now that it looks like we are closer to still having a good conference is it too early to start a south endzone thread again 
South Endzone
- Thread starter hawkeyeh8r
- Start date
...1...
"we can't fill the stadium we have now"
"we shouldn't be spending money we don't have yet"
"we can't fill the stadium we have now"
"we shouldn't be spending money we don't have yet"
I would be interested to here the arguments we have now from the people who side against this.
Argument number 1 is usually. We can't fill up the stadium we have now (ignoring the fact that the first phase of the endzone bowling wouldn't increase capacity). Assuming Texas (which is slated to be a 75 degree day and will likely be a sell out).
We currently have the 35th highest home attendance in the nation and it looks like Texas will continue to keep the attendance at record levels for ISU. After Texas that will be half of our home schedule, and the following home game will be homecoming. I believe we also are unable to even match the attendance single game record because the renovations done to the stadium in the last round actually reduced seating.
After that the next argument is we can't afford it, the most legitimate argument, IMO. However if the project goes through I would anticipate a significant increase in ticket/suite revenue from it. That is hard to quantify without doing a study or knowing the actual plans of the project that would be done. People who make this argument are either overly cautions or incredibly pessimistic IMO because they are working under the assumption it just can't be done feasibly.
Argument number 3, we could spend the money better elsewhere. I agree that there are probably places in the AD that could use the money, but that is ignoring the fact that football pays the bills for everyone. Basketball has a new practice facility now, Football will next year as as well. Volleyball just had an overhaul of their offices (partially jump started by the Hilton flood). I believe wrestling will be upgraded by moving into the Jacobson building space vacated by the football team. The top priority after that is probably a new or renovated facility for the swim team. If someone wants to make the argument that we should be spending the money on our swim/diving or tennis team rather than football I'll be glad to listen to that, but I don't think anyone is. Our other sports need support but the health of football is what keeps them alive at all. Especially if we need to be in a position to find a new conference for them to compete in somewhere in a few years.
Unless Coach PR has a more pressing need that he thinks will help his program more than a major stadium upgrade it's got to be the top of the list. If AA thinks the scoreboard adds 2-3 recruits per year I think bowling the endzone likely gives a boost as well, maybe 1-2 more a year.
I for one will finally be in a position in my life staring in Jan. that I will be able to join the National Cyclone Club and also intend on joining the Cyclone Gridiron Club. Until then being a student and working part time wasn't bringing in enough for me to be able to do anything, and it's going to feel good to finally be able to put my money where my mouth is. The end z
Argument number 1 is usually. We can't fill up the stadium we have now (ignoring the fact that the first phase of the endzone bowling wouldn't increase capacity). Assuming Texas (which is slated to be a 75 degree day and will likely be a sell out).
We currently have the 35th highest home attendance in the nation and it looks like Texas will continue to keep the attendance at record levels for ISU. After Texas that will be half of our home schedule, and the following home game will be homecoming. I believe we also are unable to even match the attendance single game record because the renovations done to the stadium in the last round actually reduced seating.
After that the next argument is we can't afford it, the most legitimate argument, IMO. However if the project goes through I would anticipate a significant increase in ticket/suite revenue from it. That is hard to quantify without doing a study or knowing the actual plans of the project that would be done. People who make this argument are either overly cautions or incredibly pessimistic IMO because they are working under the assumption it just can't be done feasibly.
Argument number 3, we could spend the money better elsewhere. I agree that there are probably places in the AD that could use the money, but that is ignoring the fact that football pays the bills for everyone. Basketball has a new practice facility now, Football will next year as as well. Volleyball just had an overhaul of their offices (partially jump started by the Hilton flood). I believe wrestling will be upgraded by moving into the Jacobson building space vacated by the football team. The top priority after that is probably a new or renovated facility for the swim team. If someone wants to make the argument that we should be spending the money on our swim/diving or tennis team rather than football I'll be glad to listen to that, but I don't think anyone is. Our other sports need support but the health of football is what keeps them alive at all. Especially if we need to be in a position to find a new conference for them to compete in somewhere in a few years.
Unless Coach PR has a more pressing need that he thinks will help his program more than a major stadium upgrade it's got to be the top of the list. If AA thinks the scoreboard adds 2-3 recruits per year I think bowling the endzone likely gives a boost as well, maybe 1-2 more a year.
I for one will finally be in a position in my life staring in Jan. that I will be able to join the National Cyclone Club and also intend on joining the Cyclone Gridiron Club. Until then being a student and working part time wasn't bringing in enough for me to be able to do anything, and it's going to feel good to finally be able to put my money where my mouth is. The end z
now that it looks like we are closer to still having a good conference is it too early to start a south endzone thread again
If Texas says it's okay, then it's okay. Otherwise no. Long live the Big 12!
Once things stabilize and we negotiate the 2016 TV deal with ESPN (in 2014?) I'd expect some movement at that point. We'll have paid down other debts and be on a better financial footing to justify the expense. Just an opinion.
http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/football/128768-iowa-state-shatters-season-ticket-record.html
This thread says it all. I believe after the last round of renovations, we are down to 42,500 actual seats in the stadium. We currently have 37,446 season tickets sold this year. If you throw 4k on top of that for the visitor's ticket allotment, you have sold out every seat in the stadium for this season without selling a single mini-pack or single game ticket.
We had record crowds for our first two games, and Pollard said we have already sold 53k for the UT game with a sellout expected. If we play well there, I would expect another huge crowd for homecoming.
We have the demand for at least the lower deck of the SEZ right now, we don't need to increase attendance at all. If we can hammer out a conference revenue sharing agreement to net us a couple million more per year, with the prospects of even more with Tier 1 rights coming up in 2016, I don't see why we can't get this thing rolling.
This thread says it all. I believe after the last round of renovations, we are down to 42,500 actual seats in the stadium. We currently have 37,446 season tickets sold this year. If you throw 4k on top of that for the visitor's ticket allotment, you have sold out every seat in the stadium for this season without selling a single mini-pack or single game ticket.
We had record crowds for our first two games, and Pollard said we have already sold 53k for the UT game with a sellout expected. If we play well there, I would expect another huge crowd for homecoming.
We have the demand for at least the lower deck of the SEZ right now, we don't need to increase attendance at all. If we can hammer out a conference revenue sharing agreement to net us a couple million more per year, with the prospects of even more with Tier 1 rights coming up in 2016, I don't see why we can't get this thing rolling.
I agree. Right now there isn't room in the budget for anything until then. We would have to fund it completely on donations. I know the BOR won't approve anything more with the conference the way it is right now anyway. We get to 2016 with a new TV deal and the Big12 would be here to stay for some time and the BOR will be willing to let us do it, then and only then.
A couple more things of note, I don't think we will get very much out of A&M for damages by the looks of things. The conference is staying together and the TV deals are still in place. A&M leaving really plays no impact on ISU. With that being said I really hope that we don't just let A&M go. I think we should sue, even if it cost more than we get out of it.
Last, I don't think we will sell that much more in tickets after the end zone is completed over what we are now. The big games will be bigger for us, but season tickets are not going up and right now we still have some 10,000 seats (after season tickets) in the grand stands. The Iowa game and some select other games will be bigger money makers, but I don't see a big windfall with the completion of the stadium. As others have said, the end zone really won't add that many more seats, mostly just turns hill side seating into actual seating. This might hurt us among a certain demographic off seating any extra we might be able to sell those tickets for.
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Pretty sure mini-packs are counted in the season ticket total. Nevertheless, still impressive numbers.
If we go with the Clemson style endzone configuration, we really don't need more ticket sales, just add luxury boxes and raise ticket prices for same number that are currently in the bleachers and south hillsides. I love my cheap endzone tickets, especially now with the great view of the Cyclonetron, but I see the writing on the wall. Certainly endzone prices will go up next year. And they could go way up if we use the Clemson style endzone configuration.
I would guess the demographic it hurts could still find plenty of space on the North hills. The rest of it is filled with people who would likely rather have a place to sit but don't have the option (or money). If it would work from a revenue/cost model perspective I would likely try to keep the corners of the bowl at just above the $20 a game that the hills are maybe 5-10 more.
Hell with how popular the South End Zone season tickets are now I wouldn't be surprised if you could sell 90% of the bowled in portion at the same rate ($150, which works out ot $25 a ticket) those go for. Haven't those sold out quickly and consistently the last few years?
It's not just the seats that would go there (actually would probably be less seating than the plain grass it is now), but you could actually turn it into a revenue spot as well by selling more interesting food out there. There's always talk of selling beer as well. How about getting a sponsor of some sort and putting a beer Garden atmosphere type thing in some open space up above the seats. The Bears do it with the Party Deck they have and it has actually turned into a premium seat that's hard to get. It could become a nice open air concourse up there or put some premium skyboxes up there as well. It is by no means a seating issue as much as we have other issues that need attention first. And until someone steps up and says, "here's the money!" it's not going to happen.
If we go with the Clemson style endzone configuration, we really don't need more ticket sales, just add luxury boxes and raise ticket prices for same number that are currently in the bleachers and south hillsides. I love my cheap endzone tickets, especially now with the great view of the Cyclonetron, but I see the writing on the wall. Certainly endzone prices will go up next year. And they could go way up if we use the Clemson style endzone configuration.
I don't think ISU has the demand for this. We actually have more suites than many stadiums even though we don't have the giant press box, we just have much of our seating between the levels instead. I think we have 55 suites and last I heard we haven't been able to fill a couple of them. Most likely if we add more suites it will be between the levels on the east side of the stadium or the S endzone when completed.
Just throwing out ideas here. What if it were turned into a conference center/restaurant type thing. I would have killed someone to have been able to be married at JTS. Or some kind of indoor food court type thing? I'd be willing to bet though, you could put together some ultra premium luxury suites in there or even do what the cowboys did in their stadium and make it a standing room only section, covered with TVs. Again, these are just ideas I'm throwing out that people can easily trash. I do believe though if it happens we need to do more there than just put in seats.
I still have the plans on my home computer that ISU posted a few years ago and have since removed. According to my calculations from before:
"According to the plans, bowling in the south endzone will add 9,464 seats (that takes into account the loss of the current bleachers and all other loss of seating except hillside seats)."
"According to the plans released a few years ago that had seating capacities for all the sections.
According to the plans, the total seating area (excluding press box and handicap) for the stadium after expansion will be 52,382.
S lower deck- 7,730- planned
S upper deck- 5,620- planned
E lower deck- 10,706-current
E upper deck- 8,940- current
W lower deck- 9,232- current
W upper deck- 8,788- current
Lower suites- 926- current
Club section- 440- current"
"According to the plans, bowling in the south endzone will add 9,464 seats (that takes into account the loss of the current bleachers and all other loss of seating except hillside seats)."
"According to the plans released a few years ago that had seating capacities for all the sections.
According to the plans, the total seating area (excluding press box and handicap) for the stadium after expansion will be 52,382.
S lower deck- 7,730- planned
S upper deck- 5,620- planned
E lower deck- 10,706-current
E upper deck- 8,940- current
W lower deck- 9,232- current
W upper deck- 8,788- current
Lower suites- 926- current
Club section- 440- current"
