Ford Expansion

[ericdickerson4life]

While we are fantasizing about enlarging the seating capacity at Ford, can we put a retractable roof on the thing. Those early games are HOT!! Even after the sun goes down. Or give us our own personal fan girls.

[SMU 46]

To make it more "intimate"... you could lower the field and bring the seating closer in. Not quite sure you get enough seating relative to the cost, but this has been done with older stadiums that previously had a track inside the stadium.

[Mustangsabu]

I realize that this is not the popular view but I think that there are serious benefits to not expanding Ford, or at least not much. We need to protect home field. Build a 60k stadium to play UT and the like and we'll have 40k burnt orange bell ends making more noise than us. We should not expand beyond what our fan base can support. I know it loses ticket money but with the tv rights are really where the money is anyway, and Dallas responds well to the hard-to-get sports ticket.

[ponydawg]

We should not expand beyond what our fan base can support.

Too late.


HEY-OHHHHHH!

[Stallion]

What is your goal will answer how you are going to get there. Right now I see nice little non-BCS program happy to compete against average regional programs-that's probably what most recruits think too when they see Ford.

[couch 'em]

This will be a very unpopular view but....

Ford is an albatross. We should have built Ford across 75 in Dallas where height restrictions don't matter. Right now Ford looks VERY small-time, especially from the field. With so many seats in the endzone and the actual E/W bleachers being so short, it looks like someone dropped a gigantic pressbox on a large high school or DII stadium. The out-of-scale nature of the pressbox and how short the stadium is from grade due to being sunk also makes it feel small time.

[couch 'em]

Take a look at SMU:



Then Boise, similar capacity around 32,000


Now imagine the Rajun Cajuns' stadium, 31,000, with a real pressbox:


Or Colorado St., 34,000:

[Stallion]

It would be interesting to do a study on the revenue potential difference tthat can be generated from the new Amon Carter in comparison to Ford Stadium even assuming both had the exact same number of attendees which they don't of course. The purpose of new Stadiums is to generate revenue and I think TCU's Stadium will have multiple times more revenue potential due to quality seating

[couch 'em]

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.

Why doesn't someone call the architect at Ellerbe Becket who designed it and ask if a second deck was planned for?

http://www.ellerbebecket.com/images/cms/c418e432223759c58080b160e64d4b81.pdf

"Challenges of building a new stadium included designing a
structure compatible with SMU’s Collegiate Georgian architectural
style, and respecting the neighbors in the surrounding
Dallas communities of Highland Park and University Park.
Design Director Mike Sabatini accomplished the first goal by
cladding the entire stadium in brick and cast stone to echo
the Georgian look of other campus buildings. To ease neighborhood
concerns, Sabatini recessed the playing field and
the lower half of the seating bowl 25 feet below grade to
maintain a lower height façade around the stadium. Further,
the stadium’s horseshoe-shaped layout ensures the open end
faces the neighborhood, maintaining a green space between
the stadium and residential areas."

[ponyte]

I can't believe we are already starting the 'Tear Down Ford' debate. First, we have to start putting fans in the stands. We have to increase the number of season ticket holders.

The good thing about Ford being built on the wrong side of 75 is the height restrictions will ensure its never an ugly monstrosity like those found in Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge. And Kyle field looks like a D1-AA stadium on steroids these days as well.

The excitement at Ford last year against TCU was a great as any SEC environment (and I have visited a few the last 4 years). We need more SMU fans to create that atmosphere. Get it exciting enough and recruits will notice. Expand when the demand calls for expansion.

[TidePony]

45,000 will do. Syracuse has under 50,000, so does Vanderbilt, as does Wake and Duke. We are SMU, not LSU, not Arkansas, and thank God not Texas.

[One Trick Pony]

Yawn

[PK]

Take a look at SMU:



Or Colorado St., 34,000:

So does this mean everyone sits on the press box side or do they just not have any end zone seats? Talk about high school stadiums. Are you sure you have your capacity numbers correct? If not the side opposite the press box must be very small.

Personally, if we expand Ford, I would prefer double decking the east side and leave the horseshoe open.

[couch 'em]

http://www.csurams.com/facilities/hughes-stadium.html

Looks like open horseshoe.

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/united_states/colorado/fort_collins_hughes.shtml

[Mexmustang]

Vandy, when I was there is held 80,000, what did they do after the Titans left?