Mike Thomas talks changes to the Illinois football game day experience & appearance of Memorial Stadium

[zookitup]

Couple thoughts to keep this thread alive...

1) Only 1 statue needs to be added - Butkus, 50 yard line, East side, same scale as Grange. That's it call it a day.

2) My wife grew up outside of Columbus and has attended her fair share of tOSU tailgates. She is always VERY impressed with the physical grounds surrounding MS. Grass, trees, just a much more comfortable space vs. tOSU concrete (setting aside that damn Loyalty Circle lot, which again per my earlier post is a freakin embarrassment).

3) I want MT to do something NOW to fix this for the fall. I want stuff to do the kids, food, adult beverages, bands, games, the list goes on!! I know its on his radar, but I want it addressed NOW. Give me 60 days and I'd have a reasonable plan in place for this fall complete with marketing plan to drive awareness of said plan. I know he can do it and needs to.

[KBLEE]

My brother-in-law is a huge Notre Dame fan, and succeeded in dragging me along to their Blue & Gold game over the weekend. It was quite impressive. Nearly 32,000 fans showed up for a scrimmage and the tailgating was top-notch. I highly doubt we'll ever get to that level, but I'm hoping some future improvements will allow to climb the ladder of relevance.

[jackman404]

Originally Posted by zookitup

Couple thoughts to keep this thread alive...

1) Only 1 statue needs to be added - Butkus, 50 yard line, East side, same scale as Grange. That's it call it a day.

2) My wife grew up outside of Columbus and has attended her fair share of tOSU tailgates. She is always VERY impressed with the physical grounds surrounding MS. Grass, trees, just a much more comfortable space vs. tOSU concrete (setting aside that damn Loyalty Circle lot, which again per my earlier post is a freakin embarrassment).

3) I want MT to do something NOW to fix this for the fall. I want stuff to do the kids, food, adult beverages, bands, games, the list goes on!! I know its on his radar, but I want it addressed NOW. Give me 60 days and I'd have a reasonable plan in place for this fall complete with marketing plan to drive awareness of said plan. I know he can do it and needs to.

LOVE the idea of a Butkus statue opposite Grange. Those two are easily the biggest icons the football team has ever had. I think stopping at two is also the best decision, unless we pull out some future Heisman winner.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by zookitup

1) Only 1 statue needs to be added - Butkus, 50 yard line, East side, same scale as Grange. That's it call it a day.

The trouble with this idea is that with the practice fields, there is no good place to put a statue on the east side.

[AHSIllini32]

Originally Posted by zookitup

Couple thoughts to keep this thread alive...

1) Only 1 statue needs to be added - Butkus, 50 yard line, East side, same scale as Grange. That's it call it a day.

2) My wife grew up outside of Columbus and has attended her fair share of tOSU tailgates. She is always VERY impressed with the physical grounds surrounding MS. Grass, trees, just a much more comfortable space vs. tOSU concrete (setting aside that damn Loyalty Circle lot, which again per my earlier post is a freakin embarrassment).

3) I want MT to do something NOW to fix this for the fall. I want stuff to do the kids, food, adult beverages, bands, games, the list goes on!! I know its on his radar, but I want it addressed NOW. Give me 60 days and I'd have a reasonable plan in place for this fall complete with marketing plan to drive awareness of said plan. I know he can do it and needs to.

Do you have the money to do some of this stuff? If so, please write a check to UI so MT can get it done. I know not all of it is going to cost money but some of it will and might cost a decent amount. Also, you can come up with a plan all you want but implementing it is going to take a lot longer than you may think. I think it will more likely come to fruition next fall with major improvements. Perhaps there will be some small changes for this upcoming season though.

[DaytonIllini]

Originally Posted by zookitup

2) My wife grew up outside of Columbus and has attended her fair share of tOSU tailgates. She is always VERY impressed with the physical grounds surrounding MS. Grass, trees, just a much more comfortable space vs. tOSU concrete (setting aside that damn Loyalty Circle lot, which again per my earlier post is a freakin embarrassment).

Apologize for the slight OT divergence but OSU tailgates are nice if you go to either Lincoln Tower Park south of the Shoe or go to the Alumni Center parking lot (across the river) where there are some real nice grassy areas to set up. With way in excess of 100K fans there it's a zoo. Champaign may seem nice because of how sparse the crowds are by comparison.

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by AHSIllini32

Do you have the money to do some of this stuff? If so, please write a check to UI so MT can get it done. I know not all of it is going to cost money but some of it will and might cost a decent amount. Also, you can come up with a plan all you want but implementing it is going to take a lot longer than you may think. I think it will more likely come to fruition next fall with major improvements. Perhaps there will be some small changes for this upcoming season though.

If I remember correctly from Sat. Sportsline, Thomas talked about potentially having a Butkus statue as part of the horseshoe renovation, a project that is not yet even on the drawing board.

[jackman404]

Has anyone heard anything further on this subject? I would imagine if we haven't heard anything by now that any improvements would wait until after this season is over.

[AuroraIllini]

Originally Posted by jackman404

Has anyone heard anything further on this subject? I would imagine if we haven't heard anything by now that any improvements would wait until after this season is over.

I don't think there will be any other changes for this season. The plan, I believe, is to put a new scoreboard and ribbon banners in the stadium for next season and move the old scoreboard to the north EZ somehow.

[Sure Shot]

Originally Posted by zookitup

2) My wife grew up outside of Columbus and has attended her fair share of tOSU tailgates. She is always VERY impressed with the physical grounds surrounding MS. Grass, trees, just a much more comfortable space vs. tOSU concrete (setting aside that damn Loyalty Circle lot, which again per my earlier post is a freakin embarrassment).

We have the best potential tailgating setup I have ever seen in college football in terms of tailgatable area and its proximity to the stadium. It's without question the best in the Big Ten.

I wouldn't even call what RG with these resources a failure. It is completely impossible that what he did wasn't specifically intended to harm the game day atmosphere at MS, no one could as systematically choke out our natural tailgating advantages by accident.

If you do three things:

1. Encourage fraternities to do their block parties on DIA property. (And otherwise provide tailgating opportunities for student groups)

2. Make the area across First Street a designated tailgate area that is acquired separately from normal I-fund parking. (And generally keep your high-dollar, non-tailgating donors on the paved lots adjacent to the stadium)

3. Open the lots friday night.


There will be an EXPLOSION of fun on fall saturdays. The physical infrastructure around Memorial Stadium is like a pile of dynamite doused in gasoline, we only need to light the match.

[illinicb]

Originally Posted by Sure Shot

We have the best potential tailgating setup I have ever seen in college football in terms of tailgatable area and its proximity to the stadium. It's without question the best in the Big Ten.

I wouldn't even call what RG with these resources a failure. It is completely impossible that what he did wasn't specifically intended to harm the game day atmosphere at MS, no one could as systematically choke out our natural tailgating advantages by accident.

If you do three things:

1. Encourage fraternities to do their block parties on DIA property. (And otherwise provide tailgating opportunities for student groups)

2. Make the area across First Street a designated tailgate area that is acquired separately from normal I-fund parking. (And generally keep your high-dollar, non-tailgating donors on the paved lots adjacent to the stadium)

3. Open the lots friday night.


There will be an EXPLOSION of fun on fall saturdays. The physical infrastructure around Memorial Stadium is like a pile of dynamite doused in gasoline, we only need to light the match.

To suggest that Guenther was specifically intending to harm the game day atmosphere at MS is ridiculous at best.

As for your other ideas:

(1) For fraternity tailgating, there are likely a few issues. With 11:30 kickoffs, students aren't likely to get up early to tailgate, before a game. If the team gets better at some point, this would be less of an issue. The other is you would likely have to relocate donor parking which is an issue.

(2) Are you suggesting that the lot be separated into tailgating and non-tailgating sections? How would you make that distinction? How is the current arrangement preventing people from tailgating?

(3) Opening the lots of Friday night would be great for people with RV's. Not sure it would be practical for others.

[256ILLINI]

Sure Shot's got the right idea.

Especially opening up the lots on Friday. At Alabama most people have their tailgate area set up by Friday night and it only adds to the excitement.

People drive around and see the tents up, it's a constant reminder that there's a game tomorrow, which is probably a more effective form of advertisement than Guenther ever used

[Ransom Stoddard]

Just bring back TailGreat for starters.

[Sure Shot]

Originally Posted by Ransom Stoddard

Just bring back TailGreat for starters.

Help a relative young'n: What was TailGreat, exactly? Other than a awesomely 80's fake word.

[Sure Shot]

Originally Posted by illinicb

(1) For fraternity tailgating, there are likely a few issues. With 11:30 kickoffs, students aren't likely to get up early to tailgate, before a game. If the team gets better at some point, this would be less of an issue. The other is you would likely have to relocate donor parking which is an issue.

(2) Are you suggesting that the lot be separated into tailgating and non-tailgating sections? How would you make that distinction? How is the current arrangement preventing people from tailgating?

(3) Opening the lots of Friday night would be great for people with RV's. Not sure it would be practical for others.

1. It's worse than than, it's 11:00AM. That's the one thing that MT can't control on his own. The Big Ten should give one game to ESPN at 11, and no other game should kick off before 1PM local time. The Big Ten has all the leverage in the world to make this happen, and it would help every single school in the conference, ESPECIALLY we poor saps in Central Time.

In the meantime, with students, do the best you can. Those are your future fans, and future donors. The amount of fan interest we have 20 years from now is directly correlated to how engaged we make our students today.

2. That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Right now the best lots are often half-full while tailgaters pile into lots south of St. Mary's on 1st street. The thinking is classic RG. Roll out the red carpet for the donor money you have, sacrifice everything to preserve those relationships, ignore moneymaking opportunities right in front of your face that would both attract new money and provide a better experience for everybody. All RV's should be parked in the grass field across 1st, as should anyone who wants to pay X amount of money on top of their season ticket for a choice tailgate spot. There is ample paved parking within literally a stone's throw of MS to suit all Loyalty Circle folks. I can't tell you how many times I've seen well-heeled donors gripe about having to park their nice cars in the grass 10 minutes before kickoff. You're burning your tailgating capital to give your customer something they don't even want.

3. SEC folks sometimes set up their tailgate spots and camp, or just get their stuff there in a truck or whatever and go get a hotel. The point is, pack 'em in.

[saleen970]

It used to be allowed to start tailgating Friday night or we just did it anyway. The grass lot just to the west of the stadium was also a great tail gating spot in the 80s, now it is just a parking lot with little tailgating at all. Think it was the Gold lot, my family had a spot there but are now across First st. We used to cook out the night before and wake up tailgating.

[chiefini]

Originally Posted by Ransom Stoddard

Just bring back TailGreat for starters.

+1,000
Tailgreat with Illini star bball players/ athletes as judges

[ctblaisdell83]

For once on this board, I fell as if I can write from direct experience...

Tailgreat was a blast. All my friends were into it (Mike White years). The week leading up we'd prepare our set-up. My contribution was a refrigerator box turned outhouse with the slogan "Pass on Northwestern" painted on the door. The "a" in pass was painted half in blue and half in yellow, so at more than 5 feet it looked like an "i"...

We'd get up Saturday at 7:00 AM (ungodly hour for an undergrad). Immediately start the lubrication with Bloody Marys and Screwdrivers, load up food and drink and head over to MS. Once we were set up we'd head around the tailgreat area and check out others (including NU folks). Great atmosphere with tons of people who had no tickets but still wanted to join in.

Frankly we had no issue with the 11 AM start...just had to set an alarm for a Saturday. It was a good time for UI football, but we weren't thinking Big Ten champ levels...just win some games. I see no reason UI students today, as well as alums, couldn't get into the spirit again. In fact, I didn't know tailgreat went away.

MT seems to want to get the fan base involved again, so events such as tailgreat should thrive again at UI. And I expect we can field teams as good as the Mike White Illini for the foreseeable future

ILL...

[Ransom Stoddard]

Originally Posted by Sure Shot

Help a relative young'n: What was TailGreat, exactly? Other than a awesomely 80's fake word.

Essentially, a contest to see who could come up with and execute the best "themed" tailgate. There were different categories--Greek, student, community, business, etc. There were a few different bandstands around the parking lots, massive amounts of good humor and community, and an overall sense that the tailgate lots were the place to be.

This was in the Neal Stoner days, I think RG did away with it shortly after he took over, I could be incorrect on that.

[Dan]

Originally Posted by Ransom Stoddard

This was in the Neal Stoner days, I think RG did away with it shortly after he took over, I could be incorrect on that.

It went away during the John Mackovic coach-AD era.

[Kramer116]

Originally Posted by ctblaisdell83

For once on this board, I fell as if I can write from direct experience...

Tailgreat was a blast. All my friends were into it (Mike White years). The week leading up we'd prepare our set-up. My contribution was a refrigerator box turned outhouse with the slogan "Pass on Northwestern" painted on the door. The "a" in pass was painted half in blue and half in yellow, so at more than 5 feet it looked like an "i"...

We'd get up Saturday at 7:00 AM (ungodly hour for an undergrad). Immediately start the lubrication with Bloody Marys and Screwdrivers, load up food and drink and head over to MS. Once we were set up we'd head around the tailgreat area and check out others (including NU folks). Great atmosphere with tons of people who had no tickets but still wanted to join in.

Frankly we had no issue with the 11 AM start...just had to set an alarm for a Saturday. It was a good time for UI football, but we weren't thinking Big Ten champ levels...just win some games. I see no reason UI students today, as well as alums, couldn't get into the spirit again. In fact, I didn't know tailgreat went away.

MT seems to want to get the fan base involved again, so events such as tailgreat should thrive again at UI. And I expect we can field teams as good as the Mike White Illini for the foreseeable future

ILL...

Wanted to throw my 2 cents into this discussion. I have visited a handful of places for tailgates, such as Notre Dame, Indiana, Iowa, and hell of even the IU tailgate experience was better. I have obviously done some tailgates at Illinois too. We have so much potential at Illinois, it needs to get tightened up and revamped. We easily have the best potential setup in terms of space, grass, etc.

I went to Illinois during some of the leanest of years. I did make football block at the bars every single Saturday, no matter how terrible we were because as a student I loved to party and day drink haha. My friend would wake me up every Saturday at 8AM and we would go meet all her sorority sisters at the bar. Even if I was out all night Friday, pounding a few Jager Bombs would get me going again right away.

A majority of my friends were in frats/sororities, but I also had a bunch of non-Greek friends. There was absolutely ZERO advertising or attempt to really get the students involved in the tailgating process. I know all my Greek friends would just go to the bars for football block because you basically drank for free (you used to be able to do that). Charging $1 per drink keeps things cheap and an easy way to get all of your friends together. Honestly, I feel that most students, especially the underage ones, felt more "safe" drinking at the bars compared to at tailgates. As a JR/SR, we would just go to the big Senior Block parties at the senior houses.

As a student, there would be not point to drive to the tailgating areas. It is just a hassle to lug coolers, beers, food, etc to a tailgate area if you are not driving or there.

One of my suggestions would be to set up a "student section" of tailgating. Keeping it as close to campus as possible. Set up orange fences all around it so kids are not drinking in public. Set up some stages for bands etc. Set up food stands which are reasonably priced. Keep the student tickets cheap. If kids prefer to pregame at the bars instead of outside the stadium, set up some shuttles from the bars to the game. We have to somehow find a way to get the students more involved. Maybe that will happen if we finally begin to win consistently.

[scott]

That does sound like fun

[Indicchief]

Originally Posted by illinicb

First, I like that MT understands that winning is the primary driver of these things. You can't market your way to excitement. That said, there is no reason not to do both!

I appreciate your thoughts on the Loyalty Circle parking. As someone who has attended games since the 70's, I think the biggest negative change to the game day experience has been changing the parking just west of the stadium. In general, that lot no longer has the carnival atmosphere (or rarely anything close) that it once had and I think due to its proximity to the stadium it has a large impact on the game day atmosphere. The challenge is how do you entice/reward large donors without the special parking? It is somewhat of the equivalent to the "A" section issue with basketball.

Underground parking. Expensive, but a viable solution in the long run.

[Ransom Stoddard]

Originally Posted by Indicchief

Underground parking. Expensive, but a viable solution in the long run.

That would kill tailgating.

[ctblaisdell83]

Originally Posted by Ransom Stoddard

That would kill tailgating.

I think they mean underground parking for the well-heeled, cheering-averse crowd