I've been one of those Rocket fans that wanted to see the Glass Bowl expanded. Maybe just to 30,000, but wouldn't 40,000 be great?

My dream was to see the upper deck on the east side torn down and have that side match the west side. Even enclose the entire south end so there would be one continuous bowl at the level of the west stands.

But I've changed my mind. I hate to say it, but the days of getting crowds of 30,000+ are probably gone. Blame it on too many games on television, students with more entertainment options, ticket prices or whatever. Crowds of 30,000 have been very few since we last won a title in 2004.

You could say that better Rocket teams would draw better crowds, and I agree, to some extent. But that 2004 team had ONE home game over 30,000, Bowling Green.

I understand how frustrating it can be when the Rockets can't fill the Glass Bowl just five or six times a year. But just look at the crowds we get when it starts getting really cold, and the need for a bigger stadium starts to look less and less like a good idea.

Even the MAC's newest stadium at Akron doesn't hold 30,000, although they sometimes say it does. Actual seating is 27,881 with 30,000 being standing room only crowds. To my knowledge, no MAC school is thinking about increasing seating, and some have decreased seating over the years.

AD Mike O'Brien was recently quoted as saying the the Larimer renovations were the "last piece of the puzzle" after Savage and the indoor practice facility were completed. I can't read his mind, but I'd bet that he isn't looking at any really big projects other than possibly moving or enhancing the baseball, softball and soccer facilities.

A recent story in USA Today that quoted AD's at major programs lamenting the problems they're having attracting students and recent graduates to football games was an eye opener. Even the AD at Florida said they used to just open the gates and the students would pile in. Now they have to work to get them to the games.

My dreams for the Glass Bowl have changed. Now they're more modest and attainable. After watching part of the replay of the Missouri game on ESPNU last night, it really showed how beautiful the stadium is. Even though the crowd was a few thousand short of capacity, it looked great on television after the stragglers got in their seats. The renovated Larimer Building with the new video board along with ROCKET NATION on the tarps below have a great look.

New lights behind the east stands and cleaning up the jumble of steel beams below those same stands would make a big difference. Add in some better food and continue to make the fan experience better, and I'll be happy.

I agree 100%. Ohio State seems to be an exception to the rule. Schools across the country are working hard to figure out marketing strategies and what to do with declining attendance, especially with students, because they are the future potential season ticket holders. Georgia, Michigan State, Stanford, and this list goes on for schools with attendance concerns. I watched the end of the Iowa vs Ball St game and there were a lot of empty seats, despite Ball St being ahead until about the last 3 minutes.

(09-08-2014 10:25 AM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  I've been one of those Rocket fans that wanted to see the Glass Bowl expanded. Maybe just to 30,000, but wouldn't 40,000 be great?

My dream was to see the upper deck on the east side torn down and have that side match the west side. Even enclose the entire south end so there would be one continuous bowl at the level of the west stands.

But I've changed my mind. I hate to say it, but the days of getting crowds of 30,000+ are probably gone. Blame it on too many games on television, students with more entertainment options, ticket prices or whatever. Crowds of 30,000 have been very few since we last won a title in 2004.

You could say that better Rocket teams would draw better crowds, and I agree, to some extent. But that 2004 team had ONE home game over 30,000, Bowling Green.

I understand how frustrating it can be when the Rockets can't fill the Glass Bowl just five or six times a year. But just look at the crowds we get when it starts getting really cold, and the need for a bigger stadium starts to look less and less like a good idea.

Even the MAC's newest stadium at Akron doesn't hold 30,000, although they sometimes say it does. Actual seating is 27,881 with 30,000 being standing room only crowds. To my knowledge, no MAC school is thinking about increasing seating, and some have decreased seating over the years.

AD Mike O'Brien was recently quoted as saying the the Larimer renovations were the "last piece of the puzzle" after Savage and the indoor practice facility were completed. I can't read his mind, but I'd bet that he isn't looking at any really big projects other than possibly moving or enhancing the baseball, softball and soccer facilities.

A recent story in USA Today that quoted AD's at major programs lamenting the problems they're having attracting students and recent graduates to football games was an eye opener. Even the AD at Florida said they used to just open the gates and the students would pile in. Now they have to work to get them to the games.

My dreams for the Glass Bowl have changed. Now they're more modest and attainable. After watching part of the replay of the Missouri game on ESPNU last night, it really showed how beautiful the stadium is. Even though the crowd was a few thousand short of capacity, it looked great on television after the stragglers got in their seats. The renovated Larimer Building with the new video board along with ROCKET NATION on the tarps below have a great look.

New lights behind the east stands and cleaning up the jumble of steel beams below those same stands would make a big difference. Add in some better food and continue to make the fan experience better, and I'll be happy.

I think UT had some bad luck effecting attendance this past weekend. I'm all for things that will effect student/fan experience and broadcasting. Since games are being packed for broadcast need to take that into consideration. Maybe the Larimer is the last thing under Mike's watch, but at some point there will be a new AD. Had to be worth a boatload of money to have UT featured on ESPN at 12:00pm on a Saturday.

Didn't they just recently hire an outside marketing company?

I still believe in Win and They Will Come.

I can see some of your points. However, the upper deck needs some vast improvements.
1. Add a row of indoor/outdoor suites like 5/3 field. Currently the press box is full. (I hear a waiting list) They would sell them out and add extra money for the athletic department.
2. Build a new upper deck so it hangs over the upper half or third of the lower deck and brings those fans closer to the action.
3. Build 2 or 3 more restrooms on the main level as well as a couple solid concession stands for the east side.
3A. Do the same for the Upper deck so those people don't have to come all the way down to ground level for services.
4. Move and update the lights on the East side of the stadium.

The Glass Bowl has a lot of history and is a great stadium. I think some tweaks and changes here and there over the next couple of years will do the trick just fine.

My suggestion is tear down the east upper seating section. In its place build a dorm or a classroom building (similar to what Notre Dame is doing) that fills the space, provides a need for the campus and has multipurpose space that can be used on game day. First level can be concessions and restrooms etc, upper levels the multipurpose rooms, suites etc.

As for the seats lost, oh well. We cannot sell out for an SEC team. No excuses

How is this financed? Same way the new dorms on other parts of campus. Private developer who gets to make his money back with student rent. Glass Bowl get a finished look. We end the debate of future expansions

I read that same story in the USA Today, even Alabama has trouble keeping students past half time.

I know this statement isn't going to well received but... When you break it down football can be more boring than baseball. Too many breaks in action, it's hard for today's average fan with ADHD to stay engaged. And by halftime everyone is tired of trying to pay attention and checks out. It not like you can flip the channel when your sitting in stands. I'm afraid football best days are behind it.

(09-08-2014 11:45 AM)San Giuseppe Jato Rocket Wrote:  Too many breaks in action, it's hard for today's average fan with ADHD to stay engaged. And by halftime everyone is tired of trying to pay attention and checks out.

The ESPN games are the worst to attend. Saturday's 12:00 game was over just before 4. When you're there in person on a metal bench with a half-inch of legroom and no backrest sitting through what amounts to hours of breaks in the action, yeah.... it can be pretty unfun. If the team isn't competitive or you don't feel like you're going to be entertained, why expect the casual fan to sit through it?

We only need seats for about 1000 hardy fans for those upcoming middle-of-the-week November games...

(09-08-2014 10:54 AM)Toledo Football 1st Wrote:  Didn't they just recently hire an outside marketing company?

I still believe in Win and They Will Come.

Yes but the opposite is also true: "Lose and They Will NOT Come"

(09-08-2014 11:32 AM)tampabayrocketfan Wrote:  The Glass Bowl has a lot of history and is a great stadium. I think some tweaks and changes here and there over the next couple of years will do the trick just fine.

I agree, especially if O'Brien doesn't have any big plans for the future. GB definitely needs some tweaks and changes here and there over the next couples of years, but I think we can get by without a major renovation, at least for a few more years. When that baby is full, it's a beautiful and awesome place to see a game...but we all know that doesn't happen too often. It desperately needs to be power washed, maybe that will be next?

seating sections to make it a complete bowl would have to go behind the stone wall and above it and seats going from the left of the press box and all the way around and over where the rockets take the field would be awesome.

The Glass Bowl is still the best place in the MAC to watch a football game. What sets it apart from the other MAC stadiums as that many others have too many seats in the wrong places. We have towers and walls in places where others just have bleachers that go up and up forever, and as a result, it gets loud at the GB. It gets loud even when there's 15,000 in attendance, and I worry that any expansion project would compromise that.

I wonder if the uncertainty over the NCAA and what schools (and conferences) will remain "FBS" as we now know it is also cause for pause? If the greedy ones ultimately have their way, they will consolidate to 4 or 5 main conferences with 16 teams each, eat each other's weak ones for 3 or 4 easy wins a year, and then play conference games the rest of the schedule. If we lose the opportunity to schedule a "big name" team every year, it makes it harder to justfy a stadium of 30,000 let alone more...

I'm a bit pessimistic that the MAC, C-USA and a few others may not remain "FBS"...maybe we don't drop all the way to "FCS", but maybe something in between, which makes no sense,and that is reason enough why the NCAA will probably end up there

Reflect the West side to the East, press box and all. Complete the southern wrap around between press boxes with indianasniff's dorm idea, with parking underneath. Be about the fourth highest elevated building in Toledo, look cool, great views, attract rich Middle - Eastern and Chinese students with in room jacuzzi and hooka's.

Seriously, it would look REALLY cool. Can you imagine the view, let alone the sound. I'm thinking retractable roof for year round activities and Hooter's conventions, for academic research reasons of course. It would be the best convention center in Ohio.

As I watched the 11 pm news last Friday night and saw all of the postponed HS games I had a feeling that the attendance would be less than full. Well over 85% of the HS games were moved to Sat between 12 noon and 3pm restarts. Just a bad break. I would have bet a lot that the GB would be SRO for the SEC.

Instead of expanding, they should renovate - the entire upper east side stands, replace some of the bench seats near the 50 yd line and make them with backs (sections 4-6, and 25), renovate concessions, etc.

(09-08-2014 01:20 PM)RangerRocket Wrote:  We only need seats for about 1000 hardy fans for those upcoming middle-of-the-week November games...

Yep.

The schedules have been so brutal I didn't even use my season tickets last season.

First time I missed a home game in a decade. And I missed a bunch all at once. Didn't help I thought the team stunk last season.

Got to enjoy the Cincinnati game though...too bad we couldn't score a single offensive touchdown that day.

(09-08-2014 01:20 PM)RangerRocket Wrote:  We only need seats for about 1000 hardy fans for those upcoming middle-of-the-week November games...

Seast!? We should be able to just stand on the sideline! LOL!