This definitely needs to happen though. It's wild that ISU has AMAZING modern facilities and upgrades all over campus now. Our facilities can compete with just about anybody outside of those perennial blueblood blank check schools like Texas/Oregon/Bama/LSU/etc.
That's how concessions were done at Milwaukee during the NCAA tournament as well. Very efficient with many different options around the arena.
On the list of the top 100 most important things facing the Athletics Department right now, this probably comes in at #322
It does if you can create a structure that can not only serve as a "press box" but also a revenue generator, e.g., more suites, conference/event/meeting space, other premium office, training, tutoring, etc. space for other sports, etc. So many schools have these massive structures that not only serve as a pressbox on game, but are there for many other logical and lucrative reasons. And oh yeah, a big ass structure would look a hell of a lot better than our dinky little G5 press box. Having an intimidating home venue is important to the football program. It's the same reason it was a mistake putting in a new scoreboard on the south side and not making it the full width to match the video board on the north side. Those stupid dorky ass cheesy as hell looking I-State and Big 12 logo "coverings" look so damn bad and embarrassing. Having 2 giant video boards facing each other would have been a very unique and intimidating addition to Trice that not many stadiums have. Such a missed opportunity, and yes it was absolute worth the money to do it.
Pretty sure market studies show there is no appetite for additional premium seating / suites in Jack Trice at this time, and no way would those other use cases you mention displace anything already available in Stark or cannibalize opportunties soon to be available in CYtown
I agree it's not the top priority, I agree there are more pressing issues, but to act like that isn't needed, isn't way overdue, or shouldn't even be on the AD list of to-dos..
I'd be interested in the source/link on that.
Press boxes are built for members of print media. Print media is dead. And while enhanced suite seating would be welcome, there doesn't seem to be much of a need there. ISU athletics is no longer in a "build it and they will come" mode. Thank God we got as much work done for the program when we did, before the missile crisis.
my counter would be we already have everything bolded in JTS
Totally agree with you that we should have modernized the press box area and put in more private seating years ago. If nothing more to show that ISU is serous about football and JTS is a power 4 stadium. But I fear that with the money crunch we have approaching, it will never get done and when you are in survival mode, perks like an expensive rebuild of the press box and seating upgrades is never going to occur.
I have never understood this line of thinking of its only for the press and screw them. I could care less about the working condition of the press core. The whole point of putting in a more extensive press box area would be the inclusion of private boxes and more areas like the Sukup setup in the end zone. In today's stadium game, that is where the money is, not in selling season tickets to the average guy, but to the corporations and fans that can afford to spend $3 grand for one seat in a private area to bring in customers and show off a little. It works at EIU and many stadiums all around the nation. It's foolish to think it only for the press, you have to think about how the stadium not only looks, but enlarging the money streams coming into the athletic department.
Yes, if anything needs to be funded it is the hilton renovations. That is supposed to add things like suites, offices, and expand the concessions.
People were saying the same thing when they were talking about enclosing the South end zone. Wait until the crowd size shows we need it and then do it. Funny how that worked out, not only does the stadium look, sound and feel better, it bought in another money steam.
I have never understood this line of thinking. Our AD is literally an accountant. Do you think if we had people lined up to fill another 10-20 luxury suites he wouldn't be adding those? ISU is not ripe with money, we can't just spend 10s to 100s of millions of dollars expanding luxury boxes no on wants.
Pollard has never been bold in pushing the program as forward I and others would have hoped he would be. That may be because of the accounting background and he wanted this Cy Town project which I am sure he hopes will open up other money streams.
