Bob Stoops wants bigger, better press box

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Bob Stoops joked this season that it would be ironic if they named the Memorial Stadium press box after him, given his sometimes-icy relationship with the local media.

But with the $75 million, state-of-the-art Headington Hall athletic dormitory nearing completion, Stoops said the next facility project he’d like see done would be the revamping of the football stadium’s press box.

“It'll make it a bigger stadium,” Stoops said. “They just need to go end zone to end zone, kind of like Nebraska did.
I think we’ve all -- our administrators want to get the dorm piece done and I know that’s something that hopefully in the future is something they’ll look at doing.”

Earlier in Stoops’ tenure, OU added an upper deck to the east side,complete with luxury suites. Stoops would like to see the west side of the stadium match it.
“You look at how great the east side is,” Stoops said. “You have to do something equal or better for you guys, more seating, more boxes.

“A better press box.”

By press box, does he mean additional luxury suits too? Since other than that it seems like a harder sell.

By press box, does he mean additional luxury suits too? Since other than that it seems like a harder sell.

The stadium master plan Joe C created and the regents approved (as I recall) that led to the improvements already accomplished included a press box overhaul.

The OMS press box is, in fact, in desperate need of a complete overhaul. When it was built back in the '74-75 STEP (STadium Expansion Program) west upper deck, it was considered one of the premiere facilities in the country; but nearly four decades later, it's had several patchwork improvements and some makeshift suites, but that's largely lipstick on a pig.

The master plan included a complete teardown of the pressbox, replaced by a new structure that would run the entire length of the west upper deck. It would include multiple new high-end luxury suites in addition to new press facilities. The plan was to already have it in place, but several obstacles have come up in the intervening years. The first issue was cost. As initially planned, the parking garage that now abuts the west side of the stadium didn't exist. Now that it does, it creates a rather substantial logistical nightmare in getting the heavy equipment, materials, and such into what would be the construction area. Before, when they originally built this press box, they just used controlled demolition to bring down the old box into a parking lot - which is obviously no longer an option. Those kinds of logistical hassles can be overcome, but its an expensive proposition, raising the project's price tag.

The other issue was and is the economy. When the last batch of upgrades were finished, I believe the pressbox was next on the list, and then the economy tanked. Joe C, on the Sports Animal, said (without saying) that their donor sources to fund the press box project had dried up, and the OU Athletic Department wasn't going to do anything financially imprudent and try to force the issue financially to get the project done. As a result, other AD priorities were addressed, and the press box remains untouched.

Now, with the notion that the economy might be waking up a bit, and given Stoops comments, I'm thinking something may be rolling behind the scenes to start this project up again. Stoops plays things pretty close to the vest, so I suspect his comments weren't made entirely offhand. I think he very purposefully said what he did as a "trial balloon" to elicit response from some key people - to see if the reaction was positive or negative. My guess is that the folks who have the money and the ties to the program know the shape that press box is in, and also know getting it replaced would put OMS in pretty good shape for probably another decade or so before any new upgrades would have to be considered, so it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear at any time a formal proposal to get the press box project rolling. I think its a (much) higher priority than some I've heard fans bring up that involve doing something to the south endzone stands, up to and including bowling the corners, which I personally don't see happening unless an external entity wanted to fund almost all the cost. Joe C has routinely held that the best return on the football stadium dollar is in "seats between the 20's", so and endzone project to me doesn't seem likely with the press box an increasingly pressing issue.

We'll see.

OU should do the west side the best way possible. Which would be to take about the entire upper deck and rebuild to match the east side. Have the press box built into the top level of suites

It would increase stadium size by just a few hundred but would add club level seats and several suites

The stadium master plan Joe C created and the regents approved (as I recall) that led to the improvements already accomplished included a press box overhaul.

The OMS press box is, in fact, in desperate need of a complete overhaul. When it was built back in the '74-75 STEP (STadium Expansion Program) west upper deck, it was considered one of the premiere facilities in the country; but nearly four decades later, it's had several patchwork improvements and some makeshift suites, but that's largely lipstick on a pig.

The master plan included a complete teardown of the pressbox, replaced by a new structure that would run the entire length of the west upper deck. It would include multiple new high-end luxury suites in addition to new press facilities. The plan was to already have it in place, but several obstacles have come up in the intervening years. The first issue was cost. As initially planned, the parking garage that now abuts the west side of the stadium didn't exist. Now that it does, it creates a rather substantial logistical nightmare in getting the heavy equipment, materials, and such into what would be the construction area. Before, when they originally built this press box, they just used controlled demolition to bring down the old box into a parking lot - which is obviously no longer an option. Those kinds of logistical hassles can be overcome, but its an expensive proposition, raising the project's price tag.

The other issue was and is the economy. When the last batch of upgrades were finished, I believe the pressbox was next on the list, and then the economy tanked. Joe C, on the Sports Animal, said (without saying) that their donor sources to fund the press box project had dried up, and the OU Athletic Department wasn't going to do anything financially imprudent and try to force the issue financially to get the project done. As a result, other AD priorities were addressed, and the press box remains untouched.

Now, with the notion that the economy might be waking up a bit, and given Stoops comments, I'm thinking something may be rolling behind the scenes to start this project up again. Stoops plays things pretty close to the vest, so I suspect his comments weren't made entirely offhand. I think he very purposefully said what he did as a "trial balloon" to elicit response from some key people - to see if the reaction was positive or negative. My guess is that the folks who have the money and the ties to the program know the shape that press box is in, and also know getting it replaced would put OMS in pretty good shape for probably another decade or so before any new upgrades would have to be considered, so it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear at any time a formal proposal to get the press box project rolling. I think its a (much) higher priority than some I've heard fans bring up that involve doing something to the south endzone stands, up to and including bowling the corners, which I personally don't see happening unless an external entity wanted to fund almost all the cost. Joe C has routinely held that the best return on the football stadium dollar is in "seats between the 20's", so and endzone project to me doesn't seem likely with the press box an increasingly pressing issue.

We'll see.

Good post SoonerDave

The rumored time line is that OU will have a new press box in 3 years.

Anybody who has been in the press box knows the shape that press box is in and it is not great. The press box is not ADA compliant. For a program like OU to have such a sad looking structure inside and out, it sends a message to prospective recruits and to the press / media covering OU. A new fancy press box probably helps build a better image in the media and the positive perception would help in other areas. Joe C has mentioned on KREF that a new press box would be the next major OU football project.

There was talk at one time that a structure could be built on top of the parking garage that would house a large lobby area for fans and media.

As the price of oil & NG goes so do many of OU’s donations. It’s entirely possible that Stoops is trying to reach new and smaller potential donors with this message. OU should probably start a press box fund raising drive.
In addition to the press box I would like to see improved on the field lighting. Texas Tech has lighting that runs unbroken along the top of its new press box. It looks good and provides nice even lighting. But OU needs to add side line lighting on both sides of the stadium. OU and the city Norman also need to improve the lighting on and around campus.

Restrooms on the north and west sides need major expansions.
Adding escalators for the upper decks would be nice…. the elevators are very slow when dealing with large numbers of fans.

OU should do the west side the best way possible. Which would be to take about the entire upper deck and rebuild to match the east side. Have the press box built into the top level of suites

It would increase stadium size by just a few hundred but would add club level seats and several suites

That^ would be nice…. but it would also require many millions more and would likely require that it be done during a football season… making such a project extremely unlikely when there are other much cheaper options.

Appreciate what you're saying, Boulder, but I don't think that'll happen. Assuming, for the sake of argument, they cooked up some sort of temporary replacement for the press box, it would virtually guarantee that OU would have to go one full football season with about 10K less capacity, and a bunch of those west upper deck seats - esp the chairbacks - are big-time donor season seats. That's a huge revenue hit. And I wouldn't even want to think of the pain the ticket office would go through to move season ticket holders to "one-season-only" reassignments, possibly displacing other season ticket holders. Too many balls to juggle.

I just don't think there's any way they could raze the pressbox AND the entire west upperdeck AND rebuild an entirely new structure to accommodate both in just one off-season. Heck, for that matter, I think getting a pressbox done in one off-season is going to take a near-Herculean effort.

It wouldn't surprise me to see them do a pressbox in two phases; tear down the current structure, and rebuild a *basic* press box structure/shell (with minimal amenities) ready for the next season, then finish out the press box and build the suites in time for the following season.

Appreciate what you're saying, Boulder, but I don't think that'll happen. Assuming, for the sake of argument, they cooked up some sort of temporary replacement for the press box, it would virtually guarantee that OU would have to go one full football season with about 10K less capacity, and a bunch of those west upper deck seats - esp the chairbacks - are big-time donor season seats. That's a huge revenue hit. And I wouldn't even want to think of the pain the ticket office would go through to move season ticket holders to "one-season-only" reassignments, possibly displacing other season ticket holders. Too many balls to juggle.

I just don't think there's any way they could raze the pressbox AND the entire west upperdeck AND rebuild an entirely new structure to accommodate both in just one off-season. Heck, for that matter, I think getting a pressbox done in one off-season is going to take a near-Herculean effort.

It wouldn't surprise me to see them do a pressbox in two phases; tear down the current structure, and rebuild a *basic* press box structure/shell (with minimal amenities) ready for the next season, then finish out the press box and build the suites in time for the following season.

just to be clear i agree with you that it is not going to happen ... i just don't think it would be in OU's best long term interest ... and with enough money i think it could be close to possible .. remember you would have to finish out the suites on the new side or the press box (that space could be temp ..

what ever OU does anything with the west side will be when they have a road/no home games on thanksgiving or dec .. so they could start the teardown in middle november ..

also keep in mind that they might not have to raise all of the support structure for the west side deck .. it might be possible to reuse some of it ..

]http://www.dlrgroup.com/assets/content/projectImages/4.1.5.8-UNLMemorialStadium1.jpg





This is the Nebraska press box.
Something like this press box is what OU needs to build

]http://www.dlrgroup.com/assets/content/projectImages/4.1.5.8-UNLMemorialStadium1.jpg





This is the Nebraska press box.
Something like this press box is what OU needs to build


Except the OU west side is much higher in elevation and adding suites that high is not ideal

Except the OU west side is much higher in elevation and adding suites that high is not ideal

I believe the bottom row of suits will be about the same height as the existing west side suits that OU has no problem selling.
Also the top of the new east side is either 8 or 9 feet higher than the top of west side. With the suits on the lower levels and the media on the upper levels I don’t anticipate that height will be a significant issue and prevent OU from selling all new suits.

I believe the bottom row of suits will be about the same height as the existing west side suits that OU has no problem selling.
Also the top of the new east side is either 8 or 9 feet higher than the top of west side. With the suits on the lower levels and the media on the upper levels I don’t anticipate that height will be a significant issue and prevent OU from selling all new suits.

I think the bottom row will be closer to the middle of the east upper deck

http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/okla/graphics/auto/20120213_st4.jpghttp://grfx.cstv.com/schools/okla/graphics/auto/20120213_st6.jpg (http://www.soonersports.com/facilities/memorial_stadium_history.html)

This is what it looks like now. When comparing it to the east side it looks like the bottom row of the new press box suites would roughly be equal to the top row of east side suits.

If you are a season ticket holder and a donor you may have received a survey several years ago that ask questions that were design to gage the demand for more suits… For those who were interested they probably did a follow up. I was not personally interested…..I am sure Joe C. will have done his due diligence on this before anything gets built and will know what his demand is for this sort of thing, even at these heights.

..

also keep in mind that they might not have to raise all of the support structure for the west side deck .. it might be possible to reuse some of it ..

I am wondering about this too... but for the press box
If they could use part of the old press box it might save some time & money and let them do something more.

http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/okla/graphics/auto/20120213_st4.jpghttp://grfx.cstv.com/schools/okla/graphics/auto/20120213_st6.jpg (http://www.soonersports.com/facilities/memorial_stadium_history.html)

This is what it looks like now. When comparing it to the east side it looks like the bottom row of the new press box suites would roughly be equal to the top row of east side suits.

If you are a season ticket holder and a donor you may have received a survey several years ago that ask questions that were design to gage the demand for more suits… For those who were interested they probably did a follow up. I was not personally interested…..I am sure Joe C. will have done his due diligence on this before anything gets built and will know what his demand is for this sort of thing, even at these heights.

Nebraska does have some nice press boxes and luxury suites...

3267

I am wondering about this too... but for the press box
If they could use part of the old press box it might save some time & money and let them do something more.

One thing they might do is build the press box as an entirely independent structure immediately behind the west deck, literally sandwiched between the stadium and the parking garage. They could construct the base support super structure at the extreme north and south ends of the stadium where there is considerably more access, and perhaps create a superstructure that ties into the existing stadium where the access is less immediate. It would be a very unusual design, to say the least. Heck, if you designed it the right way, you could theoretically maintain most or all of the existing press box while the new one is being built "behind" it, or even integrated the shell into the new structure. At least I know what I mean in my head, not sure the idea came out here quite so well :)

If they really are close to pushing forward with this, I would have to suspect that they've already got a pretty sound idea of how they want to build it in place, or else they wouldn't even begin to talk fundraising for it. Now, I realize, they haven't started fundraising, but if they're even contemplating the project, I'd think the design issues would have to have been worked out and a cost framework established. Never known Joe C to do anything like that capriciously!

just to be clear i agree with you that it is not going to happen ... i just don't think it would be in OU's best long term interest ... and with enough money i think it could be close to possible .. remember you would have to finish out the suites on the new side or the press box (that space could be temp ..

what ever OU does anything with the west side will be when they have a road/no home games on thanksgiving or dec .. so they could start the teardown in middle november ..

also keep in mind that they might not have to raise all of the support structure for the west side deck .. it might be possible to reuse some of it ..

Completely agree. Do it right and tear down the existing west upper deck and rebuild the west to match the east. Build temporary stands for those already in the upper deck during construction. Doubling the suites and expanding the club level would pay for a good chunk of the project, with donations funding the rest. Then you have a beautiful new brick and glass facade that faces campus, and completes the overall look of the stadium...until they ever decide to bowl in the south endzone.

Completely agree. Do it right and tear down the existing west upper deck and rebuild the west to match the east. Build temporary stands for those already in the upper deck during construction. Doubling the suites and expanding the club level would pay for a good chunk of the project, with donations funding the rest. Then you have a beautiful new brick and glass facade that faces campus, and completes the overall look of the stadium...until they ever decide to bowl in the south endzone.

I don't think they can ever actually reproduce that east deck appearance on the west side - again, that parking garage is in the way. Keep in mind that the current west deck is cantilevered over the lower tier, whereas the suites and decks on the east side start flush with the top of the lower east stands. Remember, too, that a good portion of what was exterior structure on the east side was removed and the interior reworked, which is an option not really available on that west side - among other things, SoonerVision (which controls the scoreboards and video production materials) is housed in brand-new facilities in the upper section of the lower west stands. If structural reinforcement of some kind were necessary on the east side, but the west side were unable (for whatever reason) to accommodate it, it would make duplicating that east deck appearance even more difficult if not impossible.

I just don't see how you'd tear down 10K seats, then turn around and rebuild 10K temporary stands to re-seat the same people. Last few times I've sat in that west upper deck, they've got people crammed cheek-to-cheek, so the temp stands would end up necessarily occupying a great deal of the same area you're tearing out. And I suspect the lawyers would have an absolute conniption at the idea of letting ANYONE within any marginal distance of a construction site that expansive, eg partially torn out, temporary stands, large existing structure being removed, new structure being built, etc etc. Just seems to me a logistical and liability nightmare.

What really amazes me is that TPTB at OU let that parking garage go in apparently without thinking about how it would adversely affect any plans to alter the structure of the west side of the stadium. I'm guessing the parking facility is outside the influence of the Athletics Department, but man, you'd at least have thought someone might have made a phone call :) Right now, that structure is severely limiting the expansion/upgrade options for both the deck(s) and the press box. Now, I, personally, am not so concerned about duplicating that east side look. I have no problem with how the west deck looks, and think you could put a perfectly attractive brick facade on it as it sits to perpetuate the styling of the rest of the stadium. I also suspect one huge factor against any big west deck rebuild is that it likely won't add any substantial seating. In fact, if you made it all chairbacks like the east side, it'd probably drop the deck's capacity by around 30%. As for me, my bigger concern is getting that pressbox redone.

Wish someone could get Joe C to talk about current status of this issue, at least from his perspective.

The "bowling of the corners" has been something of debate and conjecture for years. I do believe there is a "rake" issue in that the south stands are built at a different angle than the rest of the stadium, so you couldn't construct a perfectly neat "bridge" section as many assume you would. Another issue is the location of the Switzer center, and whether it would have to be torn down/moved to accommodate that corner of the stadium.

Easily the biggest story, one I consider to be mostly urban legend although I've heard it more than once, was that a major third party some years ago approached OU about paying to have the existing south stands dozed, and completely bowling in the south end in a manner to match the north side. The catch was that they were a beer manufacturer, and wanted sponsorship and sales rights, so the legal issue of selling beer in the stadium made the project a non-starter.

Again, I've heard variations of that over the years, and it seems more urban legend to me than fact, but who knows. I don't know if Joe C. is too excited about putting a fund raising project together to filling in the corners - not ideal seats, and considering you can pick up endzone seats outside the gates at most home games for next to nothing, the aesthetic notion of filling in the corners hardly seems enough justification for what would be an expensive project...

About 10 years ago the east side upper deck expansion cost OU about $43 million dollars. I am going to guess that it would cost somewhere around $60 million dollars to duplicate in today’s dollars and this doesn’t even discuss the press box and parking garage problems that would add additional cost. The time factor alone makes duplicating the east side virtually impossible.

There are far wiser and far more pressing needs at OU for the expenditure of this amount of resources.
Any new structure will take OU’s campus architecture into account and IMHO look very good!

One thing they might do is build the press box as an entirely independent structure immediately behind the west deck, literally sandwiched between the stadium and the parking garage. They could construct the base support super structure at the extreme north and south ends of the stadium where there is considerably more access, and perhaps create a superstructure that ties into the existing stadium where the access is less immediate. It would be a very unusual design, to say the least. Heck, if you designed it the right way, you could theoretically maintain most or all of the existing press box while the new one is being built "behind" it, or even integrated the shell into the new structure. At least I know what I mean in my head, not sure the idea came out here quite so well :)

If they really are close to pushing forward with this, I would have to suspect that they've already got a pretty sound idea of how they want to build it in place, or else they wouldn't even begin to talk fundraising for it. Now, I realize, they haven't started fundraising, but if they're even contemplating the project, I'd think the design issues would have to have been worked out and a cost framework established. Never known Joe C to do anything like that capriciously!

At one time the plan was to remove several rows from the top of the upper deck to give them the additional width that they would need and to help keep the over all height down.

Large cranes located at either end of the project and on top of the garage should be able to handle the logistical problems of the parking garage. Since the parking garage can handle heavy loads the top story could act as a small staging area. Some of the press box supper structure could be constructed during the season. Due to its sturdy construction it might be possible to use some of the parking garages super structure?

I don't think they can ever actually reproduce that east deck appearance on the west side - again, that parking garage is in the way. Keep in mind that the current west deck is cantilevered over the lower tier, whereas the suites and decks on the east side start flush with the top of the lower east stands. Remember, too, that a good portion of what was exterior structure on the east side was removed and the interior reworked, which is an option not really available on that west side - among other things, SoonerVision (which controls the scoreboards and video production materials) is housed in brand-new facilities in the upper section of the lower west stands. If structural reinforcement of some kind were necessary on the east side, but the west side were unable (for whatever reason) to accommodate it, it would make duplicating that east deck appearance even more difficult if not impossible.

I just don't see how you'd tear down 10K seats, then turn around and rebuild 10K temporary stands to re-seat the same people. Last few times I've sat in that west upper deck, they've got people crammed cheek-to-cheek, so the temp stands would end up necessarily occupying a great deal of the same area you're tearing out. And I suspect the lawyers would have an absolute conniption at the idea of letting ANYONE within any marginal distance of a construction site that expansive, eg partially torn out, temporary stands, large existing structure being removed, new structure being built, etc etc. Just seems to me a logistical and liability nightmare.

What really amazes me is that TPTB at OU let that parking garage go in apparently without thinking about how it would adversely affect any plans to alter the structure of the west side of the stadium. I'm guessing the parking facility is outside the influence of the Athletics Department, but man, you'd at least have thought someone might have made a phone call :) Right now, that structure is severely limiting the expansion/upgrade options for both the deck(s) and the press box. Now, I, personally, am not so concerned about duplicating that east side look. I have no problem with how the west deck looks, and think you could put a perfectly attractive brick facade on it as it sits to perpetuate the styling of the rest of the stadium. I also suspect one huge factor against any big west deck rebuild is that it likely won't add any substantial seating. In fact, if you made it all chairbacks like the east side, it'd probably drop the deck's capacity by around 30%. As for me, my bigger concern is getting that pressbox redone.

Wish someone could get Joe C to talk about current status of this issue, at least from his perspective.

The "bowling of the corners" has been something of debate and conjecture for years. I do believe there is a "rake" issue in that the south stands are built at a different angle than the rest of the stadium, so you couldn't construct a perfectly neat "bridge" section as many assume you would. Another issue is the location of the Switzer center, and whether it would have to be torn down/moved to accommodate that corner of the stadium.

Easily the biggest story, one I consider to be mostly urban legend although I've heard it more than once, was that a major third party some years ago approached OU about paying to have the existing south stands dozed, and completely bowling in the south end in a manner to match the north side. The catch was that they were a beer manufacturer, and wanted sponsorship and sales rights, so the legal issue of selling beer in the stadium made the project a non-starter.

Again, I've heard variations of that over the years, and it seems more urban legend to me than fact, but who knows. I don't know if Joe C. is too excited about putting a fund raising project together to filling in the corners - not ideal seats, and considering you can pick up endzone seats outside the gates at most home games for next to nothing, the aesthetic notion of filling in the corners hardly seems enough justification for what would be an expensive project...

On the "bowling of the corners"…..

This is roughly what Joe C said about that topic about 3 years ago on KREF….

Joe C. said that OU would remove the existing decking on the south end zone and adjust the height of the support structure by adding or removing to there height. They would add the necessary support structure in the corners and that the rake or the entire project would match the existing rake of the stadium. The South end zone would have 2 decks with suites. The top deck would match the east side top deck all the away around to the west side.
Joe C said that it would not be directly connected to the existing stadium but that it would look like it was on TV.

My guess is that this would add about 10,000 to 12000 seats to the current OMS capacity.
IMHO there is nowhere near the ticket demand for this size of expansion….
Perhaps it could be done in phases?

I don't think they can ever actually reproduce that east deck appearance on the west side - again, that parking garage is in the way. Keep in mind that the current west deck is cantilevered over the lower tier, whereas the suites and decks on the east side start flush with the top of the lower east stands. Remember, too, that a good portion of what was exterior structure on the east side was removed and the interior reworked, which is an option not really available on that west side - among other things, SoonerVision (which controls the scoreboards and video production materials) is housed in brand-new facilities in the upper section of the lower west stands. If structural reinforcement of some kind were necessary on the east side, but the west side were unable (for whatever reason) to accommodate it, it would make duplicating that east deck appearance even more difficult if not impossible.

actually none of the east side structure was removed when they added the East upper deck .. the entire deck is supported outside of the original east stands structure

Soonervision would be able to stay right where is is during all or an west side redo


there is also just enough room on the west to build a deck to pretty much exactly match the east side .. the hard part would be removing the existing west deck .. and could you do the entire thing in one off season ..

i think you could it would just take close to 24 hour a day schedule and a bunch of money that said it would pay for it self pretty quickly because of the extra club level seats and suites

actually none of the east side structure was removed when they added the East upper deck .. the entire deck is supported outside of the original east stands structure

Soonervision would be able to stay right where is is during all or an west side redo


there is also just enough room on the west to build a deck to pretty much exactly match the east side .. the hard part would be removing the existing west deck .. and could you do the entire thing in one off season ..

i think you could it would just take close to 24 hour a day schedule and a bunch of money that said it would pay for it self pretty quickly because of the extra club level seats and suites

Boulder, if you look underneath the original east stands, you'll see where the previous exterior wall structure was removed and some structural components were incorporated beneath the decking. No question that the majority of the structure is independent, but to say none of the east side structure was removed just isn't accurate.

Keep in mind, too, the east side has two decks. Which one are you going to match? Are you wanting to add both decks? Just don't think there's enough room for that. And, also, you're going to end up with no net gain in seats, and while you'll get some nice revenue from the suites, I don't think you're going to generate enough to make a project involving a west upper deck tearout a zero-sum proposition. The east side added suites and about 8,000 seats. You'll lose net seating if you match the decks. And I respectfully disagree that it would pay for itself in club seats/suites. You're looking at a project at least as expensive as the east side project merely for the sake of the required demolition, and I also don't see any way you could do it in just one off-season. It isn't just a matter of throwing bodies at the project.

On the "bowling of the corners"…..

This is roughly what Joe C said about that topic about 3 years ago on KREF….

Joe C. said that OU would remove the existing decking on the south end zone and adjust the height of the support structure by adding or removing to there height. They would add the necessary support structure in the corners and that the rake or the entire project would match the existing rake of the stadium. The South end zone would have 2 decks with suites. The top deck would match the east side top deck all the away around to the west side.
Joe C said that it would not be directly connected to the existing stadium but that it would look like it was on TV.

My guess is that this would add about 10,000 to 12000 seats to the current OMS capacity.
IMHO there is nowhere near the ticket demand for this size of expansion….
Perhaps it could be done in phases?

Agree completely. And I would really hate to see us go down the A&M path of making an endzone-centric multi-deck stadium.

Did you actually hear him talk about this ou48A? Because some of that info doesn't all quite work out or make sense. You can't just remove decking on the south endzone to change the rake. You have to change its fundamental structure. And you've also got to remove that nearly new scoreboard/sound system to even start it. The S endzone as it is a quite a bit taller than the rest of the stadium's lower deck, so they'd just shave off a few feet? And they'd only match th etop deck? That east side has three decks now, but they'd only match the top and bottom?

Not at all questioning what you posted, ou48A, I'm just saying that some of the info just doesn't add up. That's why I'd like to hear him update all the information about the rumored and planned stadium projects and clear up the speculation. IMHO, the pressbox is an urgent need and should be addressed as the #1 most important priority for OMS. More seats and corner bowling just aren't as vital right now (again, obviously, IMO).

just FYI 2500 new club seats provides 5 mil a year in donations ... plus the extra suites .. lets say 10 (currently 8 on the west side i think) is another 3-5 mil a year ...

so from 8 to 10 mil in new revenue min if you recreate the east side deck and put the press box in the upper suite level ..

Agree completely. And I would really hate to see us go down the A&M path of making an endzone-centric multi-deck stadium.

Did you actually hear him talk about this ou48A? Because some of that info doesn't all quite work out or make sense. You can't just remove decking on the south endzone to change the rake. You have to change its fundamental structure. And you've also got to remove that nearly new scoreboard/sound system to even start it. The S endzone as it is a quite a bit taller than the rest of the stadium's lower deck, so they'd just shave off a few feet? And they'd only match th etop deck? That east side has three decks now, but they'd only match the top and bottom?

Not at all questioning what you posted, ou48A, I'm just saying that some of the info just doesn't add up. That's why I'd like to hear him update all the information about the rumored and planned stadium projects and clear up the speculation. IMHO, the pressbox is an urgent need and should be addressed as the #1 most important priority for OMS. More seats and corner bowling just aren't as vital right now (again, obviously, IMO).

As I previously mentioned “This is roughly what Joe C said about that topic about 3 years ago on KREF….”
Before reading this post it may help to carefully read my post again that you are quoting.

The south end zone is taller at its base and all the way up it's curent rake, but the entire 1980 structure is was built further away from the field. By moving the new lower deck closer to the field the height of the super structure under the decking would need to be added to. This would allow them to construct a different rake that would match the existing rake. The structure supporting suits and a second deck would need additional height.

The way I took it is that on top of the new lower deck would be a row of suits stacked about 3 high and on top of this would be a upper deck that would run all the way to the west side. Joe C did say that it would match the new east side upper deck.
I would also like to hear Joe C. update all the information about OU athletic projects. This is something that OU could do a much better job with.

You will get far better information on anything OU related on KREF 1400 than you will on WWLS…. KREF is on line. Joe C is usually on about 4 times a year but he rarely talks about the future plans of OU’s football stadium.

This would not be any taller than the existing stadium and according to Joe C would look like it’s connected to the existing stadium. I pretty sure there is no danger of it dominating the rest of the stadium like A&M’s north end zone. The last I heard A&M was going to build a similar structure in its south end zone in the next 2 or 3 years.

I strongly agree that the press box should be the most important priority for OMS.
I hope this makes more sense!

As I previously mentioned “This is roughly what Joe C said about that topic about 3 years ago on KREF….”
Before reading this post it may help to carefully read my post again that you are quoting.

The south end zone is taller at its base and all the way up it's curent rake, but the entire 1980 structure is was built further away from the field. By moving the new lower deck closer to the field the height of the super structure under the decking would need to be added to. This would allow them to construct a different rake that would match the existing rake. The structure supporting suits and a second deck would need additional height.

The way I took it is that on top of the new lower deck would be a row of suits stacked about 3 high and on top of this would be a upper deck that would run all the way to the west side. Joe C did say that it would match the new east side upper deck.
I would also like to hear Joe C. update all the information about OU athletic projects. This is something that OU could do a much better job with.

You will get far better information on anything OU related on KREF 1400 than you will on WWLS…. KREF is on line. Joe C is usually on about 4 times a year but he rarely talks about the future plans of OU’s football stadium.

This would not be any taller than the existing stadium and according to Joe C would look like it’s connected to the existing stadium. I pretty sure there is no danger of it dominating the rest of the stadium like A&M’s north end zone. The last I heard A&M was going to build a similar structure in its south end zone in the next 2 or 3 years.

I strongly agree that the press box should be the most important priority for OMS.
I hope this makes more sense!

Yeah, it clears it up a bit. I didn't mean to impugn the post, ou48A, I was just wondering if you'd heard it directly or were just repeating something second-hand, that's all. Just clarifying :)

So they'd fix the rake by making the starting row closer to the field, and adjusting the intervening rows accordingly. I can see, at least mathematically, how that might work, just stretching out the base of the "triangle" (viewed from a cross-section) and thus shallowing the rake. It makes more sense that way, but part of me really wonders if they'd ever do it. I sure wouldn't be too eager to jump in on end-zone upper deck seats at any price, but that's just me.

Here's hoping Joe C issues some clarification and priority soon, and that the ol' press box gets the proper update!

Yeah, it clears it up a bit. I didn't mean to impugn the post, ou48A, I was just wondering if you'd heard it directly or were just repeating something second-hand, that's all. Just clarifying :)

You are more than fine! I have very much enjoyed reading your thoughts on this issue….
you and the others on this thread obviously share the same passion as I do.:D

Hello, I am new here. What do you think is the feasibility of them continuing the east side upper decks all the way around the north end zone? Maybe in a similar style to Texas? This would add (this is a guess) about 12,000 seats plus many more suites and would create a more intimate atmosphere during games. Personally though I do not want the south end zone enclosed as I like the uniqueness of the horseshoe or "U" shape of the stadium...

Joe C has stated that the best "bang for the buck" seats are those between the 20's, so I personally don't see an expansion as you're describing in the offing. That, combined with the fact that the west press box is in desperate need of renovation, seems to me would make that the priority in the years ahead.

I did hear on the Sports Animal just yesterday that there were rumblings within the school that Boren felt enough $ had been tossed toward the athletic department in recent years, which is possibly why the press box project has not been undertaken. Pity, if true, because the OU press box is generally regarded as a dump from what I've read, esp. compared to other stadiums in the conference.

What is unique about a horseshoe shape to a stadium? Many programs already have it.

Joe C has stated that the best "bang for the buck" seats are those between the 20's, so I personally don't see an expansion as you're describing in the offing. That, combined with the fact that the west press box is in desperate need of renovation, seems to me would make that the priority in the years ahead.

I did hear on the Sports Animal just yesterday that there were rumblings within the school that Boren felt enough $ had been tossed toward the athletic department in recent years, which is possibly why the press box project has not been undertaken. Pity, if true, because the OU press box is generally regarded as a dump from what I've read, esp. compared to other stadiums in the conference.

The OU athletic department is self-supporting. The university does not toss money toward the athletic department… In fact it’s the other way around. OU football season ticket holders are charged an academic enhancement fee. Largely though this OU athletics has provided many millions of dollars to OU’s academic side in recent years.

IMHO this is not how university academics should be funded.
In talking with several long time season ticket holders in recent weeks I found out that I am far from alone in being frustrated with the OU academic enhancement fee. This fee is a significant source of a growing amount of frustration with Boren.
It needs to be done away with.

The OU athletic department is self-supporting. The university does not toss money toward the athletic department… In fact it’s the other way around. OU football season ticket holders are charged an academic enhancement fee. Largely though this OU athletics has provided many millions of dollars to OU’s academic side in recent years.

IMHO this is not how university academics should be funded.
In talking with several long time season ticket holders in recent weeks I found out that I am far from alone in being frustrated with the OU academic enhancement fee. This fee is a significant source of a growing amount of frustration with Boren.
It needs to be done away with.

two things:
1) You're kidding me. You're surprised that President Boren has found another way to get money for the university? He's done everything possible, to include selling memorial bricks around the Student Union! It's positively awesome and repugnant all at once.
2) Without the football program being tied to a university, it'd just be some version of professional football (but that's really a WHOLE 'nother thread / topic), so adding an academic enhancement fee seems rational.

two things:
1) You're kidding me. You're surprised that President Boren has found another way to get money for the university? He's done everything possible, to include selling memorial bricks around the Student Union! It's positively awesome and repugnant all at once.
2) Without the football program being tied to a university, it'd just be some version of professional football (but that's really a WHOLE 'nother thread / topic), so adding an academic enhancement fee seems rational.

An academic enhancement fee is not how a university should fund its academics. It’s not a rational long term solution.
I don’t know of any other university who does this…The least Boren could do is make it where its tax deductible.

If OU has a couple more subpar years on the field, and a few of those season tickets go unsold, that academic fee will disappear faster than a bottle of Jim Beam around Howard Schnellenberger :)

Anybody who whines about the cost of football tickets should note some other successful programs and what they charge. Ohio State reserves 30,000 tix for students. Ya wanna ticket? You make a major contribution plus your ticket price. The following link provides info about the other FBS schools.
Rivals.com College Football - Chart: Cheapest seat in the house (http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1094191)

Anybody who whines about the cost of football tickets should note some other successful programs and what they charge. Ohio State reserves 30,000 tix for students. Ya wanna ticket? You make a major contribution plus your ticket price. The following link provides info about the other FBS schools.
Rivals.com College Football - Chart: Cheapest seat in the house (http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1094191)

More expensive football tickets at other universities doesn’t make what Boren is doing right.

For me it’s not about the price of the ticket. It’s about the way OU is funding things that should be funded by state revenue sources.
OU could easily pay for a new press box with the money that’s being diverted.
I really hate the idea of going down the road of neglecting the facility’s again.

If OU has a couple more subpar years on the field, and a few of those season tickets go unsold, that academic fee will disappear faster than a bottle of Jim Beam around Howard Schnellenberger :)

That’s the big danger of funding academics though athletic revenue on annual bases.
There needs to be more fiscal responsibility.