Proud of 107,000 - Why change that?

[NittanyLionRoar]

Given that parts of the stadium do go back to before 1960, it's about time for some renovations. I'd also fix the student section situation--which seems to be largely due to a bad entrance situation. That's fixable.

The entrance is definitely a choke point with a "cattle herding" feel to it which makes it fill late. However, the laws of economics dictate that it's absolutely impossible to fill the student section due to the constraints set up by the university to control the secondary market for student tickets.

The demand for tickets could be 30,000, but even if you decrease the student section down to 5,000 seats, you will still see the same percentage of students missing because of the constraints placed on the resale of tickets.

 

[BUFFALO LION]

You do realize the people who have been going to games the past 30 years are dying off? You have to appeal to the newer generation of fans who don't want to sit on 18' metal bleachers. They don't want to go bathroom in a crappy restroom that floods when it rains. They don't want to eat stale pretzels and lousy chicken tenders. Thirty years ago you weren't competing against every game being on tv. You weren't competing against people having big screen tvs in every house. Like or not you have to cater to the younger fan base.

Boy! You make the "newer generation of fans" sound like a bunch of soft, flabby, fragile, frail, spoiled, and pampered wimps.

Seems to me all those "newer generation of fans" sitting in the Student Section every week on those "18' metal bleachers" singing "Sweet Caroline" and "Livin On a Prayer" are enjoying themselves just fine. They seem to be having just as much fun, if not more, than we did. And that's rooting for a team that isn't in the same Universe to being as good as the teams we got to root for.

I have no problem improving the concessions and the restrooms if you want to. I never eat anything inside the Stadium anyway. Just buy those overpriced $4 dollar bottles of water.

As far as the restrooms go, they aren't the worst ones I've ever been in in a football stadium. I don't think I've ever gone into one of the restrooms at the Beav and thought to myself "Gee, I wish this was a nicer restroom."

If it rains outside, and the floors are wet because thousands of people have been walking on it with wet shoes or boots, I just chalk that up as a result of nature. As another poster insinuated, in the 250 or more games I've been to there, I don't think I have ever seen water backed up from a drain in a bathroom. Not saying it never happened, but I've never seen it.

Improving the restrooms and concessions......? No problem if you want to. We might actually make more money if the concessions are improved. But don't EVER reduce the seating capacity or make the configuration less intimidating!!!! That's why people like me shell out the money for season tickets every year. To be part of the biggest, baddest, and loudest House of Horrors for opposing teams on the Planet!!!!

 

[PSU_Nut]

Boy! You make the "newer generation of fans" sound like a bunch of soft, flabby, fragile, frail, spoiled, and pampered wimps.

Seems to me all those "newer generation of fans" sitting in the Student Section every week on those "18' metal bleachers" singing "Sweet Caroline" and "Livin On a Prayer" are enjoying themselves just fine. They seem to be having just as much fun, if not more, than we did. And that's rooting for a team that isn't in the same Universe to being as good as the teams we got to root for.

I have no problem improving the concessions and the restrooms if you want to. I never eat anything inside the Stadium anyway. Just buy those overpriced $4 dollar bottles of water.

As far as the restrooms go, they aren't the worst ones I've ever been in in a football stadium. I don't think I've ever gone into one of the restrooms at the Beav and thought to myself "Gee, I wish this was a nicer restroom."

If it rains outside, and the floors are wet because thousands of people have been walking on it with wet shoes or boots, I just chalk that up as a result of nature. As another poster insinuated, in the 250 or more games I've been to there, I don't think I have ever seen water backed up from a drain in a bathroom. Not saying it never happened, but I've never seen it.

Improving the restrooms and concessions......? No problem if you want to. We might actually make more money if the concessions are improved. But don't EVER reduce the seating capacity or make the configuration less intimidating!!!! That's why people like me shell out the money for season tickets every year. To be part of the biggest, baddest, and loudest House of Horrors for opposing teams on the Planet!!!!

Did you miss the non 8pm game where about a third of the student section did not show up? Sure it not a problem when your in college but when you leave your opinion changes. I am sure there is a lot of things you did in college that you wouldn't do in your 30s etc. It is about getting them to return and donate after they graduate when their biggest concern is not how much beer they can chug before the game. Not everyone is diehard football fans like those on this board. There a reason why Ohio State is reducing their capacity to improve the fan experience.

The bathroom I am referring to in the north upper deck. When there a heavy rain it floods and half become unusable. The metal side have rusted through and water runs into the bathroom and just pools.

The Ohio State game didn't sell out. There were thousands of empty seats and even thousands more after OSU went up by 14. I don't think that killed the atmosphere at all. What the point of having seats if you can't sell them? The Iowa game is not even sold out even with 10,000 donated seats.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

Did you miss the non 8pm game where about a third of the student section did not show up? Sure it not a problem when your in college but when you leave your opinion changes. I am sure there is a lot of things you did in college that you wouldn't do in your 30s etc. It is about getting them to return and donate after they graduate when their biggest concern is not how much beer they can chug before the game. Not everyone is diehard football fans like those on this board. There a reason why Ohio State is reducing their capacity to improve the fan experience.

The bathroom I am referring to in the north upper deck. When there a heavy rain it floods and half become unusable. The metal side have rusted through and water runs into the bathroom and just pools.

The Ohio State game didn't sell out. There were thousands of empty seats and even thousands more after OSU went up by 14. I don't think that killed the atmosphere at all. What the point of having seats if you can't sell them? The Iowa game is not even sold out even with 10,000 donated seats.

Not true, I was at the daO$U game and it did fill up before people left at the half due to extreme weather (it was cold, drizzling off-&-on and the wind was constant). Announced attendance was 107,528. You're completely full of it that there were "thousands of unfilled seats". The student section filled up last, but it did fill up (and as several articles detailed - it was not the students fault....there were massive hold ups at the student gates to the point they started letting people into the holding area because students were pressing up on the gates so hard and then not letting them proceed into game). In any event, by the middle of the 1st Qtr the student sections and the stadium were "full" and you simply are not correct that there were "thousands of empty seats" at the daO$U game.

 

[BUFFALO LION]

Did you miss the non 8pm game where about a third of the student section did not show up? Sure it not a problem when your in college but when you leave your opinion changes. I am sure there is a lot of things you did in college that you wouldn't do in your 30s etc. It is about getting them to return and donate after they graduate when their biggest concern is not how much beer they can chug before the game. Not everyone is diehard football fans like those on this board. There a reason why Ohio State is reducing their capacity to improve the fan experience.

The bathroom I am referring to in the north upper deck. When there a heavy rain it floods and half become unusable. The metal side have rusted through and water runs into the bathroom and just pools.

The Ohio State game didn't sell out. There were thousands of empty seats and even thousands more after OSU went up by 14. I don't think that killed the atmosphere at all. What the point of having seats if you can't sell them? The Iowa game is not even sold out even with 10,000 donated seats.

Then fix the bathroom in the North Upper Deck. I have no problem with that. I don't think anyone does. Does that cost millions of dollars?

The Student section hasn't "filled up" until the second quarter for years. It actually seems to fill up faster now than it used to. You think all those screaming kids are going to graduate and all of a sudden hate going to football games???

And who cares if every game isn't a sellout or people leave at halftime???? The potential is always there.

If we spend millions of dollars to dummy down the stadium to what it used to be, you're right. Why even go? A hammer is just being pounded harder onto the top of my head that the Program has regressed to a point that we will never again be as good as we were when Joe was here.

I quit going to Steeler games when they built Heinz Field because the atmosphere wasn't as electric as it was at Three Rivers. After being exposed over the last 16 years to what the Beav can be like with 107,000 or more screaming fans, there ain't no way I'm going to fork over money for season tickets to go back to a Stadium that's nothing more than a shell of what it is now.

Like others have insinuated. I'm starting to get the feeling there are people that don't give two sh!ts about us paying fans. You sound like someone that works for the Administration that is just looking for an excuse to spend more of Penn State's money (and stuff someone's pockets).

 

[bjf1991]

Did you miss the non 8pm game where about a third of the student section did not show up? Sure it not a problem when your in college but when you leave your opinion changes. I am sure there is a lot of things you did in college that you wouldn't do in your 30s etc. It is about getting them to return and donate after they graduate when their biggest concern is not how much beer they can chug before the game. Not everyone is diehard football fans like those on this board. There a reason why Ohio State is reducing their capacity to improve the fan experience.

The bathroom I am referring to in the north upper deck. When there a heavy rain it floods and half become unusable. The metal side have rusted through and water runs into the bathroom and just pools.

The Ohio State game didn't sell out. There were thousands of empty seats and even thousands more after OSU went up by 14. I don't think that killed the atmosphere at all. What the point of having seats if you can't sell them? The Iowa game is not even sold out even with 10,000 donated seats.

Sounds like proper justification for a $300,000,000 fix.........Mark Dambly and crew will be right on it Sandy Baby!!!!!!

 

[bjf1991]

Then fix the bathroom in the North Upper Deck. I have no problem with that. I don't think anyone does. Does that cost millions of dollars?

The Student section hasn't "filled up" until the second quarter for years. It actually seems to fill up faster now than it used to. You think all those screaming kids are going to graduate and all of a sudden hate going to football games???

And who cares if every game isn't a sellout or people leave at halftime???? The potential is always there.

If we spend millions of dollars to dummy down the stadium to what it used to be, you're right. Why even go? A hammer is just being pounded harder onto the top of my head that the Program has regressed to a point that we will never again be as good as we were when Joe was here.

I quit going to Steeler games when they built Heinz Field because the atmosphere wasn't as electric as it was at Three Rivers. After being exposed over the last 16 years to what the Beav can be like with 107,000 or more screaming fans, there ain't no way I'm going to fork over money for season tickets to go back to a Stadium that's nothing more than a shell of what it is now.

Like others have insinuated. I'm starting to get the feeling there are people that don't give two sh!ts about us paying fans. You sound like someone that works for the Administration that is just looking for an excuse to spend more of Penn State's money (and stuff someone's pockets).

Well - I expect you are NEARLY 100% spot one

One exception: I don't think that Nutty considers it "work"...... He'd likely serve as Sandy Baby's Bidet for nothing (might even pay for the experience)

 

[PSU_Nut]

Then fix the bathroom in the North Upper Deck. I have no problem with that. I don't think anyone does. Does that cost millions of dollars?

The Student section hasn't "filled up" until the second quarter for years. It actually seems to fill up faster now than it used to. You think all those screaming kids are going to graduate and all of a sudden hate going to football games???

And who cares if every game isn't a sellout or people leave at halftime???? The potential is always there.

If we spend millions of dollars to dummy down the stadium to what it used to be, you're right. Why even go? A hammer is just being pounded harder onto the top of my head that the Program has regressed to a point that we will never again be as good as we were when Joe was here.

I quit going to Steeler games when they built Heinz Field because the atmosphere wasn't as electric as it was at Three Rivers. After being exposed over the last 16 years to what the Beav can be like with 107,000 or more screaming fans, there ain't no way I'm going to fork over money for season tickets to go back to a Stadium that's nothing more than a shell of what it is now.

Like others have insinuated. I'm starting to get the feeling there are people that don't give two sh!ts about us paying fans. You sound like someone that works for the Administration that is just looking for an excuse to spend more of Penn State's money (and stuff someone's pockets).

The student section is not filling up even after the second quarter. If you go to games you would see that. Even at the Ohio State game it didn't fill up. If every student who went to games continued to go to games why are there thousands of empty seats each week? The truth is the majority stop going to games after they graduate.

At what point does the patchwork repairs get more expensive then undertaking a major renovation? They are spending several million a year on patch work repairs. The press box is a perfect example. They spent $2 million to make repairs on it because a window fell out during a game. They also had a elevator that was not working along with a lot of the safety lighting system. These are the type of things that they have been doing for years just to keep the stadium operational. They have been doing many little projects to make the stadium ada compliant but much still needs to be done and probably can't be addressed until a major overhaul is done.

No one said it going to be a shell of itself. Reducing the capacity by a few thousand not going to be a major deal. If you had gone to game prior to 2001 you would realize that the change in atmosphere is not because of the 10k seats they added it was because Guido d'Elia created an atmosphere that engaged and energized the fans.

 

[interrobang]

Why change it? Because they aren't getting 107k. OSU was probably just over 100k, despite the announced attendance. Iowa will be under 100k.

 

[kgilbert78]

There a reason why Ohio State is reducing their capacity to improve the fan experience.

Among others..... Michigan has done the same.

The competition for $$$ is different. Add to that the hotel prices (which is not PSU's fault), and the market is weaker.

 

[uhlerlion]

You do realize the people who have been going to games the past 30 years are dying off? You have to appeal to the newer generation of fans who don't want to sit on 18' metal bleachers. They don't want to go bathroom in a crappy restroom that floods when it rains. They don't want to eat stale pretzels and lousy chicken tenders. Thirty years ago you weren't competing against every game being on tv. You weren't competing against people having big screen tvs in every house. Like or not you have to cater to the younger fan base.

Well that may be true to a point, been goin for 30 years myself and can say that 18' metal bleachers do get old..but that's the BEAV. By the way, They were once wood into the80's. Sure some improvements are needed, but to say because the younger generation demands it is a little whacked. A flawed attention span and the need for other things not football to casually watch a game is an exercise in grabbing attention from the actual product... the football game itself.. if you want that crap go watch the NFL. I would suggest to be contrarian and make the experience unique and keep it somewhat old school after all that 57 chevy or that 70s chevelle still do have some appeal over a 2017 Cruze.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

The student section is not filling up even after the second quarter. If you go to games you would see that. Even at the Ohio State game it didn't fill up. If every student who went to games continued to go to games why are there thousands of empty seats each week? The truth is the majority stop going to games after they graduate.

At what point does the patchwork repairs get more expensive then undertaking a major renovation? They are spending several million a year on patch work repairs. The press box is a perfect example. They spent $2 million to make repairs on it because a window fell out during a game. They also had a elevator that was not working along with a lot of the safety lighting system. These are the type of things that they have been doing for years just to keep the stadium operational. They have been doing many little projects to make the stadium ada compliant but much still needs to be done and probably can't be addressed until a major overhaul is done.

No one said it going to be a shell of itself. Reducing the capacity by a few thousand not going to be a major deal. If you had gone to game prior to 2001 you would realize that the change in atmosphere is not because of the 10k seats they added it was because Guido d'Elia created an atmosphere that engaged and energized the fans.

I know for a fact you're mistaken about the OSU game because I was at the game sitting in North Endzone (NG), was looking directly at Student Section and it absolutely filled completely mid 1st Qtr (BTW, the reason it took so long to fill was not the students fault - it was the extraordinarily inept way the student gates were run by the operations & security staff as has been well documented!).

Additionally, there is absolutely no reason in the world that the students should not be permitted to sell their tickets to one another and all that should be required for entry is a student ticket & valid ID. Not allowing them to transfer tickets to one-another merely creates empty seats when personal conflicts arise which is inevitable when the student section season-ticket holders are some 35,000 large. Just stupid, beyond stupid, that the students are forced to enter a lottery to get season-tickets and then the tickets issued are "non-transferable" even between bonafide PSU students - again, that is just dumb to the power of infinity!

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

Well that may be true to a point, been goin for 30 years myself and can say that 18' metal bleachers do get old..but that's the BEAV. By the way, They were once wood into the80's. Sure some improvements are needed, but to say because the younger generation demands it is a little whacked. A flawed attention span and the need for other things not football to casually watch a game is an exercise in grabbing attention from the actual product... the football game itself.. if you want that crap go watch the NFL. I would suggest to be contrarian and make the experience unique and keep it somewhat old school after all that 57 chevy or that 70s chevelle still do have some appeal over a 2017 Cruze.

Rennovations are needed because the stadium is antiquated in many regards and is not remotely close to a "state-of-the-art" facility in many, many areas.

 

[uhlerlion]

Rennovations are needed because the stadium is antiquated in many regards and is not remotely close to a "state-of-the-art" facility in many, many areas.

I didn't say they were not needed, but what is renovated shouldn't be decided on what is secondary to the product at hand. (aka Better WiFi? Really?) And the facility doesn't have to be state of the art. Which you missed in my post apparently. State of the art suggests being ubiquitous. I suggest not being "state of the art" in some areas . Uniqueness and rarity in experience should command demand. Does that mean being state of the art in some areas? Probably. But it also suggests, make improvement because it makes sense not just because the next generation wants it.

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

I didn't say they were not needed, but what is renovated shouldn't be decided on what is secondary to the product at hand. (aka Better WiFi? Really?) And the facility doesn't have to be state of the art. Which you missed in my post apparently. State of the art suggests being ubiquitous. I suggest not being "state of the art" in some areas . Uniqueness and rarity in experience should command demand. Does that mean being state of the art in some areas? Probably. But it also suggests, make improvement because it makes sense not just because the next generation wants it.

Like it or not, the only generation that doesn't care about poor WiFi is the one that is dying off and becoming physically unable to attend games.

Younger generations, including some late baby boomers, expect to be able to take photos and use social media to their heart's content during games. Because cell signals are spotty at best and in-stadium WiFi is currently piss poor at best, WiFi upgrades are desperately needed.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

I didn't say they were not needed, but what is renovated shouldn't be decided on what is secondary to the product at hand. (aka Better WiFi? Really?) And the facility doesn't have to be state of the art. Which you missed in my post apparently. State of the art suggests being ubiquitous. I suggest not being "state of the art" in some areas . Uniqueness and rarity in experience should command demand. Does that mean being state of the art in some areas? Probably. But it also suggests, make improvement because it makes sense not just because the next generation wants it.

What I was getting at is that a good portion of the facility is well-beyond its useful design life and badly in need of not just "renovation", but "upgrading" to modern design standards. It's a bit like a beautiful old home that is 50 years old and everything in the house is original equipment....still an architecturally beautiful home, but in need of "upgrade" and "renovation" (especially true when PSU is charging the ticket prices they are charging). So yes, I agree with you - the plan and money spent should be spent in a disciplined and efficient manner in truly upgrading the areas that need attention; however, if that is done correctly it will male the facility more "state of the art" from a design and user-friendly / comfort standpoint.

 

[dbsteel]

Make the experience better in whatever way possible. It's a glorified High School stadium right now. If that means losing 10,000 seats, so be it. With the big screen TVs and fancy basements, its harder to get people to games now than it used to be.

 

[BUFFALO LION]

Make the experience better in whatever way possible. It's a glorified High School stadium right now. If that means losing 10,000 seats, so be it. With the big screen TVs and fancy basements, its harder to get people to games now than it used to be.

I go to the games for the electricity. Not the beauty. I can get beauty in front of my television set for free.

Like I said, if you have to upgrade some things like the restrooms, concessions, or Press Box, be my guest. But don't reduce the Stadium capacity. All that is is an excuse to raise ticket prices again, and dummy down the atmosphere.

 

[BUFFALO LION]

Why change it? Because they aren't getting 107k. OSU was probably just over 100k, despite the announced attendance. Iowa will be under 100k.

If you don't think we will have over 100,000 Saturday night, you're nuts.

 

[bison13]

Full of $hit about the OSU game - I know for a fact you're full of $hit because I was at the game sitting in North Endzone (NG), was looking directly at Student Section and it absolutely filled completely mid 1st Qtr (BTW, the reason it took so long to fill was not the students fault - it was the extraordinarily inept way the student gates were run by the operations & security staff as has been well documented!).

Additionally, there is absolutely no reason in the world that the students should not be permitted to sell their tickets to one another and all that should be required for entry is a student ticket & valid ID. Not allowing them to transfer tickets to one-another merely creates empty seats when personal conflicts arise which is inevitable when the student section season-ticket holders are some 35,000 large. Just stupid, beyond stupid, that the students are forced to enter a lottery to get season-tickets and then the tickets issued are "non-transferable" even between bonafide PSU students - again, that is just dumb to the power of infinity!

Dont quite think the student section is 35K but you are right on the other issue. Ridiculous to not be able to transfer tickets. If my friends at the main campus couldnt go to a game I would sometimes get some of my friends from HS/a branch campus/etc to come up for the game. They really could do a better job of reaching ALL PSU students, I'm sure there are many Altoona kids who would come up for the games

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

Dont quite think the student section is 35K but you are right on the other issue. Ridiculous to not be able to transfer tickets. If my friends at the main campus couldnt go to a game I would sometimes get some of my friends from HS/a branch campus/etc to come up for the game. They really could do a better job of reaching ALL PSU students, I'm sure there are many Altoona kids who would come up for the games

Not sure exact number of student tickets made available, but it is less than the demand by students as students are forced into a lottery for season tickets and a sizeable number do not get their applications filled. Just absurd that student tickets are non-transferable when there is clearly more demand than supply of season tickets for students as evidenced by the lottery and thousands of unfilled student season ticket applications.

 

[Art]

Boys and girls, it's all about winning and losing, not a pretty stadium with panini press stations around every corner. Want a case study about what happens to attendance at a brand spanking new state-of-the-art stadium with a mediocre to bad football team? Check out attendance figures at Minnehaha for the last five or six years.

And not that it's necessarily portentous, but the same overpaid dipshit that was in charge of their stadium project will likely be at the helm of PSU's.

 

[BlueBand]

Not sure exact number of student tickets made available, but it is less than the demand by students as students are forced into a lottery for season tickets and a sizeable number do not get their applications filled. Just absurd that student tickets are non-transferable when there is clearly more demand than supply of season tickets for students as evidenced by the lottery and thousands of unfilled student season ticket applications.

I know the "problem" in the old days was students selling tickets to recent grads who still had their ID. However, that was in the pre-scanner days that could verify the ID. And when capacity was 85K and the stadium was sold out, meaning those using student tickets weren't potential lost revenue. Of course, the way around that is to let them use your ID, although that is risky in you may never get it back.

I think as long as a student ticket is presented with a CURRENT student ID, they should let them in. Sure, you may get some students who buy a ticket never intending to go to a game, but just selling the ticket for each game, but I can't imagine it's s huge number, as long as they can't buy more than one ticket per ID number which should be easy enough to restrict electronically. Although, given how quickly the tickets sell out, maybe it was a big problem.

The other side of this may be to encourage attendance. If you bought the ticket and can't sell it off for some games, are you then more motivated to show up for Kent State since you paid for it?

I don't know, I'd be curious as to what problems they were/are trying to solve.

 

[BUFFALO LION]

The student section is not filling up even after the second quarter. If you go to games you would see that. Even at the Ohio State game it didn't fill up. If every student who went to games continued to go to games why are there thousands of empty seats each week? The truth is the majority stop going to games after they graduate.

At what point does the patchwork repairs get more expensive then undertaking a major renovation? They are spending several million a year on patch work repairs. The press box is a perfect example. They spent $2 million to make repairs on it because a window fell out during a game. They also had a elevator that was not working along with a lot of the safety lighting system. These are the type of things that they have been doing for years just to keep the stadium operational. They have been doing many little projects to make the stadium ada compliant but much still needs to be done and probably can't be addressed until a major overhaul is done.

No one said it going to be a shell of itself. Reducing the capacity by a few thousand not going to be a major deal. If you had gone to game prior to 2001 you would realize that the change in atmosphere is not because of the 10k seats they added it was because Guido d'Elia created an atmosphere that engaged and energized the fans.

That's funny. I've talked to students that said they weren't able to get season tickets because they were sold out. Whether they go to the games or not, you guys still got your grubby hands on their money. If you chop a few thousand of their seats out, where are you going to make up the shortfall? From us long time season ticket holders? Or the remaining students whose mommys and daddys are rich enough to make up the difference?

And you are so full of sh!t about pre-2001 you're about to explode like all those bathroom pipes you keep complaining about.

Granted, Guido did a miraculous job with the music. Absolutely beyond outstanding!!! But if I remember right, that didn't start in 2001. What increased the decibels in that place was the addition of those two decks in the South End Zone. Exponentially.

I remember being at the 2001 Miami game, the first game I believe after the South decks were added. The guy I was with had been to a few games with me in the past. We were standing during the pre-game before Adam T led the team on to the field.

We were both speechless. Neither one of us had ever heard anything like it. We couldn't hear each other talk even though we were right beside each other. We had to read lips. He raved about how it was like 100 times louder than any pro game he had ever been to in his life. And he had been to a LOT of them. Both of us couldn't stop talking about the dramatic positive change in energy, electricity, and atmosphere.

Anyone that denies that the addition of those two south decks was a dramatic game changer in the electricity coming out of that stadium is nothing more than one of those old foggies that wants to go back to the quiet days of sitting in the West stands watching Mt Nittany instead of the football game.

 

[WDLion]

Why change it? Because they aren't getting 107k. OSU was probably just over 100k, despite the announced attendance. Iowa will be under 100k.

In my opinion the stadium conditions are far down on the list of reasons why attendance is down.

 

[olelion]

When I was a student the capacity was something like 55,000. We've had two "major" and several minor expansions since. Have any of them really made for a "better" experience? I don't think so.

Winning- and doing it the right way- is what built the program. The rest is window dressing.

47, 000 until expansion in 1972 to something like 58, 000. I was there from '66 -'70. It was a great experience then, but but it's even better after the expansion (s). The 100, 000+ white outs are the envy of many a fan base.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

I know the "problem" in the old days was students selling tickets to recent grads who still had their ID. However, that was in the pre-scanner days that could verify the ID. And when capacity was 85K and the stadium was sold out, meaning those using student tickets weren't potential lost revenue. Of course, the way around that is to let them use your ID, although that is risky in you may never get it back.

I think as long as a student ticket is presented with a CURRENT student ID, they should let them in. Sure, you may get some students who buy a ticket never intending to go to a game, but just selling the ticket for each game, but I can't imagine it's s huge number, as long as they can't buy more than one ticket per ID number which should be easy enough to restrict electronically. Although, given how quickly the tickets sell out, maybe it was a big problem.

The other side of this may be to encourage attendance. If you bought the ticket and can't sell it off for some games, are you then more motivated to show up for Kent State since you paid for it?

I don't know, I'd be curious as to what problems they were/are trying to solve.

Well beyond all that, it is patently unfair that a student is not permitted to give their rights to another student given that student season-tickets sell out AND there is no way to control personal circumstances that might arise (i.e., sick family member, personal emergency, student getting severely ill that weekend, etc....). Complete bull$hit that a student pays for the ticket, is only permitted to buy one (regulated by student ID # I would imagine), the tickets sell out leaving thousands of students without tickets via lottery system AND the student tickets that are sold are made "Non-Transferable"???? That is just stupid, unfair and insane to the factor of infinity! Now I understand how the gate people screwed up thousands of paying students experience at the daO$U game un-apologetically! I would demand a REFUND if I were these students - complete bull$hit the way they are being treated while PAYING for the pleasure of this absurd treatment! If a student pays for a ticket and is UNABLE to make it to the game for whatever personal reason that has arisen, why on earth should they not be permitted to transfer the ticket to another bonafide student??? That makes absolutely ZERO sense and sounds like a policy made by a lazy, stupid, arrogant administrator doing what is easiest for them rather than what is right and fair by the students.

 

[olelion]

Agreed, it's about the total cost to attend, particularly if you are coming in from outside PA. I'd have to pay for a flight, hotel, game tix, etc. When you add it all up it could cost thousands for a big game. For the same price I'm about to go on a 2 week overseas vacation. Which is a better ROI on my hard-earned money? I'll watch more games on TV.

Do any of the hotel/motels outside of State College offer transportation to the game? You'd have to think some clever marketers outside of town could put together attractive lodging packages that include transportation or even a tailgate package at more attractive rates than the hotel cabal in State College.

 

[kgilbert78]

Do any of the hotel/motels outside of State College offer transportation to the game? You'd have to think some clever marketers outside of town could put together attractive lodging packages that include transportation or even a tailgate package at more attractive rates than the hotel cabal in State College.

When I go, I want the complete experience--and that includes Friday night dinner and shopping in town and Sunday morning breakfast at the Waffle Shop. Making the 30-45 min trip in (one way) from Clearfield, while considerably cheaper, costs me some of that experience--and as I get older (60 now), that drive is less and less desirable. Add to that the 6 hours from Columbus....

I guess that's one reason why we are not going to a game this season (for the first time in quite a number of years). I think 1983 was the last time I wasn't in State College for a game. I think it's the first time for Mrs. KG since we met in 1989.

 

[UncleLar]

That's what the master plan is for. Jeffrey Field needs lots of updates for one. I don't think the lacrosse updates were ever finished. Not sure about wrestling... when was the last update there? Ditto for volleyball.

The lockers and concessions at Jeffrey are deplorable. Lacrosse is still a work in progress. Wrestling had a major upgrade a decade ago with the Lorenzo complex, so they are fine. Tennis is badly in need of an upgrade, McCoy is an embarrassment. Field hockey is ok (we led the nation in attendance btw). Rec Hall needs better restrooms and concessions.

 

[Roar More]

I didn't necessarily say all facilities are up to date but with 29 varsity sports to support our facilities are extremely well regarded. Sure some of this is due to generosity of donors for a specific sport but at least according to Princeton Review, PSU has best athletic facilities in the country

http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=best-athletic-facilities

FYI, 31 varsity sports.

 

[kgilbert78]

The lockers and concessions at Jeffrey are deplorable. Lacrosse is still a work in progress. Wrestling had a major upgrade a decade ago with the Lorenzo complex, so they are fine. Tennis is badly in need of an upgrade, McCoy is an embarrassment. Field hockey is ok (we led the nation in attendance btw). Rec Hall needs better restrooms and concessions.

And when I was in school, it was chicken coops where tennis is now. Did they ever get the smell out of the clubhouse building (which was a converted chicken facility, as I recall)?? It was an improvement over what they had, however.

 

[PSU_Nut]

I know for a fact you're mistaken about the OSU game because I was at the game sitting in North Endzone (NG), was looking directly at Student Section and it absolutely filled completely mid 1st Qtr (BTW, the reason it took so long to fill was not the students fault - it was the extraordinarily inept way the student gates were run by the operations & security staff as has been well documented!).

Additionally, there is absolutely no reason in the world that the students should not be permitted to sell their tickets to one another and all that should be required for entry is a student ticket & valid ID. Not allowing them to transfer tickets to one-another merely creates empty seats when personal conflicts arise which is inevitable when the student section season-ticket holders are some 35,000 large. Just stupid, beyond stupid, that the students are forced to enter a lottery to get season-tickets and then the tickets issued are "non-transferable" even between bonafide PSU students - again, that is just dumb to the power of infinity!

Against Ohio state the top of EAU never filled up completely. Also student tickets are transferable. They can also be transferred to non students. I don't know where you got the idea they were non transferable. They have always been transferable.

http://www.gopsusports.com/studentcentral/ticket-exchange.html

 

[PSU_Nut]

Well beyond all that, it is patently unfair that a student is not permitted to give their rights to another student given that student season-tickets sell out AND there is no way to control personal circumstances that might arise (i.e., sick family member, personal emergency, student getting severely ill that weekend, etc....). Complete bull$hit that a student pays for the ticket, is only permitted to buy one (regulated by student ID # I would imagine), the tickets sell out leaving thousands of students without tickets via lottery system AND the student tickets that are sold are made "Non-Transferable"???? That is just stupid, unfair and insane to the factor of infinity! Now I understand how the gate people screwed up thousands of paying students experience at the daO$U game un-apologetically! I would demand a REFUND if I were these students - complete bull$hit the way they are being treated while PAYING for the pleasure of this absurd treatment! If a student pays for a ticket and is UNABLE to make it to the game for whatever personal reason that has arisen, why on earth should they not be permitted to transfer the ticket to another bonafide student??? That makes absolutely ZERO sense and sounds like a policy made by a lazy, stupid, arrogant administrator doing what is easiest for them rather than what is right and fair by the students.

The problem at the gate was simple. To many student trying to get in at the last minute. There simply no way to get that many kid through the gates that fast.
Perhaps the one who is lazy, stupid and arrogant is you who doesn't even know the rules. Students tickets are transferable. Before you call some one out you should know what you are talking about.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

The problem at the gate was simple. To many student trying to get in at the last minute. There simply no way to get that many kid through the gates that fast.
Perhaps the one who is lazy, stupid and arrogant is you who doesn't even know the rules. Students tickets are transferable. Before you call some one out you should know what you are talking about.

Wrong, the article written on the topic said the immense line at the Student Gates began a FULL HOUR BEFORE KICKOFF. People were pressing so hard at the gates and the gate entrance was so limited relative to the multiple "Security Checkpoints" they were running, Security made the decision to just let them into a holding area......then they would not let students through the internal gates even once they presented a valid ticket because they were not flagged as passing external security!

 

[fairfaxlion2]

Since the expansion to 107,000, they have never consistently filled up the stadium. This isn't new. They shouldn't have done that expansion. There was no analysis of the actual demand for PSU football tickets, or if there was, it was incorrect.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Wrong, the article written on the topic said the immense line at the Student Gates began a FULL HOUR BEFORE KICKOFF. People were pressing so hard at the gates and the gate entrance was so limited relative to the multiple "Security Checkpoints" they were running, Security made the decision to just let them into a holding area......then they would not let students through the internal gates even once they presented a valid ticket because they were not flagged as passing external security!

Here is some info...

Student ticket allotment is about 21k.

There isn't a "lottery". Student tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis. When kids were still allowed to sell to whoever they wanted to, tickets were selling out too quickly, some that bought them were turning around and trying to sell them immediately for a huge profit, and you had a lot of pissed off kids and parents who didn't get tickets. So, the athletic dept switched it up and took control of the resale market to eliminate the scalping.

You can sell your tickets for games that you don't want to attend (assuming that someone wants to buy them). The complains that many have is that you need to do it by the day before the game, and that there is a "floor" on the price (ie you can't sell it for $5 or $10 like you could in the old days for crappy games).

There wasn't an issue with student not "flagged as passing external security". The issue is that they got into the stadium without an actual ticket (usually, they swipe IDs and are given a ticket to their seat). Because of opening the gates to relieve the pressure, the students didn't stop to get a ticket, and thus weren't let into a section because they didn't have a ticket for that section.

And it's not about "multiple security checkpoints". It's all about the wanding. The "wanding" is a slow process, and they don't have enough "lanes" to handle volume like 10k students showing up within 20-30 minutes of each other.

 

[interrobang]

Since the expansion to 107,000, they have never consistently filled up the stadium. This isn't new. They shouldn't have done that expansion. There was no analysis of the actual demand for PSU football tickets, or if there was, it was incorrect.

And since that expansion they saw the dark years, the fizzling of Paterno's career (pre-scandal), then of course *the* scandal.

 

[PSUSignore]

Do any of the hotel/motels outside of State College offer transportation to the game? You'd have to think some clever marketers outside of town could put together attractive lodging packages that include transportation or even a tailgate package at more attractive rates than the hotel cabal in State College.

Agree, however apps like Uber could solve this but it might be quite expensive. Part of the reason I don't want to stay out of town is because I plan on drinking most days I'm there, and I want to be able to easily and safely get home without driving myself.

When I go, I want the complete experience--and that includes Friday night dinner and shopping in town and Sunday morning breakfast at the Waffle Shop. Making the 30-45 min trip in (one way) from Clearfield, while considerably cheaper, costs me some of that experience--and as I get older (60 now), that drive is less and less desirable. Add to that the 6 hours from Columbus....

I guess that's one reason why we are not going to a game this season (for the first time in quite a number of years). I think 1983 was the last time I wasn't in State College for a game. I think it's the first time for Mrs. KG since we met in 1989.

Also agree. Since I have to fly in I tend to arrive on Thursday so I can enjoy Friday in town, Friday evening reliving the old days at the Skellar, and Saturday in the tailgate lots and downtown afterwards. A long drive to some hotel out of town definitely impacts this. Surely other remote college towns have the same issues, but maybe PSU just has fewer hotel rooms because I never hear about this from alumni of other schools. The hotel pricing in town on event weekends is outrageous and basically you have 2 options: pay it or stay farther out which for me means a less enjoyable weekend.

 

[mn78psu83]

Morgan and Lasch would be failures to the extent they were not funded by private donations, which was presented in the run ups to the projects. I can't say that they are, but I'm not handing out gold stars until that question is answered.

I'm troubled by the actions of an athletic director who seems to have no reservations about spending money in an environment where overall surpluses are down and future revenue streams re difficult to predict. That demonstrates a lack of financial discipline. Couple that with her performance at Cal and only a lunatic gives her control of the checkbook.

And BTW, weren't we promised an overview of the facilities master plan by the end of October?

I searched again for publicity announcing the private donations for Lasch and Morgan - nothing. Can't imagine announcements would not have been made had they received private donations to help fund the costs.