Floyd Stadium and the Blue Raider Athletic Complex. Needless to say, I'm happy to be in CUSA.

looking at your basketball arena on the outside would never lead me to believe it is as nice as it is inside.

(05-13-2013 01:49 PM)NorthTexan95 Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 12:07 PM)TOPPERSonTOP Wrote:  The Houchens Industries LT Smith Stadium on the campus of Western Kentucky University

Y'all have a nice looking stadium but I believe the capacity is close to 20k. Do you know how they can add seats? From the picture there doesn't appear to be a lot of available space to expand.

The new side (the side at the top of the picture) was designed to be able to add a second deck to bring up the capacity to around 45K.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think capacity figures includes the "seating" on grass berm on one side of our end zone. I have also heard the other end zone (the end zone on the left side of the pic) may eventually be enclosed to bring the capacity up even more.

(05-13-2013 01:54 PM)johndavidblue Wrote:  



Floyd Stadium and the Blue Raider Athletic Complex. Needless to say, I'm happy to be in CUSA.

one more aerial:



Plus a couple more awesome shots of our stadium:

I like Marshall and Southern Miss stadiums.

(05-13-2013 02:54 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  

I guess y'all save a lot in lawn maintenance out there.

(05-13-2013 02:23 PM)topper1296 Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 01:49 PM)NorthTexan95 Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 12:07 PM)TOPPERSonTOP Wrote:  The Houchens Industries LT Smith Stadium on the campus of Western Kentucky University

Y'all have a nice looking stadium but I believe the capacity is close to 20k. Do you know how they can add seats? From the picture there doesn't appear to be a lot of available space to expand.

The new side (the side at the top of the picture) was designed to be able to add a second deck to bring up the capacity to around 45K.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think capacity figures includes the "seating" on grass berm on one side of our end zone. I have also heard the other end zone (the end zone on the left side of the pic) may eventually be enclosed to bring the capacity up even more.

I am unsure of the specifics, but the upper side can have an upper deck, also ave of champions can be curved into that large lawn area to go around a horse shoe enclosure. overall i would say that the easy expands could put the stadium well over 50-60k. there is also potential for putting grandstands in the berm endzone (this would significantly increase seating numbers as well.) there is also plans to add luxury suites somewhere as well as upgrade the pressbox. right now the stadium is listed at 22k, but can actualy hold (because of large standin decks and the berm) closer to 25 or 26. we had like 23500 last season and the upper corners were empty...

(05-13-2013 03:08 PM)Nugget49er Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 02:54 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  

I guess y'all save a lot in lawn maintenance out there.

Water is a precious commodity in the Southwest.

(05-13-2013 01:49 PM)NorthTexan95 Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 12:07 PM)TOPPERSonTOP Wrote:  The Houchens Industries LT Smith Stadium on the campus of Western Kentucky University

Y'all have a nice looking stadium but I believe the capacity is close to 20k. Do you know how they can add seats? From the picture there doesn't appear to be a lot of available space to expand.

That's what I was thinking. Who builds a stadium 5 feet from a major highway anway.

(05-13-2013 03:15 PM)StillJonesing Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 01:49 PM)NorthTexan95 Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 12:07 PM)TOPPERSonTOP Wrote:  The Houchens Industries LT Smith Stadium on the campus of Western Kentucky University

Y'all have a nice looking stadium but I believe the capacity is close to 20k. Do you know how they can add seats? From the picture there doesn't appear to be a lot of available space to expand.

That's what I was thinking. Who builds a stadium 5 feet from a major highway anway.

lol major highway? there is more than enough room to build, don't worry about it.

(05-13-2013 03:24 PM)TOPPERSonTOP Wrote:  lol major highway?

It sure looks like a 4 lane highway in that photo. Even has 5 cars in about a 100 yard streach as well which would indicate to me it's pretty well traveled to me. Don't think you are moving that road.

Quote:there is more than enough room to build, don't worry about it.

Not in that endzone which was my point. It looks like you would have to re-route the road on the other endzone as well if you want to build there. You got a nice looking stadium it was just kind of shocking someone would build a stadium in between two roads like that to me.

What if you wanted a Field house or some endzone seating eventually? What if you needed it in 30 years? I know when we built our endzone seating there were zoning issues with the road behind it I think we had to clear with the state and that was just a little neighborhood nothing street that's not even as close as your stadium is to those roads.

the smaller road is a small road owned by western. it can be curved into the greenspace if needed. university blvd is a major road onto campus, but that is about it. i think some planning could move traffic to other parts of campus. trust me when i say that there is plenty of room for us to build what ever we need.

(05-13-2013 03:38 PM)StillJonesing Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 03:24 PM)TOPPERSonTOP Wrote:  lol major highway?

It sure looks like a 4 lane highway in that photo. Even has 5 cars in about a 100 yard streach as well which would indicate to me it's pretty well traveled to me. Don't think you are moving that road.

Quote:there is more than enough room to build, don't worry about it.

Not in that endzone which was my point. It looks like you would have to re-route the road on the other endzone as well if you want to build there. You got a nice looking stadium it was just kind of shocking someone would build a stadium in between two roads like that to me.

What if you wanted a Field house or some endzone seating eventually? What if you needed it in 30 years? I know when we built our endzone seating there were zoning issues with the road behind it I think we had to clear with the state and that was just a little neighborhood nothing street that not even as close as your stadium is to those roads.

5 cars make a major highway to you? You are correct, it is 4 lanes, but it is not at all major. It is not, trust us.

For your reference, the side in the foreground was built in 1968. The new side and the scoreboard side were completed in 2008. There is no intensions of building onto the scoreboard side of the stadium. So no need to move the road.

The new side has plenty of room to build onto (and the plans too do so). I doubt there would be a need to move the road on the opposite side. Sections as big as the lower level on the new side could fit there. Might need a wall like the scoreboard side, but who cares. It actually looks really nice. Plus we could always be like SoMiss and build the stadium over a road.

If you'd like a good perspective of what the stadium looks like, look at Google street view. It goes around the interior of the stadium at field level.

Today (47,000 seat configuration):



Typical crowd:



BCS visitor (tarps off the endzone) (70,000 seat configuration):



Vintage SWC view (70,000+ in attendance):

(05-13-2013 04:37 PM)RiceDoc Wrote:  Today (47,000 seat configuration):



Typical crowd:



BCS visitor (tarps off the endzone) (70,000 seat configuration):



Vintage SWC view (70,000+ in attendance):

I love Rice Stadium! Great memories! First college football game I saw was there when my hometown school superintendent, his 2 sons (my grade school buddies) and myself attended a Rice/Baylor game in the early 60's. Jess Neely was the Owls HFC and John Bridges was BU's HFC.

Then a few years late our HS football team watched the Houston Oilers host the Kansas City Chiefs there (pre-Astrodome) when one who would years later become a friend of mine, ie, U of North Texas All American Abner Haynes, was tearing things up for Lamar Hunt's team. Mr. Hunt often called Abner......."the AFL's first superstar."

Yes, I love that Rice Stadium alright!

GMG!

PS: For an aerial look of Apogee Stadium click my icon at upper left corner of this post

UPDATE: The entire west side of old Fouts Field (the side nearest the interstate) is going to be imploded in a few days. For now Fouts will be our track stadium until one is built near Apogee Stadium in the Mean Green Village.

(05-13-2013 03:15 PM)StillJonesing Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 01:49 PM)NorthTexan95 Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 12:07 PM)TOPPERSonTOP Wrote:  The Houchens Industries LT Smith Stadium on the campus of Western Kentucky University

Y'all have a nice looking stadium but I believe the capacity is close to 20k. Do you know how they can add seats? From the picture there doesn't appear to be a lot of available space to expand.

That's what I was thinking. Who builds a stadium 5 feet from a major highway anway.

I believe the road to the left (Ave of Champs) of the pic is planned to eventually be closed to traffic and made strictly for pedestrian use...Part of a Master Plan. The Press Box (currently way to small) is going to be redone.

Clark-LeClair Stadium



Olympic Sports Complex



Dowdy Ficklen Stadium

(05-13-2013 04:37 PM)RiceDoc Wrote:  Today (47,000 seat configuration):



Typical crowd:



BCS visitor (tarps off the endzone) (70,000 seat configuration):



Vintage SWC view (70,000+ in attendance):

Granted at the time you were in the SWC that would have been better than say MWC, WAC, and your current home in CUSA but going from filling a 70K Stadium to barely looking good in a 47K arrange I'd have to ask.... WHAT HAPPENED?