Based on a conglomeration of aesthetics, environment, and "history", here's how I'd put them:

1. Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium - ECU:
Fantastic environment on a Saturday night, great tailgating amenities and a relatively modern stadium layout, needs updates to premium zones and boxes, but will be more than likely getting them soon.

2. Nippert Stadium - Cincinnati:
Most unique stadium of the bunch, dead center of campus with newly updated amenities for all attending fans. Smallish, but can get incredibly loud when the notoriously late attending fans get there. Parking and Tailgating options are limited.

3. TDECU Stadium - Houston:
Newest stadium of the bunch, upgradable with a great layout and modern amenities. Unsure on environment, as most of the games were not televised in my neck of the woods, but definitely a place I'll visit when the Bearcats come to town.

4. Raymond James Stadium - USF:
I was lucky enough to go to the USF-Cincinnati game in 2009, and man, did this stadium impress me, great environment in that game, good amenities as to be expected in an NFL stadium, but docked due to the lack of USF branding and being an OCS.

5. Bright House Networks Stadium - UCF:
Good environment, large enough to fit a good crowd comfortably, unfortunately its appearance is not up to snuff with many of the stadiums on the list. Seems to not fit the rising stature of the team with the aluminum stands and chain link fences and lacks much along the lines of character, but definitely a good stadium.

6. Navy-Marine Corp Memorial Stadium, US Naval Academy:
Got to see this one first hand as Cincinnati played their bowl game there. Completely base this on the incredible memorial it is to our Armed Forces. Not a particularly noteworthy stadium, but it is an incredibly place to walk through/experience.

7. Liberty Bowl - Memphis:
Good stadium with cool history. Looks lopsided (which as a former civil engineer and architectural designer always gets me, happened with Louisville's stadium too) and lacked a cool environment the last time I attended, which admittedly was before the football team had made the strides they have lately, so this ranking amy change quickly.

8. Rentschler Field - UConn:
Seemed like a cookie cutter, and did not have the cool game day atmosphere I had been told would be there (which was likely a result of declining on field performance). Points also docked for a bad looking playing surface and being away from campus.

9. Lincoln Financial Field - Temple:
NFL Stadium, so it is nice, but lacks any atmosphere, looks bad on TV with empty seats, and has very little Temple branding on game days. Temple is the most desperately in need of an OCS out of every Division 1 football program.

10. H.A. Chapman Stadium - Tulsa:
Lacks any television atmosphere, seems quite outdated outside of the Press/Suite Area, and just not a whole lot of character. Never have been a big fan of the rectangular stadium with open corners.

11. Yulman Stadium -Tulane:
Angles are off on this one, very small, and while it is brand new, does not look like it when actually walking through the concourses and around the stadium.

12. Gerald J. Ford Stadium - SMU:
Smallish, no atmosphere, very little else to say.

(07-30-2015 09:54 AM)jdowlr Wrote:  

(07-29-2015 02:30 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  We regularly compare it to Doak Campbell stadium, at least in terms of final intent.

The only similarity I see between those two is that there's a football field in the middle.

I'm saying final intent of the stadium. Roth Tower (the communications tower) will be doubled in size and extend from end to end of the west side of the stands (essentially to the currently existing lights)

Next Phase is a 10k seat expansion, a 3rd deck on the east side sideline seats.



After that they will close the third deck, bringing final attendance to about 65k, with SRO room underneath the third deck.

While all of this is happening, as I don't see the final expansion phase happening unless we either A. Sustain the success we've seen and drive demand or B. Get a P5 invite, we are adding façade buildings to enclose the outer perimeter. We've started the first one now, and it will be completed by December.





And then of course, the ESC area, which will be finished for kickoff.



It's a work in progress. Small changes are being added every year, for instance, they are taking out the steel bleachers in the ESC section and adding Gold Seat covers. There's been some ideas thrown around about retractable shading ala the new dolphins stadium.

BHNS 10 years from now will look much different from what it looks now.

(07-30-2015 05:12 AM)ShoreBuc Wrote:  I would simply say the atmosphere of most AAC Stadiums has a lot to do with who they are playing. I was at the UCF vs Houston game two years ago and that dramatic ending. That was definitely one of the best atmospheres I have been in at a college game and I go to a lot of college football games including SEC games. The tailgating before a UCF game is awesome and the fact you can swing into a restaurant and have drinks a few steps from the stadium gives them a huge leg up on amenities IMO.

I have been to probably over 12 games at Navy and while it is a nice event to go to Annapolis and hang out the Stadium is nothing special and the atmosphere minus the cadets marching in to sit in their section and welcoming the visiting fans is nothing special and inferior to both Army and Air Force who win on the absolute visual beauty from their stadiums where Navy is just looking out at a parking lot, Army and Air Force have glorious views from their stadiums.

ECU's Ficklen Stadium can be an absolutely magical when it is sold out and we are playing somebody the fan base is pumped up about beating. We are definitely blessed with great tailgating having multiple lots and fields adjacent to the stadium. My parking spot is 20yds from the gates which at a P5 school would cost me at least $20k in donations per year so I do not take that for granted.

I used to love going to Cincinnati games in the old CUSA days and that was when they were lucky to get 15K fans. I definitely look forward to going to the games now in the renovated Nippert. I also look forward to visiting Houston to see their new stadium.

Each school and their stadium provides a unique experience and while the debate and pissing matches are humorous I would say currently based on the status of the programs that...
ECU, UCF, UC are definitely top tier when it comes to overall stadium experience.

I hope we run into each other again sometime!

I'm going to the @Tulane, @Cincinnati, and @USCe games this year.

I think next year I'll hit up the @ECU and @Houston games.

(07-30-2015 02:30 AM)subflea Wrote:  

(07-29-2015 02:15 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  tradition: ECU since half the league has new stadiums
noise level: ECU (UCF when they bang on the aluminum)

Been playing football on the spot where Nippert stands since 1901, and the stadium was completed in 1924.

Been to some really loud joints, a packed Nippert, especially at night, is as loud as any of them. With the new addition to hold in even more noise it will be even louder. The buildings all around the stadium and the stadium sitting below everything, keeps every bit of noise inside the bowl.

I remember in 08, Dave Wannstedt said he wasn't concerned about crowd noise at Nippert. Pitt must have had 7-8 false starts due to crowd noise.

1 East Carolina (Needs new pressbox after that will be on par with many P5 schools)
2 Cincinnati (Great stadium, unique, history, etc wish we were at Cinci this year)
3 UCF (Good crowd large but a lot of metal, if they can do the updates will be nice, all would get many bonus points for new upperdeck and probably needs a larger pressbox with more luxury boxes and seats that expands the entire side of stadium (would keep more noise in also)
4 Houston (Nice new stadium keep attendance up)
5 Memphis (Keep growing fans, stadium is just a little outdated but it is P5 level)
6 Connecticut (Ok looking stadium not large not great but not ugly or small between large city and campus idk...)
7 South Florida (NFL just low because of attendance)
8 Temple (See USF)
9 Navy (Nice Stadium)
10 SMU (Needs to do what Baylor, TCU, Houston did)
11 Tulane (getting there)
12 Tulsa (Needs to do what Baylor, TCU, etc did)
-------------------------

The three private schools and the service academy all have more G5 level stadiums while the rest have P5 level stadiums. Navy is a nice unique level and they would get the pass.

SMU and Tulsa (although recently renovated) probably need to do something similar to UH, TCU, and Baylor to keep up. More amenities, club level, etc for the rich alumni and make the stadium fill much larger. Baylor, TCU, and Houston all did a great job with this. Tulane very small stadium but is unique and cool not much you can do at Tulane but start winning.

(07-30-2015 10:50 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Based on a conglomeration of aesthetics, environment, and "history", here's how I'd put them:






11. Yulman Stadium -Tulane:
Angles are off on this one, very small, and while it is brand new, does not look like it when actually walking through the concourses and around the stadium.

Wow that's the first I have heard anyone say anything about the angles and newness of the concourse and outside.

(07-30-2015 10:22 AM)EastCarolinaU. Wrote:  

(07-29-2015 02:41 PM)Indiana Bones Wrote:  Almost all objective individuals would put ECU 1st, let's be real here.

See below...

All I want to do is gloat for a second. I hooked up with the blonde reporter in the first segment. Carry on

Oh and to be on topic - ECU's is the best

So did the other host in the video. Who was first?

(07-30-2015 10:22 AM)EastCarolinaU. Wrote:  

(07-29-2015 02:41 PM)Indiana Bones Wrote:  Almost all objective individuals would put ECU 1st, let's be real here.

See below...

All I want to do is gloat for a second. I hooked up with the blonde reporter in the first segment. Carry on

Oh and to be on topic - ECU's is the best

Now that's a stadium experience I can get behind

(07-29-2015 02:24 PM)FrancisDrake Wrote:  ECU bc I'm a homer and bc of the atmosphere and attendance.
USC bc it has a pirate ship and I'm a homer.
UC unique and good atmosphere
Houston - never been but its sure sparkles.
Navy
UCF
Memphis - Haven't been since 08 and 09 but unique design
Tulane - never been but audubon park is nice and maybe they serve beignets and chickory at the stadium?
UCONN - just bc, never been.
SMU, Tulsa, Temple bc no one should be alone at the and I have no idea.

you should take in a game if you come back as over 30 million has been invested into the Liberty Bowl by the City of Memphis.

Tiger Lane:


Locker Room upgrades:


new video board: (old vs new)


LED lighting


they also made ramps ADA accessible, improved concession and bathrooms...stuff like that.

(07-29-2015 10:35 PM)Bull Wrote:  lol at what gets said on another pissing match thread... seriously, playing in an NFL stadium that has hosted multiple super bowls is somehow a negative... because the seats are red? Ha! USF has a fantastic stadium situation, other than the fact that its a couple miles away (oh no!), it's AWESOME. I'm pretty sure the NFL team would not settle for less. No one, and I mean NO ONE was complaining about our stadium situation when we were putting 50K crowds into RJS.

Is gameday on campus fun? Absolutely. Is it required to have an awesome experience? Absolutely not. We were ROCKING RayJay a few years ago when we were ranked... and pretty soon we'll be doing it again. Yeah I know it's empty now, because the team cratered. We'll do an OCS someday once RJ ages a bit more... very likely the wheels will be in motion soon to put it on the MOSI site. But it's not like we're playing in a dump. Far from it.

Now if we can just get the team winning again, we'll be all set...

I will say that I was thrilled when the Grizz went with dark blue...makes FedExForum look great for Tigers games.

(07-30-2015 10:50 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Based on a conglomeration of aesthetics, environment, and "history", here's how I'd put them:

1. Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium - ECU:
Fantastic environment on a Saturday night, great tailgating amenities and a relatively modern stadium layout, needs updates to premium zones and boxes, but will be more than likely getting them soon.

2. Nippert Stadium - Cincinnati:
Most unique stadium of the bunch, dead center of campus with newly updated amenities for all attending fans. Smallish, but can get incredibly loud when the notoriously late attending fans get there. Parking and Tailgating options are limited.

3. TDECU Stadium - Houston:
Newest stadium of the bunch, upgradable with a great layout and modern amenities. Unsure on environment, as most of the games were not televised in my neck of the woods, but definitely a place I'll visit when the Bearcats come to town.

4. Raymond James Stadium - USF:
I was lucky enough to go to the USF-Cincinnati game in 2009, and man, did this stadium impress me, great environment in that game, good amenities as to be expected in an NFL stadium, but docked due to the lack of USF branding and being an OCS.

5. Bright House Networks Stadium - UCF:
Good environment, large enough to fit a good crowd comfortably, unfortunately its appearance is not up to snuff with many of the stadiums on the list. Seems to not fit the rising stature of the team with the aluminum stands and chain link fences and lacks much along the lines of character, but definitely a good stadium.

6. Navy-Marine Corp Memorial Stadium, US Naval Academy:
Got to see this one first hand as Cincinnati played their bowl game there. Completely base this on the incredible memorial it is to our Armed Forces. Not a particularly noteworthy stadium, but it is an incredibly place to walk through/experience.

7. Liberty Bowl - Memphis:
Good stadium with cool history. Looks lopsided (which as a former civil engineer and architectural designer always gets me, happened with Louisville's stadium too) and lacked a cool environment the last time I attended, which admittedly was before the football team had made the strides they have lately, so this ranking amy change quickly.

8. Rentschler Field - UConn:
Seemed like a cookie cutter, and did not have the cool game day atmosphere I had been told would be there (which was likely a result of declining on field performance). Points also docked for a bad looking playing surface and being away from campus.

9. Lincoln Financial Field - Temple:
NFL Stadium, so it is nice, but lacks any atmosphere, looks bad on TV with empty seats, and has very little Temple branding on game days. Temple is the most desperately in need of an OCS out of every Division 1 football program.

10. H.A. Chapman Stadium - Tulsa:
Lacks any television atmosphere, seems quite outdated outside of the Press/Suite Area, and just not a whole lot of character. Never have been a big fan of the rectangular stadium with open corners.

11. Yulman Stadium -Tulane:
Angles are off on this one, very small, and while it is brand new, does not look like it when actually walking through the concourses and around the stadium.

12. Gerald J. Ford Stadium - SMU:
Smallish, no atmosphere, very little else to say.

Sure I'm a homer, but how can you not love Memphis' architecture and unique design?

(07-30-2015 03:12 PM)nastar36 Wrote:  

(07-30-2015 10:50 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Based on a conglomeration of aesthetics, environment, and "history", here's how I'd put them:

1. Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium - ECU:
Fantastic environment on a Saturday night, great tailgating amenities and a relatively modern stadium layout, needs updates to premium zones and boxes, but will be more than likely getting them soon.

2. Nippert Stadium - Cincinnati:
Most unique stadium of the bunch, dead center of campus with newly updated amenities for all attending fans. Smallish, but can get incredibly loud when the notoriously late attending fans get there. Parking and Tailgating options are limited.

3. TDECU Stadium - Houston:
Newest stadium of the bunch, upgradable with a great layout and modern amenities. Unsure on environment, as most of the games were not televised in my neck of the woods, but definitely a place I'll visit when the Bearcats come to town.

4. Raymond James Stadium - USF:
I was lucky enough to go to the USF-Cincinnati game in 2009, and man, did this stadium impress me, great environment in that game, good amenities as to be expected in an NFL stadium, but docked due to the lack of USF branding and being an OCS.

5. Bright House Networks Stadium - UCF:
Good environment, large enough to fit a good crowd comfortably, unfortunately its appearance is not up to snuff with many of the stadiums on the list. Seems to not fit the rising stature of the team with the aluminum stands and chain link fences and lacks much along the lines of character, but definitely a good stadium.

6. Navy-Marine Corp Memorial Stadium, US Naval Academy:
Got to see this one first hand as Cincinnati played their bowl game there. Completely base this on the incredible memorial it is to our Armed Forces. Not a particularly noteworthy stadium, but it is an incredibly place to walk through/experience.

7. Liberty Bowl - Memphis:
Good stadium with cool history. Looks lopsided (which as a former civil engineer and architectural designer always gets me, happened with Louisville's stadium too) and lacked a cool environment the last time I attended, which admittedly was before the football team had made the strides they have lately, so this ranking amy change quickly.

8. Rentschler Field - UConn:
Seemed like a cookie cutter, and did not have the cool game day atmosphere I had been told would be there (which was likely a result of declining on field performance). Points also docked for a bad looking playing surface and being away from campus.

9. Lincoln Financial Field - Temple:
NFL Stadium, so it is nice, but lacks any atmosphere, looks bad on TV with empty seats, and has very little Temple branding on game days. Temple is the most desperately in need of an OCS out of every Division 1 football program.

10. H.A. Chapman Stadium - Tulsa:
Lacks any television atmosphere, seems quite outdated outside of the Press/Suite Area, and just not a whole lot of character. Never have been a big fan of the rectangular stadium with open corners.

11. Yulman Stadium -Tulane:
Angles are off on this one, very small, and while it is brand new, does not look like it when actually walking through the concourses and around the stadium.

12. Gerald J. Ford Stadium - SMU:
Smallish, no atmosphere, very little else to say.

Sure I'm a homer, but how can you not love Memphis' architecture and unique design?

The true bowl is definitely unique, and like I said, the last time I was there was pre-any work being done, so I look forward to heading down there this year and hopeful that the LB will move up my list. It definitely has a lot of potential!

(07-30-2015 10:50 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  7. Liberty Bowl - Memphis:
Good stadium with cool history. Looks lopsided (which as a former civil engineer and architectural designer always gets me, happened with Louisville's stadium too) and lacked a cool environment the last time I attended, which admittedly was before the football team had made the strides they have lately, so this ranking amy change quickly.

If you want "lopsided" look at what it was pre expansion...



They expanded it in the 80s and made it more even. I'm not sure if it's technically symmetrical today but it at least looks like it to the layperson.

(07-30-2015 08:57 AM)Bull Wrote:  Holy crap! Maybe it's just the angle, but that jet looks barely above the stadium lights!

Not the angle ... I was in the student section it looked like it was going to fly right into the upper deck. A lot of mids chose aviation as their career that day ... and one aviator lost his I'm sure.

(07-30-2015 11:14 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  

(07-30-2015 05:12 AM)ShoreBuc Wrote:  I would simply say the atmosphere of most AAC Stadiums has a lot to do with who they are playing. I was at the UCF vs Houston game two years ago and that dramatic ending. That was definitely one of the best atmospheres I have been in at a college game and I go to a lot of college football games including SEC games. The tailgating before a UCF game is awesome and the fact you can swing into a restaurant and have drinks a few steps from the stadium gives them a huge leg up on amenities IMO.

I have been to probably over 12 games at Navy and while it is a nice event to go to Annapolis and hang out the Stadium is nothing special and the atmosphere minus the cadets marching in to sit in their section and welcoming the visiting fans is nothing special and inferior to both Army and Air Force who win on the absolute visual beauty from their stadiums where Navy is just looking out at a parking lot, Army and Air Force have glorious views from their stadiums.

ECU's Ficklen Stadium can be an absolutely magical when it is sold out and we are playing somebody the fan base is pumped up about beating. We are definitely blessed with great tailgating having multiple lots and fields adjacent to the stadium. My parking spot is 20yds from the gates which at a P5 school would cost me at least $20k in donations per year so I do not take that for granted.

I used to love going to Cincinnati games in the old CUSA days and that was when they were lucky to get 15K fans. I definitely look forward to going to the games now in the renovated Nippert. I also look forward to visiting Houston to see their new stadium.

Each school and their stadium provides a unique experience and while the debate and pissing matches are humorous I would say currently based on the status of the programs that...
ECU, UCF, UC are definitely top tier when it comes to overall stadium experience.

I hope we run into each other again sometime!

I'm going to the @Tulane, @Cincinnati, and @USCe games this year.

I think next year I'll hit up the @ECU and @Houston games.

If we were not playing VT on September 26th I would link up with you at South Carolina and pull for UCF I have a lot of Gamecock friends and love going to the South Carolina tailgates.

I will definitely be at the ECU at UCF game this year. Most likely my Nephews last year at UCF although he is not marching this year with the UCF band.
If you have never been to Cincinnati that is a cool road trip. I love Cincinnati as my Brother in law lives there. Nippert is a very cool stadium right in the middle of campus. We usually stay across the river in KY along the waterfront which is cool for bars, restaurant and entertainment.

You wouldn't build a stadium like the Liberty Bowl today. The luxury boxes are too far from the field.

But I think it is a cool design very similar to Autzen Stadium and even reminiscent of Arrowhead Stadium.

(07-30-2015 07:09 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  You wouldn't build a stadium like the Liberty Bowl today. The luxury boxes are too far from the field.

But I think it is a cool design very similar to Autzen Stadium and even reminiscent of Arrowhead Stadium.

Agreed. I think Houston did it right. If we ever have an OCS I hope it's similar in design to TDECU.

Tampa used to have a copy of the Liberty Bowl known as the sombrero.





I always thought building luxury boxes into the top portion of the stands would work. Gets them closer to the field and decreases capacity where it I least needed. Like UT did at Thompson Bowling Arena.

Tampa Stadium:


Liberty Bowl:


sky box exterior:


pregame view from the sky box:

The atmosphere at the Liberty Bowl has improved quite a bit. I have a feeling attendance will this season as well. We have another 8-10 win season and 40000+ will be the norm for a while.