Roos Field Renovation

[BLACKFALKIN1]

Looks awesome. Now we just need a shit load of money.

Kidd Brewer is very nice, those of you who went to the playoff game with me know that I would love to see us get rid of the track though, especially since we have room for it around the practice field. We could always start out one more phase by widening the existing main grandstand, if you look carefully, you can tell you could probably add another 20% to it without having to round the corners.

I was looking at that too.

1.Def could use one more section on each side. 833.33 per section. = 1,500 seats.(1,666)
2.The track can be placed on the high fb practice fields. Best place 4 it is next to the soccer field though.

But it might be best OVERALL to do the visitors side first, THEN they could still get rid of the track, lower the field, & add more seats to fill the void. Both sidelines (1,500 each) & north endzone (500) seats to fill the void would be about 2,000 extra seats. Bringing the the "Phase 3" total to 18,500.

Current Roos Field Capacity =8.6
"Phase 1"
Remove temp visitor seating -600
Add permanent visitor seating +5,500

"Phase 2"
Add extra two sections on home side +1,500

"Phase 3"
Remove track & lower field
Add visitor, home, & endzone seating +2,000

Upgraded Roos Field Capacity =18,500

 

[Screamin_Eagle174]

The visitors side holds 1000. The endzone is 1600, and the grandstand is 6000.

 

[LDopaPDX]

You guys are way better at attaching images to your posts than I am, so I won't make myself look stupid with some total fail... but you can go to cs.com and look at Weber's Stadium. Our's could be almost identical to that, with the pressbox on the hill side of the stadium rather than the parking lot side. But the end result would be very similar and increase our attendance to a far more palatable 15,000 or so.

Would we fill it very often? Probably not. But I'd almost guarantee it would instantly up our regular attendance by 2,500 or so by offering decent seats to people not sitting on the westside and offer some great GA seating at a good price. Hell, I don't care if we sell our tickets for $2, if it brings in fans, I'm all for it.

I can't go to the SEMO game this weekend due to weather concerns that would make me miss an uber-important meeting on Monday morning. I can't move it because I'm flying to Los Angeles that afternoon. i was thinking about buying 10 tickets and offering them to a radio station as part of a promo. The only station manager I know out there said it wouldn't be possible to do an advertising tie-in right now without conttractual approval, but i might try something like that next year. Whatever it takes to put butts in seats; our games aren't that expensive.

Everyone one this board (with the financial means, of course- charity begins at home) should be donating a MINIMUM of $1000 to the EAA. If you don't, you better be under 30 years old or unemployed.

 

[marceagfan5]

The Nevada and Weber Stadiums are exactly the model we need to shoot for, and we need to shoot for 15,000 capacity. The biggest issue is that it needs to come from the School itself. We can donate and set everything up, but it has to have the schools approval and their backing, and the donation accounts have to be setup through the school. In order for the school to be convinced we will need to show them that the Money will be there and we will be able to draw more fans for the game. Someone would also need to draw up a bad ass proposal as well as mentioned earlier.

Bottom line is that it can be done and the fact that we are talking about it is a step in the right direction.

Can't wait for Saturday's game...Go Eags

 

[EWURanger]

A couple of pics from Stewart Stadium. I've always thought this was a really nice venue. Capacity is somewhere around 17,000. Yeah, this would be a good model to shoot for. An expanded Roos would look similiar to this except the press box on the opposite side of the "hill" side.

 

[clawman1]

I would like to see a new building that would include new boxes on what is currently the visitor side. The home side would move across the field. Often during these chilly games I look across to the visitors and they are in the sun. This new bldg would include office spaces for athletics on the lower floors behind the stands. The field would then be 1/2 enclosed. If you have been to Washington-Grizzly stadium you realize how loud it is when completely enclosed and thus a much greater advantage for the home team.

 

[bisonhp]

After the ref turf and video scoreboard (phase 1) are put in what is next for phase 2? I would like to see the concession stand fixed up along with the vistors restrooms.

I would hope phase 3 is returning to phase 1 and new turf. WTH were you thinking? If attention was what you were going for- you got it- not in a good way.

 

[eaglesfootball]

After the ref turf and video scoreboard (phase 1) are put in what is next for phase 2? I would like to see the concession stand fixed up along with the vistors restrooms.

I would hope phase 3 is returning to phase 1 and new turf. WTH were you thinking? If attention was what you were going for- you got it- not in a good way.

thanks. the field is awesome. many who have nothing to do with EWU agree.

 

[bisonhp]

After the ref turf and video scoreboard (phase 1) are put in what is next for phase 2? I would like to see the concession stand fixed up along with the vistors restrooms.

I would hope phase 3 is returning to phase 1 and new turf. WTH were you thinking? If attention was what you were going for- you got it- not in a good way.

thanks. the field is awesome. many who have nothing to do with EWU agree.

haven't seen that- most that i see just ask WTH?? - just my opinion- on a different note whats the population you draw from- see you are averaging 6100 fans.......different venues spreading it out? with the good record and good team- seems like you should be pulling more ( its not a dig- decent stadium- facilites...)

 

[EWURanger]

After the ref turf and video scoreboard (phase 1) are put in what is next for phase 2? I would like to see the concession stand fixed up along with the vistors restrooms.

I would hope phase 3 is returning to phase 1 and new turf. WTH were you thinking? If attention was what you were going for- you got it- not in a good way.

thanks. the field is awesome. many who have nothing to do with EWU agree.

haven't seen that- most that i see just ask WTH?? - just my opinion- on a different note whats the population you draw from- see you are averaging 6100 fans.......different venues spreading it out? with the good record and good team- seems like you should be pulling more ( its not a dig- decent stadium- facilites...)

I think we were averaging around 7200 prior to the last couple of games. That last playoff game didn't help anything. It was on the same day as the Apple Cup, the annual UW-WSU game, which, despite their records is always the biggest college sporting event in the state. This was going on in Pullman, which is an hour and a half down the road. So many people were either there, or sitting at home watching on tv. Sadly, this probably included many, many EWU alums. FCS will always play second fiddle to the Pac-10 in places like Washington, Oregon, and Arizona, all states with Big Sky schools. Additionally, I think the weather turns people away somewhat. This is evidenced by the attendance figures the first few games compared with those of the last few. Lame, I know.......but it just seems to be the way it is in the Spokane area. Part of it is also facilities. Ours look kind of low-rent even compared to most of the conference, save maybe UNC and ISU - and (future member) SUU. That doesn't aid in the perception of FCS being "small time". There are a few things in the works facilities-wise over the next few years - unfortunately, most of that has to be funded with private donations. The recession also hasn't helped in that regard. Eastern is a very liberal school that will always place education in front of anything athletics-wise. It should be that way, but it still sucks to see schools like UW doing multi-million dollar stadium renovations. Even they had to do it all with private money and in-house school money, though - nothing from the state.

To be completely honest, the best thing the program could hope for as far as a massive boost in attendance goes would be to win an FCS national championship. People on the fringe or just casual fans won't be massively impressed by a second or third round loss.

All that said, attendance will be up this weekend and it should be a nice crowd. Come on out.

 

[bisonhp]

I really want to- but not going to make the trip- when we got the fargodome in 93 as players we hated it- and i hated it even more as a fan right out of college- we went up a few thousand fans indoors- but half of them thought it was sunday dress up and just came for a social event- some lady complained to the dome-nazi's on me- she was sitting there reading a damn book and complained i was yelling alot- i told her to go to a library and read ( maybe with other words) the wins will bring the fans.......just hope we dont help that out on saturday :!: :!:

 

[EWURanger]

I really want to- but not going to make the trip- when we got the fargodome in 93 as players we hated it- and i hated it even more as a fan right out of college- we went up a few thousand fans indoors- but half of them thought it was sunday dress up and just came for a social event- some lady complained to the dome-nazi's on me- she was sitting there reading a damn book and complained i was yelling alot- i told her to go to a library and read ( maybe with other words) the wins will bring the fans.......just hope we dont help that out on saturday :!: :!:

The FD looks like a really nice venue. Even though I have to give you guys a little bit of crap for playing in a dome, I can understand why. Is the FD on the NDSU campus, or is it owned by Fargo and the Bison are tennants?

 

[bisonhp]

I really want to- but not going to make the trip- when we got the fargodome in 93 as players we hated it- and i hated it even more as a fan right out of college- we went up a few thousand fans indoors- but half of them thought it was sunday dress up and just came for a social event- some lady complained to the dome-nazi's on me- she was sitting there reading a damn book and complained i was yelling alot- i told her to go to a library and read ( maybe with other words) the wins will bring the fans.......just hope we dont help that out on saturday :!: :!:

The FD looks like a really nice venue. Even though I have to give you guys a little bit of crap for playing in a dome, I can understand why. Is the FD on the NDSU campus, or is it owned by Fargo and the Bison are tennants?

get the crowd- but lose the home field weather advantage- used to bring the CA teams in this time of year for playoffs- they would come out pre-game in short sleeves and then when they come back out it was sweatshirts- then again. Then again....if we were hosting sat game outdoors- at noon you would be looking at a game time temp temp of around 5 with a wind chill about -10.......and that might be warm.

forgot- owned by the city of fargo- we reserve dates- if you guys would have lost and we host we would have had the game friday nite- the dome was booked sat

 

[EWURanger]

After watching the replay of the game from last night, the press box side of the field looked pretty incredible. The thing that stuck out was the visitors side. Unfortunately, because they film the majority of the game from the press box, you saw it a lot. Even a small concrete grandstand would do so much for the aesthetic appearance of our venue. I am really hoping we can so something about this in the coming years. I know we don't have the alumni base or fan support than MSU does, but wow - look at the campaign they did this year in regards to their stadium. They are rapidly starting to catch up with UM.

If we're ever going to compete on a yearly basis with the Montana's and App State's of the world, we really need to make an investment into facility improvement. It's huge in regards to recruiting the type of athletes we need to compete for a national championship every year, not just once a decade.

I know how tight state funds are, and I know what the reaction would be by all the liberal faculty and senate to any kind of move to spend money on facility improvements. It'll have to be a grass roots movement. I think that's where being viewed by a national audience on ESPN and competing for a national championship are going to help in this regard. Maybe it will open up some alums pockets that have previously not contributed. Hopefully the membership of the EAA will increase (yes I am a member). But one great year won't cut it. We need to start making these kind of runs every year to really generate the kind of support and recognition we will need to increase our fan base and alumni support. But I am thinking this is just the beginning and I think the future looks bright for the football program.

 

[Ewuticketoffice]

I would settle for a little less, to be honest:

A larger ticket booth with four selling windows and four will call windows in the upper lot. With power. As it is currently, if a ticket is unprinted or lost at will call or by a season ticket holder, I have to run down to my office at Reese Court to print it, then run back up to will call to deliver it. I do this about 30 times per football game. It can be four plywood walls, a base and a roof with a door. It would also save me an hour of setup time to not have to transport equipment from the press box to the current booth, then tear it down at halftime. This far we do not have the materials or person willing to build it through the ewu foundation (the union would charge $$$ to do it).

I know this seems minor but that renovation would be my main one I advocate for daily. Anyone willing to donate?

thanks

Troy Kirby
Ewu athletics

 

[GoEagles!]

First things first. I don't think people realize how important a video board is to the atmosphere of the gameday environment. We can't even fill the stands we have now. A video board should take huge precedence over any seating improvements. From a team intro video, starting lineups, highlights, replays, etc. EWU produces the best video content in the Big Sky bar none. How about increased revenue dollars for sponsors with ads, etc.

If you've ever been to a GU game, a shock game, or WSU, or any other venue that knows how to utilize a video board, you know it is a game changer. You can feel the palpable atmoshpere change in excitement. It turns just a game into an "event".

I hope they can get this done.

 

[HannahO]

I would settle for a little less, to be honest:

A larger ticket booth with four selling windows and four will call windows in the upper lot. With power. As it is currently, if a ticket is unprinted or lost at will call or by a season ticket holder, I have to run down to my office at Reese Court to print it, then run back up to will call to deliver it. I do this about 30 times per football game. It can be four plywood walls, a base and a roof with a door. It would also save me an hour of setup time to not have to transport equipment from the press box to the current booth, then tear it down at halftime. This far we do not have the materials or person willing to build it through the ewu foundation (the union would charge $$$ to do it).

I know this seems minor but that renovation would be my main one I advocate for daily. Anyone willing to donate?

thanks

Troy Kirby
Ewu athletics

Is there a dollar amount on this project? While I agree that a video board is needed (and I think we're well on our way to getting one), dealing with Troy and his office is always a pleasant and professional experience. I had no idea the game day difficulties they encounter for lack of a secure building and electricity. It seems a bit primitive for the year 2011 and I would be willing to donate to make this project a reality.

 

[MLEagle]

I agree with the video board being 1st on the list. Right now it seems small time at Roos, but with a video replay board it would completely change the feeling and atmosphere. I think we are going to get more first time/new fans in years to come and we want to keep them. Most of that will come with wins, but a great game day experience will help.

 

[EWURanger]

but a great game day experience will help.

Bingo. It's everything. I'll bet that a third of the people that attend big time games don't go to watch football. They go for game day experience.

 

[marceagfan5]

I believe there will be some sort of meeting or information to discuss improvements to the stadium a month or two after the season, I would guess around the 1st of March.