Memorial Stadium to Have Wider Seats/Reduced Capacity

Hayseed said:
I’d find some comfortable seats with a back that could be bolted to the benches. Easy fix.

Start drilling holes and putting them in. It’s ridiculous that they’ve waited so long.
Click to expand...
The area between rows will need to increase or our fat fannies won’t be able to sidestep to our middle row seats 

 
18” to 20” is almost a waste of the time and effort and cost of doing the work frankly.  To get more comfortable, you’d need at least 6” imo.  Especially in cold weather conditions where fans are bundled up etc. 

The average adult is probably 3” taller and 40 lbs heavier (just plain bigger) than 50 years ago when the seating arrangements fit much better. 
A couple inches is hardly worth the negative PR of telling season ticket holders their no

longer welcome or at least are being moved elsewhere.  You add 10% to seat width, you cut capacity by about that.  Roughly 8000 less tickets for 7 home games = 56,000.  About two thirds of a game a year is wiped off the revenue cart.  Of course you try to bump ticket prices but with fan apathy rising and losses piling up, I think my suggestion to Trev would be:

1.   Do his survey to send the message we are truly thinking about giving fans a pleasant experience. To buy time to delay, etc 
2.  You postpone any spending until after 2023 or 24 when new facilities are done and FB is either completely collapsed and we are starting over hiring a whole new bunch or Frost and Whipple give us a couple 8 win seasons and reason to hope again. Without hope, it’s all but over folks.  
3.  We may need as many folks as possible to keep the place looking mostly full.  TV coverage will not be good news with empty seats. 
4.   Maybe offer extra season tickets (2 plus 1 or 2 plus 2, for example), to existing ones at a discount to give holders more attractive seat holdings and help sales.  4 together is very attractive for people. Nice to bring fam & friends along or have extra space if needed. 
5.   I would really push package deals with free BB tickets or Fb tickets to VB holders etc. Market other sports with tickets. 
6.  Focus on bringing in new young fans with parent/child packs etc.  or maybe large groups from around the state.  People need to experience the games to get hooked and or ‘re-hooked’.  

7.  But - right now - I’d aim to keep the long term loyals happy as they’re the core financial base.  Big donors are needed to buy recruits so involve them in ways outside the game itself.  Now I’d focus on average folks in the seats.  If Big Red returns, excitement and interest will too!  But don’t overprice.  Covid has really changed the mentality of many.  Staying home and away from crowds is a thing now.
8.  Consider selling stadium naming rights (one time only) - maybe $75 million  cash.  That would shore up the short and medium term budget back to balance.  Not sure how easy to do but it’s possible.  
9.   If you cut seats to put in chairs or even backs,  I’m guessing you’d have to add about $25 per seat per game.  Maybe people would pay but ???? Doubtful.  They’re already $20 each too high.  Imo.   Probably cut capacity to 65,000 which cuts revenue massively - = loss of two home games a year almost.  And you lose concessions sales for all those seats too.  

 
84HuskerLaw said:
18” to 20” is almost a waste of the time and effort and cost of doing the work frankly.  To get more comfortable, you’d need at least 6” imo.  Especially in cold weather conditions where fans are bundled up etc. 

The average adult is probably 3” taller and 40 lbs heavier (just plain bigger) than 50 years ago when the seating arrangements fit much better. 
A couple inches is hardly worth the negative PR of telling season ticket holders their no

longer welcome or at least are being moved elsewhere.  You add 10% to seat width, you cut capacity by about that.  Roughly 8000 less tickets for 7 home games = 56,000.  About two thirds of a game a year is wiped off the revenue cart.  Of course you try to bump ticket prices but with fan apathy rising and losses piling up, I think my suggestion to Trev would be:

1.   Do his survey to send the message we are truly thinking about giving fans a pleasant experience. To buy time to delay, etc 
2.  You postpone any spending until after 2023 or 24 when new facilities are done and FB is either completely collapsed and we are starting over hiring a whole new bunch or Frost and Whipple give us a couple 8 win seasons and reason to hope again. Without hope, it’s all but over folks.  
3.  We may need as many folks as possible to keep the place looking mostly full.  TV coverage will not be good news with empty seats. 
4.   Maybe offer extra season tickets (2 plus 1 or 2 plus 2, for example), to existing ones at a discount to give holders more attractive seat holdings and help sales.  4 together is very attractive for people. Nice to bring fam & friends along or have extra space if needed. 
5.   I would really push package deals with free BB tickets or Fb tickets to VB holders etc. Market other sports with tickets. 
6.  Focus on bringing in new young fans with parent/child packs etc.  or maybe large groups from around the state.  People need to experience the games to get hooked and or ‘re-hooked’.  

7.  But - right now - I’d aim to keep the long term loyals happy as they’re the core financial base.  Big donors are needed to buy recruits so involve them in ways outside the game itself.  Now I’d focus on average folks in the seats.  If Big Red returns, excitement and interest will too!  But don’t overprice.  Covid has really changed the mentality of many.  Staying home and away from crowds is a thing now.
8.  Consider selling stadium naming rights (one time only) - maybe $75 million  cash.  That would shore up the short and medium term budget back to balance.  Not sure how easy to do but it’s possible.  
9.   If you cut seats to put in chairs or even backs,  I’m guessing you’d have to add about $25 per seat per game.  Maybe people would pay but ???? Doubtful.  They’re already $20 each too high.  Imo.   Probably cut capacity to 65,000 which cuts revenue massively - = loss of two home games a year almost.  And you lose concessions sales for all those seats too.  
Click to expand...
Remember the old saying - offense sells tickets but defense wins championships.  Of course as we’ve seen, special teams costs games when you forget about them.  

 
Back
Top