Memorial Stadium Game Day Experience
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It's THE Assembly Hall sir. Assembly Hall is in Bloomington.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
Bert gets it.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Thank God! The NEZ should be the “last” area of the stadium to fill up, not the most tightly packed in.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
If we can increase seating in the new SEZ structure then it would be great to get rid of the NEZ seating and put a beer garden up there. In the meantime fill that section with family packs and giveaways to high schools.
We are making progress everyone!
B-ILL
- Working From Home
I was part of the student section that started out in the East Main in 2005 & 2006, then moved to NEZ for 2007. I watched a lot of Tim Brasic and EB Halsey from the East Main, so my opinion may be biased because 2007 was so memorable. Seeing Arrelious Benn return a kickoff for a TD against Penn State from the NEZ was awesome. Then after the Wisconsin game the next weekend, the players climbed up into the NEZ student section to celebrate the win with the students and the MI. It was a defining moment of my Illinois fandom.
LGIllini
- La Grange, IL
Yes! I feel vindicated since I tweeted this is response to the student tickets going on sale last April: "Curious why we stick the students behind the end zone? Why not put them right behind the visitor's sideline/bench. Students can intimidate/distract other team and they get better seats (which encourages them to attend more games). Win-win."
As a mother of two current students I can attest that they hate being squeezed into the NEZ as it's too crowded and far away from the field...
KrushCow31
Former Krush Cow
- Chicago, IL
Is it like how it was in 2009ish where the east was like the 2nd part of the student section? If you picked up your tickets late, you'd get east section tickets. Or like is the whole student section moving?
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Keep complaining Gritty, it’s working 
IlliniSaluki
- IL metro east burbs of St. Louis
To me it sounds like the whole section is moving to it's proper home in the stadium, Behind the Enemy bench. About friggin' time!
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
Aaaaand the "Coming Soon" image for East Stands Improvements and South Endzone Renovation on the I Fund website has disappeared overnight...they allude to that on the fighting illini website where they discuss other capital projects
Join the I FUND - Illinois Office of Athletic Development
The Campaign for Fighting Illini Athleticsjointheifund.com
lets hope they get the countrys best wifi signal up and running as part of this
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
The squeaky wheel gets the grease!Keep complaining Gritty, it’s working
As I said before, there's a lot that could be done to make MS better relatively cheaply and quickly, and it sounds like that's what they have in mind.
Btw, if they're going to do a quick and dirty install of bleachers down to the field level in the SEZ, theoretically there's no reason they couldn't do the same in the NEZ.
Yeah the way that tweet reads it's going back pre '07.
I'm with @B-ILL
Was east side in 06 which was miserable. There was more talk about the Bears game the next day than what was happening on the field. I clearly remember harassing Buckeye fans because they barely beat us that year (had to hang my hat on something).
Switched to NEZ for 07 (Benn kick return for a TD, team climbing up into the band section, Kyle Hudson forgetting how to catch a punt).
Personally had a better/more memorable time in the NEZ, but moving them back to the east side is the right, and overdue, thing to do.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Seriously, though, has IllinoisLoyalty led to ~change~?!Keep complaining Gritty, it’s working
Anyway, as far as renovations to Memorial go ... I'm hopeful that the renewed optimism around the program, impressive NIL efforts from U of I to-date, impressive money we have been willing to pay coaches since JW took over (likely ponied up by donors) and the timing of the announcement means that significantly more money is now available than when we scrapped the SEZ portion of renovations. If that is the case, PLEASE give me this:
New South Endzone Interior
New South End Zone Exterior
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7140585/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-21%20at%2011.08.03%20AM.png)
Note: I would really like this exterior to be "classed up" a bit (i.e., no murals...) and have it match the traditional architecture (columns, etc.) of the east and west sides of the stadium. I have heard that there might be a connection pavilion skywalk thing to SFC, which could be cool, but that is not make-or-break for me, personally.
Redone North End Zone (Combination)
IMO, there are three goals here:
1) A revenue-generating area (beer garden, food vendors, club seats, etc.)
2) A high/imposing structure that helps to trap the crowd noise and enclose the stadium
3) Something that accomplishes (1) and (2) using up minimal seating/capacity in order to use up our capacity in other areas of the stadium
If we can do some combination of those to the NEZ and renovate the SEZ to be like the photo above, all while maintaining the architectural integrity and historical feel of Memorial Stadium, we will instantly have a "must-visit" venue within the conference. The potential has always been there, and I'm so excited!
P.S. If any novice graphic designers want to try to throw together some rough sketch of what this would look like using MS Paint, I would not oppose it.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
There has been a lot of talk about how we need to lower the field if a "proper" or long term renovation were to happen, but I must admit I do not think we do (especially, and obviously, for the SEZ). If we want to get the fans as close as they are at, say, Kinnick Stadium ... sure. But you could restructure things a LOT better than they are now (especially in the Horesehoe) without that sort of heavy lifting.
They are still looking for money for the SEZ. More expensive than initially thought. Hopefully by spring or summer they will have an announcement.
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
To a man with a Whitman every problem looks like a capital project.
They're still just hoping the winning fairy changes the ticket demand equation enough to make financial sense of their ideas in that area.
None of this is as important as moving the students, getting gameday operations working properly, fixing the wifi situation which you'd hope could be allocated seperately (and seems to be the real gameday operations problem), etc.
They are overhauling the wifi ASAP, won't be this season though. You keep winning this season next years season ticket sales should increase(see:08 season tickets after 07). A nice donation from Shad would help too
Well, I agree with all this, but I wonder what will happen to my season ticket seats I have had for several years? If I get moved to either end zone it is the last ticket I will ever buy. I can remember times when we had success for a period (the 80's) and started moving long term season ticket holders as the stadium sold out. They left and when the team turned bad they never came back. I had family this happened too in bball as well. One cousin was moved from A to B to C and he not only dropped his tickets, he never watched another game. I could not do that, but I would be pissed!
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I haven't always put all my faith in Josh Whitman, but he has my full attention now. Underwood and Bielema need to be locked in for years to come, no matter the cost.
That being said, I'm so disappointed to read some of the 50 yd line season ticket holders whining about relocating the students. These people are used to getting their way, and used to pushing people around with their cash. Awwww does someone have to maybe watch from the 40 yd line or 30 yd line now? Get over yourselves you know-it-all whiners. Look at the big picture and what is being built here. If you don't like it, then you aren't a die-hard fan like the rest of us, and we don't need you or your money.
That being said, I'm so disappointed to read some of the 50 yd line season ticket holders whining about relocating the students. These people are used to getting their way, and used to pushing people around with their cash. Awwww does someone have to maybe watch from the 40 yd line or 30 yd line now? Get over yourselves you know-it-all whiners. Look at the big picture and what is being built here. If you don't like it, then you aren't a die-hard fan like the rest of us, and we don't need you or your money.
Sorry but I won't use any verbiage that smacks of tOSU.
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