(12-10-2019 01:29 AM)CRM114 Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 09:43 PM)ddramone Wrote:  Does anybody have any clue about how much chairbacking would run?

Truthfully, chairbacking (and well done chairbacking) would make the LB very nice. The LB has great sightlines and when there's a good crowd, the LB really looks good.

I think the issue with chairbacking is both the cost and ADA. Does anybody have any additional insight on that?

A very nice, all-chairback LB with a capacity of around 50k would be stellar. Not as good as an OCS, but would be quite nice.

I am not an engineer, but I wonder whether the support structure of the stadium could handle the load from all the additional concrete necessary to widen the rows. That might have worked for the sections that were chair backed below the ring because they are at/below grade and were built on the ground. Above the ring, everything is supported by piers, beams, arches and such. I’d be surprised if they could add 4-6” of concrete to every row without having to do some serious reinforcement, for serious $$$.

Widening the rows is not necessary. It was for the ADA row at the railing, but that is done now. For proof, walk down the steps from the ADA railing to the bottom row. Still 2 steps per level, same concrete (freshly painted), hasn't changed in the 20 years I've been attending regularly.

(12-09-2019 08:46 PM)Claw Wrote:  One piece of the radio analysis I think is wrong.

He states that the university has to have funding from the city to build an OCS. That's not true. The university will have to funding from somewhere, but it does NOT have to come from the city. It could come from the state or Santa Claus. To think the city is the only source of revenue is myopic at best and ignorant at worst.

That isn't what was said. What was said is that there are laws that prevent the school from having a huge loan. The only entity that could legally give us a big loan like that would be the city, and they would expect anything built to be suitable to host the Liberty Bowl.

(12-09-2019 11:54 PM)uskjtc02 Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 11:49 PM)Penny1 Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 10:51 PM)grapes Wrote:  We have one of the best home field advantages in the country and I think part of that has to do with the liberty bowl. Its massive and makes us more intimidating. I love it and don't want a little 30k stadium. Chair back the whole thing and spend some $ on new press boxes and call it a day.

I'm all for that. Just one problem. It cost the UofM $5 million just for 5,000 new chairbacks a few years ago.

To chair back the entire 58,000 seat stadium, it would cost about $53 million.

Although seating capacity would be reduced to around 47,000+. Which would be ideal for UofM. Not so much though for the LB Classic. But they would have to either like it or leave.

A new press box would cost anywhere between $20-30 million. Plus new ramps and elevator shafts.

Total investment would be about $75-85 million. That's just a ballpark estimate. But that kind of money would be closer to what it would cost to build a new OCS.

Houston's 40,000 seat OCS cost $100 million.

So you’re saying it cost $1000 a seat to chairback? Don’t think so.

The seats themselves cost $400-600 each and include framing needed to secure them to the floor and back of the structure. They aren't the typical garden chairs you buy at Walmart. The materials are all strong, reinforced and have to be weather resistant. Labor costs a fortune and transportation isn't cheap.

The City should invest in nothing unless it is downtown near Beale or as part of a Pinch plan. If it is an OCS It is on the U of M and good luck with that with the surrounding neighborhood. If the U of M can pull it off great..

If it is downtown, it needs to be around 52k, loaded with value added seating with a seamless way to block off upper seating for a cozy 45k for Tiger games. A retractable fabric covering like Vancouver would be well advised.

(12-09-2019 09:43 PM)ddramone Wrote:  Does anybody have any clue about how much chairbacking would run?

Truthfully, chairbacking (and well done chairbacking) would make the LB very nice. The LB has great sightlines and when there's a good crowd, the LB really looks good.

I think the issue with chairbacking is both the cost and ADA. Does anybody have any additional insight on that?

A very nice, all-chairback LB with a capacity of around 50k would be stellar. Not as good as an OCS, but would be quite nice.

Ranked in the top 20. 12 wins. Conference Championship. Cotton Bowl bid.

Still couldn't fill the place.

That's the problem. Everyone is giving up on our fan base and I don't blame them.

(12-10-2019 07:04 AM)BigBlueTiger901 Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 09:43 PM)ddramone Wrote:  Does anybody have any clue about how much chairbacking would run?

Truthfully, chairbacking (and well done chairbacking) would make the LB very nice. The LB has great sightlines and when there's a good crowd, the LB really looks good.

I think the issue with chairbacking is both the cost and ADA. Does anybody have any additional insight on that?

A very nice, all-chairback LB with a capacity of around 50k would be stellar. Not as good as an OCS, but would be quite nice.

Ranked in the top 20. 12 wins. Conference Championship. Cotton Bowl bid.

Still couldn't fill the place.

That's the problem. Everyone is giving up on our fan base and I don't blame them.

No. The problem is the size of the Liberty Bowl. There is literally zero Non Power 5 stadiums where the home team draws 55-60,000. Build a new stadium. 40-45,000 and go from there.

(12-10-2019 04:29 AM)Wayward Memphian Wrote:  The City should invest in nothing unless it is downtown near Beale or as part of a Pinch plan. If it is an OCS It is on the U of M and good luck with that with the surrounding neighborhood. If the U of M can pull it off great..

If it is downtown, it needs to be around 52k, loaded with value added seating with a seamless way to block off upper seating for a cozy 45k for Tiger games. A retractable fabric covering like Vancouver would be well advised.

Thanks hog boy. Worry about your own shiteshow and your new coach. Lmao.

Just get creative with some cool tarping and you can push the crowd towards those empty seats. Close off all seating under the press box area, do the same under the box suites on the east side and continue with tarps in the south end zone. Speaking for myself, I have no problem with the LB.

Of course, working towards a 40-42K (think Baylor or Nippert stadium) OCS should be a goal for the program

Point is, that seems to be forgotten by some, is that while the LB is fine for now & the next few years but there has to be some planning NOW for the future to replace the LB. And we are foefully short on stadium amenities. If any of you have been to Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta you understand, it would help your vision (Cotton Bowl should do that too). Not that we'd build those stadiums but a new facility would include fan amenities not possible at the LB. It would include revenue producing suites, & all revenue to our university of financed correctly. Also it needs to be on or adjacent to the main campus to get fans & alumni back on campus (UGA & Auburn make millions each Sat at their bookstores due to OCS). And BTW have you ever been to an OCS stadium that had good parking? So quit whining about parking.

(12-10-2019 07:24 AM)UMTiger02 Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 07:04 AM)BigBlueTiger901 Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 09:43 PM)ddramone Wrote:  Does anybody have any clue about how much chairbacking would run?

Truthfully, chairbacking (and well done chairbacking) would make the LB very nice. The LB has great sightlines and when there's a good crowd, the LB really looks good.

I think the issue with chairbacking is both the cost and ADA. Does anybody have any additional insight on that?

A very nice, all-chairback LB with a capacity of around 50k would be stellar. Not as good as an OCS, but would be quite nice.

Ranked in the top 20. 12 wins. Conference Championship. Cotton Bowl bid.

Still couldn't fill the place.

That's the problem. Everyone is giving up on our fan base and I don't blame them.

No. The problem is the size of the Liberty Bowl. There is literally zero Non Power 5 stadiums where the home team draws 55-60,000. Build a new stadium. 40-45,000 and go from there.

Until we get there; we need to at least make the LB "look" as full as it can ... Tarp both endzones and the upper part of the visitors side .... Sky boxes and Press box could be updated (at city expense if they want us to stay at the LB ) to move them closer to the field and eliminate some seating .... Lots of options if building an OCS isn't going to happen ....

(12-10-2019 07:24 AM)UMTiger02 Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 07:04 AM)BigBlueTiger901 Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 09:43 PM)ddramone Wrote:  Does anybody have any clue about how much chairbacking would run?

Truthfully, chairbacking (and well done chairbacking) would make the LB very nice. The LB has great sightlines and when there's a good crowd, the LB really looks good.

I think the issue with chairbacking is both the cost and ADA. Does anybody have any additional insight on that?

A very nice, all-chairback LB with a capacity of around 50k would be stellar. Not as good as an OCS, but would be quite nice.

Ranked in the top 20. 12 wins. Conference Championship. Cotton Bowl bid.

Still couldn't fill the place.

That's the problem. Everyone is giving up on our fan base and I don't blame them.

No. The problem is the size of the Liberty Bowl. There is literally zero Non Power 5 stadiums where the home team draws 55-60,000. Build a new stadium. 40-45,000 and go from there.

No, the problem is we live in a community of split loyalties. And the Tigers have not been competitive in a long enough stretch of time to build generational fans. We would need to make fans of elementary-age kids and have the program to stay strong and competitive until those kids are adults with kids of their own to build a strong core of support.

(12-10-2019 02:44 AM)Stammers Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 08:46 PM)Claw Wrote:  One piece of the radio analysis I think is wrong.

He states that the university has to have funding from the city to build an OCS. That's not true. The university will have to funding from somewhere, but it does NOT have to come from the city. It could come from the state or Santa Claus. To think the city is the only source of revenue is myopic at best and ignorant at worst.

That isn't what was said. What was said is that there are laws that prevent the school from having a huge loan. The only entity that could legally give us a big loan like that would be the city, and they would expect anything built to be suitable to host the Liberty Bowl.

Add in the fact that the university currently has TONS of debt on other campus improvements (land bridge, new rec center, Centennial Place, other coming on-campus housing options, additions of a middle school & HS, etc.).

Unless a massive, massive donation comes in directly for it, the money is not going to be there for an OCS, nor will it be for the foreseeable future.

I was as pro-OCS as they came, but I also understand the financial limitations. Other on-campus improvements simply have to happen prior to an OCS.

(12-10-2019 07:24 AM)UMTiger02 Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 07:04 AM)BigBlueTiger901 Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 09:43 PM)ddramone Wrote:  Does anybody have any clue about how much chairbacking would run?

Truthfully, chairbacking (and well done chairbacking) would make the LB very nice. The LB has great sightlines and when there's a good crowd, the LB really looks good.

I think the issue with chairbacking is both the cost and ADA. Does anybody have any additional insight on that?

A very nice, all-chairback LB with a capacity of around 50k would be stellar. Not as good as an OCS, but would be quite nice.

Ranked in the top 20. 12 wins. Conference Championship. Cotton Bowl bid.

Still couldn't fill the place.

That's the problem. Everyone is giving up on our fan base and I don't blame them.

No. The problem is the size of the Liberty Bowl. There is literally zero Non Power 5 stadiums where the home team draws 55-60,000. Build a new stadium. 40-45,000 and go from there.

BYU. But I agree with the point you are making.

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/byu-cougar...ling-with/

I am shocked at the amount of the keeping the LB advocates.

Let's be honest...when you see a Memphis game on TV with the empty seats it looks awful. The stadium is WAY too big and it honestly isn't fair to the 30-40k diehards who go each week that they have to sit in a 30 to 40% empty stadium. The atmosphere suffers dramatically. Going to UCF for championship game last year in their 40k OCS was one of best college football atmospheres we have ever seen.

An OCS would totally transform the university. My wife and I are both alums and have 3 kids between middle school and a senior in HS. Do you know how many times my kids have been on the university campus? NONE! How many times have they been to the LB? Probably 50 times or more. Imagine if all those games they would have been ON CAMPUS. How would those kids/teenagers view the university differently? Are they more likely to want to attend the university because of their love for the school and campus?

It would be trans-formative for the school and city. And create a sense of pride and unity the university has never seen before. It would be OURS. The University has bowed down to the city for way to long. We need to seize the momentum while hot and no better time than now. Do it.

(12-10-2019 11:05 AM)TigerPete Wrote:  I am shocked at the amount of the keeping the LB advocates.

Let's be honest...when you see a Memphis game on TV with the empty seats it looks awful. The stadium is WAY too big and it honestly isn't fair to the 30-40k diehards who go each week that they have to sit in a 30 to 40% empty stadium. The atmosphere suffers dramatically. Going to UCF for championship game last year in their 40k OCS was one of best college football atmospheres we have ever seen.

An OCS would totally transform the university. My wife and I are both alums and have 3 kids between middle school and a senior in HS. Do you know how many times my kids have been on the university campus? NONE! How many times have they been to the LB? Probably 50 times or more. Imagine if all those games they would have been ON CAMPUS. How would those kids/teenagers view the university differently? Are they more likely to want to attend the university because of their love for the school and campus?

It would be trans-formative for the school and city. And create a sense of pride and unity the university has never seen before. It would be OURS. The University has bowed down to the city for way to long. We need to seize the momentum while hot and no better time than now. Do it.

I don't think there are a lot of LB advocates per se .... It's just we've been down this road before several times since the 1980's .... I agree about the benefits an OCS would bring to the University ...I graduated in 1988 and I bet I haven't been to the main campus more than 2 dozen times since them ....

(12-10-2019 10:42 AM)tigergreen Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 02:44 AM)Stammers Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 08:46 PM)Claw Wrote:  One piece of the radio analysis I think is wrong.

He states that the university has to have funding from the city to build an OCS. That's not true. The university will have to funding from somewhere, but it does NOT have to come from the city. It could come from the state or Santa Claus. To think the city is the only source of revenue is myopic at best and ignorant at worst.

That isn't what was said. What was said is that there are laws that prevent the school from having a huge loan. The only entity that could legally give us a big loan like that would be the city, and they would expect anything built to be suitable to host the Liberty Bowl.

Add in the fact that the university currently has TONS of debt on other campus improvements (land bridge, new rec center, Centennial Place, other coming on-campus housing options, additions of a middle school & HS, etc.).

Unless a massive, massive donation comes in directly for it, the money is not going to be there for an OCS, nor will it be for the foreseeable future.

I was as pro-OCS as they came, but I also understand the financial limitations. Other on-campus improvements simply have to happen prior to an OCS.

The amount of debt the university has is surely a factor here. There may be specific restrictions on our BOT that wouldn’t allow a project this size without large state involvement or The conversation Geoff spoke of could have been more related to the university needing a partner the size of the city government in order to float that many bonds in conjunction with the other outstanding and upcoming projects.

The rec center was downsized and became the Center for Health and Wellness with a significant educational aspect with the School of Health Studies because the bonds on the existing rec center area still not fully paid. The IPF was delayed because of the multiple other projects (basketball faculty, land bridge, etc) that couldn’t all be out for bonds at the exact same time.

I do believe Dr Rudd has said that the university will no longer be in the dorm construction business though. I’d expect to see more partnerships like what is going on with the Gather instead.

(12-10-2019 11:29 AM)pkptigers07 Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 10:42 AM)tigergreen Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 02:44 AM)Stammers Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 08:46 PM)Claw Wrote:  One piece of the radio analysis I think is wrong.

He states that the university has to have funding from the city to build an OCS. That's not true. The university will have to funding from somewhere, but it does NOT have to come from the city. It could come from the state or Santa Claus. To think the city is the only source of revenue is myopic at best and ignorant at worst.

That isn't what was said. What was said is that there are laws that prevent the school from having a huge loan. The only entity that could legally give us a big loan like that would be the city, and they would expect anything built to be suitable to host the Liberty Bowl.

Add in the fact that the university currently has TONS of debt on other campus improvements (land bridge, new rec center, Centennial Place, other coming on-campus housing options, additions of a middle school & HS, etc.).

Unless a massive, massive donation comes in directly for it, the money is not going to be there for an OCS, nor will it be for the foreseeable future.

I was as pro-OCS as they came, but I also understand the financial limitations. Other on-campus improvements simply have to happen prior to an OCS.

The amount of debt the university has is surely a factor here. There may be specific restrictions on our BOT that wouldn’t allow a project this size without large state involvement or The conversation Geoff spoke of could have been more related to the university needing a partner the size of the city government in order to float that many bonds in conjunction with the other outstanding and upcoming projects.

The rec center was downsized and became the Center for Health and Wellness with a significant educational aspect with the School of Health Studies because the bonds on the existing rec center area still not fully paid. The IPF was delayed because of the multiple other projects (basketball faculty, land bridge, etc) that couldn’t all be out for bonds at the exact same time.

I do believe Dr Rudd has said that the university will no longer be in the dorm construction business though. I’d expect to see more partnerships like what is going on with the Gather instead.

That's correct, but all of that still costs money. There is a plan to add more apartments or housing of some sort closer to Central as well, so that's going to get tacked onto the already ballooning debt the UofM has.

Rudd is a very forward-thinking person, but that doesn't mean he's all that great when it comes to finances. My personal take on it is once we get that Carnegie R1 status, he's on to the next thing and we're left with a crapton of debt. Hopefully by then more state funding is rolling in for us to put us on a more equal footing with the UT system.

(12-10-2019 11:09 AM)DDrum1961 Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 11:05 AM)TigerPete Wrote:  I am shocked at the amount of the keeping the LB advocates.

Let's be honest...when you see a Memphis game on TV with the empty seats it looks awful. The stadium is WAY too big and it honestly isn't fair to the 30-40k diehards who go each week that they have to sit in a 30 to 40% empty stadium. The atmosphere suffers dramatically. Going to UCF for championship game last year in their 40k OCS was one of best college football atmospheres we have ever seen.

An OCS would totally transform the university. My wife and I are both alums and have 3 kids between middle school and a senior in HS. Do you know how many times my kids have been on the university campus? NONE! How many times have they been to the LB? Probably 50 times or more. Imagine if all those games they would have been ON CAMPUS. How would those kids/teenagers view the university differently? Are they more likely to want to attend the university because of their love for the school and campus?

It would be trans-formative for the school and city. And create a sense of pride and unity the university has never seen before. It would be OURS. The University has bowed down to the city for way to long. We need to seize the momentum while hot and no better time than now. Do it.

I don't think there are a lot of LB advocates per se .... It's just we've been down this road before several times since the 1980's .... I agree about the benefits an OCS would bring to the University ...I graduated in 1988 and I bet I haven't been to the main campus more than 2 dozen times since them ....

I myself only go to campus to pick up my parking passes or something else they inexplicably leave out of my packet every year.

(12-10-2019 12:16 PM)tigergreen Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 11:29 AM)pkptigers07 Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 10:42 AM)tigergreen Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 02:44 AM)Stammers Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 08:46 PM)Claw Wrote:  One piece of the radio analysis I think is wrong.

He states that the university has to have funding from the city to build an OCS. That's not true. The university will have to funding from somewhere, but it does NOT have to come from the city. It could come from the state or Santa Claus. To think the city is the only source of revenue is myopic at best and ignorant at worst.

That isn't what was said. What was said is that there are laws that prevent the school from having a huge loan. The only entity that could legally give us a big loan like that would be the city, and they would expect anything built to be suitable to host the Liberty Bowl.

Add in the fact that the university currently has TONS of debt on other campus improvements (land bridge, new rec center, Centennial Place, other coming on-campus housing options, additions of a middle school & HS, etc.).

Unless a massive, massive donation comes in directly for it, the money is not going to be there for an OCS, nor will it be for the foreseeable future.

I was as pro-OCS as they came, but I also understand the financial limitations. Other on-campus improvements simply have to happen prior to an OCS.

The amount of debt the university has is surely a factor here. There may be specific restrictions on our BOT that wouldn’t allow a project this size without large state involvement or The conversation Geoff spoke of could have been more related to the university needing a partner the size of the city government in order to float that many bonds in conjunction with the other outstanding and upcoming projects.

The rec center was downsized and became the Center for Health and Wellness with a significant educational aspect with the School of Health Studies because the bonds on the existing rec center area still not fully paid. The IPF was delayed because of the multiple other projects (basketball faculty, land bridge, etc) that couldn’t all be out for bonds at the exact same time.

I do believe Dr Rudd has said that the university will no longer be in the dorm construction business though. I’d expect to see more partnerships like what is going on with the Gather instead.

That's correct, but all of that still costs money. There is a plan to add more apartments or housing of some sort closer to Central as well, so that's going to get tacked onto the already ballooning debt the UofM has.

Rudd is a very forward-thinking person, but that doesn't mean he's all that great when it comes to finances. My personal take on it is once we get that Carnegie R1 status, he's on to the next thing and we're left with a crapton of debt. Hopefully by then more state funding is rolling in for us to put us on a more equal footing with the UT system.

The University of Memphis has a CFO, who is the former President of First Tennessee Bank who reports directly to Dr. Rudd. Brad Martin put him in place. We are well covered on all things financial planning.

(12-10-2019 10:42 AM)tigergreen Wrote:  

(12-10-2019 02:44 AM)Stammers Wrote:  

(12-09-2019 08:46 PM)Claw Wrote:  One piece of the radio analysis I think is wrong.

He states that the university has to have funding from the city to build an OCS. That's not true. The university will have to funding from somewhere, but it does NOT have to come from the city. It could come from the state or Santa Claus. To think the city is the only source of revenue is myopic at best and ignorant at worst.

That isn't what was said. What was said is that there are laws that prevent the school from having a huge loan. The only entity that could legally give us a big loan like that would be the city, and they would expect anything built to be suitable to host the Liberty Bowl.

Add in the fact that the university currently has TONS of debt on other campus improvements (land bridge, new rec center, Centennial Place, other coming on-campus housing options, additions of a middle school & HS, etc.).

Unless a massive, massive donation comes in directly for it, the money is not going to be there for an OCS, nor will it be for the foreseeable future.

I was as pro-OCS as they came, but I also understand the financial limitations. Other on-campus improvements simply have to happen prior to an OCS.

With the goal being to dramatically increase enrollment, every additional student is going to generate an average of 20k per year, assuming that half pay tuition and half live off campus.

So, for each 10,000 increase in enrollment, you are generating $200 million in additional revenue. How much of that is profit and how much is devoted to student fees is another story. The ideal business model shows profit of net 15% of revenue. Even with that amount halved, there is definite room for growth and to pay down the debt on capital improvements.