Idea for Ryan Field Renovation- Oregon State Stadium

[cedricmelons]

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...egon-state-reser-stadium-part-153m-renovation

Boom Goes the Dynamite!

NU should consider something like this. Oregon State renovated one half of its stadium in 2005. They're now doing the other side.

NU wouldn't need to wait 16+ years between projects, but I think a phased approach could work. Blow up the East stands first. Then do the West side once the East is rebuilt and expanded. The South bleachers could follow. Wouldn't have to displace the team for games and capacity would really only be an issue for top Big Ten games (just limit attendance to season ticket holders during each phase).

Is that crazy?

 

[NUChicago]

I know that I might sound like a downer, but I question this whole project based on the recent flux in college athletics. I understand the guy funding this is the driving force and that is his right. Pat Ryan has been very generous to NU and it is impressive. There is such a tectonic shift in athletic department operating models I guess the vision from the AD and NU leadership will dictate how/if NU responds to the new landscape.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

I know that I might sound like a downer, but I question this whole project based on the recent flux in college athletics. I understand the guy funding this is the driving force and that is his right. Pat Ryan has been very generous to NU and it is impressive. There is such a tectonic shift in athletic department operating models I guess the vision from the AD and NU leadership will dictate how/if NU responds to the new landscape.

It’s a dump

 

[NUChicago]

It’s a dump

If you invest in the stadium, but cannot keep up with the times it's a waste (IMO). But, it's not my decision or money so....

 

[corbi296]

I know that I might sound like a downer, but I question this whole project based on the recent flux in college athletics. I understand the guy funding this is the driving force and that is his right. Pat Ryan has been very generous to NU and it is impressive. There is such a tectonic shift in athletic department operating models I guess the vision from the AD and NU leadership will dictate how/if NU responds to the new landscape.

Then don’t. You are drawing conclusions about the direction of the program based on one bad season and neglecting the overwhelmingly positive trends and trajectory of the program over the last ten years. NU’s precipitous fall in 2019 and 2021 from their greatest heights in the two preceding seasons is highly correlated to one main factor, QB play. Solve the QB problem, you’ve solved the bulk of the problem.

 

[NUChicago]

Them don’t. You are drawing conclusions about the direction of the program based on one bad season and neglecting the overwhelmingly positive trends and trajectory of the program over the last ten years. NU’s precipitous fall in 2019 and 2021 from their greatest heights in the two preceding seasons is highly correlated to one main factor, QB play. Solve the QB problem, you’ve solved the bulk of the problem.

It is the winning the battle vs the war scenario. It all depends on a new AD, new president, and the vision of the university they put forth. I am talking about variables outside the terrible offense and dear we forget defense we have seen.

 

[phatcat]

If you invest in the stadium, but cannot keep up with the times it's a waste (IMO). But, it's not my decision or money so....

Donors love buildings with their name on them, but this ain't Field of Dreams. If you build it, they may not come.

I'd rather he set up some sort of NIL trust to be sure we have some non-laughable program to attract and compensate recruits and transfers..

 

[Aging Booster]

It is the winning the battle vs the war scenario. It all depends on a new AD, new president, and the vision of the university they put forth. I am talking about variables outside the terrible offense and dear we forget defense we have seen.

I sense that the major changes in college football, none of them related to the team's performance this past year, may well prompt a reconsideration of the role of sports at NU. Many issues may be in play. I agree that moving ahead on a new stadium right now seems like a type of "Rosemary's baby", born of the Dutch boy with his finger in the hole in the dam and Pollyanna. NU will always value academics above sports - it is a bedrock principle of the institution. That means there are no athletic dorms, few admissions exceptions, and demands of classroom performance for all athletes. The NCAA used to help us in requiring that all schools ensure that athletes make some minimal grades and show progress toward a degree. But, as the scandal at UNC showed us, the NCAA no longer has any power to police member institutions. Combine that debacle with the Court's ruling on pay for athletes and what used to be called "cheating" will only become worse. Playoff expansion threatens not only the continuation of bowl games but also the relevance of regular season championships, and ultimately, the legitimacy of all but a few teams who might play in a 12-team playoff. Pay for play is anathema to the student-athlete ideal and inherently discriminatory against women and all students who participate in extra-curricular activities that do not generate income. Can any of us really see NU participating to any significant degree in such a program? Does anyone really see Chicago area businesses ponying up millions of dollars to gain endorsements from college athletes when there are Cubs, Bears, Hawks, and Bulls around that actually fill their stadiums? NU must deal with all of these questions, and more, in order to decide if a new stadium makes sense.

 

[Jaguar 88]

Pretty much concur with you. NU had to go all in 4 decades ago at the latest in trying to build a consistent winner. Waiting til the Thorson era, to decide to build it up to be a top program on the cusp of what had just transpired in terms of both the portal and NIL will make it all the more difficult.

 

[Jaguar 88]

Donors love buildings with their name on them, but this ain't Field of Dreams. If you build it, they may not come.

I'd rather he set up some sort of NIL trust to be sure we have some non-laughable program to attract and compensate recruits and transfers..

Exactly, Ryan wants a winner, set up a fund like Texas did for linemen. Stadiums are low on recruits lists on why they chose to go where they did.

 

[Aging Booster]

Exactly, Ryan wants a winner, set up a fund like Texas did for linemen. Stadiums are low on recruits lists on why they chose to go where they did.

This ain't Texas, son. It never will be. NU alums, even very rich ones, think and act differently than their Texas brethren. Different values, priorities, goals. The cart does not lead the horse here, and sports has its place well defined. That is just one of the things that makes NU special. I cannot see any alums/booster at NU paying some 18-year-old young man over $100,000 a year to play QB at NU. Bad business decision and worse ethical decision. Meanwhile, the kid at Alabama rakes in over $1 million and OL recruits at Texas receive $60,000 per annum. The campus would go up in arms if some second-string OL was given $20,000 on top of his scholarship while the women on the NCAA championship field hockey team received nothing. What about the band members, the journalists, the folks on student government, the swimmers. They all work hard at extra-curricular activities without pay. Why should football players be any different? The horse is out of the barn and NU is not riding it; for that we can be thankful. (By the way, I have been a long-time booster and significant donor to the football program for many years. I know many of the other donors and several of the trustees. Nobody to whom I've spoken has expressed any interest in or willingness to pay for play/image/endorsements - NOBODY!)

 

[phatcat]

This ain't Texas, son. It never will be. NU alums, even very rich ones, think and act differently than their Texas brethren. Different values, priorities, goals. The cart does not lead the horse here, and sports has its place well defined. That is just one of the things that makes NU special. I cannot see any alums/booster at NU paying some 18-year-old young man over $100,000 a year to play QB at NU. Bad business decision and worse ethical decision. Meanwhile, the kid at Alabama rakes in over $1 million and OL recruits at Texas receive $60,000 per annum. The campus would go up in arms if some second-string OL was given $20,000 on top of his scholarship while the women on the NCAA championship field hockey team received nothing. What about the band members, the journalists, the folks on student government, the swimmers. They all work hard at extra-curricular activities without pay. Why should football players be any different? The horse is out of the barn and NU is not riding it; for that we can be thankful. (By the way, I have been a long-time booster and significant donor to the football program for many years. I know many of the other donors and several of the trustees. Nobody to whom I've spoken has expressed any interest in or willingness to pay for play/image/endorsements - NOBODY!)

It's the world we live in. And those "other sports" athletes nurse from the teat of football, plain and simple.

Get in...or get out. To be clear, I am OK with "out", but good luck funding those other sports without B1G football. What 18 year old would pass up 60k cash and the chance to play high level FBS?

 

[Aging Booster]

It's the world we live in. And those "other sports" athletes nurse from the teat of football, plain and simple.

Get in...or get out. To be clear, I am OK with "out", but good luck funding those other sports without B1G football. What 18 year old would pass up 60k cash and the chance to play high level FBS?

Exactly why I agree with NUChicago that this is no time to build a new stadium. The very significant question regarding the role of sports at NU, given the changes of the past year, needs to be resolved first. Please remember that a full ride at NU for 4-5 years costs about $400,000 and is worth much more in future earnings.

 

[The Purple Knight]

 

[curdog]

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...egon-state-reser-stadium-part-153m-renovation

Boom Goes the Dynamite!

NU should consider something like this. Oregon State renovated one half of its stadium in 2005. They're now doing the other side.

NU wouldn't need to wait 16+ years between projects, but I think a phased approach could work. Blow up the East stands first. Then do the West side once the East is rebuilt and expanded. The South bleachers could follow. Wouldn't have to displace the team for games and capacity would really only be an issue for top Big Ten games (just limit attendance to season ticket holders during each phase).

Is that crazy?

I went to an Or st game in 2019. I liked the stadium. Big indoor concourse with good food and beer. The atmosphere was very NU. Half full stadium at the start and got emptier when Utah took a 28-0 1st quarter lead.

 

[Eurocat]

While I don't like what all these changes have brought, I think the pessimists are TOO pessimistic. I think you underestimate that the campus is far more pro-sports at the undergraduate level than years ago. In fact "going to tailgates, football games and parties on Saturdays" was one of the top things mentioned in a recent poll about undergraduate enjoyment at NU. (I don't recall where I saw it, I think it was a Princeton Review piece about campus life, but don't hold me to that). Things have changed.

I still want the TCU stadium which is SMALLER (by a smidgen) in terms of both footprint and seating (like 700 less seats or something if I recall correctly). We can do it. We should do it.

I am not ready to throw the cap in, if not why are any of us here on this board? Reddit has a board for general talk about NU, the Covid situation on campus, alumni chit-chat. Plenty of other stuff to talk about.

But when it comes to NU sports I will still "expect victory".

 

[willycat]

Exactly why I agree with NUChicago that this is no time to build a new stadium. The very significant question regarding the role of sports at NU, given the changes of the past year, needs to be resolved first. Please remember that a full ride at NU for 4-5 years costs about $400,000 and is worth much more in future earnings.

You do know that is not the real cost of a ride to NU, right?

 

[willycat]

Would look pretty good on Central Ave.!

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Exactly, Ryan wants a winner, set up a fund like Texas did for linemen. Stadiums are low on recruits lists on why they chose to go where they did.

You know that how?

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Sign me up.

 

[Ryanfield124]

I like and I think I heard the OSU pricetag was only $153M?

 

[NUCat320]

Utah State beat Oregon State in the JIMMY KIMMEL BOWL.

 

[NUChicago]

I like and I think I heard the OSU pricetag was only $153M?

I wonder what that translates to Chicago dollars?

 

[techtim72]

$153 mil is not for a full redo. One side already in place.

 

[Eurocat]

 

[docrugby1]

Exactly why I agree with NUChicago that this is no time to build a new stadium. The very significant question regarding the role of sports at NU, given the changes of the past year, needs to be resolved first. Please remember that a full ride at NU for 4-5 years costs about $400,000 and is worth much more in future earnings.

The cost with regards to tuition is 85 chairs

 

[NUChicago]

Beautiful stadium, I wonder if Evanston will pitch a fit with height if they tried to do this?

 

[techtim72]

Does a duck quack? Not only height but noise also.

 

[NJCat]

Does a duck quack? Not only height but noise also.

Noise at a NU home game? That would be novel......

 

[NUChicago]

Does a duck quack? Not only height but noise also.

I see this being very difficult to pull off. This is our only option unless we move to Niles (joking).

 

[willycat]

I see this being very difficult to pull off. This is our only option unless we move to Niles (joking).

How about Arlington Heights and share a new stadium with the bears?

 

[Eurocat]

Beautiful stadium, I wonder if Evanston will pitch a fit with height if they tried to do this?

I once compared the measurements and they were surprisingly similar in everything, but I seem to have deleted that little file I had written it on the computer. Oh well. Of course some minor changes could be made. It seats LESS than Ryan Field. The fact that it would be built with no track would "squish" it together, so even if it is higher, it will throw about less shade. But I am not a civil engineer of course.

 

[techtim72]

I just noticed that TCU's press box is horizontal, embedded in the stands. Keeps the overall structure lower so that would be a plus. Not a fan of the high upper seating layouts. Those seats are terrible, the view is like looking down from a helicopter, and they are on a steep angle. However, I really liked the new UAB layout which has two levels but the upper deck is not as severe. Plus there is a concourse level that allows fans to walk the entire way around, all with the game visible.

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[Katatonic]

Then don’t. You are drawing conclusions about the direction of the program based on one bad season and neglecting the overwhelmingly positive trends and trajectory of the program over the last ten years. NU’s precipitous fall in 2019 and 2021 from their greatest heights in the two preceding seasons is highly correlated to one main factor, QB play. Solve the QB problem, you’ve solved the bulk of the problem.

Like you stated - actually 2 (really) bad seasons.

Fitz was lucky that a QB the caliber of Ramsey was available, and even then, Ramsey did just enough to make up for the usual holes on O (O-line, receiving corps), and now there isn't a Hank led D where just a mediocre O is needed to win the (let's face it) not exactly tough B1G West.

 

[Sheffielder]

To the original intent of this post, I wonder what architectural considerations (along with zoning, local approvals, etc.) would need to be green lit in order to do an east/west phased reno. I imagine the people of Evanston would find a way to poo poo the plan.

Other than that...no matter where college sports is heading...people want their shrines and new stadiums turn heads. I 100% guarantee my local friends who know I'm a Northwestern fan but don't care about the program themselves will all ask about the stadium when they read about it and ask to go to a game, and will then say, "stadium is nice!" It changes things.

 

[PurpleFaze]

Then don’t. You are drawing conclusions about the direction of the program based on one bad season and neglecting the overwhelmingly positive trends and trajectory of the program over the last ten years. NU’s precipitous fall in 2019 and 2021 from their greatest heights in the two preceding seasons is highly correlated to one main factor, QB play. Solve the QB problem, you’ve solved the bulk of the problem.

Are you serious? Last year was way more than just QB play lol.

Two really bad seasons in 3 years isn’t good news. Frankly based on the current roster and the released schedule it’s tough to see a bowl team in 2022 either. Three non bowl years out of 4 isn’t the kind of “trajectory” that’s desired.