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Topic: The Tower Experience
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catfan28
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Posted: 9/14/2016 11:40 PM
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Having a few family connections, I know that (most) folks in the AD works like a bandit to improve these things we all talk about. But the major issue is funding. You can't just drop a new video board or sound system out of the sky. No idea how much it costs, but I'm sure it's multi-millions.

The other big problem no one realizes is that the "game day experience" is essentially run by 2 guys that are full-time (one over facilities, one over marketing and sales team). Everyone else is interns and students that turn over each year. That's 2 guys that have been around for a while with 100 some kids that are brand new each year.

Concessions are poor and need improvement. It's a 3rd party company with little to no oversight from athletics - but you'd think they could do better. No excuse for closing early or poor service. Infrastructure limits the options they can sell, though.

The AD is 100% for alcohol sales - would do it tomorrow if they could. That's a McDavis thing. I'd expect them to try to slip that in with a new president.
TheBobcatBandit
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Posted: 9/15/2016 12:44 AM
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catfan28 wrote:expand_more
Having a few family connections, I know that (most) folks in the AD works like a bandit to improve these things we all talk about. But the major issue is funding. You can't just drop a new video board or sound system out of the sky. No idea how much it costs, but I'm sure it's multi-millions.

The other big problem no one realizes is that the "game day experience" is essentially run by 2 guys that are full-time (one over facilities, one over marketing and sales team). Everyone else is interns and students that turn over each year. That's 2 guys that have been around for a while with 100 some kids that are brand new each year.

Concessions are poor and need improvement. It's a 3rd party company with little to no oversight from athletics - but you'd think they could do better. No excuse for closing early or poor service. Infrastructure limits the options they can sell, though.

The AD is 100% for alcohol sales - would do it tomorrow if they could. That's a McDavis thing. I'd expect them to try to slip that in with a new president.
I mean cost of tuition is around 26,000. That means it takes 39 students to pay for a 1,000,000 score board. If it cost 5,000,000 it takes 195 students. Considering that 20,000 students go here I think the money shouldn't be that hard to find if you reallocate the money right. Or if they expand enrollment by 195 we're looking at a new scoreboard.

I think the in game promos the staff put up are actully really good most of the time it's just hard to see and here them with our current equipment. Also that's good to here about alcohol sales. That combined with a good team and some stadium updates our game day atmosphere will be really good. Even now by MAC standards it's by far the best.
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 9/15/2016 6:42 AM
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catfan28 wrote:expand_more
Having a few family connections, I know that (most) folks in the AD works like a bandit to improve these things we all talk about. But the major issue is funding. You can't just drop a new video board or sound system out of the sky. No idea how much it costs, but I'm sure it's multi-millions.

The other big problem no one realizes is that the "game day experience" is essentially run by 2 guys that are full-time (one over facilities, one over marketing and sales team). Everyone else is interns and students that turn over each year. That's 2 guys that have been around for a while with 100 some kids that are brand new each year.

Concessions are poor and need improvement. It's a 3rd party company with little to no oversight from athletics - but you'd think they could do better. No excuse for closing early or poor service. Infrastructure limits the options they can sell, though.

The AD is 100% for alcohol sales - would do it tomorrow if they could. That's a McDavis thing. I'd expect them to try to slip that in with a new president.

+1
DelBobcat
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Posted: 9/15/2016 2:26 PM
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TheBobcatBandit wrote:expand_more
Having a few family connections, I know that (most) folks in the AD works like a bandit to improve these things we all talk about. But the major issue is funding. You can't just drop a new video board or sound system out of the sky. No idea how much it costs, but I'm sure it's multi-millions.

The other big problem no one realizes is that the "game day experience" is essentially run by 2 guys that are full-time (one over facilities, one over marketing and sales team). Everyone else is interns and students that turn over each year. That's 2 guys that have been around for a while with 100 some kids that are brand new each year.

Concessions are poor and need improvement. It's a 3rd party company with little to no oversight from athletics - but you'd think they could do better. No excuse for closing early or poor service. Infrastructure limits the options they can sell, though.

The AD is 100% for alcohol sales - would do it tomorrow if they could. That's a McDavis thing. I'd expect them to try to slip that in with a new president.
I mean cost of tuition is around 26,000. That means it takes 39 students to pay for a 1,000,000 score board. If it cost 5,000,000 it takes 195 students. Considering that 20,000 students go here I think the money shouldn't be that hard to find if you reallocate the money right. Or if they expand enrollment by 195 we're looking at a new scoreboard.

I think the in game promos the staff put up are actully really good most of the time it's just hard to see and here them with our current equipment. Also that's good to here about alcohol sales. That combined with a good team and some stadium updates our game day atmosphere will be really good. Even now by MAC standards it's by far the best.
I mean... I don't think we should be making enrollment decisions based on the need/want for better football facilities.
Scott Woods
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Posted: 9/15/2016 2:41 PM
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New scoreboard??? We can't even afford some paint to cover up all the rust spots! And we've got concrete falling off the place. I'd love a new scoreboard too, but it's way down on my wish list.
OUcats82
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Posted: 9/15/2016 3:34 PM
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Does anyone know where this effort currently is? Did I miss any notable activity?

http://www.athensnews.com/news/sports/ou-selects-firm-to-...
SBH
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Posted: 9/15/2016 4:18 PM
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I head the Board of Trustees rejected Burrito Buggy Field at The Big Red Tomato Pizza Stadium. So back to square one.
ytownbobcat
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Posted: 9/15/2016 4:21 PM
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No Coke, Pepsi.
TheBobcatBandit
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Posted: 9/15/2016 4:49 PM
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DelBobcat wrote:expand_more
Having a few family connections, I know that (most) folks in the AD works like a bandit to improve these things we all talk about. But the major issue is funding. You can't just drop a new video board or sound system out of the sky. No idea how much it costs, but I'm sure it's multi-millions.

The other big problem no one realizes is that the "game day experience" is essentially run by 2 guys that are full-time (one over facilities, one over marketing and sales team). Everyone else is interns and students that turn over each year. That's 2 guys that have been around for a while with 100 some kids that are brand new each year.

Concessions are poor and need improvement. It's a 3rd party company with little to no oversight from athletics - but you'd think they could do better. No excuse for closing early or poor service. Infrastructure limits the options they can sell, though.

The AD is 100% for alcohol sales - would do it tomorrow if they could. That's a McDavis thing. I'd expect them to try to slip that in with a new president.
I mean cost of tuition is around 26,000. That means it takes 39 students to pay for a 1,000,000 score board. If it cost 5,000,000 it takes 195 students. Considering that 20,000 students go here I think the money shouldn't be that hard to find if you reallocate the money right. Or if they expand enrollment by 195 we're looking at a new scoreboard.

I think the in game promos the staff put up are actully really good most of the time it's just hard to see and here them with our current equipment. Also that's good to here about alcohol sales. That combined with a good team and some stadium updates our game day atmosphere will be really good. Even now by MAC standards it's by far the best.
I mean... I don't think we should be making enrollment decisions based on the need/want for better football facilities.
I agree, my point is more along the lines of if we have a school that has 20,000 students paying $26,000 a year. Bringing in roughly $520,000,000, it shouldn't be that hard to reallocate .0096% of that to make our football atmosphere better. That atmosphere is part of the college experience. Exspecially for a true campus school like OU which doesn't have many commuters. I know many students who at least once a year drive up to OSU games because they have such a great atmosphere. The demand is here. Students would love OU to have a big time program. Big time college programs make huge profits off their football teams. Putting in these small investments now to make our program compete with these top schools will pay off in the long run.
Athens
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Posted: 9/15/2016 9:06 PM
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TheBobcatBandit wrote:expand_more
Having a few family connections, I know that (most) folks in the AD works like a bandit to improve these things we all talk about. But the major issue is funding. You can't just drop a new video board or sound system out of the sky. No idea how much it costs, but I'm sure it's multi-millions.

The other big problem no one realizes is that the "game day experience" is essentially run by 2 guys that are full-time (one over facilities, one over marketing and sales team). Everyone else is interns and students that turn over each year. That's 2 guys that have been around for a while with 100 some kids that are brand new each year.

Concessions are poor and need improvement. It's a 3rd party company with little to no oversight from athletics - but you'd think they could do better. No excuse for closing early or poor service. Infrastructure limits the options they can sell, though.

The AD is 100% for alcohol sales - would do it tomorrow if they could. That's a McDavis thing. I'd expect them to try to slip that in with a new president.
I mean cost of tuition is around 26,000. That means it takes 39 students to pay for a 1,000,000 score board. If it cost 5,000,000 it takes 195 students. Considering that 20,000 students go here I think the money shouldn't be that hard to find if you reallocate the money right. Or if they expand enrollment by 195 we're looking at a new scoreboard.

I think the in game promos the staff put up are actully really good most of the time it's just hard to see and here them with our current equipment. Also that's good to here about alcohol sales. That combined with a good team and some stadium updates our game day atmosphere will be really good. Even now by MAC standards it's by far the best.
I mean... I don't think we should be making enrollment decisions based on the need/want for better football facilities.
I agree, my point is more along the lines of if we have a school that has 20,000 students paying $26,000 a year. Bringing in roughly $520,000,000, it shouldn't be that hard to reallocate .0096% of that to make our football atmosphere better. That atmosphere is part of the college experience. Exspecially for a true campus school like OU which doesn't have many commuters. I know many students who at least once a year drive up to OSU games because they have such a great atmosphere. The demand is here. Students would love OU to have a big time program. Big time college programs make huge profits off their football teams. Putting in these small investments now to make our program compete with these top schools will pay off in the long run.
What I think could be impressive is a big scoreboard on top of Sook with ribbon boards wrapping the scoreboard and corner seats. Oversell the stadium to 125% of capacity. Sell beer until the start of the fourth quarter. Work it out with the city to allow fans to pile their cars everywhere up and down Richland Ave. At Virginia Tech cars are packed everywhere. Make a Saturday game feel like a real party and that's about the best we can do.
RSBobcat
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Posted: 9/15/2016 11:47 PM
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OhioStunter
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Posted: 9/16/2016 10:18 AM
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catfan28 wrote:expand_more
Concessions are poor and need improvement. It's a 3rd party company with little to no oversight from athletics - but you'd think they could do better. No excuse for closing early or poor service. Infrastructure limits the options they can sell, though.
Thanks for the insight from your connections. If I'm in the Athletics Department and I have very little oversight on frontline operations at events where there are 15,000-20,000 fans (revenue, by the way), I sure as heck would change the fact that I have very little oversight. If there's one thing I've learned in my professional business life -- don't screw up the food and drinks.

Infrastructure may limit what they can sell, but there are ways around that (local business food stands/trucks). However, I'm not even sure the selection is the key issue here -- it's the availability and service.
OhioStunter
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Posted: 9/16/2016 1:21 PM
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TheBobcatBandit wrote:expand_more
The demand is here. Students would love OU to have a big time program. Big time college programs make huge profits off their football teams. Putting in these small investments now to make our program compete with these top schools will pay off in the long run.
Is the demand really here from students? We have the best fans in the MAC, but I don't believe there are enough students with enough interest to merit "big time program" status. I have a running list of student excuses as to why more students aren't at Peden, including it interferes with going Uptown, it's too early on a Saturday, it's during a weeknight, it's too hot, it's too cold, and the Buckeyes game is on.

And investments are needed, but that is not what will make our program compete with top schools. That's a topic for another thread.
OUcats82
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Posted: 9/16/2016 1:32 PM
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And then there is this source of funding for a new scoreboard......

http://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/news/release/2016/09/16/unh-s...
OU_Country
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Posted: 9/16/2016 2:06 PM
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TheBobcatBandit wrote:expand_more
I agree, my point is more along the lines of if we have a school that has 20,000 students paying $26,000 a year. Bringing in roughly $520,000,000, it shouldn't be that hard to reallocate .0096% of that to make our football atmosphere better. That atmosphere is part of the college experience. Exspecially for a true campus school like OU which doesn't have many commuters. I know many students who at least once a year drive up to OSU games because they have such a great atmosphere. The demand is here. Students would love OU to have a big time program. Big time college programs make huge profits off their football teams. Putting in these small investments now to make our program compete with these top schools will pay off in the long run.
And even less if it was done over the course of 2 or 3 years.



Uncle Wes wrote:expand_more
What I think could be impressive is a big scoreboard on top of Sook with ribbon boards wrapping the scoreboard and corner seats. Oversell the stadium to 125% of capacity. Sell beer until the start of the fourth quarter. Work it out with the city to allow fans to pile their cars everywhere up and down Richland Ave. At Virginia Tech cars are packed everywhere. Make a Saturday game feel like a real party and that's about the best we can do.

I like this idea. A lot. Why couldn't this be done as part of the Sook project? Leave the old scoreboard on the hill there too.

I kind of like the idea related to Richland, though I think instead doing it on Shafer St between the Convo and Tailgreat Park.
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Posted: 9/16/2016 2:30 PM
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I was told several weeks ago that new scoreboards for Peden and the Convo will be paid for by Pepsi. Sounded like Peden was a sure thing by 2018.
OhioStunter
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Posted: 9/16/2016 9:51 PM
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SBH wrote:expand_more
I was told several weeks ago that new scoreboards for Peden and the Convo will be paid for by Pepsi. Sounded like Peden was a sure thing by 2018.
Peden Stadium --> Pepsi Stadium?
Deciduous Forest Cat
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Posted: 9/16/2016 10:55 PM
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OhioStunter wrote:expand_more
I was told several weeks ago that new scoreboards for Peden and the Convo will be paid for by Pepsi. Sounded like Peden was a sure thing by 2018.
Peden Stadium --> Pepsi Stadium?
We can only hope that high-def dancing chickens doing the YMCA is part of the package.
RSBobcat
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Posted: 9/16/2016 11:56 PM
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Deciduous Forest Cat wrote:expand_more
I was told several weeks ago that new scoreboards for Peden and the Convo will be paid for by Pepsi. Sounded like Peden was a sure thing by 2018.
Peden Stadium --> Pepsi Stadium?
We can only hope that high-def dancing chickens doing the YMCA is part of the package.
Stumbled on this take on Peden and seating:

http://theblacksheeponline.com/ohio-university/judgementa...
Last Edited: 9/16/2016 11:57:17 PM by RSBobcat
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 9/17/2016 1:26 AM
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I personally believe now is the time to build out while interest is hot and expand the studen side, either add a deck or raise the existing and rebuild with state of the art facilities and tie it to the Sook Center , thinking Marshall size would be perfect and allow us to continue to build fan base and maybe align us with a P5.
bobcatsquared
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Posted: 9/17/2016 9:03 AM
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As always, I agree with BTC 100%.
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After seeing that student crowd disappear in the second half for Texas State I am of the opinion that providing more seats for students isn't needed because if they really want to find a seat they'll have no problem doing it by 3rd quarter. Better to oversell the stadium instead of more seats in our case since people aren't staying.
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Posted: 9/17/2016 11:37 AM
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BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
I personally believe now is the time to build out while interest is hot and expand the studen side, either add a deck or raise the existing and rebuild with state of the art facilities and tie it to the Sook Center , thinking Marshall size would be perfect and allow us to continue to build fan base and maybe align us with a P5.
I sense our sarcasm meter should be up in the 90% range here.
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Posted: 9/17/2016 6:44 PM
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MedinaCat wrote:expand_more
I personally believe now is the time to build out while interest is hot and expand the studen side, either add a deck or raise the existing and rebuild with state of the art facilities and tie it to the Sook Center , thinking Marshall size would be perfect and allow us to continue to build fan base and maybe align us with a P5.
I sense our sarcasm meter should be up in the 90% range here.

Not at all, 90% of the issues here are a result of an 87 year old facility with no storage or operational space for the little things that fans expect today. Our attendance is setting records very single week and year upon year and the move up would benefit all of our programs.
ts1227
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Posted: 9/17/2016 9:24 PM
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BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
I personally believe now is the time to build out while interest is hot and expand the studen side, either add a deck or raise the existing and rebuild with state of the art facilities and tie it to the Sook Center , thinking Marshall size would be perfect and allow us to continue to build fan base and maybe align us with a P5.
I sense our sarcasm meter should be up in the 90% range here.

Not at all, 90% of the issues here are a result of an 87 year old facility with no storage or operational space for the little things that fans expect today. Our attendance is setting records very single week and year upon year and the move up would benefit all of our programs.
To tie a few points together over the course of this thread, I honestly think the worse than most high schools concessions are a bigger problem than anyhting infrastructure at our stadiums right now. We're getting plenty of people there (but not filling it to the gills every game), but they're not spending that much money inside them... I know I usually don't get much more than a drink and then wait to go get actual food somewhere afterward when I go to a game, but if I go to Kent, for example, they serve something hot other than a pretzel and rewarmed pizza. To say the concessions suck is probably a compliment. At least with Peden I'm sure it would come hand-in-hand with some of the stadium infrastructure. I don't think it's as much so with the Convo. We just choose to serve garbage concessions.
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