting to send us on a goose chase.

If it can be found through a Google search then it's on the internet, which means you could just link the proof instead of attempting to send us on a goose chase.

Sorry, David. I didn't mean to imply it is as simple as posting a link. That's why I said to "get creative." You still have to put the pieces together. But as far as it being a link to a story that details dates of loan approvals, amounts, dates of debt forgiveness, and statements that have been offered up for the program being self-supporting, you'll have to wait for that in one package - though it's coming (not from me). It's a shame. I love football season and am looking forward to seeing what Baker Mayfield can do with Lincoln Riley, but it's a bit harder to be excited knowing what I know. But, I'd be willing to bet on no further stadium enhancements for a long time.

Does anyone know an exact (or close to) number of regular seating this will add?
From what I've seen around, it won't be very much, something very marginal. And I think I read that the number of seats could actually be decreasing overall (just tried perusing around the web)? Surely that won't be so? This trend of more suites in every stadium and fewer regular seats is silly. I guess they make their money there, but to me, having a larger capacity for the "regular fans" is what it's about and is something to brag about, see the Big House, for example.

I think the net change in seating is trivial either way. Overall, college football attendance is down, people are staying home to watch games on TV, and some schools that expanded their stadiums rather blindly in the last few years have expressed second thoughts about having done so - Nebraska comes to mind. Castiglione doesn't want OU to be there, hence the plans to keep the renovations relatively "seating neutral." That, plus the fact it's no great secret you can pick up tickets for essentially any home game on gameday for typically a fraction of face value makes it increasingly difficult to justify the expense of expanding the stadium.

The only hard numbers I saw about this renovation for OU were back when they released the original plans, and they've since been heavily revised.

Stadium bowl?


University of Oklahoma President David Boren will ask the board of regents to approve $105 million for the makeover of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium at Wednesday’s board meeting, according to the preliminary agenda.

The meeting will be held in Norman.

The board approved the design development plans for the south end zone renovations at its March meeting and in an earlier meeting authorized the administration to contract and make payments for preliminary work not exceeding $3 million. That work began recently.

Several construction bid packages will be developed for bidding over “several months,” according to the agenda.

The estimated cost for the entire south end zone project is $160 million. The money will come from Athletics Department capital funds, bond funds and private sources.--Oklahoman By RYAN ABER, June 22, 2015


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ou103.jpg
South exterior from SW corner to NE view of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ou105.jpg
South end zone interior: OU's board will tackle phrase I of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium at this Wednesday meeting.

http://www.oklahoman.com/ou-regents-to-consider-105m-stadium-renovations/article/5429041

Yeah, the reason the south EZ is such a priority is due to the adjacent practice facility which will be a big recruiting tool.

Then the rest of the stuff will happen later and as they raise the funds.

Board of regents set to approve $5 million for new south end zone scoreboard.

http://i.imgur.com/bUV8DJi.jpg

Board of regents set to approve $5 million for new south end zone scoreboard.

http://i.imgur.com/bUV8DJi.jpg

In terms of raw square footage of video display goodness, it looks like this will put OU just behind Auburn. Theirs is a little over 8,000 sq ft. OU's will be in the 7600 range. Visually, I think this board is going to be about 12 feet or so taller than the current board.

Oklahoma football: Judge upholds injunction in steel dispute, but other stadium construction will continue | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/judge-upholds-injunction-in-steel-dispute-but-other-stadium-construction-will-continue/article/5456347)


A Cleveland County district judge on Tuesday upheld a temporary injunction to halt renovations at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium over a dispute regarding the contract to provide steel and concrete panels., although OU hasn't reached that stage of construction yet and will continue with other aspects of the renovations for now.