Ford Expansion

[East Coast Mustang]

I forgot who it was (maybe Callalen), but someone posted expansion plans that were drawn along with the original stadium design. I think max seating was 52k with the horseshoe & east side 2nd tier.

Where are these? I'd love to see them. Sounds cool.

[ponyte]

Arkyland plays LSU in a tiny stadium here in Little Rock (about 44,000). Moving a game off campus would mean sacrificing that game as a recruiting tool. Recruits aren't allowed to be hosted as guest at off home stadium sites. This is one reason Arkyland doesn't have half its home games in LR and half in Fayetteville. Arkyland loses half its home games for recruiting. Besides, a smaller stadium with huge number of season ticket holders would more than likely insure SMU has 'home' games with more SMU fans than visiting fans. Some of us remember home games where we were basically visitors (UT, A&M). IF we move up in the attendance world and close in the burned down section of the stadium, then capacity would be enough for us and insure we have home field advantage.

[RednBlue11]

let's just dig down another story

[ReedFrawg]

TCU - Amon Carter Stadium - (After Renovation 2012 Capacity) - 40,000

Just an FYI but expect this number to be 42K - 43K based on numbers I have heard from those who should now.

[RednBlue11]

Whoa! 42?!?! or 43??!?!!? thousand! My God, that's amazing!...........

[RednBlue11]

Arkyland plays LSU in a tiny stadium here in Little Rock (about 44,000). Moving a game off campus would mean sacrificing that game as a recruiting tool. Recruits aren't allowed to be hosted as guest at off home stadium sites. This is one reason Arkyland doesn't have half its home games in LR and half in Fayetteville. Arkyland loses half its home games for recruiting. Besides, a smaller stadium with huge number of season ticket holders would more than likely insure SMU has 'home' games with more SMU fans than visiting fans. Some of us remember home games where we were basically visitors (UT, A&M). IF we move up in the attendance world and close in the burned down section of the stadium, then capacity would be enough for us and insure we have home field advantage.

why havent they built a new one?

[Alaric]

Arkyland plays LSU in a tiny stadium here in Little Rock (about 44,000). Moving a game off campus would mean sacrificing that game as a recruiting tool. Recruits aren't allowed to be hosted as guest at off home stadium sites. This is one reason Arkyland doesn't have half its home games in LR and half in Fayetteville. Arkyland loses half its home games for recruiting. Besides, a smaller stadium with huge number of season ticket holders would more than likely insure SMU has 'home' games with more SMU fans than visiting fans. Some of us remember home games where we were basically visitors (UT, A&M). IF we move up in the attendance world and close in the burned down section of the stadium, then capacity would be enough for us and insure we have home field advantage.

I agree. Enlargen Ford but say no to the off campus games (unless there's a LOT of money to entice us) but have to factor in qualitative factors of recruiting and making it a more of a "home" game for the other team.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

Just an FYI but expect this number to be 42K - 43K based on numbers I have heard from those who should now.

Ok Reed...to me it would make sense spending all that money
to enlarge a bit, but I was just going by the TCU Press release,
the Fort Worth StarTelegram,and ESPN all stating after construction
TCU seating capacity would be 40,000

TCU Press release:
"After construction, Amon G. Carter Stadium will have a seating capacity of 40,000..."
http://www.stadium.tcu.edu/release.asp

Fort Worth Star Telegram
"TCU's renovated stadium will seat 40,000 spectators"
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/08/16/2407601/tcus-football-stadium-to-get-105.html

ESPN
"Seating capacity will be a more intimate 40,000, down from 44,358...."
http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/ncf/news/story?id=5468732

[RednBlue11]

boom! roasted.

[PerunaPunch]

Honestly, I think we'd get a gameday environment if we closed the south endzone increasing capacity to 42,000 and became popular enough that it was a regular sellout – with Mustang fans.

I'd much rather see that, and believe that atmosphere would be much more appealing, than some ugly behemoth (i.e. Darrell Royal Stadium) sitting in the middle of University Park with an empty upper deck every week except when we're playing a Big XII foe. You always want to play to a packed house, and it would be much better for marketing purposes if seeing a Mustang game at Ford Stadium became a hard ticket to get. I think that in the end, that would be more profitable anyway if you could sell 30k+ season tickets at full value and have very limited seating available to visitors.

[smuuth]

When it comes to joining the Big 12, the priority should not be expanding beautiful Ford Stadium. The priority should be on making yourself as attractive to the major players in the conference who have the most influence on expansion plans. A major attraction would be to the large fan bases of UT, OU, OSU, TT. They crave tickets and being able to watch their beloved teams and tailgating beforehand. So, do we offer them 10,000 to 20,000 seats at Ford.....or 60,000-70,000 seats for their fans at the Cotton Bowl or Cowboys stadium and the wonderful amenities of the Dallas/Fort Worth/ Arlington area? Remember, we have to get in the conference first so to me, their fans would want us in the conference ahead of KSU, Iowa State, Kansas and the travel involved and the small allotment of tickets to their rabid fans!

[RGV Pony]

Fun to think about a game vs the Whorns..imagine the TCU game crowd from last year, add about 7600 longhorn fans, plus their white cowboy hat wearing, fringe adorned band, curved around the southeast end into the area now occupied by the grassy knoll, and wow..

[SMU89]

First priority should be to get the windows in the stadium club to open.

[NickSMU17]

ditto

[S....M....U]

I am definitely worried about keeping a "home environment" for our kids when they play at home. We would need to assure that if we ever played the likes of the "big boys" in the big 12 we could guarantee we outnumber them in the stands by at least 70/30...seriously anything less would make for the toughest schedule known to man.