Ben Hill Griffin Renovations--2023?

The " work em silly Gators" sign stays.....

 

As much as I agree with this sentiment, it isn't 1995 anymore and your use of the word "was" is appropriate. Those bells and whistles bring in the talent that puts a stop to Auburn on 3rd down. Screaming and rocking the stadium only does so much as we've seen over the last number of years where we've struggled at home.

If the bells and whistles didn't matter, they wouldn't have built a nearly $100M facility on top of Mckethan.

And from how UF has updated the stadium over the years, I'm sure they will keep in line with tradition on the aesthetics but look to upgrade the experience and comfort.

I'm all in on the LED lights. I love how they look as they wash over the stadium or make it dark for certain situations.

 

Strychnine previously said the capacity would likely be reduced to around 80,000.

 

You can have all of that and still get a more comfortable stadium.

 

I sure hope they dont get rid of the god awful smelling urinal troughs (with the 6 month expired urinal cakes inside). My young men are coming of age and I will be taking them to their first game soon. It would be a travesty to not have them experience that wretched grotesque stench...I remember my friends coming up for their first gator experiences when I was in college at UF and just looking at their faces when they went into the trough area. It was priceless. You can only hold your breath for so long on a 100 degree days and nothing smells worse than the urine of 50,000 drunk college kids. Im gonna miss it.

 

I don't know, my brother, I am not sure we can do a massive, modern renovation and keep the "This is....Gator Country" aura of our beloved pit.

There is a lot to the mystique and psychological advantage we have that could fall by the wayside if we get too new school modern and comfortable.

I can not speak for everyone, but what I love so much about our BHG is that it has pretty much stayed old school down and dirty.

Our shrine, on a September afternoon, with the drenching rain coming and the steam rising everywhere is heaven to me. It is who we are. It is what we do.

I have taken some "guests" to Florida games in the heat of the day (I bet you have, too) and have explained to them what it is all about. As in, this is unlike ANY other stadium in college football. We are The Florida Gators, and we LOVE the unique ambiance of BHG. I tell them to embrace it and learn to love it, cause we Gators do. And whether they like it or not, it's the best there is today.

It is GREAT to be a Florida Gator, and I love The University of Florida.

 

Hot, sweaty, maybe some booze on board, tailgating, getting amped up, not being able to talk normally for a few days after a game at the swamp, the intensity, the satisfaction of beating an opponent, even more if we beat the hell out of them (the swamp loves when the Gators demolish a hated rival). When you can not only hear the crowd noise, but feel it vibrating through your body and up from the concrete. Upgrades are fine, but let's also not lose the character of the place we all lovingly call THE SWAMP. GO GATORS!

 

My man!

What you say!

Nothing like it, and I do not even drink..

 

I love it all too but I’m getting older, my back kills me, and I’m envious of those folks in the north endzone sitting in those nice seats in the shade. A few more of those won’t hurt too much.

 

Adding an additional year to the National Champion and SEC Champion signage would be my vote.

 

I believe when you get a building permit for renovations, you are required to bring commercial buildings up to current code. Widening aisles may not have been on top of wish list. Getting rid of bleacher seats is hopefully on the radar for the future years. I was told they could do major upgrades to underbelly of the stadium once the new football facility was completed. May also be updating recruiting visitor lounge area in stadium. Bama recently did this for recruits with new charging stations, electronics, TVs, and lounge experience while in the stadium for games/recruiting trips.

 

Let’s get 1984 up on those walls.

 

Damn right! And put 1990 up there, as well.

 

Not if the work to do that is what the code calls "technically unfeasible". The biggest thing older buildings get hit with when they go through renovations is Fire Protection upgrades and Accessibility (and even then it can be limited to 20% of the cost of the renovation).

 

The old basketball courts were better too!

Chair backs for all

 

I was shocked a few months ago when I went to Crypto (Staple Center) for the first time. There was a lower bowl and an upper ring and between them just sheet vertical club boxes stacked upon one another...must have been 3 or 4 levels. So weird looking.

Although my experience in NBA arenas is pretty limited...whatever the Suns arena is called this week and the Alamodome are the only places I've seen NBA games.

 

Have no idea about men's restrooms...but the ladies restrooms in the upper concourse of SEZ looks about the same as when I got my season tickets in 1985..just gross, nasty and ugly...I keep mentioning it in surveys etc they send me...I think I need to "talk" to Scott Stricklin about this lol

 

Yeap..they do have to go code on renovations..even my roof replacement a few weeks ago had to be to current code now..that's what the roofing company, home owners insurance and building inspectors told me..

 

There is always room for one more at a trough. lol