Future Campus Framework Discussion

[shandeezy7]

Looks to me like Chuck's (or any other bar) won't be a part of this project going forward. The pregame options up there remain extremely limited.

 

[xc84]

We need a good bar.

 

[TexanMark]

Bond issues now bearish for stadium expansions. You have to wonder how schools like ECU expand their stadium despite the fact that it is only 60% fillrd

Empty feeling at college football stadiums after bond boom

 

[Townie72]

Bond issues now bearish for stadium expansions. You have to wonder how schools like ECU expand their stadium despite the fact that it is only 60% fillrd

Empty feeling at college football stadiums after bond boom

Betting on increased attendance is just that ... a gamble.

But schools like Rutgers and Maryland that "bet on the come" have suffered for it.

 

[orangecuse]

“We simply need time to study all ideas of scope and design as we seek to maximize the fan experience and our return on investment for the next 100 years of Neyland Stadium,” he said.
Attendance at games wasn’t mentioned as a factor that caused the project to be delayed.

“I will confirm that football attendance did not at all play a role in Phillip Fulmer’s decision to hit pause on the Neyland Stadium Master Plan renovations,” he said in a Dec. 7 email to The Bond Buyer.

From the article, it appears these forward future projects aren't so much about expanding capacity as it is catering to the overall fan experience, amenities, etc.

So, in regards to the Dome, it appears right in line with the future trend, since SU is not looking to expand capacity in any way, but rather to attract and retain its fan base with capital improvements, and overall fan experience orientated expenditures, which is what AD Wildhack has stated is of most importance.

 

[Qbobby]

Personally, I can't wait for my personal pee trough/nacho cheese dispenser.

 

[HtownOrange]

Betting on increased attendance is just that ... a gamble.

But schools like Rutgers and Maryland that "bet on the come" have suffered for it.

It's amazing that people can be conned into these expansions when the product on the field does not support an expansion.

Most of the giant stadiums did not start out as monster dreams, but built what could be supported and added on when it was appropriate..

 

[Townie72]

It's amazing that people can be conned into these expansions when the product on the field does not support an expansion.

Most of the giant stadiums did not start out as monster dreams, but built what could be supported and added on when it was appropriate..

That isn't the way it works in a lot of these.

Although it should be.

If you want to believe something is possible bad enough then you can talk yourself into just about anything.

My experience selling things to Universities is that they are very easy to sell. These are educators and education bureaucrats not hard bitten land developers.

 

[SWC75]

Betting on increased attendance is just that ... a gamble.

But schools like Rutgers and Maryland that "bet on the come" have suffered for it.

 

[OttoMets]

“We simply need time to study all ideas of scope and design as we seek to maximize the fan experience and our return on investment for the next 100 years of Neyland Stadium,” he said.
Attendance at games wasn’t mentioned as a factor that caused the project to be delayed.

“I will confirm that football attendance did not at all play a role in Phillip Fulmer’s decision to hit pause on the Neyland Stadium Master Plan renovations,” he said in a Dec. 7 email to The Bond Buyer.

From the article, it appears these forward future projects aren't so much about expanding capacity as it is catering to the overall fan experience, amenities, etc.

So, in regards to the Dome, it appears right in line with the future trend, since SU is not looking to expand capacity in any way, but rather to attract and retain its fan base with capital improvements, and overall fan experience orientated expenditures, which is what AD Wildhack has stated is of most importance.

"Overall fan experience" is a popular euphemism for more dollars spent per fan per game. They're not wringing every last dollar out of me right now via ticket sales and concessions, so they want to spend a few million to help that happen.

 

[orangecuse]

"Overall fan experience" is a popular euphemism for more dollars spent per fan per game. They're not wringing every last dollar out of me right now via ticket sales and concessions, so they want to spend a few million to help that happen.

Well, call it what you want in regards to a 'popular euphemism,' but it's what businesses do each and every day to increase their bottom line, no matter what business it is. If that is still offensive or too blunt for one as a customer, then as americans in a capitalistic society and culture, don't buy their product. Simple as that. But as is typically the case, many others will choose to do so.

 

[OttoMets]

Well, call it what you want in regards to a 'popular euphemism,' but it's what businesses do each and every day to increase their bottom line, no matter what business it is. If that is still offensive or too blunt for one as a customer, then as americans in a capitalistic society and culture, don't buy their product. Simple as that. But as is typically the case, many others will choose to do so.

I'm not complaining about your use of the term, just pointing out how disingenuous of SU and other institutions of higher learning to paint this as a favor they're doing for the fans when in reality it's completely self-interested.

To the bolded, I don't know what my future holds, but it'll be interesting to revisit this matter in a decade. 99.9% of SU fans are very excited about Dome renovations. We don't know what we're in for, but I'm guessing that some are going to be pining for the good old days of 2018 with its aluminum benches, inexpensive beer, and cheap tickets.

 

[FreakTalksAboutSU]

Too many shitty food options not enough shitty alcohol options.

 

[SWC75]

"Overall fan experience" is a popular euphemism for more dollars spent per fan per game. They're not wringing every last dollar out of me right now via ticket sales and concessions, so they want to spend a few million to help that happen.

The primary source of a fan experience is fans. When the Dome was packed in the 80's it had fewer bells and whistles than it has now. But it was certainly an exciting place to be.

 

[sutomcat]

The primary source of a fan experience is fans. When the Dome was packed in the 80's it had fewer bells and whistles than it has now. But it was certainly an exciting place to be.

While it was (and remains) nice to have lots of fans surrounding me, the primary source of my fan experience has always been the games. I like the games where Syracuse is really good and wins a lot. Like in the late 1980s.

Maybe we are heading into a similar era. Lots of wins and lots of fans. I hope so.

 

[Atlcuse44]

I got a chance to go to the new Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta to see a Falcon's game last year. Very impressive building but I found myself annoyed by all of the 'fan-experience' nonsense that they do. Blaring hip-hop music in-between plays (need earplugs), short videos (on the upper screens around the occulus of the stadium) with some local celebrity cheering the team on. It was all very distracting and made it hard to enjoy the game. Even if I was a Falcon's fan (go Eagles!), I would not go out of my way to go back. I would think that most fans (I could be wrong) don't care about all of that junk, they just want to see a good game and experience the energy of the crowd.

 

[OttoMets]

I got a chance to go to the new Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta to see a Falcon's game last year. Very impressive building but I found myself annoyed by all of the 'fan-experience' nonsense that they do. Blaring hip-hop music in-between plays (need earplugs), short videos (on the upper screens around the occulus of the stadium) with some local celebrity cheering the team on. It was all very distracting and made it hard to enjoy the game. Even if I was a Falcon's fan (go Eagles!), I would not go out of my way to go back. I would think that most fans (I could be wrong) don't care about all of that junk, they just want to see a good game and experience the energy of the crowd.

Bingo.

And it's going to further remove the experience from what SWC described. When the building makes the noise, the fans don't need to. Vicious cycle.

'But it won't happen here!' SU's not paying millions of dollars for new audio and video and lighting to let them sit unused. We're drifting farther away from the traditional college sports experience.

 

[longtimefan]

Bingo.

And it's going to further remove the experience from what SWC described. When the building makes the noise, the fans don't need to. Vicious cycle.

'But it won't happen here!' SU's not paying millions of dollars for new audio and video and lighting to let them sit unused. We're drifting farther away from the traditional college sports experience.

I'll repeat a story I may have posted here in the past:

A good friend of mine is a hockey fanatic. While still living in the Northeast, he was a Rangers fan; when the first round of expansion occurred, he switched to the Flyers, because he could get tickets to their home arena. He moved to South Florida, and when the Panthers came along, he became a season ticket holder (and he still has his seats, 25 years later). Around 10 years ago, he began to be angry with the sensory overload he was assaulted with--the ear-piercing sounds, the flashing strobes, the constant nonsensical "contests", etc. He contacted his ticket rep (legacy season ticket holders get those). He complained that he went to the arena to watch hockey and cheer for his team (and berate referees), but with all of the extraneous crap going on, he couldn't even carry on a conversation with his friends in his section. The response he got was condescending in the extreme. "You don't understand--it's all about 'the experience'." No, he said--it's about the game and the sport.

The point is, the marketing is not aimed at the kind of fans who post on this and other sports boards. We are part of that SU cohort of 25-30,000 fans who have proved to be there through thick and thin. They're trying to attract the casual fans, and the product on the field is only part of the attraction.

I don't care for it, but that's the world we live in.

 

[sufandu]

I got a chance to go to the new Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta to see a Falcon's game last year. Very impressive building but I found myself annoyed by all of the 'fan-experience' nonsense that they do. Blaring hip-hop music in-between plays (need earplugs), short videos (on the upper screens around the occulus of the stadium) with some local celebrity cheering the team on. It was all very distracting and made it hard to enjoy the game. Even if I was a Falcon's fan (go Eagles!), I would not go out of my way to go back. I would think that most fans (I could be wrong) don't care about all of that junk, they just want to see a good game and experience the energy of the crowd.

I agree most fans don't care about the junk. The organization does it for the nonfans that show up to say they were there for the show and for the media. The real fans merely tolerate it.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

I got a chance to go to the new Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta to see a Falcon's game last year. Very impressive building but I found myself annoyed by all of the 'fan-experience' nonsense that they do. Blaring hip-hop music in-between plays (need earplugs), short videos (on the upper screens around the occulus of the stadium) with some local celebrity cheering the team on. It was all very distracting and made it hard to enjoy the game. Even if I was a Falcon's fan (go Eagles!), I would not go out of my way to go back. I would think that most fans (I could be wrong) don't care about all of that junk, they just want to see a good game and experience the energy of the crowd.

Aww come on, watching Clark Howard do the Dirty Bird has to be worth the price of admission.

 

[sutomcat]

Bingo.

And it's going to further remove the experience from what SWC described. When the building makes the noise, the fans don't need to. Vicious cycle.

'But it won't happen here!' SU's not paying millions of dollars for new audio and video and lighting to let them sit unused. We're drifting farther away from the traditional college sports experience.

This is a very real concern. The good news is that the SU AD office has a council to hear the concerns of the fanbase, and they take the feedback provided very seriously.

While past administrations have blared ads almost non stop during timeouts, it was mostly Mr Excitement droning on about some sponsor. Not super loud heavy metal or rap, combined with strobe lights and spinning lasers. The current one has actually been pretty darned good about avoiding the sensory attacks you get during breaks in the action at pro hockey games.

I don't think that is going to change. What will change is that you will be able to understand the PA announcer, and you will be able to understand the audio when videos are played on the scoreboards. Things like player introductions, interviews from the coach at halftime, highlights from other games, and yes, probably the weather forecast for the drive home.

I think we are in good hands. But it doesn't hurt to start the feedback from the fans now about how we, the Syracuse fanbase do not want the pro hockey/pro basketball sensory assault many other arenas like to deploy. The SSS and SUMB should be highlighted, along with game related info spoken in a normal tone.

Thanks for listening John Wildhack and company.

 

[OttoMets]

This is a very real concern. The good news is that the SU AD office has a council to hear the concerns of the fanbase, and they take the feedback provided very seriously.

While past administrations have blared ads almost non stop during timeouts, it was mostly Mr Excitement droning on about some sponsor. Not super loud heavy metal or rap, combined with strobe lights and spinning lasers. The current one has actually been pretty darned good about avoiding the sensory attacks you get during breaks in the action at pro hockey games.

I don't think that is going to change. What will change is that you will be able to understand the PA announcer, and you will be able to understand the audio when videos are played on the scoreboards. Things like player introductions, interviews from the coach at halftime, highlights from other games, and yes, probably the weather forecast for the drive home.

I think we are in good hands. But it doesn't hurt to start the feedback from the fans now about how we, the Syracuse fanbase do not want the pro hockey/pro basketball sensory assault many other arenas like to deploy. The SSS and SUMB should be highlighted, along with game related info spoken in a normal tone.

Thanks for listening John Wildhack and company.

Here's hoping.

 

[Qbobby]

This is a very real concern. The good news is that the SU AD office has a council to hear the concerns of the fanbase, and they take the feedback provided very seriously.

While past administrations have blared ads almost non stop during timeouts, it was mostly Mr Excitement droning on about some sponsor. Not super loud heavy metal or rap, combined with strobe lights and spinning lasers. The current one has actually been pretty darned good about avoiding the sensory attacks you get during breaks in the action at pro hockey games.

I don't think that is going to change. What will change is that you will be able to understand the PA announcer, and you will be able to understand the audio when videos are played on the scoreboards. Things like player introductions, interviews from the coach at halftime, highlights from other games, and yes, probably the weather forecast for the drive home.

I think we are in good hands. But it doesn't hurt to start the feedback from the fans now about how we, the Syracuse fanbase do not want the pro hockey/pro basketball sensory assault many other arenas like to deploy. The SSS and SUMB should be highlighted, along with game related info spoken in a normal tone.

Thanks for listening John Wildhack and company.

+1 to all that. I'm so excited to be able to understand the PA without it sounding like Charlie Brown's teacher.. it's almost irrational.

 

[bnoro]

I'll repeat a story I may have posted here in the past:

A good friend of mine is a hockey fanatic. While still living in the Northeast, he was a Rangers fan; when the first round of expansion occurred, he switched to the Flyers, because he could get tickets to their home arena. He moved to South Florida, and when the Panthers came along, he became a season ticket holder (and he still has his seats, 25 years later). Around 10 years ago, he began to be angry with the sensory overload he was assaulted with--the ear-piercing sounds, the flashing strobes, the constant nonsensical "contests", etc. He contacted his ticket rep (legacy season ticket holders get those). He complained that he went to the arena to watch hockey and cheer for his team (and berate referees), but with all of the extraneous crap going on, he couldn't even carry on a conversation with his friends in his section. The response he got was condescending in the extreme. "You don't understand--it's all about 'the experience'." No, he said--it's about the game and the sport.

The point is, the marketing is not aimed at the kind of fans who post on this and other sports boards. We are part of that SU cohort of 25-30,000 fans who have proved to be there through thick and thin. They're trying to attract the casual fans, and the product on the field is only part of the attraction.

I don't care for it, but that's the world we live in.

I work for the Red Bulls down here in NJ and we've won the JD Power award for the best fan experience in the NY metro area (and the country) for 2 years running. We don't do any of the nonsense with music/contests/etc, it's about how we treat the fans that come into the building. A lot of the stuff you mentioned has nothing to do with fan experience.

However, I'd say that contacting his ticket rep regarding his concerns wasn't the best idea. We have little to no impact in that department, which is probably why he got a condescending response.

 

[longtimefan]

I work for the Red Bulls down here in NJ and we've won the JD Power award for the best fan experience in the NY metro area (and the country) for 2 years running. We don't do any of the nonsense with music/contests/etc, it's about how we treat the fans that come into the building. A lot of the stuff you mentioned has nothing to do with fan experience.

However, I'd say that contacting his ticket rep regarding his concerns wasn't the best idea. We have little to no impact in that department, which is probably why he got a condescending response.

The vibe he got from his ticket rep was "There, there old man. You have to realize this is the 21st century".