Stadium Expansion

[knapplc]

Time-lapse video from atop Oldfather Hall showing current progress:

 

[corncraze]

Replacing the turf is an interesting thing to think about that hasn't really been brought up - I think I remembered reading that it had a shelf life of 6-8 years, which is pretty much up. You can tell it's starting to fade and become pretty average, I'd like to see them replace it with the exact same design, and paint those B1G logos on there a little bit thicker, look like they need some more layers.

Replacing the turf is an interesting thing to think about that hasn't really been brought up - I think I remembered reading that it had a shelf life of 6-8 years, which is pretty much up. You can tell it's starting to fade and become pretty average, I'd like to see them replace it with the exact same design, and paint those B1G logos on there a little bit thicker, look like they need some more layers.

Very true. This has to be planned very soon. We've played 7 seasons on this rug now. I was the same thing recently that the time has to be coming to replace it. But I know that Hastings College just replaced their's prior to last season, it had 11 seasons on it and if I'm not mistaken that facility hosts a lot more events than memorial probably does.

I go there!

 

[corncraze]

Replacing the turf is an interesting thing to think about that hasn't really been brought up - I think I remembered reading that it had a shelf life of 6-8 years, which is pretty much up. You can tell it's starting to fade and become pretty average, I'd like to see them replace it with the exact same design, and paint those B1G logos on there a little bit thicker, look like they need some more layers.

I'd really prefer they put natural grass in. I know it will never happen but it doesn't keep me from wishing.

Regarding the south stadium expansion mentioned above, I would be all for it if 2 things happen:

1. there is no jeopardy of losing the sellout streak, and
   
2. they tear the entire thing down and start over making it look like east and west stadium with a balcony (I know it will never happen)
   

The endzone additions were poorly handled IMO. They don't match the original structure and architecture of the original east and west stadium and that drives me nuts.

Yeah, the entire construction of the stadium was handled poorly - just being honest. It is great to have such a historic facility, but it is absolutely terrible that we have more seating in the end zones than we do on the sidelines. And now we are stuck with only adding to north/south stadium, and even then, it will be a huuuge project. Like you said, to add a deck to south, we'd have to tear down and start over.

TCU did it, I believe Ohio State and Iowa did it. Let's do it.

 

[rawhide]

thx Knapp,

my next trip there will be less shocking with updated pix.

GBR

 

[HuskerFanChuck]

I would guess at some point South will be renovated to likely mimc the North concourse, and addon in the same fashion. I don't see them ever tearing it all down and restarting. Wouldn't be feasible to do it and have it all done between seasons, and I don't see them giving up that money for those seats for a year. I do think they'll give it a few years before the addon, and then do it similar to North, and at that point, you'll actually finally be able to traverse the whole stadium through a concourse. It will be interesting to see what the plans are when it finally comes, but I don't expect it to be before 2020 at the earliest. I think they want to give it some time to just be before building on again.

Twinkletoes - Just to be clear, it's the arena that's the city project. Truthfully, they might actually update more if they knew more people were looking at it. Might be that they look at the hits on the site, and decided to update as needed. I did see the lead story talking about pouring one of the concourses? I think it was, and showing the slab of concrete which I thought was a neat photo. Wish they did a lot more of that, but ultimately, I'm just pumped for them to get it completed as quickly as possible. I hope they're planning on allowing a public tour of not only the facility but the boxes, like they did with the West Stadium when it was complete, and with the South Stadium and the athletic offices and locker rooms when they were done. Nice to be able to see the completed project.

 

[Count 'Bility]

Watching the progress gives me mixed emotions. On one hand I think it is cool to have the East side built up, on the other hand I remember when I went to my first game as a kid and the first view of the stadium was the East side. A bit sad to see what I remember go away. I am not local so now that my kids are getting big enough to go, I feel a bit sad that when we make the trip their experience will be different. Heck I had a hard time watching the Tunnel Walk come out of the NW corner instead of the SW corner when I first saw it that way.

Callahan era must have been a witch for you emotions

Yeah, but pretty sure it was for all of us that experienced Husker highs. This is different, I have 2 younger kids now and I think about that first experience of a game. I am not old, only 35, but I am old enough to have experienced different eras in Husker Football. I understand for the younger folk it isn't a big deal, but when you have kids you will understand. I still think the exppansion is cool and will add new depth to the game day experience, I just have a bit of sentimentalism. Kind of like taking my kids to see the Yankees in the house that Jeter built instead of the house that Ruth built.

Well think of it this way. Every bit of the original stadium is still in tact. It was built around. Not torn down and rebuilt. And if you wanna show em some old parts of the stadium get em some balcony seats on the east side.

 

[GSG]

Time-lapse video from atop Oldfather Hall showing current progress:

So, one of the comments on the video over on YouTube is: "Sad to know that outer wall will never be seen again."

That's not right, is it? I've always been under the assumption that the current outer wall will be visible inside the new part. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

 

[Twinkletoes Flintstone]

I would guess at some point South will be renovated to likely mimc the North concourse, and addon in the same fashion. I don't see them ever tearing it all down and restarting. Wouldn't be feasible to do it and have it all done between seasons, and I don't see them giving up that money for those seats for a year. I do think they'll give it a few years before the addon, and then do it similar to North, and at that point, you'll actually finally be able to traverse the whole stadium through a concourse. It will be interesting to see what the plans are when it finally comes, but I don't expect it to be before 2020 at the earliest. I think they want to give it some time to just be before building on again.

Twinkletoes - Just to be clear, it's the arena that's the city project. Truthfully, they might actually update more if they knew more people were looking at it. Might be that they look at the hits on the site, and decided to update as needed. I did see the lead story talking about pouring one of the concourses? I think it was, and showing the slab of concrete which I thought was a neat photo. Wish they did a lot more of that, but ultimately, I'm just pumped for them to get it completed as quickly as possible. I hope they're planning on allowing a public tour of not only the facility but the boxes, like they did with the West Stadium when it was complete, and with the South Stadium and the athletic offices and locker rooms when they were done. Nice to be able to see the completed project.

I am aware of that. My point was that it shouldn't matter whether or not Memorial is a city project in order to put up a webcam.

Regarding south stadium, I wonder if they could do it in sections? In other words, could they tear down the top half and complete that in an offseason then do the bottom half the next year? Or vice versa? I know it would be complicated but the way some of these engineers route traffic in big cities during construction you would think someone could figure out the logistics.

 

[icedavis]

tear down and start over.

TCU did it, I believe Ohio State and Iowa did it. Let's do it.

If I am reading this series correctly, then this is exactly what the Washington Huskies are currently doing.

 

[Twinkletoes Flintstone]

tear down and start over.

TCU did it, I believe Ohio State and Iowa did it. Let's do it.

If I am reading this series correctly, then this is exactly what the Washington Huskies are currently doing.

Oh yeah, they tore down basically the whole thing. Check it out http://oxblue.com/open/huskystadium. FWIW, this is the way to do webcams correctly. This site is awesome if you are into watching construction projects.

 

[95huskers]

These construction boys ain't effin around...

 

[HuskerShark]

tear down and start over.

TCU did it, I believe Ohio State and Iowa did it. Let's do it.

If I am reading this series correctly, then this is exactly what the Washington Huskies are currently doing.

Oh yeah, they tore down basically the whole thing. Check it out http://oxblue.com/open/huskystadium. FWIW, this is the way to do webcams correctly. This site is awesome if you are into watching construction projects.

Holy crap! Is that supposed to be done by the time their season starts this fall?

 

[tschu]

Expanding the seating capacity much further than 95-100k is going to be almost impossible though just because of how small East and West stadiums are (in terms of the general seating areas). And we can't expand them backwards because A) it would cause a huge sh#tstorm about messing with the original 1923 architecture and B) it is now logistically impossible because of the construction on both sides - press boxes, suites, concourses, the whole shebangabang. We've got nowhere to go.

 

[Twinkletoes Flintstone]

tear down and start over.

TCU did it, I believe Ohio State and Iowa did it. Let's do it.

If I am reading this series correctly, then this is exactly what the Washington Huskies are currently doing.

Oh yeah, they tore down basically the whole thing. Check it out http://oxblue.com/open/huskystadium. FWIW, this is the way to do webcams correctly. This site is awesome if you are into watching construction projects.

Holy crap! Is that supposed to be done by the time their season starts this fall?

No, they are playing at Seahawks stadium (Centrury Link) this year and will move in in 2013. Pretty cool final renderings here.

 

[Muck]

TCU did it, I believe Ohio State and Iowa did it. Let's do it.

If you are referring to the south end of Ohio Stadium the old stands were essentially just open bleachers.

Tearing them down was not quite the major undertaking that would be required at Memorial Stadium.

 

[girlknowsfootball]

Exactly! Some of these schools that tear down stadiums or sections of stadiums have alternative places nearby where they can play. Nebraska gots nuthin. Washington can play in the seahawks stadium, TCU could play at Cowboys stadium or one of the other college stadiums in DFW (UNT, SMU, Cotton Bowl).

Nebraska can't tear their stadium down cause they have nowhere else they can play. The closest stadium would be 3 1/2 hrs away. We have a large concrete structure in the south endzone that could easily hold as many as 20,000-30,000 of our total crowd. You can't deny season ticket holders or ticket owners their seats for a whole season... we'd lose out on way to much money and make a lot of loyal fans very mad.

The other thing... it doesn't matter if we expand our stadium to hold 120,000.... everyone in the history of football keeps building bigger and bigger. 110-120,000 would just put us in the top 5 for today's stadiums. What happens when LSU's expansion is done and A&M's expansion is done and then Penn State or Michican or Ohio State adds on again... then we're right back where we were. It's hard for NU to keep up with the jones's.... we don't have the money or student population that some of these other schools have. We don't have the state population to fill 130,000 every game like some of these other schools do.