Got the survey too as a season ticket holder. It seems like maybe not a rich donor thing, but a 'how can we milk an extra 50-100 dollars out of people above the cost of their seat to go stand in a room at field level". I mean I guess that's fine , but I do worry it will increase the NFL/corporatization feel even more
Gies Memorial Stadium
pretty much . building the area up on top of bleachers will give them a place to put up festive colorful tents & increase the game like atmosphere.
clearly a way to raise revenue & the corporatization actually started a while ago .
Regarding NFL feel, Illinois already has a group at field level. ICON. So if people aren't familiar, I'm not sure it's a big deal on feel.
I also think it may not be specifically targeted at the top donors. They already have the Stadium Club 2 hours before the game. How much could one eat and drink?
i’m fine with them utilizing existing real estate to raise revenue for football team NIL purposes.
both end zones are grossly underutilized
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
I thought the same thing. He needs to get crackin with the AI mock ups
He now has something more concrete to work with.Illini92and96
- Austin, TX
I’m ok if the visiting team is underutilizing the end zone and our offense is over-utilizing it.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
This won't be another complaint post (well, not REALLY, anyway 
) ... but I thought this was interesting from Chat GPT. I have not verified this information or anything (not sure how I would), so take it worth a grain of salt, but I asked Chat GPT what Big Ten football stadiums had the steepest and most gradual slopes of the stands. It came up with the following:
Steepest Stadiums
1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Indiana
4. Illinois
Most Gradual Stadiums
1. UCLA
2. Purdue
3. Michigan
And here is what it said about Memorial Stadium:
Its seating is steeper than its open, spread-out appearance might suggest. The limitation is that the stadium doesn't enclose the field as tightly as Ohio Stadium.
Obviously this depends on the section of each stadium (e.g., the East Balcony is way steeper than the Horseshoe), but I think this speaks to what an epic and intimidating home field atmosphere we could have if we enclose the south end zone ... and that is why I am so passionate about doing that. While the north side could definitely use some enclosing, it isn't nearly as bad because of the way the NEZ is built and the buildings / terraces / whatever on either side of the stands. The massive new scoreboard has got to help a little, but it's just really unfortunate how "short" the stands of the Horseshoe are, and I think it lets so much crowd noise escape into the air that could be trapped in the stadium if we just had something there to trap it.
I think an electric home field advantage is far more than just some luxury or point of pride for the fans. I think it gives a program a higher floor during the down years, as it allows us to retain more of a proud identity when the wins aren't racking up, it keeps some recruits interested who might not otherwise consider us and (most importantly) it makes it INFINITELY more likely that we score massive, momentum-shifting wins vs. elite teams because playing in Champaign is just a pain in the !!! no matter what! The "bones" of Memorial Stadium are absolutely elite, and we aren't dealing with a situation like the Rose Bowl where it will just never get that loud because the stands are too flat ... just building anything in the SEZ space that at least reaches the height of the towers on either side would have a shockingly huge impact on our crowd noise, IMO.
) ... but I thought this was interesting from Chat GPT. I have not verified this information or anything (not sure how I would), so take it worth a grain of salt, but I asked Chat GPT what Big Ten football stadiums had the steepest and most gradual slopes of the stands. It came up with the following:Steepest Stadiums
1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Indiana
4. Illinois
Most Gradual Stadiums
1. UCLA
2. Purdue
3. Michigan
And here is what it said about Memorial Stadium:
Its seating is steeper than its open, spread-out appearance might suggest. The limitation is that the stadium doesn't enclose the field as tightly as Ohio Stadium.
Obviously this depends on the section of each stadium (e.g., the East Balcony is way steeper than the Horseshoe), but I think this speaks to what an epic and intimidating home field atmosphere we could have if we enclose the south end zone ... and that is why I am so passionate about doing that. While the north side could definitely use some enclosing, it isn't nearly as bad because of the way the NEZ is built and the buildings / terraces / whatever on either side of the stands. The massive new scoreboard has got to help a little, but it's just really unfortunate how "short" the stands of the Horseshoe are, and I think it lets so much crowd noise escape into the air that could be trapped in the stadium if we just had something there to trap it.
I think an electric home field advantage is far more than just some luxury or point of pride for the fans. I think it gives a program a higher floor during the down years, as it allows us to retain more of a proud identity when the wins aren't racking up, it keeps some recruits interested who might not otherwise consider us and (most importantly) it makes it INFINITELY more likely that we score massive, momentum-shifting wins vs. elite teams because playing in Champaign is just a pain in the !!! no matter what! The "bones" of Memorial Stadium are absolutely elite, and we aren't dealing with a situation like the Rose Bowl where it will just never get that loud because the stands are too flat ... just building anything in the SEZ space that at least reaches the height of the towers on either side would have a shockingly huge impact on our crowd noise, IMO.
This won't be another complaint post (well, not REALLY, anyway
Steepest Stadiums
1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Indiana
4. Illinois
Most Gradual Stadiums
1. UCLA
2. Purdue
3. Michigan
And here is what it said about Memorial Stadium:
Its seating is steeper than its open, spread-out appearance might suggest. The limitation is that the stadium doesn't enclose the field as tightly as Ohio Stadium.
Obviously this depends on the section of each stadium (e.g., the East Balcony is way steeper than the Horseshoe), but I think this speaks to what an epic and intimidating home field atmosphere we could have if we enclose the south end zone ... and that is why I am so passionate about doing that. While the north side could definitely use some enclosing, it isn't nearly as bad because of the way the NEZ is built and the buildings / terraces / whatever on either side of the stands. The massive new scoreboard has got to help a little, but it's just really unfortunate how "short" the stands of the Horseshoe are, and I think it lets so much crowd noise escape into the air that could be trapped in the stadium if we just had something there to trap it.
I think an electric home field advantage is far more than just some luxury or point of pride for the fans. I think it gives a program a higher floor during the down years, as it allows us to retain more of a proud identity when the wins aren't racking up, it keeps some recruits interested who might not otherwise consider us and (most importantly) it makes it INFINITELY more likely that we score massive, momentum-shifting wins vs. elite teams because playing in Champaign is just a pain in the !!! no matter what! The "bones" of Memorial Stadium are absolutely elite, and we aren't dealing with a situation like the Rose Bowl where it will just never get that loud because the stands are too flat ... just building anything in the SEZ space that at least reaches the height of the towers on either side would have a shockingly huge impact on our crowd noise, IMO.
You're definitely not wrong. Washington or Northwestern-type canopies would likely diminish the architectural integrity of the stadium, so the only real option is to box it as best we can. That would likely require closing the openings that flank the NEZ and a complete rebuild of the SEZ. Because we just installed an absolute unit of a video board in the SEZ, I doubt we're seeing any changes to the SEZ any time soon. Moving forward, any changes we do make will have to accommodate 17k+ SF of video board, so not sure how substantial any improvements will be...unless.......
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
^ I wish in the meantime, they would just put some banners or something on either side! Obviously a super flimsy banner won't trap noise, but we could improve the look and noise-trapping abilities of that area SO easily, and we don't need to wait for a bunch of money! Chat GPT is obviously not picking up what I'm putting down and I do not feel like holding its hand toward a truly good rendering, but you get the idea.
Beating a dead horse time again, but it's one thing if Josh and Co. have this amazing plan for the SEZ and the fundraising necessary is at least within view, so they just don't bother with small fixes. However, if there is no plan that would be realistically achieved in the next decade, it's just a really weird and dumb attitude to be allergic to small fixes along the way. Find some classy looking Illini banners, find a cheap way to get them in the spaces depicted in this photo and hang 'em up.
Beating a dead horse time again, but it's one thing if Josh and Co. have this amazing plan for the SEZ and the fundraising necessary is at least within view, so they just don't bother with small fixes. However, if there is no plan that would be realistically achieved in the next decade, it's just a really weird and dumb attitude to be allergic to small fixes along the way. Find some classy looking Illini banners, find a cheap way to get them in the spaces depicted in this photo and hang 'em up.
Illini92and96
- Austin, TX
That is kinda dark, and I what I expect a football stadium in Gotham city to look like.