Stadium Expansion

[clashmore_mike]

what is similar though? That there are luxury boxes? How else would you render them?

I dunno man.

 

[rikkitikki08]

Love it, I really like how they could use those attached buildings for campus classrooms and possibly areas for the gray haired people who annoy the living hell out of me every game by not standing up and cheering....ahhh WHY AM I YELLING?

 

[Riddickulous]

First the stadium, then the field turf, then the Jumbotron.

 

[NDohio]

That looks great. Of course ND will do it with class and honor the feel of tradition at the stadium.

Hope this happens.

 

[rikkitikki08]

I love how the Joyce center is attached

 

[arrowryan]

I love how the Joyce center is attached

I just noticed that and that's the only thing I don't like. Just by going off the picture, it's going to be inconvenient as hell trying to go watch the player walk and you have to walk all the way around the other side of the stadium

 

[rikkitikki08]

I just noticed that and that's the only thing I don't like. Just by going off the picture, it's going to be inconvenient as hell trying to go watch the player walk and you have to walk all the way around the other side of the stadium

My guess is that they will open a walk way through the building on game days

 

[chubler]

Well this is ironic- I'm sitting about 100 feet from the north gate of the stadium doing chemistry homework under the watchful eye of Knute right now...

Looks great. Reminds me of what the Packers did to Lambeau.
However:

No logo please. It's not just striped end zones, its the simplicity of the total package. There's nothing not necessary to play football on that field, and I love it. So HARRUMPH!

Second, I actually love the lack of video boards. Literally every other school has them. It's different and unique, and it forces you to watch the actual game on the field.

IMO, ND Stadium is so cool specifically because it's "outdated". Inside those gates, time stands still. You can almost feel the echoes awake and the ghosts of the great teams, players, and games of the past. It's the closest thing to 'field of dreams' that exists on this planet, and I think it's special. Until we can't sell out or get recruits without a logo and video boards, why add them?

Lastly, in a perfect world, I'd LOVE to get rid of some seats on the north end and give the big man a better view. No better way to make a powerful statement about the priorities of this school and this program than ingraining it into the architecture of the stadium.

And finally, before anyone calls me old and foggy, I'm 19, a freshman, and I live with a member of the team... so young and foggy or old at heart are your choices!

 

[ACamp1900]

I was actually hoping for blue and gold field turf....

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

That looks amazing. My favorite part is turning the ridiculous intersection in front of the business school into a traffic circle. What a stupid intersection.

Oh, and no logo, please.

 

[Buster Bluth]

My biggest worry is that this limits seating expansion in the future. If they're "going big," then they should up it to 90,000 while it's easier.

I love the concept of using the stadium space to incorporate classrooms. That's terrific.

As many know, I go to OSU and love the school while simultaneously hating the football/basketball teams, for a number of reasons but largely because of the bifurcation of the athletics and school. But one really awesome thing was how Ohio Stadium served as a dorm from day one. That ended when Ohio State expanded it in the late 90s, but it served as a temporary Student Union last decade while the new one was built. Now, it's full of off-limits offices and 100% disconnected from student life....which only fuels the fire of my hatred.

So yeah, this move by Notre Dame to incorporate school life into it is outstanding.

 

[FearTheBeard]

I kinda like this idea, and I think they'll do it with taste and not ruin anything. The logo in the middle is cool with me as long as the endzones are still striped, and honestly i dont think a jumbotron is a bad idea. Yes im younger but it's nice to watch a replay of the the previous play. My purdue friend still argues with me Golson didnt score on that dive against Purdue this season even though ive shown him on youtube multiple times haha. But im cool without a jumbotron as well it's not a big deal to me. All i want to see is some wins! Can't wait for this season.

 

[ACamp1900]

We all realize that they had Shamrocks, ND's and words in the endzone at times right?? I think Holtz may have actually hhd some if memory serves??? It's not like ND has had stripes in the endzone since the days of Knute.

 

[greyhammer90]

I kinda like this idea, and I think they'll do it with taste and not ruin anything. The logo in the middle is cool with me as long as the endzones are still striped, and honestly i dont think a jumbotron is a bad idea. Yes im younger but it's nice to watch a replay of the the previous play. My purdue friend still argues with me Golson didnt score on that dive against Purdue this season even though ive shown him on youtube multiple times haha. But im cool without a jumbotron as well it's not a big deal to me. All i want to see is some wins! Can't wait for this season.

I'd actually agree with your friend. That call was way more controversial in my mind than the Stanford call.

 

[dshans]

No logo please. It's not just striped end zones, its the simplicity of the total package. There's nothing not necessary to play football on that field, and I love it. So HARRUMPH!

Second, I actually love the lack of video boards. Literally every other school has them. It's different and unique, and it forces you to watch the actual game on the field.

IMO, ND Stadium is so cool specifically because it's "outdated". Inside those gates, time stands still.

Lastly, in a perfect world, I'd LOVE to get rid of some seats on the north end and give the big man a better view. No better way to make a powerful statement about the priorities of this school and this program than ingraining it into the architecture of the stadium.

And finally, before anyone calls me old and foggy, I'm 19, a freshman, and I live with a member of the team... so young and foggy or old at heart are your choices!

Good points. Here are mine:

A few things:

1) Within a minute or two of the OP I was too late to attempt a deflection or dilution of the "Jumbotron", "Artificial Turf", "Banish the Blue Hairs" and "All ND Nation Posters Are Decrepit Fools With Exploding Heads" crowd.

2) The (very) modest increase in seating capacity will be set in stone (as in buildings) and preclude, barring some incredible advances in engineering genius, that 150,000 seat stadium some would dedicate their left nut for.

3) Are there plans to "re-purpose" current buildings the new structures might replace? Could the proposed expenditures be put to better use improving faculty, research facilities, decreasing tuition, Increasing the size of the student body by expanding housing and dining facilities or addressing other such silly things?

4) I know that this opinion will firmly cement my reputation as a hidebound old fart in some minds, but I am concerned about the creeping "placement" of the stadium and other athletic facilities so that they become the center point, the focal point of the university. "A damn good school with a damn good football team" is being replaced with "A damn good football team (and money machine) with a 'pretty' damn good school 'over there.'"

5) Before some go ballistic on my arse, keep in mind that the biggest deviation from ND "Tradition" came, with my full and vocal support, when I was a junior there. That change was admission of women. Trust me, there were many who felt it was not only a deviation but a deviancy.

6) For the umpteenth time – when you have a combined student body and faculty(including 100% of ND undergrad and grad students, SMC and HCC) that could at best fill 13% of the seats, how do you guarantee a paying, standing-at-all-times, screaming-their -vocal-chords-raw crowd to fill the rest of the seats?

7) If you really want to increase the decibel level, put a damn roof on the stadium. It would also make artificial turf a necessity and provide many points where video screens and speakers could be suspended.

[OK, OK, it's more than just a "few" things. So sue me!!!]

Oh, and in keeping with my role here on IE, it's "fogey" not "foggy," Chubler.

We can all be a bit foggy at times, regardless of age.

 

[alaskandomer]

Well this is ironic- I'm sitting about 100 feet from the north gate of the stadium doing chemistry homework under the watchful eye of Knute right now...

Looks great. Reminds me of what the Packers did to Lambeau.
However:

No logo please. It's not just striped end zones, its the simplicity of the total package. There's nothing not necessary to play football on that field, and I love it. So HARRUMPH!

Second, I actually love the lack of video boards. Literally every other school has them. It's different and unique, and it forces you to watch the actual game on the field.

IMO, ND Stadium is so cool specifically because it's "outdated". Inside those gates, time stands still. You can almost feel the echoes awake and the ghosts of the great teams, players, and games of the past. It's the closest thing to 'field of dreams' that exists on this planet, and I think it's special. Until we can't sell out or get recruits without a logo and video boards, why add them?

Lastly, in a perfect world, I'd LOVE to get rid of some seats on the north end and give the big man a better view. No better way to make a powerful statement about the priorities of this school and this program than ingraining it into the architecture of the stadium.

And finally, before anyone calls me old and foggy, I'm 19, a freshman, and I live with a member of the team... so young and foggy or old at heart are your choices!

Completely agree. And- For those who would paint all of us "Gray hairs" with the same brush, I'm 62, and will be there for the Navy game (Lottery permitting), having traveled 6 hours by air to O'Hare. God help anyone who tries to get me to sit during the game.

 

[BurningRiver]

Love everything except the midfield logo, and it's not just because of tradition--I simply think a bare field is appropriate for Notre Dame football. Logo-less helmets, (relatively) logo-less uniforms, logo-less endzones, logo-less field.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>No one has yet commented on ND's blatant affront to the traditional stonehenge victory party location. <a href="http://t.co/CAbUZrQJRl" title="http://twitter.com/oaknd1/status/330037993295458304/photo/1">twitter.com/oaknd1/status/…</a></p>— oak (@oaknd1) <a href="https://twitter.com/oaknd1/status/330037993295458304">May 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>…this is about making the stadium, which is essentially abandoned 350 days a year into an actual campus building. It's a superb idea.</p>— oak (@oaknd1) <a href="https://twitter.com/oaknd1/status/330035887180230656">May 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[chubler]

Oh, and in keeping with my role here on IE, it's "fogey" not "foggy," Chubler.

We can all be a bit foggy at times, regardless of age.

Hmm... I thought it you could be either an old fogey or old and foggy... whoops.

2) The (very) modest increase in seating capacity will be set in stone (as in buildings) and preclude, barring some incredible advances in engineering genius, that 150,000 seat stadium some would dedicate their left nut for.

I don't think a 150,000 seat stadium is such a good idea. Or even a 100,000 seat stadium. Penn State and Ohio State don't sell out every home game, and their fan bases are comparable in size, plus they've got better locations and a geographic base to draw on. Selling out the stadium every game is huge for atmosphere and such. Also, where would we park another 20,000 people? A few thousand more would be good, I think. But not many. 85,000 is probably the sweet spot if we expand at all, so this proposal is good.

3) Are there plans to "re-purpose" current buildings the new structures might replace? Could the proposed expenditures be put to better use improving faculty, research facilities, decreasing tuition, Increasing the size of the student body by expanding housing and dining facilities or addressing other such silly things?

I like our current size, thanks. I'd be juuuust fine with decreasing tuition, but if they decide to replace Lafun (too small to serve as a real hub for students) I'm fine with that. And I'm not sure we could raise the money to improve facilities in its own right, but for a new stadium it'd probably be a cinch. We'll see.

4) I know that this opinion will firmly cement my reputation as a hidebound old fart in some minds, but I am concerned about the creeping "placement" of the stadium and other athletic facilities so that they become the center point, the focal point of the university. "A damn good school with a damn good football team" is being replaced with "A damn good football team (and money machine) with a 'pretty' damn good school 'over there.'"

The Stadium's got the library and science buildings (Jordan and Galvin) on one side, and Debart quad on the other. The epicenter of the school IS moving away from God Quad, to the west, because it's where there's space to build, I guess. But academics is moving right along with it. As long as they don't just put a bunch of athletic stuff in the stadium, I don't think that'll be a concern as long as the athletes stay in the dorms and still go to class, which I doubt will EVER change.

6) For the umpteenth time – when you have a combined student body and faculty(including 100% of ND undergrad and grad students, SMC and HCC) that could at best fill 13% of the seats, how do you guarantee a paying, standing-at-all-times, screaming-their -vocal-chords-raw crowd to fill the rest of the seats?

You give the "blue-hairs" or whatever you call them attractive seating options up high/in boxes (premium "club" seats with chairbacks like lots of NFL teams have), instead of the current gold seats in the best close-to-the-field spots, and watch them move up out of their own accord. You keep the "take a staND campaign going, aggressively. Very importantly, you get more agressive rebuffing efforts made by the excise police and their ilk to make us more sober when we hit the stadium. As if you could ever forget, I promise you we're at least 50% louder when... heavily intoxicated (look at LSU's atmosphere for goodness sake). And most importantly, you keep winning, and wait for the culture of the fan base to change. Was ND Stadium an un-intimidating place to play when the fans believed their team would win every single game?

 

[IrishSpartan]

it actually looks alot like our latest renovations but we added massive jumbotrons opposed to another pressbox

 

[Circa]

I like it but if they are gonna put a logo in the middle of the field I will lose it!! WHERE IS THE TRADITION!?!?! Next will be that new fangled plastic grass

my god... can we just enjoy this whole idea! The possibility of change just kills some but It's most likely these changes will lure more coveted recruits in this time of glam and glitz.. not that I'm completely in favor.. just willing to go with this flow If not takin too far (Boise St, Oregon)

 

[Redbar]

my god... can we just enjoy this whole idea! The possibility of change just kills some but It's most likely these changes will lure more coveted recruits in this time of glam and glitz.. not that I'm completely in favor.. just willing to go with this flow If not takin too far (Boise St, Oregon)

Gotta trust Mr. Swarbrick by now. He gets "it" and will do/not do this right also. Brave new world.

 

[Circa]

I will say this... Last time they renovated the basilica the company I currently am employed by, completed the deep foundation work on It and am happy to say It was a success! Crossing every limb, finger, toe... That we score this job!

 

[Circa]

Gotta trust Mr. Swarbrick by now. He gets "it" and will do/not do this right also. Brave new world.

Ya that's funny, I'm sitting here watching the 09' Mich-ND game... Bring ON that change!!!!

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

Ya that's funny, I'm sitting here watching the 09' Mich-ND game... Bring ON that change!!!!

This guy is a troll, fyi

 

[Rhode Irish]

The only thing about the drawing that seemed weird to me is that the hashmarks looks like they are NFL hashmarks and not the wider college hashes. So I'm thinking the drawing of the actual field was a little beside-the-point to the artist, who is probably an architect or something and focused on the buildings. Based on that, I wouldn't worry too much about the logo. I doubt a lot of thought went into that.

 

[Circa]

This guy is a troll, fyi

I'm a troll? and I was wondering where you get that Idea? Trolls pay for a non-pay site everyday too! Or at least donate.....

OOOOO is It bc of all the Boston Bombing fluke evidence popping up everywhere? Ya.... that must be why... Your right I'm a flippin troll who lives and dies for the fall with my IRISH!!!!

 

[Circa]

This guy is a troll, fyi

Honestly feel pretty violated by you saying that! Good JOB ****

 

[Rack Em]

Honestly feel pretty violated by you saying that! Good JOB ****

Trolls get defensive when they're called "trolls".

 

[Circa]

Trolls get defensive when they're called "trolls".

goodness.... Well on that note your right I am a troll....hahahaahhahahhahaahhhahhhahhaa... oooppps was that too much? You can say whatever ya want! I feel the need to defend myself only bc I am not 1 that will sit online for hours on end acting like I'm more literate in the whereabouts the knowing or the happennings of all things ND! The fact that I even have to begin to pledge my allegience to the only...ONLY team I love other than the Penguins... Shows me just why I have refrained from this site at times... The arrogance of some of us Irish fans makes me puke in my shorts! Real ND fans get defensive ( just like Real People) get defensive...