Biggest complaint about the stadium

[Baz=Heisman]

Just wanted to correct you on a couple of points here:
1. I think you have the west side and east side flipped in your description. The east sideline is the one with the jumboscreens on it, and is the visiting team sideline.
2. I think you are confusing the lacrosse field with the field hockey field. The field hockey field is located behind the west sideline stands and is party of the reason the seating there couldn't be expanded. The actual temporary football field IS what used to be, and what will continue to be, the lacrosse field.
3. The most expensive regular season tickets (not including the suites and the field level tables) were actually the the west sideline center sections (50 yardline), not the south endzone.

As far as buying south stand tickets that didn't end up being used, you can blame me for part of the problem. I would have loved to have been there Friday night, but my daughter had a cross country meet in Springfield Sat morning and I had to drive down Friday night, so I sold my three tickets. I can't speak for the rest of the south stand ticketholders, but the south stands weren't my first choice of seats, but they were basically all that were left after higher priority STH selected their seats before my selection window.
(Sorry, as a die-hard NU fan that sometimes can't make it to every game due to family obligations, I am perhaps a bit sensitive to being included in the "STH who didn't show up to the game" narrative.)

Roger - You are plenty good in my book… the game ended at like 12:20am so that would have been a ridiculously tight turnaround to go to Springfield!

 

[CMcCat]

Just wanted to correct you on a couple of points here:
1. I think you have the west side and east side flipped in your description. The east sideline is the one with the jumboscreens on it, and is the visiting team sideline.
2. I think you are confusing the lacrosse field with the field hockey field. The field hockey field is located behind the west sideline stands and is party of the reason the seating there couldn't be expanded. The actual temporary football field IS what used to be, and what will continue to be, the lacrosse field.
3. The most expensive regular season tickets (not including the suites and the field level tables) were actually the the west sideline center sections (50 yardline), not the south endzone.

As far as buying south stand tickets that didn't end up being used, you can blame me for part of the problem. I would have loved to have been there Friday night, but my daughter had a cross country meet in Springfield Sat morning and I had to drive down Friday night, so I sold my three tickets. I can't speak for the rest of the south stand ticketholders, but the south stands weren't my first choice of seats, but they were basically all that were left after higher priority STH selected their seats before my selection window.
(Sorry, as a die-hard NU fan that sometimes can't make it to every game due to family obligations, I am perhaps a bit sensitive to being included in the "STH who didn't show up to the game" narrative.)

Thanks for correcting my directions error. I guess it’s good I went to Northwestern and not to East-West University, eh?

Yes, my point was that they could have made a decision to build large stands on the (yes) field hockey playing surface which would have resulted in a better seating arrangement for more fans.

Finally, I laud your commitment to the ‘Cats and to your daughter’s athletic career. You are relieved of my scorn although your seatmates (other than the one whose seat I inhabited) remain it’s subject.

 

[techtim72]

Thanks for correcting my directions error. I guess it’s good I went to Northwestern and not to East-West University, eh?

Yes, my point was that they could have made a decision to build large stands on the (yes) field hockey playing surface which would have resulted in a better seating arrangement for more fans.

Finally, I laud your commitment to the ‘Cats and to your daughter’s athletic career. You are relieved of my scorn although your seatmates (other than the one whose seat I inhabited) remain it’s subject.

NU stated that building on the field hockey field was a non-starter because that is a championship program and its needs are important. Plus how would that play in today's social justice world? Lastly a field hockey field is built to very exacting standards (A high level game can't just be played on any turf field.) and putting foundation sleepers or poking holes in that turf would make for a very expensive repair.

 

[CMcCat]

NU stated that building on the field hockey field was a non-starter because that is a championship program and its needs are important. Plus how would that play in today's social justice world? Lastly a field hockey field is built to very exacting standards (A high level game can't just be played on any turf field.) and putting foundation sleepers or poking holes in that turf would make for a very expensive repair.

All valid points. It will be interesting to see how long a field hockey program persists into the NIL era. This is their moment to shine, perhaps.

 

[FeralFelidae]

All valid points. It will be interesting to see how long a field hockey program persists into the NIL era. This is their moment to shine, perhaps.

As long as scholarships are given, Title IX requires a proportional number be offered to women, so I don't see any risk to the field hockey team unless schools eventually dispense with scholarships entirely and every player just gets a NIL salary.

 

[CMcCat]

As long as scholarships are given, Title IX requires a proportional number be offered to women, so I don't see any risk to the field hockey team unless schools eventually dispense with scholarships entirely and every player just gets a NIL salary.

Isn’t that where we are headed?

 

[rogerkim]

Finally, I laud your commitment to the ‘Cats and to your daughter’s athletic career. You are relieved of my scorn although your seatmates (other than the one whose seat I inhabited) remain it’s subject.

Thanks.

I share your dismay at the stereotypical premium seating fans, for NU football, basketball and in other venues/teams. While I may someday (as I get older) aspire to sit in cushy, climate-controlled luxury suite seats with caviar and champagne on ice, there is certainly something to be said for being surrounded by other die-hard fans, even without the creature comforts.

Based on the Miami of OH game, it seems like the bulk of the die hard NU fans are in the north stands, with the west and east stand being next in proportion of die hard: casual fans. My observation would also be that the casual fan percentage is highest in the south stands, based on the seatmates around us for game 1. We'll see if that changes for EIU and the rest of the home schedule. I'm going to have make some decisions about next year's seats...

 

[FeralFelidae]

Isn’t that where we are headed?

I don't know. The moment women's programs start getting cut, I expect lawsuits.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

I am not sure if it’s just me, but these first two games seemed very looooooong. Don’t care for this 2 minute time out. The commercial breaks are at minimum 3 minutes.

I noticed this too, the commercial length is up even higher. Nuts. My buddy and I were watching the Michigan game at O Hare on our way home from the Cats game and for the 15 minutes after we turned it on, which included a quarter break, we saw literally like 4 plays. Nuts.

 

[CMcCat]

I don't know. The moment women's programs start getting cut, I expect lawsuits.

That is exactly what happened at Stanford and they brought them back. This was before NIL.

 

[CMcCat]

I noticed this too, the commercial length is up even higher. Nuts. My buddy and I were watching the Michigan game at O Hare on our way home from the Cats game and for the 15 minutes after we turned it on, which included a quarter break, we saw literally like 4 plays. Nuts.

A great addition (I think it was an addition as I didn’t remember it from last year) was the on-field media timeout guy who held up the countdown timer. That was helpful to at least see the time tick down from 3:30 or whatever the length of the timeout was.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

A great addition (I think it was an addition as I didn’t remember it from last year) was the on-field media timeout guy who held up the countdown timer. That was helpful to at least see the time tick down from 3:30 or whatever the length of the timeout was.

Yes but it also looks so silly

 

[CMcCat]

Yes but it also looks so silly

 

[Darren72]

A great addition (I think it was an addition as I didn’t remember it from last year) was the on-field media timeout guy who held up the countdown timer. That was helpful to at least see the time tick down from 3:30 or whatever the length of the timeout was.

They displayed this at Ryan Field as well.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

They displayed this at Ryan Field as well.

Just aggravates you more as you watch it tick down.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

That is exactly what happened at Stanford and they brought them back. This was before NIL.

Good luck with that.

 

[phatcat]

A great addition (I think it was an addition as I didn’t remember it from last year) was the on-field media timeout guy who held up the countdown timer. That was helpful to at least see the time tick down from 3:30 or whatever the length of the timeout was.

I value this more than down and distance. I love knowing when the break is coming to an end. They had a wall-clock at RF last year (maybe before, but I lived OOT so not many games at stadium)