What would you do to improve Memorial Stadium?

#76      
Fighter of the Nightman
I give you ... a poor man's "squared-in" Memorial Stadium. Ignoring my MS Paint limitations, it's a thing of beauty and would be an absolute HORNET'S NEST for noise, IMO, not to mention one of the most unique and classic-looking designs in the entire country.

Square 1.png


Then I'd accompany that with the following changes:

1. Move the scoreboard to the North End Zone.
2. Make the North End Zone a family area and/or concourse where food and drinks are available.
3. Put the students in this steep new South End Zone structure and create our own sort of "Orange Wall" ala the amazing (and aforementioned) Yellow Wall at Borussia Dortmund:

imago1013979787h.jpg


Capacity in the mid-60k range after redistributing around some seats, and we call it a day!
 
#77      
Fuze
chiefini said:
All of you who want all of these massive structural changes, do you donate? How much? Where is this renovation money going to come from? Josh probably has to come up with $21-23 million a year for ten years to pay back athletes, once this NIL lawsuit is finalized. He has already cut some of his DIA staff, and he will have to cut more. He also has to consider which sports to save and which to cut to save money. So where are the millions to “fix” Memorial Stadium going to come from?
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I don't think anyone is saying they want changes without understanding that it costs money that the DIA currently doesn't have. I even mentioned in my comment that the small upgrades that were supposed to be done in the next 3-5 years (lights, wifi, scoreboard, etc) are probably being put on hold due to the revenue sharing things. Like every message board, there are multiple active threads on this site dedicated to people talking about hypotheticals that won't ever happen. It's fun to talk about these things. I don't think anyone suggesting these massive rennotions, which all in all would probably cost over a billion dollars, expects any of them to happen any time soon.
 
#78      
Bucktown
chiefini said:
All of you who want all of these massive structural changes, do you donate? How much? Where is this renovation money going to come from? Josh probably has to come up with $21-23 million a year for ten years to pay back athletes, once this NIL lawsuit is finalized. He has already cut some of his DIA staff, and he will have to cut more. He also has to consider which sports to save and which to cut to save money. So where are the millions to “fix” Memorial Stadium going to come from?
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I somewhat agree. Things like tearing down the NEZ are nuts in my opinion. They also should not have settled that lawsuit either. If paying past athletes means keeping future athletes from playing then it is not a market-based settlement, but I digress. Until/unless we are regularly selling out the stadium we shouldn't be making any massive changes. As with anything any modifications made should be neutral or net positive to revenue--increased ticket sales, higher prices for tickets, increased concessions, etc.
 
#80      
GrayGhost77
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I give you ... a poor man's "squared-in" Memorial Stadium. Ignoring my MS Paint limitations, it's a thing of beauty and would be an absolute HORNET'S NEST for noise, IMO, not to mention one of the most unique and classic-looking designs in the entire country.

View attachment 36480

Then I'd accompany that with the following changes:

1. Move the scoreboard to the North End Zone.
2. Make the North End Zone a family area and/or concourse where food and drinks are available.
3. Put the students in this steep new South End Zone structure and create our own sort of "Orange Wall" ala the amazing (and aforementioned) Yellow Wall at Borussia Dortmund:

imago1013979787h.jpg


Capacity in the mid-60k range after redistributing around some seats, and we call it a day!
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I don't mind the squared off idea and like the overall idea of turning the NEZ into a family area, but I think moving the scoreboard there would be a mistake. It would be a south-facing scoreboard meaning then you're looking at glare and the screen being washed out given it would almost always be facing the sun for any day games (which most of them are). The only solution then would be to cover it somehow to provide constant shade over it, like a really big canopy or something, but I'm not sure how that would work with the aesthetics of the stadium. If someone could figure out how to make a shade structure/canopy work with the classic architecture, then MAYBE it might work.
 
#82      
IlliniCaboose
Yes, this is all Illinois football fantasy erotica as we'll likely not have the financial backing to get this done unless we become a perennial CFP contender and some real big donors come into the fold.
Loved that south endzone rendering and I'm okay with eliminating the seats under the east balcony overhang to make things more symmetrical.
My real question is what sort of loss of capacity would we be looking at to take out the bleachers and replace them with actual seats, 10-15%? More? My family has had to deal with new neighbors the last few years who, shall we say, overlap the property line by quite a bit. September games are bad with the heat, but November games are even more congested with the heavy coats. I'm no college football stadium expert but I feel like most places I've been still use bleachers so we aren't unique with this issue, but it's still not ideal.
 
#83      
Dkayak
IlliniCaboose said:
My real question is what sort of loss of capacity would we be looking at to take out the bleachers and replace them with actual seats, 10-15%? More? My family has had to deal with new neighbors the last few years who, shall we say, overlap the property line by quite a bit. September games are bad with the heat, but November games are even more congested with the heavy coats. I'm no college football stadium expert but I feel like most places I've been still use bleachers so we aren't unique with this issue, but it's still not ideal.
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Is it even possible with the current fore-aft spacing set in concrete? We don’t deal with much lateral interference in our section, but it’s already pretty tough to accommodate folks trying to scoot out to the aisles. How much worse would actual seats make it with the same fore-aft pitch? Maybe that’s just my long legs? Lots of parallels to airline seating tradeoffs.
 
#85      
IlliniCaboose
ChiefGritty said:
How does that work, structurally speaking?

Could you put like a concourse up there selling some concessions?
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No clue, I'm a west balcony guy so I don't even know what the current set up is like. I was just saying I'd be okay with losing capacity taking those seats out since I'm sure more than a few of them are obstructed, maybe even a few can't see the scoreboard. I do like the idea of symmetry as well, but it would be much further down my list of changes.
 
#86      
IlliniCaboose
Dkayak said:
Is it even possible with the current fore-aft spacing set in concrete? We don’t deal with much lateral interference in our section, but it’s already pretty tough to accommodate folks trying to scoot out to the aisles. How much worse would actual seats make it with the same fore-aft pitch? Maybe that’s just my long legs? Lots of parallels to airline seating tradeoffs.
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I'll admit, that's not something I'd thought about. I think there would be room, and with a rigid, defined seat back you wouldn't have to worry about people leaning back or their seat backs they brought from home rocking back and forth. I do agree that it would add difficulty to the already annoying task of getting in and out.
 
#87      
ChiefGritty
IlliniCaboose said:
No clue, I'm a west balcony guy so I don't even know what the current set up is like. I was just saying I'd be okay with losing capacity taking those seats out since I'm sure more than a few of them are obstructed, maybe even a few can't see the scoreboard. I do like the idea of symmetry as well, but it would be much further down my list of changes.
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Yeah, the deepest overhang seats are not good, especially in the era of giant scoreboards, you really can't see the SEZ scoreboard at all.

In recent years those seats are never full so it hasn't really been an issue.

The idea of, say, putting in seats to ground level in the SEZ and NEZ and getting rid of those back rows in the East underhang to keep capacity roughly the same feels like a win-win (the average seat becomes better and closer to the field) and potentially very easy and cheap.
 
#88      
Illini IndyCar Fan
I'm hoping that they take the opportunity with the new Illini Era donation requirements to have wider seat spaces in each row in the priority seating sections. There's no capex cost outside of new seat number stickers, and they won't have the ability to do it again until 2035 (or whatever the next re-racking date is).

That improvement in fan experience would make up for the drop in seating capacity, and they'd still end up net revenue positive because of the IFund donation requirement increases.
 
#89      
Fighter of the Nightman
ChiefGritty said:
How does that work, structurally speaking?

Could you put like a concourse up there selling some concessions?
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Couldn't we just mirror exactly what is on the west side? I'm honestly asking. And even if that area sits completely unused, I just think those are SUCH pointless and wasted seats as far as architectural flow of the stadium and gameday experience. We literally have "invisible capacity" that makes our stadium look smaller than its capacity, especially on the Horseshoe side. Of course, I doubt these are the top factors motivating the next renovation. :(

Also, I am far from convinced that we won't get a serious renovation of Memorial Stadium unless we become this perennial powerhouse, as others have suggested. We were floating this very impressive renovation when we were still really bad...

rendering-memorialstadiuminterior-1920x1080-1.jpg

Screen%20Shot%202016-09-21%20at%2011.08.03%20AM.png


... and even the watered down version released a few years later still clearly involved completely demolishing and replacing the Horseshoe:

illinifootball-performancecenter-master.jpg


It's somewhat difficult to make out exactly what the new SEZ would look like, but it pretty clearly looks like a massive improvement that achieves the goals of correcting most of our gripes about the Horseshe (too far from the field, not tall enough, etc.). Sure, a lot of the stuff in this thread is a "dream wish list" (including my "squared in" version of Memorial Stadium), but I do not think it's overly optimistic whatsoever to get something like that last rendering in the next 10 years.
 
#90      
ChiefGritty
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Couldn't we just mirror exactly what is on the west side?
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Oh, totally, but that was a big expensive all-encompassing job.

I'm more thinking can we just take out 10 rows back there and flatten it off somehow as a quick and cheap hack. My structural engineering knowledge is zilch. LAS baby!

My general concept here is that MS could be improved a good bit by some pretty low-touch, low-dollar tweaks rather than a grand imperial renovation crusade.
 
#91      
Pikeillinifan
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Couldn't we just mirror exactly what is on the west side? I'm honestly asking. And even if that area sits completely unused, I just think those are SUCH pointless and wasted seats as far as architectural flow of the stadium and gameday experience. We literally have "invisible capacity" that makes our stadium look smaller than its capacity, especially on the Horseshoe side. Of course, I doubt these are the top factors motivating the next renovation. :(

Also, I am far from convinced that we won't get a serious renovation of Memorial Stadium unless we become this perennial powerhouse, as others have suggested. We were floating this very impressive renovation when we were still really bad...

View attachment 36488
Screen%20Shot%202016-09-21%20at%2011.08.03%20AM.png


... and even the watered down version released a few years later still clearly involved completely demolishing and replacing the Horseshoe:

View attachment 36489

It's somewhat difficult to make out exactly what the new SEZ would look like, but it pretty clearly looks like a massive improvement that achieves the goals of correcting most of our gripes about the Horseshe (too far from the field, not tall enough, etc.). Sure, a lot of the stuff in this thread is a "dream wish list" (including my "squared in" version of Memorial Stadium), but I do not think it's overly optimistic whatsoever to get something like that last rendering in the next 10 years.
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I would bet that whenever we have the funds to do something major, it'll be something like this.

But it'll take a major, major donor to step forward to get things rolling. I wish it would happen now, but I bet we're a few years away. We have many uber-wealthy alums, and things are being done to bring them back into the fold and show them love.

Winning, building better relationships with alums, and building consistent fan support will get us there sooner than we think.
 
#92      
Fighter of the Nightman
Pikeillinifan said:
I would bet that whenever we have the funds to do something major, it'll be something like this.

But it'll take a major, major donor to step forward to get things rolling. I wish it would happen now, but I bet we're a few years away. We have many uber-wealthy alums, and things are being done to bring them back into the fold and show them love.

Winning, building better relationships with alums, and building consistent fan support will get us there sooner than we think.
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Regarding that last point, it is my impression that Whitman improved fundraising and donor relationships significantly once he got here, and that has only continued to improve. By all available accounts, our basketball NIL is top 10 in the nation ... it just took a little success! I know football is not 100% comparable, but I do think there is evidence that we have a large and willing donor base if the product is something worth investing in. If we were to win 8+ games this year and go into next season with some legitimate buzz/hype/optimism, I think you'd start to see a material increase in donor support.

A lot of us are "true believers," but it is often difficult for people to envision something that has never been, at least in the modern period. However, when you step back and try to look at it objectively, "we're just Illinois" has never been a good argument. If you started the Big Ten timeline over, you would expect us to evolve into a Michigan or OSU based on built-in advantages. I think the fact that we haven't lived up to that potential for so long definitely lowered that ceiling (after enough time, programs become entrenched as elite ... something VERY hard to overcome), but it is still a lot higher than most places!
 
#93      
Mr. Tibbs
ChiefGritty said:
How does that work, structurally speaking?

Could you put like a concourse up there selling some concessions?
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or store old tackling dummies or ball taped to a yardstick from the ‘50’s ? you never know when you might want to use that stuff again
 
#94      
Fighter of the Nightman
ChiefGritty said:
Oh, totally, but that was a big expensive all-encompassing job.

I'm more thinking can we just take out 10 rows back there and flatten it off somehow as a quick and cheap hack. My structural engineering knowledge is zilch. LAS baby!

My general concept here is that MS could be improved a good bit by some pretty low-touch, low-dollar tweaks rather than a grand imperial renovation crusade.
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I certainly agree with this point, which is why I do not understand why we at least don't put in temporary seats in the Horseshoe that bring it down to field level. You can shape them to fit the gap perfectly. Everyone remember these temporary bleachers we had behind the Horseshoe?

7c788a6127ec6e6d5bcaf0b6cc91fa73.jpg


Everyone always hated on those, but they at least made the Horseshoe a bit taller, lol. But I think the problem most people had with them is that they made the outside of the SEZ look tacky ... they fit in completely seamlessly with the bleachers on the inside! How much could it possibly cost to order a set of those in the necessary shape and at the necessary incline to achieve the picture below, at least for a short-term solution?!

remodel-1-png.36425


It seems like we have even achieved something similar DECADES ago that we could update and copy, lol:

memorialstadium_1920x.jpg


I know I said it up-thread somewhere, but I seriously think this tiny change makes the Horseshoe look infinitely less dinky. People have objected to this saying they like bring stuff out from underneath the Horseshoe ... but come on, lol. Either keep a tunnel in the middle or the corners and fill the rest in, or just come up with a better and more permanent way to bring stuff out and store things. :ROFLMAO:
 
#95      
ChiefGritty
Fighter of the Nightman said:
I certainly agree with this point, which is why I do not understand why we at least don't put in temporary seats in the Horseshoe that bring it down to field level.
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The answer until three weeks ago was that there was no one to buy the tickets.

The only slight hiccup if that has changed is that the space those seats would fill is used for practice now, you can see the lines they have drawn for it on Google Maps.

The Smith Center was the best available option for improving our football facilities, but it has penned us in with less practice space than our peers.
 
#96      
skyIdub
I'm all for these proposals, but if it's this vs. finish the D1 Illini Hockey project (I don't have any idea if it competes at all)....give me hockey.
 
#98      
GoDucks349
Shief said:
Stadium Itself:
Some have already said this but I like the unique layout of Memorial Stadium and I do not want to change it too much. I agree with closing in the horseshoe, similar to the picture below, but leaving a tunnel. For the North Endzone, I would like to see that structure replaced with a curved structure like the South. I also like symmetry and am open to mirroring the wall and box into the East Side - this will help remove the ramps, allow renovated and larger restrooms to be built, improved food stands, allow space between the amenities and outside wall for people to walk around, etc. I liked someone's comment about moving food venders into the open space behind the SEZ and that sounds like a good idea. I'd also like to see the SEZ and updated NEZ areas have roofs over the concourses, that way people can be out of the weather for a bit.

Doing some rough math
- Removing ~25 row on the ESL will remove around 6700 seats but replace them with ~1500 box seats, resulting in a net loss of ~4200 seats
- Enclosing the SEZ will add ~2000 seats
- Removing the NEZ structure will take out ~4000 seats but add back in ~13500, for a net gain of ~9500
- So the new Memorial Stadium would have a capacity of ~68000, this feels about right and would get us close to the ~69,000 capacity pre-2008

Other Upgrades/Adjustments in the Area:
- Improved cell service - completely agree
- Restrooms and small food stands for the EZL Upper Deck
- Move/build scoreboard in the NEZ - avoiding the sun while watching the clock is helpful
- Improve drainage and level surface of lot west of Grange Grove - the lot can become a mud hole when it rains and vehicles get stuck
- Explore putting in a multi-level parking garage in E-14, potentially remove parking lots around Assembly Hall/State Farm Center and replace with grass on the northern lots and retail/restaurant/shop space in the southern lots (Wrigleyville/Ballpark Village style, also gives the Research Park more places to eat during the week)
- Relocate Central Receiving Building and Garage and Carpool and replace with a multi-level parking garage

View attachment 36463

View attachment 36464
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I haven't been to your stadium, but putting a roof on the side oposite the sky suites and moving the fans closer to the field would probably have a great impact on the volume on the field. Check out Husky stadium and Autzen.
 
#99      
SoCal Illini
Aesthetically speaking, something that highlights, or features, compliments or accents the 4 towers and columns. The most unique features and unmistakably Illinois.

Found this on Wikipedia, this would’ve been rad. How much are blocks of marble going for now?
1727318790770.jpeg
 
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