Stadium Question to Griz Fans

[Eagle_77]

I am a huge fan of your teams stadium. I think that it is fan friendly and a huge advantage to your team. I know that you guys usually add on about every 2 years or so it seems.

My question is how large can the stadium expand to? It seems that the growth is up and not out any. Can it expand to a 50,000+ seat stadium or and will the current structure hold that or will it have to be completely remodeled to attain this?

[VictorG]

I'm hoping someone with better info than I have responds to your question but this topic has come up before in Griz Land. I believe the number indicated was 30K - 35K, some where in that area.

[grizbeer]

I don't know the answer but could speculate. The last addition was 4,000 seats by filling in the corners of the North Endzone and adding height to the main section of the NEZ. It would require rebuilding the press box and luxury boxes (which is supposed to happen anyway) but the sidelines could be raised in height to the level of the NEZ, which should add 8k per side, or 16k in new seats. The corners of the SEZ could also be filled in, which might add 2k more in seating. This would bring seating to 40k without an overhang.

Again I am not an architect or engineer so I am really guessing (the bad part is Montana State is the Arch/Eng school, so it would probably be designed by a bobcat :o ). Realistically I don't think there would be any point expanding beyond 30,000 over the next decade.

[putter]

I have to agree with GrizBeer. I think a full expansion surrounding the field could easily bring capacity up to 37K to 40K. We need a lot more people for that to happen though.

[Eagle_77]

I have to agree with GrizBeer. I think a full expansion surrounding the field could easily bring capacity up to 37K to 40K. We need a lot more people for that to happen though.

First of all thanks for info guys.

Now from what I have heard getting a ticket to a Griz game isnt exactly easy and that there is rarely an empty seat in the house. How many would you say get left out each week?

If you guys ever moved to I-A what would you say the ideal number of seats you would need to seat all the fans that wanted to attend the game.

[Ronbo]

See how they built the add on to the North End? When the sides are expanded fully they will be the same height and will meet up to the corners at the north forming a perfect bowl. You can see cement columns sticking out (not in the picture, but if you're there) that are for the purpose of connecting to an expansion. I think with the stadium expanded to the north end's height all the way around it would exceed 40,000. There is a lot of land on the East Side too. A second deck could go there. In fact I've heard that's where they would put one.

http://www.egriz.com/GrizPics2/albums/grizpics/2003/football/weber/normal_grizstadium.jpg

[89Hen]

I wonder if an upper deck wouldn't ruin some of the intimacy. I kinda like having everybody right in front or behind of you. Just a wall of people.

[Ronbo]

First of all thanks for info guys.

Now from what I have heard getting a ticket to a Griz game isnt exactly easy and that there is rarely an empty seat in the house. How many would you say get left out each week?

If you guys ever moved to I-A what would you say the ideal number of seats you would need to seat all the fans that wanted to attend the game.

It's very hard to get a ticket if you don't have season tickets (17,500 sold). Then they send tickets to the other school. So students get about 3000 for most games. That leaves about 2000 general admission tickets available. For Homecoming and the Griz/Cat game no general admission are available. They sell them to Alumni.

I would rather see too many seats than not enough. 27,000 prople in a 30,000 seat stadium is better business than a sold out 23,000 seat stadium and 4000 people that wanted to attend the game can't. I would like them to expand to 30,000 soon so that we can increase season tickets to 20,000+ and have 5000 student and 5000 general admission available.

[89Hen]

I would rather see too many seats than not enough. 27,000 prople in a 30,000 seat stadium is better business than a sold out 23,000 seat stadium and 4000 people that wanted to attend the game can't.
Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I HATE empty seats more than anything. I'd rather have some people not be able to get in than be at 80-90% capacity. There's nothing more exciting IMO than a packed house.

[grizbeer]

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I HATE empty seats more than anything. I'd rather have some people not be able to get in than be at 80-90% capacity. There's nothing more exciting IMO than a packed house.

I agree with 89Hen on this - plus if you can walk up and get tickets fewer people will own season tickets, it could become a downward spiral. . Also if you don't sellout you risk losing having the games on TV, which can further erode the fans base. The NFL local blackout policy is probably the worst example of this - blacking out the games almost ensures it will take forever to get your fans back. I do have to admit that as a former minor league hockey and baseball season ticket holder that there is some advantage to having empty seats around you, though

On the other hand if you don't have any tickets available for walk-up you can alienate your fan base as well, especially if the games can't be seen on TV.

It is a fine balance, so far I think UM has done a very good job of balancing supply with demand.

[HensRock]

Agreed with 89Hen and Grizbeer to some extent. If your goal is to keep season ticket sales high, expanding to 30K is a bad idea. If you expanded WGS to 30,000 but could only put 27,000 fans in it, your season ticket sales will DECLINE, not increase. It's all about controlling the Supply vs Demand curve. You also may see your overall ticket sales decline if Griz tickets are not as covetted as they are now - and this could happen if you expand too quickly.

I beleive Delaware is walking this line right now. The administration is not dumb, especially when it comes to money. IMO, they will not expand the stadium until season ticket sales are up to about 75% of capacity. It is currently about 50%.

[blukeys]

I beleive Delaware is walking this line right now. The administration is not dumb, especially when it comes to money. IMO, they will not expand the stadium until season ticket sales are up to about 75% of capacity. It is currently about 50%.

Agreed

[89Hen]

Rock and Keys, I agree about the supply and demand, however I don't agree with the notion that the admin will wait to sell a certain number or percentage of season tix before expanding the Tub. Now, it could be that it may coincide with higher season ticket sales, but UD has always sold half of their game day tix as single game and never had a real problem packing the house (90%+). Six for six on sell-outs last year speaks louder than 75% season tix sales IMO. As far as I know, Montana is probably the only I-AA that sells such a high percentage of its tix as season tix.

[blueballs]

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I HATE empty seats more than anything. I'd rather have some people not be able to get in than be at 80-90% capacity. There's nothing more exciting IMO than a packed house.

When there's demand like that they can raise tix prices and booster donations required for season tix and priority seating as well.

[eaglesrthe1]

Rock and Keys, I agree about the supply and demand, however I don't agree with the notion that the admin will wait to sell a certain number or percentage of season tix before expanding the Tub. Now, it could be that it may coincide with higher season ticket sales, but UD has always sold half of their game day tix as single game and never had a real problem packing the house (90%+). Six for six on sell-outs last year speaks louder than 75% season tix sales IMO. As far as I know, Montana is probably the only I-AA that sells such a high percentage of its tix as season tix.


There are sell outs where you reach capacity, and then there are sell outs where you close the doors and tell people that there is no more room at the inn. Does UD have many of these? Does UD have general admission or are all seats reserved?

IMO 75% season ticket sales speaks MUCH louder, because you are practically guaranteed all sellouts before the season even starts.

[89Hen]

There are sell outs where you reach capacity, and then there are sell outs where you close the doors and tell people that there is no more room at the inn. Does UD have many of these? Does UD have general admission or are all seats reserved?

IMO 75% season ticket sales speaks MUCH louder, because you are practically guaranteed all sellouts before the season even starts.
I should have said that six for six on sellouts speaks loudly enough. On the closing the doors, at the UNH game last year they kept squeezing students into the corners of the stadium all the way through halftime. They kept walking by and I couldn't imagine where they were putting them. It was like a clown car routine at the circus.

[eaglesrthe1]

they kept squeezing students into the corners of the stadium all the way through halftime. They kept walking by and I couldn't imagine where they were putting them.

That's what I was wondering. I guess that a UM fan can confirm this, but it is my impression that the students at UM have a lottery for FB tickets, and without a ticket, they don't get in. I have seen mention that at some of the more popular games, the students scalp their tickets, because of the high demand.

[grizbeer]

That's what I was wondering. I guess that a UM fan can confirm this, but it is my impression that the students at UM have a lottery for FB tickets, and without a ticket, they don't get in. I have seen mention that at some of the more popular games, the students scalp their tickets, because of the high demand.
1st come first served for students, and they can purchase 1 additional guest pass. Last year they started charging $7 for the student ticket, $10 for guest. This year the student price goes down to $4.00. You see students scalping tickets at every game, but especially Griz-Cat games.

Parts of the student section don't even have the benches anymore, just standing room for several rows, so they can stuff a lot of people in there.

[HensRock]

UD student tickets are "free" (price is included with tuition). In order to use them, students must present the ticket AND their UD student ID at the gate. This prevents scalping. Students get the tickets by requesting them, first come first served.

BTW, all seats at Delaware are assigned on the ticket - there is no general admission.

[eaglesrthe1]

BTW, all seats at Delaware are assigned on the ticket - there is no general admission.


On the closing the doors, at the UNH game last year they kept squeezing students into the corners of the stadium all the way through halftime. They kept walking by and I couldn't imagine where they were putting them.

It would seem that these two statements are in conflict then. The latter seems to imply SRO, with no seat assignment.

[89Hen]

rthe1, I had never seen this done before at UD. I honestly don't know where these students were coming from, or going.

[eaglesrthe1]

rthe1, I had never seen this done before at UD. I honestly don't know where these students were coming from, or going.

I guess it would depend on if it had ever been necessary to do it before. Has it been a policy to refuse admission to students based on seating not being available in the past?

[Pen Guin]

I don't think that the Griz would see that much of an attendance increase if they moved to IA, with the exception of when they schedule any larger teams at home; and these days that is rare as big schools find they can have 7 home games a year with few problems. This is the main reason conferences are splitting ... more home games. Now with a larger ad budget, there would ceertainly be some difference though. The state of Montana has sparce population & that is where the people go if they want to see a collegiate game. Now if you take a school in a larger population base, with some upper-end competition for fans support, a move to IA would make a much larger difference.

[89Hen]

I guess it would depend on if it had ever been necessary to do it before. Has it been a policy to refuse admission to students based on seating not being available in the past?
Things have changed since I was a student, so I don't know how they do things now. When I was at UD in the 80's, students had to go to the student center during the week of the game and present their student ID to get their ticket (a real ticket, same as they sold). You could walk through the dorms and collect people's ID's to get as many as you could so you could get a bunch of seats together. On game day you did not need to show your ID, only have the ticket.

[GannonFan]

I don't think the students at UD get an actual ticket - they just swipe their ID cards and they walk in. I would believe then that the endzone where the students sit is General Admission, for the students only (the band sits in one section of the endzone) - it normally fills up from the middle first and then out to the ends, so I can't imagine this is just the happenstance of students with the middle tickets always showing up first. Be curious to hear from an actual student as it is different than in my day.