What would you do to improve Memorial Stadium?
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Why are you acting like they need to be honored in the exact font, spacing and location we have or not at all? Those old plaques we had were much cooler. Throw those behind the Horseshoe until we figure something else out to give it more height.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
I am confused a bit. Every single team I can think of, pro and college, would have their retired numbers and names in a front and center location inside the stadium. Add to the fact that Illinois had one of the best offensive and defensive players in history, why would you not want those numbers and names in a prime location?
Your initial statement is the equivalent to saying "MJ has a statue in the atrium outside of the United Center, so why do we have his banner hung in the rafters of the stadium".
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I cannot answer for him, but I think banners in the rafter look a lot better than a ton of blocky words crammed into fairly slim spaces on the pressbox. Again, this is all just personal preference ... but clearly other schools feel they shouldn't try to put too many words on their press boxes, as evidenced by the photos I posted.
Back to those big signs honoring four of our iconic players ... why did we get rid of them with the renovation?? They were pretty unique, helped fill up the abundant open space of Memorial Stadium and they were clearly originally planned to be behind the North End Zone:
I think we could update those to be a bit less cartoony and more "classic" looking (e.g., not using orange/blue font but rather gold or silver or engraved stone) and utilize them again. We could put them in that unused flat/square space on either side of the current NEZ or put two on each side of the scoreboard in the SEZ. Those would be much more prominent and "loud" displays of pride in those great players than cramming their names and numbers into a strip of white on the pressbox. If the main objective is to honor them, this seems like an infinitely better option...
SampsonRelpenk
- Edwardsville, IL
Ah, the days of squinting to see the replay on that decrepit video board.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Regarding my idea of honoring Grange and Butkus in a different, architecturally significant way ... just use your imaginations (likely much less left-brained than mine!) and think of these as not stock images that you can copy/paste from PowerPoint but rather beautiful, column-themed monuments that prominently display a classy picture of an Illini great with his name and number in there somewhere. 
If we just wanted to do Grange and Butkus:
If we wanted to honor all four again:
Again, the visual is more to show where the signs might go. While I have no idea how expensive this would be, I would personally find this to be a unique and visually appealing stop-gap for the Horseshoe specifically until we can renovate it.
If we just wanted to do Grange and Butkus:
If we wanted to honor all four again:
Again, the visual is more to show where the signs might go. While I have no idea how expensive this would be, I would personally find this to be a unique and visually appealing stop-gap for the Horseshoe specifically until we can renovate it.
I think the capacity should stay between 60-65K. The SEZ does need to be moved in and go vertical also. Some club amenities and suites as has been mentioned could be placed on top along with an upgraded scoreboard. Take the map of Illinois OFF the field. A block I is sufficient. Even though the CHIEF is no longer residing here, I loved the music. Wish we could at least bring that back. Not sure about the sound system in the stadium. Wish that could be upgraded. WIFI not great. Remove the SEZ scoreboard and place over the student section.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
yup
you can’t have a video board above the north end zone without a very large overhang to shade it from the sun . this overhang would need to extend far enough as the sun gets pretty low in the sky after October 1st . i’m fine with that . it will help keep sound in
just sayin
Agree with most everyone on here about the NEZ and SEZ needing the biggest upgrades. In my opinion the SEZ/horseshoe should be a top priority. We should do everything we can to get closer to the field while also building up to keep sound in. I really like the Iowa/Kinnick look both in person and in photos. But I was searching through other stadiums and love the idea of doing something like Texas/DKR.
Imagine the SEZ/horseshoe seating being 10yds from the back of the end zone, scoreboard towering above with suites on each side and a beer garden type theme on the SE and SW towers. Could even do a block I like they do the longhorn skull that the band would march out through. I think you mirror the west side over to the east minus the press box and have a nice commons area underneath. This would eliminate the overhang seating and obstructed views, while not cutting down on total seating.
I believe we would have the space to do it as well. We have roughly 175' from the back of the end zone to the scoreboard which is the same as Texas.
Other improvements I would like to see:
- Improved Lighting
-WiFi/cell service
-Video board(s) in the NEZ or NEZ corners
-More video ribbons around the stadium for ads/scoring updates (and maybe an awesome light show for night games (check out the video
) also the video boards we do have are 100% ads all the time it seems, I have a terrible time getting score updates for other games)
Other improvements that come at virtually no costs:
-Move the students so they impact the game
-Move the visitors to the East Balcony, preferably the SE corner. We are way to friendly and nice to our visitors.
Imagine the SEZ/horseshoe seating being 10yds from the back of the end zone, scoreboard towering above with suites on each side and a beer garden type theme on the SE and SW towers. Could even do a block I like they do the longhorn skull that the band would march out through. I think you mirror the west side over to the east minus the press box and have a nice commons area underneath. This would eliminate the overhang seating and obstructed views, while not cutting down on total seating.
I believe we would have the space to do it as well. We have roughly 175' from the back of the end zone to the scoreboard which is the same as Texas.
Other improvements I would like to see:
- Improved Lighting
-WiFi/cell service
-Video board(s) in the NEZ or NEZ corners
-More video ribbons around the stadium for ads/scoring updates (and maybe an awesome light show for night games (check out the video
Other improvements that come at virtually no costs:
-Move the students so they impact the game
-Move the visitors to the East Balcony, preferably the SE corner. We are way to friendly and nice to our visitors.
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
This. Thank-you. I do think Grange and Butkus should absolutely be honored, but it should be in a much better way and better location than the tacky looking lettering on the press boxes we have currently.I cannot answer for him, but I think banners in the rafter look a lot better than a ton of blocky words crammed into fairly slim spaces on the pressbox. Again, this is all just personal preference ... but clearly other schools feel they shouldn't try to put too many words on their press boxes, as evidenced by the photos I posted.
Back to those big signs honoring four of our iconic players ... why did we get rid of them with the renovation?? They were pretty unique, helped fill up the abundant open space of Memorial Stadium and they were clearly originally planned to be behind the North End Zone:
View attachment 37192
I think we could update those to be a bit less cartoony and more "classic" looking (e.g., not using orange/blue font but rather gold or silver or engraved stone) and utilize them again. We could put them in that unused flat/square space on either side of the current NEZ or put two on each side of the scoreboard in the SEZ. Those would be much more prominent and "loud" displays of pride in those great players than cramming their names and numbers into a strip of white on the pressbox. If the main objective is to honor them, this seems like an infinitely better option...
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Regarding moving the students and why there is literally any holdup, I don't think anyone was able to give me an answer for this ... why did it work for decades and decades before the 2007 season to have them in East Main but now it would be an insurmountable financial obstacle? Using our very own Illinois Loyalty Archives as a source (I wish we still had photos like this of each game, they are fantastic!!), here is a reminder of where the students used to be:
Looking at this seating map below, it looks like that is sections 106, 107, 108 and 109, with 109 actually being where we now sit the visiting fans.
While 106 is indeed marked as somewhat of a more "prime" section, sections 107-109 are classified similarly as the middle of the East Balcony ... these are good seats, but let's not act like we are putting the students in the pressbox suites for fun, lol. I truly, truly, truly, truly do not understand why this wasn't done yesterday as somewhat of a no-brainer compromise between our current subpar setup and what worked just fine for years before the 2006-2007 renovation:
1. Move students back to East Main in roughly their old location, with the exception of 106.
2. Keep 106 as a "prime" seating section for the general public to pay higher ticket prices.
3. Move the visiting fans to 209 in the East Balcony ... this one is one of those no-brainers where I genuinely do not think it can be argued other than someone being contrarian or just defaulting to not wanting to shake things up.
4. Convert sections 110-111 in the Horseshoe corner and 207-208 in the East Balcony to student overflow seating. The former are both not that desirable of seats for the general public to pay higher prices for and yet simultaneously actually pretty close to the field of play. The latter are sections that not only usually do not sell, but they are also actually decent views and would "pin" the visiting fans in between a brick wall and our loud student section, creating a hostile environment.
There just is no comparison in the Big Ten where another school puts its students in a place where they affect the game less ... why PURPOSELY step on our own foot in this regard? Programs that sell a hell of a lot more tickets than we do for a lot higher prices see the VERY clear value in a home field advantage, and they prioritize that over putting the students in a segregated playpen. The only reason these people aren't also saying it "just isn't feasible!" to move the Orange Krush to seats that ring the court is because they are used to it, and they have come to appreciate what a better home court advantage it gives us. We could obviously maximize more revenue by shipping Orange Krush up to an elevated part of B Section and selling their current seats for premium pricing ... but that would be stupid in the grand scheme of things, and it's high time we adopted that attitude for football, as well.
For some Big Ten comparisons:
Iowa: Student section in purple. A perfect example of how there is no inherent problem with student sections in one end zone ... you just want them as close to the field as possible and in an area of your stands where the noise they make will be effectively trapped.
Minnesota: Student section in faded maroon sections. Again, they're in the end zone, but they are (A) the closest to the field of any area of the stadium and (B) very integrated with the rest of the crowd.
Michigan State: Students in the green sections in the corner. This would be most similar to what I think we should do at Memorial Stadium.
Looking at this seating map below, it looks like that is sections 106, 107, 108 and 109, with 109 actually being where we now sit the visiting fans.
While 106 is indeed marked as somewhat of a more "prime" section, sections 107-109 are classified similarly as the middle of the East Balcony ... these are good seats, but let's not act like we are putting the students in the pressbox suites for fun, lol. I truly, truly, truly, truly do not understand why this wasn't done yesterday as somewhat of a no-brainer compromise between our current subpar setup and what worked just fine for years before the 2006-2007 renovation:
1. Move students back to East Main in roughly their old location, with the exception of 106.
2. Keep 106 as a "prime" seating section for the general public to pay higher ticket prices.
3. Move the visiting fans to 209 in the East Balcony ... this one is one of those no-brainers where I genuinely do not think it can be argued other than someone being contrarian or just defaulting to not wanting to shake things up.
4. Convert sections 110-111 in the Horseshoe corner and 207-208 in the East Balcony to student overflow seating. The former are both not that desirable of seats for the general public to pay higher prices for and yet simultaneously actually pretty close to the field of play. The latter are sections that not only usually do not sell, but they are also actually decent views and would "pin" the visiting fans in between a brick wall and our loud student section, creating a hostile environment.
There just is no comparison in the Big Ten where another school puts its students in a place where they affect the game less ... why PURPOSELY step on our own foot in this regard? Programs that sell a hell of a lot more tickets than we do for a lot higher prices see the VERY clear value in a home field advantage, and they prioritize that over putting the students in a segregated playpen. The only reason these people aren't also saying it "just isn't feasible!" to move the Orange Krush to seats that ring the court is because they are used to it, and they have come to appreciate what a better home court advantage it gives us. We could obviously maximize more revenue by shipping Orange Krush up to an elevated part of B Section and selling their current seats for premium pricing ... but that would be stupid in the grand scheme of things, and it's high time we adopted that attitude for football, as well.
For some Big Ten comparisons:
Iowa: Student section in purple. A perfect example of how there is no inherent problem with student sections in one end zone ... you just want them as close to the field as possible and in an area of your stands where the noise they make will be effectively trapped.
Minnesota: Student section in faded maroon sections. Again, they're in the end zone, but they are (A) the closest to the field of any area of the stadium and (B) very integrated with the rest of the crowd.
Michigan State: Students in the green sections in the corner. This would be most similar to what I think we should do at Memorial Stadium.
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Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
For sure, I get that. I should have been more clear, but I swear Bret said something WAY back in 2021 or 2022 about moving the students back, and obviously we have seen no progress. You'd think there is at least someone with influence who legitimately opposes the idea, because I highly doubt it's just complacency.
They can do it starting next year. They are making everyone do a stadium reseating next year anyway. If they do not move the student next year it will not happen.
I think there are a few factors that make moving the student section unappealing to the athletics department:
1) The areas that have been suggested as places for the students to move to are seats that they know they can consistently sell most tickets in.
2) The current student section might be one of the worst seat areas in college football to watch a game and it would be hard to convince people that normally sit at the sideline to buy tickets there instead.
3) As we saw mentioned in the previous game and post-game thread it is noticeable on tv when people don't sit in the current student section and is not a good look for the program to have an area like that constantly displayed on tv
Edit: Just want to add finding a way to move the students is one of the top things that should be done. But wanted to list reasons why it probably isn't happening as quick as people hoped
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
It is not happening. The DIA has already listed the Illini ERA seating for football and basketball to begin in the respective next season.
That must have been a mistake. I've seen the way they control everything that happens during the game. They have an Excel spread sheet with everything from the fireworks to scripts for the announcers to make. Everything is timed literally to the second. Five seconds off is a major disaster. It's really quite impressive.
I remember from back in the '60s when East Block I--real Block I, the card section, I still have tickets--was section 104. (See my avatar. I'm somewhere in there). I thought the students were in East Balcony. Someone was throwing toilet paper from up there, And I thought the West Main and Balcony were for "visitors," civilians, i.e., non-students.Regarding moving the students and why there is literally any holdup, I don't think anyone was able to give me an answer for this ... why did it work for decades and decades before the 2007 season to have them in East Main but now it would be an insurmountable financial obstacle? Using our very own Illinois Loyalty Archives as a source (I wish we still had photos like this of each game, they are fantastic!!), here is a reminder of where the students used to be:
Looking at this seating map below, it looks like that is sections 106, 107, 108 and 109, with 109 actually being where we now sit the visiting fans.
View attachment 37199
While 106 is indeed marked as somewhat of a more "prime" section, sections 107-109 are classified similarly as the middle of the East Balcony ... these are good seats, but let's not act like we are putting the students in the pressbox suites for fun, lol. I truly, truly, truly, truly do not understand why this wasn't done yesterday as somewhat of a no-brainer compromise between our current subpar setup and what worked just fine for years before the 2006-2007 renovation:
1. Move students back to East Main in roughly their old location, with the exception of 106.
2. Keep 106 as a "prime" seating section for the general public to pay higher ticket prices.
3. Move the visiting fans to 209 in the East Balcony ... this one is one of those no-brainers where I genuinely do not think it can be argued other than someone being contrarian or just defaulting to not wanting to shake things up.
4. Convert sections 110-111 in the Horseshoe corner and 207-208 in the East Balcony to student overflow seating. The former are both not that desirable of seats for the general public to pay higher prices for and yet simultaneously actually pretty close to the field of play. The latter are sections that not only usually do not sell, but they are also actually decent views and would "pin" the visiting fans in between a brick wall and our loud student section, creating a hostile environment.
There just is no comparison in the Big Ten where another school puts its students in a place where they affect the game less ... why PURPOSELY step on our own foot in this regard? Programs that sell a hell of a lot more tickets than we do for a lot higher prices see the VERY clear value in a home field advantage, and they prioritize that over putting the students in a segregated playpen. The only reason these people aren't also saying it "just isn't feasible!" to move the Orange Krush to seats that ring the court is because they are used to it, and they have come to appreciate what a better home court advantage it gives us. We could obviously maximize more revenue by shipping Orange Krush up to an elevated part of B Section and selling their current seats for premium pricing ... but that would be stupid in the grand scheme of things, and it's high time we adopted that attitude for football, as well.
For some Big Ten comparisons:
Iowa: Student section in purple. A perfect example of how there is no inherent problem with student sections in one end zone ... you just want them as close to the field as possible and in an area of your stands where the noise they make will be effectively trapped.
Minnesota: Student section in faded maroon sections. Again, they're in the end zone, but they are (A) the closest to the field of any area of the stadium and (B) very integrated with the rest of the crowd.
Michigan State: Students in the green sections in the corner. This would be most similar to what I think we should do at Memorial Stadium.
I don't know how many students were in the stadium but I know there were a lot. It was the place to be on Saturday afternoon. I remember meeting a date at the northeast corner of the stadium (There was nothing there but grass). She and her roommate had their own tickets, I and my friend who were meeting them sat in other parts of the stands. Everybody I knew was at the game.