You are definitely fully invested in this topic. You do a great job of constructing your posts. I view and read every one. My only problem is with each of you posts, I get more anxious for a renovation.Using this post to sort of spew my random thoughts, haha. I don't mind adding extra rows onto the structure of the existing Horseshoe structure, but I think it would ideally go along with lowering the field. Even though bringing the first row of the Horseshoe down to field level would be a M-A-S-S-I-V-E improvement to the current situation, even our East/West Main stands are WAY too far from the field! Those issues unfortunately cannot be solved without lowering the field due to the players standing and blocking the view, but you have no such issue with the SEZ. Thus, I would just favor a brand new structure that gets fans as close as possible. For example, the NEZ structure is much closer to the end zone than the East/West Main stands are to the sidelines because it doesn't force itself to "match" the rest of the stadium ... and if we just renovated the Horseshoe, we WOULD have to "match" where it starts with the rest of the stands.
On that note, I am generally a fan of stadiums that are in some way unique. If we are going to keep a horseshoe setup, do it like Ohio State and have at least one end that is clearly the "non-horseshoe" aesthetic. This is nothing more than my subjective opinion, but my least favorite type of stadium is like what Rutgers has, where you have a small bowl that happens to have an upper deck only on the sides:
I find it just fundamentally uninteresting. It's too small to be a proper bowl (as LSU's Tiger Stadium actually WAS before its renovation, as shown below!), it's too round to have more of a "squared-in" aesthetic, it's not a horseshoe, etc. I would want any MS renovation to avoid making the SEZ and NEZ look too similar UNLESS both are "squared-in" and match what the East Main and East Balcony sides look like to complete the stadium's aesthetic. If we are going to keep the SEZ as a Horseshoe, I would hope we take inspiration from what LSU did in trying to give that structure as much height as possible:
Before (Field View)
After (Field View)
Before (Aerial View)
After (Aerial View)
You will notice that they actually added VERY few new seats, but now the stadium looks a lot more complete and visually imposing. I hope we prioritize creating something tall and filling in as much open space as possible with whatever we do to the SEZ. Then we can do whatever we want with the NEZ, and there is less pressure to get that end perfectly right.
Memorial Stadium
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blackdog
- Champaign
I'm really curious to see what the video board above the NEZ is going to look like! It might be the answer to all the prayers from the Horseshoe folks.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yeah, this is so vague. Also, I die inside a little bit every time we announce these $10 million per year upgrades that take care of things that are admittedly important but not "transformative." I know I am more passionate about it than most, but I would bet 90% of people would indeed identify the Horseshoe as the main weakness with Memorial Stadium ... it desperately needs attention. If there is no foreseeable plan to completely tear down the Horseshoe and replace it with something better, fine ... but if we are stuck with it for a while, AT LEAST do a petty construction project to build bleachers that bring the stands down to field level. As has been posted a number of times, even this tiny upgrade makes a material visual difference:
--->
Like, that just can't be expensive, haha. And the only reason not to do it is if there is this grand plan for a totally new and improved replacement, yet the silence for almost a DECADE since the last announced renovation is deafening. Hopefully the vague sentence you posted means something cool is at least in the long-term works.
There 100% is a grand plan for the horseshoe, but sinking in hundreds of millions of $$ at this point would set us back, not move us forward.
We need to focus on the fundamentals, keep stacking winning seasons, and continue to solidify the Athletic Department.
I bet that in a few years, they will announce something transformative. As much as many of us (myself included) would like to see it done now, we have a lot of debt and are still figuring out the new landscape.
Transforming the Horseshoe at the expense of AD revenue or NIL/other donor $$ would not be a wise move.
This reads like R&M. The NEZ scoreboard sounds like it's appreciated by folks who sit in the horseshoe. I've admittedly only ever sat in the NEZ and lower west balcony, so the current scoreboard has never been an issue for me.
I really wish the DIA would at least do some conceptual designs and cost estimates for the following:
1. SEZ reconstruction per 2014 rendering
2. Lowering field 10-12 ft
3. Building box suites directly behind the horseshoe to enclose the stadium, with no changes to the existing horseshoe structure (bad play long-term IMO)
I really wish the DIA would at least do some conceptual designs and cost estimates for the following:
1. SEZ reconstruction per 2014 rendering
2. Lowering field 10-12 ft
3. Building box suites directly behind the horseshoe to enclose the stadium, with no changes to the existing horseshoe structure (bad play long-term IMO)
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Lol, thank you ... and yes, behind getting our basketball program the uniforms it deserves, this is probably my biggest Illini-related passion at the moment! It's just such a shame, because it's not like we are putting lipstick on a pig ... Memorial Stadium has the kind of potential that is extremely rare, and it just needs attention. We have such a gift, and we are somewhat wasting it. Right now, I feel like MS is treasured by Illini fans, and non-Illini fans are about split between "it's the definition of meh" and "parts of it actually have really cool architecture, it's kind of underrated!" However, that is really not good enough. A stadium with its history should have Wrigley Field status, where even visiting and rival fans can appreciate it as a cathedral to the sport. Unfortunately, we have the equivalent of a Wrigley Field that was never finished in 100 years of usage, haha. And it sucks, and I want it fixed so Memorial Stadium can take its rightful place as a truly iconic venue!
Regarding the announced "enhancements" or whatever, I am really curious to see where they put these video boards. I was actually thinking the other day that while the towers are easily the coolest feature of Memorial Stadium, it is kind of unfortunate they are parallel to the east/west stands. If I could wave a magic wand, we would transport all four into the "corners" of the stadium, and we could have a "squared-in" setup like Hard Rock Stadium. I feel like it would be SO cool if the towers were in the spaces of the video boards in the below pictures, and we could have video boards on top of all four and add architecturally matching upper deck stands to the south and north sides:
Too tired to try to make that visual a reality in MS paint, haha. The basic idea, though, is that we want all corners filled in somehow. To its credit, the 2016 renovation plan would have indeed accomplished this, at least on the south side. However, this picture does a good job of showing how it would be way easier if you could just rotate those towers a bit, lol.
I have no connection to the DIA, I would bet they have some level of cost estimates and timing on all of these things, and have planned scenarios/costs so once they determine the direction they have some real data to work with. I would almost guarantee there have been many discussions around the vision for Memorial Stadium with major donors.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I'm dying to just see more of the bolded! Any of you engineers have any graphic design software where you can start at least showing us cool ideas that are better than my MS Paint work??
Yes and I post this every so often. Does anyone read it??
...from May 2024 News-Gazette
Some of that TV-contract money will go toward paying off about $292 million in athletics-related debt, a sum that requires about $23 million a year now. The debt is tied to a number of projects including the renovation of Memorial Stadium, State Farm Center and the Ubben Basketball Complex, and construction of the Smith Football Performance Center, Demirjian Park, Atkins Baseball Training Center and Martin Softball Training Center. The per-year payment won’t drop until fiscal year 2029, when some loans will be repaid. Burson said the DIA does not “foresee any new building projects requiring the use of bond financing on the horizon.”
imo
JW & staff are working on a master plan that may indeed require the team to play elsewhere for an entire season .
IF , and a big if , they are considering lowering the field it will take awhile if it includes major work to the SEZ & NEZ
Maybe 3-4 games in SF & 3 games in WF is in the works . maybe SF for all but one game is possible IF the Bears are moved out . This would be a possibility in 2029 or 2030 .
I really don’t expect any changes to outside seating on the east main as that removes A LOT of seats . symmetry is not a principle theme of architecture . east main has nothing to do with west main .
we need to INCREASE capacity while at the same time re-allocating seat widths to accommodate today’s fatter arses . perhaps that requires real seats in the premium locations of the stadium .
if we expect to play ball with OSU , UM , PSU et al , we need a capacity of 75,000-80,000. imo, 85,000 is more inline with our B10 brethren . We will never match the 3 schools mentioned above , but we should be ahead of Iowa, Wiscy & MSU
JW & staff are working on a master plan that may indeed require the team to play elsewhere for an entire season .
IF , and a big if , they are considering lowering the field it will take awhile if it includes major work to the SEZ & NEZ
Maybe 3-4 games in SF & 3 games in WF is in the works . maybe SF for all but one game is possible IF the Bears are moved out . This would be a possibility in 2029 or 2030 .
I really don’t expect any changes to outside seating on the east main as that removes A LOT of seats . symmetry is not a principle theme of architecture . east main has nothing to do with west main .
we need to INCREASE capacity while at the same time re-allocating seat widths to accommodate today’s fatter arses . perhaps that requires real seats in the premium locations of the stadium .
if we expect to play ball with OSU , UM , PSU et al , we need a capacity of 75,000-80,000. imo, 85,000 is more inline with our B10 brethren . We will never match the 3 schools mentioned above , but we should be ahead of Iowa, Wiscy & MSU
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
@fuddrules Thank you for reposting. I am no expert in this field, but I have two questions that come up...
1) If debt is ALREADY tied to renovations for Memorial Stadium, this would not seem to stop us from expressing a PLAN or the renovation of the Horseshoe. This sadly says to me that it is not even a priority WITHIN the topic of MS renovations...
2) Many of the other programs around us have still done massively successful renovations recently ... those require debt, right? Iowa is in our neighborhood and their end zone renovation is regularly championed here as a model example.
1) If debt is ALREADY tied to renovations for Memorial Stadium, this would not seem to stop us from expressing a PLAN or the renovation of the Horseshoe. This sadly says to me that it is not even a priority WITHIN the topic of MS renovations...
2) Many of the other programs around us have still done massively successful renovations recently ... those require debt, right? Iowa is in our neighborhood and their end zone renovation is regularly championed here as a model example.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I agree with raising capacity, but I don't agree on symmetry ... at least as it applies to us. You can make the case that a given stadium doesn't need to be symmetrical, and I could agree. However, our stadium was so clearly set up to be symmetrical that I think it just looks really weird the way we renovated the west side but not the east...
Nothing more than my subjective opinion, but we fundamentally built this place to be kind of symmetrical. And so, now I feel the west side looks short and out of place in comparison:
I agree we can get to 75K capacity, but I think we should do this by building taller and more efficient structures to help trap noise. The seats underneath the East Balcony are indeed "a lot" (7K or so, IIRC), but they are visually hidden and kind of pointless - at least from a stadium aesthetic and gameday environment. Let's use that extra 7K to make whatever goes in the SEZ and NEZ even better!
I really hope it’s true that the internet will be better this year
Below is AI generated, but I kept iterating on the results on I got something I felt looked imposing and could fit well with the existing architecture. I think this may work better for the NEZ though. Both the NEZ and SEZ are garbage. (Love the video screen btw, haha...I didn't ask for that part. Perhaps it's a sign? )
)
At first, I was like "What is THIS?!" Then, after a few moments, I fell in love with it because it's so unique and different.Below is AI generated, but I kept iterating on the results on I got something I felt looked imposing and could fit well with the existing architecture. I think this may work better for the NEZ though. Both the NEZ and SEZ are garbage. (Love the video screen btw, haha...I didn't ask for that part. Perhaps it's a sign?
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University of Illinois Memorial Colannades Stadium, brought to you by Country FinancialBelow is AI generated, but I kept iterating on the results on I got something I felt looked imposing and could fit well with the existing architecture. I think this may work better for the NEZ though. Both the NEZ and SEZ are garbage. (Love the video screen btw, haha...I didn't ask for that part. Perhaps it's a sign?
View attachment 42767
Then regularly referred to and known across the country as The Colannades
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BeautifulBelow is AI generated, but I kept iterating on the results on I got something I felt looked imposing and could fit well with the existing architecture. I think this may work better for the NEZ though. Both the NEZ and SEZ are garbage. (Love the video screen btw, haha...I didn't ask for that part. Perhaps it's a sign?
View attachment 42767
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
This is the type of actually unique stadium OOZING with character and a traditional aura that we would never get because following bland modern-looking designs is so much cheaper.Below is AI generated, but I kept iterating on the results on I got something I felt looked imposing and could fit well with the existing architecture. I think this may work better for the NEZ though. Both the NEZ and SEZ are garbage. (Love the video screen btw, haha...I didn't ask for that part. Perhaps it's a sign?
View attachment 42767
If our stadium looked like that, it would be considered the best in the Big Ten regardless of capacity ... period.
Yep. People would potentially come to a game simply to experience and see a game at “The Colannades”This is the type of actually unique stadium OOZING with character and a traditional aura that we would never get because following bland modern-looking designs is so much cheaper.
If our stadium looked like that, it would be considered the best in the Big Ten regardless of capacity ... period.
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