Memorial Stadium

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#56      
Maybe after they finally fix the south end zone, they can turn their attention to the north end zone, which was seemingly specifically designed to remove the students and the band as factors in the game. Whatever lunatic thought that was a good idea knows nothing about sports.
 
#57      
Maybe after they finally fix the south end zone, they can turn their attention to the north end zone, which was seemingly specifically designed to remove the students and the band as factors in the game. Whatever lunatic thought that was a good idea knows nothing about sports.
I was in the MI when the NEZ was renovated and agree that it takes the students and band out of the game. Hopefully we can eventually build a 'wall' from ground level and up, something that opposing teams have to face down when driving.

If the SEZ is redesigned like @Fighter of the Nightman showed, upper deck and all, I'd like to see the new NEZ have a good sized screen as well. Hopefully the new SEZ and NEZ could bring the stadium's capacity to be between 70 and 80k.
 
#58      
Better yet, bring back the piss wall and name that!
bathroom peeing GIF
 
#59      
I was in the MI when the NEZ was renovated and agree that it takes the students and band out of the game. Hopefully we can eventually build a 'wall' from ground level and up, something that opposing teams have to face down when driving.

What????? The opposing team is doing exactly what you want when driving north. The BAND and STUDENTS are right there the center of the action. Houser (or previous band director) was egging you on to play loud. They've had a few warnings from the officials over the years.

If the band is in the East Stands, the East side fans get minimal sound. Kinda like at half time. Then the sound projects to roughly 22%?? of the stadium occupants. How is this good?

I hear the band (and students) LOUD and CLEAR exactly where they're at now. How am I the only one that sees and hears this?
 
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#60      
LET'S GO! While I think absolutely everyone would love this or an updated take on this general design...

img_3056-jpeg.43565


It really needs to be re-emphasized that ANYTHING is better than what we currently have! If we determine that too much of our newly found funds have to go toward NIL and we need to cut down on the "grandness" of the SEZ renovation, even a scaled down version of what LSU did (literally just threw suites on top of what was already there) would be such a huge improvement. Memorial Stadium is so beautiful, and we cannot let the incomplete and unfortunate look of the Horseshoe be an unnecessary eye sore on it any longer!

Also, I did an MS Paint mockup of this somewhat scaled down version a while back in a previous thread...

Actual LSU Renovation
View attachment 43578

Current Memorial Stadium Horseshoe
View attachment 43579


Hypothetical LSU-Style Update to Memorial Stadium SEZ
View attachment 43580

In other words, I definitely want something grander than that, and ideally it would honor the amazing architecture at our stadium. However, the worst case scenario is that we determine we need more for NIL and let the status quo stand ... even if it's at a reduced price, bringing the SEZ stands down to field level and adding height to trap noise behind them needs to be the bare minimum and needs to be a priority!!

So happy by today's news.
Keep going with your idea and incorporate what the clippers have done with the wall it their arena.
 
#63      
I was in the MI when the NEZ was renovated and agree that it takes the students and band out of the game. Hopefully we can eventually build a 'wall' from ground level and up, something that opposing teams have to face down when driving.

If the SEZ is redesigned like @Fighter of the Nightman showed, upper deck and all, I'd like to see the new NEZ have a good sized screen as well. Hopefully the new SEZ and NEZ could bring the stadium's capacity to be between 70 and 80k.
Already in the works

Illinois is scheduled to upgrade all Memorial Stadium videoboards for the 2026 season. The stadium's main videoboard above the south end zone and both the east and west ribbon boards will be enhanced, along with a new board that will be installed above the north end zone student section. In all, a total of 19 new video displays will be featured throughout Memorial Stadium.

Memorial Stadium's new sound system and LED lighting are planned to be completed for the 2026 season. The sound system will feature a main speaker above the new south videoboard and 20+ new speakers throughout the stadium. The LED lighting system will provide an upgraded experience for fans, student-athletes, and those watching on television.
 
#64      
I am disappointed to hear that not a penny of this will go to pay players. $100 million and not a dime for kids who win games and put butts in seats! My thinking after the studies, planning, and construction. In 4 or 5 years, we'll have a better, closer end zone to sit in. I do value our Memorial stadium greatly. Give me a 30$ million payroll to keep up with Oregon, Penn St. Michigan, and Buckeyes. Not one person can convince me that we'll put 70k in Memorial consistently. I want Myson Johson Cook at Running Back or whomever can get us 1500 yards. PLAYERS AND RETENTION!
 
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#65      
I am disappointed to hear not a penny of this will go to pay players. $100 million and not a dime for kids who win games and put butts in seats! My thinking after the studies, planning, and construction. In 4 or 5 years we'll have a better closer end zone to sit in. I do value our Memorial stadium greatly. Give me a 30$ million payroll to keep up wit Oregon, Penn St. Michigan, and Buckeyes. Not one person can convince me that we'll put 70k in Memorial consistently. I want Myson Johson Cook at Running back or whomever can get us 1500 yards. PLAYERS AND RETENTION!
They can pay players 21 million total right now, and that is maxed by the university. That could change with court ruling, as we've consistently seen.

This was donated as a gift and is earmarked for stadium renovations (largely).

I'm not going to try and explain all the intricacies of today's NIL rules, in part, because they will be different and changing with every court ruling. But this money could not be used in the manner you mentioned.

Better facilities, capacity, and fan experience lead toward increased TV revenue, media coverage etc. All that stuff helps bring those players to campus and play a role in getting the game changers you mentioned.
 
#66      
I’d like to see them make the South End seating as high up as possible. To make the stadium a true oval. I think that would make it look really impressive
 
#67      
I was in the MI when the NEZ was renovated and agree that it takes the students and band out of the game. Hopefully we can eventually build a 'wall' from ground level and up, something that opposing teams have to face down when driving.

If the SEZ is redesigned like @Fighter of the Nightman showed, upper deck and all, I'd like to see the new NEZ have a good sized screen as well. Hopefully the new SEZ and NEZ could bring the stadium's capacity to be between 70 and 80k.
Yeah, I was in Block I at the time. I started when the block was on the sidelines and got moved halfway or so through college. How depressing.
 
#68      
I am disappointed to hear that not a penny of this will go to pay players. $100 million and not a dime for kids who win games and put butts in seats! My thinking after the studies, planning, and construction. In 4 or 5 years, we'll have a better, closer end zone to sit in. I do value our Memorial stadium greatly. Give me a 30$ million payroll to keep up with Oregon, Penn St. Michigan, and Buckeyes. Not one person can convince me that we'll put 70k in Memorial consistently. I want Myson Johson Cook at Running Back or whomever can get us 1500 yards. PLAYERS AND RETENTION!
30 mil would not do it. They are at 40 or above.
 
#69      
I am disappointed to hear that not a penny of this will go to pay players. $100 million and not a dime for kids who win games and put butts in seats! My thinking after the studies, planning, and construction. In 4 or 5 years, we'll have a better, closer end zone to sit in. I do value our Memorial stadium greatly. Give me a 30$ million payroll to keep up with Oregon, Penn St. Michigan, and Buckeyes. Not one person can convince me that we'll put 70k in Memorial consistently. I want Myson Johson Cook at Running Back or whomever can get us 1500 yards. PLAYERS AND RETENTION!
You can’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Someone giving that amount of money should be given some (or a lot) of say in it. There also has to be some boundary around how much is spent on players, unless total revenues keep increasing. Everyone wants a 1500 yard Rb, and it just becomes a bidding war. When you are the winner in a bidding scenario, it means you were willing to pay an amount no one else thought was worth it.
 
#70      
I am disappointed to hear that not a penny of this will go to pay players. $100 million and not a dime for kids who win games and put butts in seats! My thinking after the studies, planning, and construction. In 4 or 5 years, we'll have a better, closer end zone to sit in. I do value our Memorial stadium greatly. Give me a 30$ million payroll to keep up with Oregon, Penn St. Michigan, and Buckeyes. Not one person can convince me that we'll put 70k in Memorial consistently. I want Myson Johson Cook at Running Back or whomever can get us 1500 yards. PLAYERS AND RETENTION!

never (ever) look a gift horse in the mouth. also, you may want to brush up on the player compensation rules

guess I should have refreshed this page, lol
 
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#71      
They can pay players 21 million total right now, and that is maxed by the university. That could change with court ruling, as we've consistently seen.

This was donated as a gift and is earmarked for stadium renovations (largely).

I'm not going to try and explain all the intricacies of today's NIL rules, in part, because they will be different and changing with every court ruling. But this money could not be used in the manner you mentioned.

Better facilities, capacity, and fan experience lead toward increased TV revenue, media coverage etc. All that stuff helps bring those players to campus and play a role in getting the game changers you mentioned.
You can still have third party NIL if deloit approved.
 
#72      
I am disappointed to hear that not a penny of this will go to pay players. $100 million and not a dime for kids who win games and put butts in seats! My thinking after the studies, planning, and construction. In 4 or 5 years, we'll have a better, closer end zone to sit in. I do value our Memorial stadium greatly. Give me a 30$ million payroll to keep up with Oregon, Penn St. Michigan, and Buckeyes. Not one person can convince me that we'll put 70k in Memorial consistently. I want Myson Johson Cook at Running Back or whomever can get us 1500 yards. PLAYERS AND RETENTION!
Sorry, but this is just silly. WHY? We literally used to do this, and programs with much smaller student populations, alumni bases and population centers than ours do it regularly. There isn’t something in the water in IL to prevent it … we’ve gone from 35k per game to 56k-60k per game in literally two years! But the final 9k is just unattainable even though we used to be able to do it…????
 
#73      
What????? The opposing team is doing exactly what you want when driving north. The BAND and STUDENTS are right there the center of the action. Houser (or previous band director) was egging you on to play loud. They've had a few warnings from the officials over the years.

If the band is in the East Stands, the East side fans get minimal sound. Kinda like at half time. Then the sound projects to roughly 22%?? of the stadium occupants. How is this good?

I hear the band (and students) LOUD and CLEAR exactly where they're at now. How am I the only one that sees and hears this?
The problem isn’t that the students / band are in the end zone … it’s the specifics of their placement. The NEZ starts WAY higher up than the rest of the stadium, and then it extends back into the air at an angle, with open gaps on either side of it … nothing to trap the noise and no fans right near field level. It’s literally a timeout center for rowdy drunk kids, which is so on brand for RG, lol.

I mentioned this before, but I came down for the Purdue game in 2022 and sat in West Main near the edge of the Horseshoe. Purdue brought a sizable fan contingent and brought its band, which was sat in our visitors section. We could hear Purdue’s band SO much louder because their noise was echoing off of the East Balcony overhang and the SE brick tower. Meanwhile, it seemed like the Marching Illini were playing into the wind.

If students and band are to stay in the NEZ, two things need to change, or our atmosphere potential will continue to be hindered:

1. Repurpose it so the first row of students isn’t so high up on the air … truly create that “wall of fans.”
2. Put something - ANYTHING but open air - to the left and right of the current stands to trap the noise.
 
#74      
You can still have third party NIL if deloit approved.
3rd party NIL funneled from a gift to the school?

Or are y'all saying that the University should have told Gies no and to give all the money to the schools NIL organization?

I understand their is still 3rd party NIL..
 
#75      
3rd party NIL funneled from a gift to the school?

Or are y'all saying that the University should have told Gies no and to give all the money to the schools NIL organization?

I understand their is still 3rd party NIL.
Basically it can go to players if permitted in Gies' negotiations. Whether it was is a different story.
 
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