Listen, certainly great coaching could overcome a poor venue; however, at EMU we either hire average to below average coaches every 5 years. For those of us die hard fans, I certainly would like to sit closer to the field. I have been to UofToledo, CMU and WMU and will tell you we have one of the worst stadiums in D1 football. Why on earth would any administration put a track around a football field....answer: an administration who knows nothing about football. I was at the UofToledo vs Iowa State game and the students were sitting a feet feet from the end zone and the atmosphere was like a P5 school. I do not care if we have 100, 1000 or 10,000 fans at a game. If we had a very small horse shoe or small miniature bowl, then we might be able to generate some electricity and create a great atmosphere. Certainly we have to win but fundamentally if and when we do win, that coach will leave and we need to have a facility on par with the rest of the MAC. Our basketball facility is first rate for a Mid major but our football stadium is Div II.

Have you thought about moving the 2020 MSU game to Ford Field?

I always thought it was the byproduct of having a track team that performed so well.

(10-11-2015 08:26 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Listen, certainly great coaching could overcome a poor venue; however, at EMU we either hire average to below average coaches every 5 years. For those of us die hard fans, I certainly would like to sit closer to the field. I have been to UofToledo, CMU and WMU and will tell you we have one of the worst stadiums in D1 football. Why on earth would any administration put a track around a football field....answer: an administration who knows nothing about football. I was at the UofToledo vs Iowa State game and the students were sitting a feet feet from the end zone and the atmosphere was like a P5 school. I do not care if we have 100, 1000 or 10,000 fans at a game. If we had a very small horse shoe or small miniature bowl, then we might be able to generate some electricity and create a great atmosphere. Certainly we have to win but fundamentally if and when we do win, that coach will leave and we need to have a facility on par with the rest of the MAC. Our basketball facility is first rate for a Mid major but our football stadium is Div II.

I think the issue with the stadium is 'psychological'.

Would you rather sit 20 rows up in Rynearson or 50 rows up in Spartan Stadium?

Which is closer to the field?

To many folks, the track is like an ugly birth mark that the person feels very self conscious.

BTW, we've had so many threads on Rynearson...

We need to see what the next major improvement(s) to Rynearson will be. Next year? and then we can have a good conversation as to what the future look of the stadium will be...

I had hopes that something would happen this year, but wait till next year...

Rynearson is the MAC's answer to the Oakland Coliseum.

(10-12-2015 05:33 AM)KPJ Wrote:  I always thought it was the byproduct of having a track team that performed so well.

Our games with MSU are no longer on the schedule by mutual agreement.

Dear Friends,
What everyone seems to be forgetting is that Rynearson was opened in 1969. The planning was going on in 1967 or earlier, and construction in 1968. What that means, is that at that time many schools were still placing tracks around the football fields that became their stadiums. The thinking was dual use. The elimination of tracks in football stadiums really started in the seventies. Yes, there have been stadiums built way before this time without tracks, but those were generally your larger schools with much larger programs.
Personally, I have no problem with the track. Like I have said before with these discussions. If you take the track out, where are you going to put it? There is no space left in the athletic campus with Rynearson, The Convocation Center, Oestrike Field, parking, etc.

Q: Does EMU own any land adjacent to the parking lots across from Rynearson?

BTW, we need to remember as Ken indicates that Rynearson is almost 50 years old.

Fifty year old stadiums have issues, e.g., tracks, lack of ADA, not equipped with 21st century telecomm and TV capabilities, etc.

(10-14-2015 09:53 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Q: Does EMU own any land adjacent to the parking lots across from Rynearson?

BTW, we need to remember as Ken indicates that Rynearson is almost 50 years old.

Fifty year old stadiums have issues, e.g., tracks, lack of ADA, not equipped with 21st century telecomm and TV capabilities, etc.

Maybe put the track where that lot it and build new lots. That lot is completely trashed anyway.

Then extend the bleachers closer to the field and lower the field. The dirt removed can be used to form a hill at the north end where fans can sit (I've seen this at GVSU and it was nice). Also move the scoreboard closer to the field. Done.

How much money did I just spend?

(10-14-2015 11:31 AM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  

(10-14-2015 09:53 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Q: Does EMU own any land adjacent to the parking lots across from Rynearson?

BTW, we need to remember as Ken indicates that Rynearson is almost 50 years old.

Fifty year old stadiums have issues, e.g., tracks, lack of ADA, not equipped with 21st century telecomm and TV capabilities, etc.

Maybe put the track where that lot it and build new lots. That lot is completely trashed anyway.

Then extend the bleachers closer to the field and lower the field. The dirt removed can be used to form a hill at the north end where fans can sit (I've seen this at GVSU and it was nice). Also move the scoreboard closer to the field. Done.

How much money did I just spend?

I like it...

I would build a new football building in the north endzone and put suites and a new scoreboard on it.

(10-11-2015 08:26 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Listen, certainly great coaching could overcome a poor venue; however, at EMU we either hire average to below average coaches every 5 years. For those of us die hard fans, I certainly would like to sit closer to the field. I have been to UofToledo, CMU and WMU and will tell you we have one of the worst stadiums in D1 football. Why on earth would any administration put a track around a football field....answer: an administration who knows nothing about football. I was at the UofToledo vs Iowa State game and the students were sitting a feet feet from the end zone and the atmosphere was like a P5 school. I do not care if we have 100, 1000 or 10,000 fans at a game. If we had a very small horse shoe or small miniature bowl, then we might be able to generate some electricity and create a great atmosphere. Certainly we have to win but fundamentally if and when we do win, that coach will leave and we need to have a facility on par with the rest of the MAC. Our basketball facility is first rate for a Mid major but our football stadium is Div II.

Pretty hard to justify a new stadium with a consistently bad football program. Kind of like getting a new paint job on a 1979 Ford Pinto that's all rusted out or putting lipstick on a pig...

A new stadium would be nice but it isn't going to draw great football players to the program. A great football program will do that. A great football program will put butts in the seats which will generate revenue which will enable a new stadium to be built. Ya can't put the cart before the horse.

We will agree to disagree.
Our football team doesn't even like to play at home because of the 6-10k fans we get are too far from the field and do not create a home field advantage. If we played in a small horse shoe like Toledo with fans in the end zone it would create a very exciting atmosphere for the fans and for the players. I heard a football player even tell us on the radio they prefer to play away games. Like I said, I went to the UT vs Iowa State game, and sata very few feet from the players. It was awesome! If Creighton wants to make playing at EMU a great experience, we need to take steps to remove the track. I put some thought into how we would change the stadium and a postor beat me to it. We simply add seats behind endzone.....

Peden Stadium had a track until 2000. It was eliminated by lowering the playing surface by about 10ft which, ironically, also allowed more seats to be added.

(10-14-2015 10:14 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  We will agree to disagree.
Our football team doesn't even like to play at home because of the 6-10k fans we get are too far from the field and do not create a home field advantage. If we played in a small horse shoe like Toledo with fans in the end zone it would create a very exciting atmosphere for the fans and for the players. I heard a football player even tell us on the radio they prefer to play away games. Like I said, I went to the UT vs Iowa State game, and sata very few feet from the players. It was awesome! If Creighton wants to make playing at EMU a great experience, we need to take steps to remove the track. I put some thought into how we would change the stadium and a postor beat me to it. We simply add seats behind endzone.....

Tell the football team to play better so more people show up at the games. More people at the games means higher revenue (more money) that could actually be spent on improving our current stadium or in building a new stadium. In case you don't know...a new stadium isn't going to improve this football team.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A new stadium = a new atmosphere, players love a stadium they can walk into on their visit and go wow, I love Rynearson but its just not that kinda place, and the track being there is a disservice to the fans and players alike because it prevents any type of acoustics to make the cheering louder like many other stadiums have been built to do, see Oregon, 45k less seats but is louder than the Big House during an Ohio State/Michigan State game due to the acoustic structure. The dormant fans, students, alums, and locals will all be there to check it out and maybe gain interest in the program. Problem is where to build it that is close to or on campus without demolishing and rebuilding Rynearson in phases. A better atmosphere will bring more fans and recruits, in turn will make the department and school more money and produce better squads.

What is the capacity now at Rynearson, after they tarped off the west side seating area?

(10-16-2015 09:54 PM)BroncoBen Wrote:  What is the capacity now at Rynearson, after they tarped off the west side seating area?

I think I heard something around 25-26k but I'm not sure, I do think the tarp looks cool even though I'd rather it be fans in those seats.

Thanks Dexter. I meant the east side seating area.

BTW-I'm one of the few who loved sitting at the 50, about 3/4 of the way up. I guess I'm going to have to sit somewhere else, for the upcoming Thursday night game.

(10-16-2015 09:54 PM)BroncoBen Wrote:  What is the capacity now at Rynearson, after they tarped off the west side seating area?

15-20,000 but until it is repaired my understanding they will be only allowing handicapped seating over there.