B10 ADs focus on upgrading game-day experience

[Dark Horse]

Every school can do something along these lines. The Boulevard is absolutely awesome, but I hope our administration has similar desires.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/i ... y-upgrades

[NastyStang]

Great Article...I hope our AD takes note of this for football and basketball. I think Wifi and Cell towers need to be significantly upgraded. Like it or not, texting is virtually impossible on gameday and especially in Ford Stadium. I'm by no mean college aged, but even in my 30's I'm texting non stop in these situations to find friends etc.

[RyanSMU98]

Great Article...I hope our AD takes note of this for football and basketball. I think Wifi and Cell towers need to be significantly upgraded. Like it or not, texting is virtually impossible on gameday and especially in Ford Stadium. I'm by no mean college aged, but even in my 30's I'm texting non stop in these situations to find friends etc.

Completely agree, keeping up with the mobile age is a must and Ford is nothing but a giant dead zone for cell coverage (I wonder if students/other fans would be more inclined to stay if they had the ability to live stream the Rangers or other college games on their phone while inside the stadium rather than leaving to catch it at a bar?). I'd also like to see those TV's in the concourse updated to something closer to 2013 than 2003. They may seem like trivial things to some, but the little details make an impact on the perception of the game experience and show recognition of the types of people we are trying to reach.

[ponyscott]

Send to Hart ...he welcomes advice

[RGV Pony]

Predicted response : hmmm...

[PK]

If you read the thread of comments after the article it sounds like SMU is not the only school having trouble getting students to come to the games.

[leopold]

Minnesota actually suffers from much of the same problems we do - apathetic student base in a major city. That, and an overall struggling product that hasn't been nationally relevant in decades. I'm hoping to get to one or two of their games this fall.

[lwjr]

And I'd go out and walk the streets and start talking to kids, 'Why didn't you go?' And they said, 'We couldn't text because it was raining.' They couldn't have their phones out.

Let me say up front, I graduated in 85. I just find this quote unbelievable, it seems today's kids can't go to the bathroom unless they can text. Yes my 17 and 14 year old text but there daily activities are not determined by if they can text. Texting can be a valuable tool but so many of today's kids are hooked on it like crack they have a hard time functioning without.
I know many will call me out on my comments but I would be embarrassed to tell someone I don't want to go somewhere or do something cause I can't send or receive text messages.
I am not saying SMU should stay in the stone age, I just think the quote is embarrassing