Call me jaded, but I'll believe it when I see it.

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(09-23-2025 08:11 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  Call me jaded, but I'll believe it when I see it.


We will probably wind up with a B+ level high school stadium just like we did with basketball


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(09-23-2025 08:11 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  Call me jaded, but I'll believe it when I see it.

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While some skepticism is justifiable, I would also say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder… as is ‘what constitutes’ a nice facility. The amount of money approved is not at all inconsequential, but there will always be more money that COULd be spent.

Given the nature of athletics, and accepting that we need a decent sized kick start…. The KEY will be to develop a sustainable model of varied financial support so that we can not only maintain, but also provide constant nominal updates…. Which means ‘big money’ now, but also ‘substantial’ money in an annual basis going forward. Technology and ‘what is cool’ changes constantly… so IMO iafter getting us to what you expect to be ‘B+, It’s better to spend say $2-5mm/yr making continual nominal upgrades…. (Of course in addition to NIL) As opposed to waiting until our facilities are among the worst and then to solicit major donations.

With that in mind, I strongly encourage everyone interested in supporting Rice athletics to #1, show up at games. I don’t care which sport(s)… just show up and cheer. Bring your friends and family. #2, Join the Owl Club. It doesn’t take huge dollars to join and one of ‘purposes’ of it is to connect people to the various affinity groups and opportunities. The opportunities are not the same as they were even just a few years ago, but absolutely not the same as they were ‘back in my day’.

I have very little complaints with HRS.

Sure, modernize the electricity situation, improve concessions, power wash the stands, that sort of stuff... fix up the press box, whatever. Get a new PA system and replace the old scoreboard on top of the R Room. But how much can this really cost... certainly not a wild amount. If this stuff isn't affordable, then Rice is talking to the wrong contractors.

Why should the upper decks be torn down, unless they are going to collapse? What does it truly accomplish?

Use one of the upper decks for solar panels and batteries for added energy for the stadium and concessions.

(09-24-2025 04:15 PM)OwlWKIF Wrote:  I have very little complaints with HRS.

Sure, modernize the electricity situation, improve concessions, power wash the stands, that sort of stuff... fix up the press box, whatever. Get a new PA system and replace the old scoreboard on top of the R Room. But how much can this really cost... certainly not a wild amount. If this stuff isn't affordable, then Rice is talking to the wrong contractors.

Why should the upper decks be torn down, unless they are going to collapse? What does it truly accomplish?

(09-24-2025 10:57 PM)Texasowl Wrote:  Use one of the upper decks for solar panels and batteries for added energy for the stadium and concessions.

(09-24-2025 04:15 PM)OwlWKIF Wrote:  I have very little complaints with HRS.

Sure, modernize the electricity situation, improve concessions, power wash the stands, that sort of stuff... fix up the press box, whatever. Get a new PA system and replace the old scoreboard on top of the R Room. But how much can this really cost... certainly not a wild amount. If this stuff isn't affordable, then Rice is talking to the wrong contractors.

Why should the upper decks be torn down, unless they are going to collapse? What does it truly accomplish?

Hambone, is that you?

(09-24-2025 04:15 PM)OwlWKIF Wrote:  I have very little complaints with HRS.

Sure, modernize the electricity situation, improve concessions, power wash the stands, that sort of stuff... fix up the press box, whatever. Get a new PA system and replace the old scoreboard on top of the R Room. But how much can this really cost... certainly not a wild amount. If this stuff isn't affordable, then Rice is talking to the wrong contractors.

Why should the upper decks be torn down, unless they are going to collapse? What does it truly accomplish?

Fan experience.

We're so used to the upper decks, that we don't even realize how cavernous they make the stadium feel. All of those empty seats kill the game day atmosphere.

Once they're downsized, or gone altogether, the stadium will have a much more exciting and intimate feel. The awnings will help with that. The stadium will probably feel a lot more "closed in."

What we have right now is a gigantic open space the feels completely empty. What we'll have afterwards is a small, closed in space that feels more full. I think that's the goal, anyway.

What are the modifications going to do to the upper decks - there is still going to be shade? What will HRS look like? Do we have to construct a new press box?

(09-25-2025 02:10 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(09-24-2025 04:15 PM)OwlWKIF Wrote:  I have very little complaints with HRS.

Sure, modernize the electricity situation, improve concessions, power wash the stands, that sort of stuff... fix up the press box, whatever. Get a new PA system and replace the old scoreboard on top of the R Room. But how much can this really cost... certainly not a wild amount. If this stuff isn't affordable, then Rice is talking to the wrong contractors.

Why should the upper decks be torn down, unless they are going to collapse? What does it truly accomplish?

Fan experience.

We're so used to the upper decks, that we don't even realize how cavernous they make the stadium feel. All of those empty seats kill the game day atmosphere.

Once they're downsized, or gone altogether, the stadium will have a much more exciting and intimate feel. The awnings will help with that. The stadium will probably feel a lot more "closed in."

What we have right now is a gigantic open space the feels completely empty. What we'll have afterwards is a small, closed in space that feels more full. I think that's the goal, anyway.

This exactly. I like the upper decks, the front row of the upper deck with the rotting chairs is my favorite place to watch the games. But for games like the Bayou Bucket, it stinks to have your largest attendance in a decade still look half empty. Tulane gets that full house feeling for bringing in those same 30,000, Charlotte gets it for 15,000. Get rid of the East upper deck and now you'll see the Med Center in the distance instead of 10,000 empty seats while also seeing a more filled stadium

(09-26-2025 01:12 PM)TheOwl84 Wrote:  

(09-25-2025 02:10 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(09-24-2025 04:15 PM)OwlWKIF Wrote:  I have very little complaints with HRS.

Sure, modernize the electricity situation, improve concessions, power wash the stands, that sort of stuff... fix up the press box, whatever. Get a new PA system and replace the old scoreboard on top of the R Room. But how much can this really cost... certainly not a wild amount. If this stuff isn't affordable, then Rice is talking to the wrong contractors.

Why should the upper decks be torn down, unless they are going to collapse? What does it truly accomplish?

Fan experience.

We're so used to the upper decks, that we don't even realize how cavernous they make the stadium feel. All of those empty seats kill the game day atmosphere.

Once they're downsized, or gone altogether, the stadium will have a much more exciting and intimate feel. The awnings will help with that. The stadium will probably feel a lot more "closed in."

What we have right now is a gigantic open space the feels completely empty. What we'll have afterwards is a small, closed in space that feels more full. I think that's the goal, anyway.

This exactly. I like the upper decks, the front row of the upper deck with the rotting chairs is my favorite place to watch the games. But for games like the Bayou Bucket, it stinks to have your largest attendance in a decade still look half empty. Tulane gets that full house feeling for bringing in those same 30,000, Charlotte gets it for 15,000. Get rid of the East upper deck and now you'll see the Med Center in the distance instead of 10,000 empty seats while also seeing a more filled stadium

Rotting chairs. That made me laugh.

I hope the East deck is removed in its entirety, but I'm not holding my breath. I'd love to be able to see the med center and campus from the West side. That would be beautiful.

(09-26-2025 01:12 PM)TheOwl84 Wrote:  

(09-25-2025 02:10 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(09-24-2025 04:15 PM)OwlWKIF Wrote:  I have very little complaints with HRS.

Sure, modernize the electricity situation, improve concessions, power wash the stands, that sort of stuff... fix up the press box, whatever. Get a new PA system and replace the old scoreboard on top of the R Room. But how much can this really cost... certainly not a wild amount. If this stuff isn't affordable, then Rice is talking to the wrong contractors.

Why should the upper decks be torn down, unless they are going to collapse? What does it truly accomplish?

Fan experience.

We're so used to the upper decks, that we don't even realize how cavernous they make the stadium feel. All of those empty seats kill the game day atmosphere.

Once they're downsized, or gone altogether, the stadium will have a much more exciting and intimate feel. The awnings will help with that. The stadium will probably feel a lot more "closed in."

What we have right now is a gigantic open space the feels completely empty. What we'll have afterwards is a small, closed in space that feels more full. I think that's the goal, anyway.

This exactly. I like the upper decks, the front row of the upper deck with the rotting chairs is my favorite place to watch the games. But for games like the Bayou Bucket, it stinks to have your largest attendance in a decade still look half empty. Tulane gets that full house feeling for bringing in those same 30,000, Charlotte gets it for 15,000. Get rid of the East upper deck and now you'll see the Med Center in the distance instead of 10,000 empty seats while also seeing a more filled stadium

This.

My preference to not tearing down the upper east deck are solely based on cost/benefit and potential.... as in, if you had only 50mm to spend, what would you spend it on.... and my primary focus was on making the west side experience better

As we have now shifted all the home fans to the west, an empty east side is mostly really only an issue for visiting teams (and the Shaeffers, lol)... so I'm not really worried about seeing an empty upper east, if the west side looks and feels like it did against UH. Sure, in a simple yes/no binary, it's yes... but in a 'prioritization', it was not on the top of my personal preference list. Hell, we just moved the diving teams dry practice facility there, lol.

I have and do agree that the benefit of eliminating the upper east is a likely amazing view of campus and the med center from the now hopefully packed west side... AND I might add, a potentiallly very compelling view from the campus and med center of a very full west side.





BTW, for those of you who love Rice Stadium (like me)... there is something very clever and fun coming

(09-26-2025 04:54 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  As we have now shifted all the home fans to the west, an empty east side is mostly really only an issue for visiting teams (and the Shaeffers, lol)... so I'm not really worried about seeing an empty upper east, if the west side looks and feels like it did against UH.

Remember, the east side is the side that the TV cameras (and therefore the TV viewers) see during the broadcast.

(09-26-2025 05:06 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(09-26-2025 04:54 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  As we have now shifted all the home fans to the west, an empty east side is mostly really only an issue for visiting teams (and the Shaeffers, lol)... so I'm not really worried about seeing an empty upper east, if the west side looks and feels like it did against UH.

Remember, the east side is the side that the TV cameras (and therefore the TV viewers) see during the broadcast.

I saw a lot less of that during the UH game. More shots of the west side stands while shots looking east focused on the field of play and not the east stands. I'm hoping that was intentional.

(09-26-2025 05:19 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(09-26-2025 05:06 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(09-26-2025 04:54 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  As we have now shifted all the home fans to the west, an empty east side is mostly really only an issue for visiting teams (and the Shaeffers, lol)... so I'm not really worried about seeing an empty upper east, if the west side looks and feels like it did against UH.

Remember, the east side is the side that the TV cameras (and therefore the TV viewers) see during the broadcast.

I saw a lot less of that during the UH game. More shots of the west side stands while shots looking east focused on the field of play and not the east stands. I'm hoping that was intentional.

George…. This was the case 20+ years ago because of the impact of the sun on the cameras, but that is far less of a problem today than it used to be. Modern HDR technology and computer filtering does a much better job than it used to of managing sunlight in real time without getting hotspots etc.

I’m not saying it’s perfect and may still be an issue at 4pm… I’m just saying it’s not the problem that it used to be and Tomballs comment is spot on.

Why not build take the west side of Greenbriar, which I think Rice pretty much owns now, build parking decks with a neighborhood SMR (small modular reactor) in the middle of the deck, and run power under Greenbriar and the stadium lot to the stadium. You could also now power the bubble from that power run, too.

Was also thinking of running elevated walkways from the parking deck to stairs to the stadium lot on the other side.

Not cheap. Going under the road with soil the way it is probably wouldn't be easy. But it thinks medium- and long-term for solutioning.

A man can dream.

Is this what the renovated Rice Stadium is going to look like ... sans both upper decks?

https://www.givecampus.com/schools/RiceU...y-lego-set

It's hard to tell. If that Lego set is any indicator, it looks like they're downsized.

(10-06-2025 01:41 AM)Almadenmike Wrote:  Is this what the renovated Rice Stadium is going to look like ... sans both upper decks?

https://www.givecampus.com/schools/RiceU...y-lego-set

Those light bulbs are going to be really expensive to change.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate 75 years, than to release the renovation plan.

(10-07-2025 10:49 AM)Ourland Wrote:  I can't think of a better way to celebrate 75 years, than to release the renovation plan.

They would probably release it if they weren't expecting that things will need to be scaled back or changed.

We have no buzz right now after going from 3-1 to 3-3 and are already huge dogs to UTSA.