UF to Hire Architect for $400 million Renovation to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Absolutely not

 

Meh

 

I can’t stand them.I’m 6’3” and it’s so small I can’t really get on it good. I feel like I’m sitting in a kindergarten chair. I’m only 175 so I’m not fat, I’m just too long.

 

There was a good interview with SS on floridagators.com.
There is a ton in this reno that people don’t even think about. There isn’t a single cooking oven on the entire site, food from game days has to be trucked in cooked. Once they built condron it has some capability and they moved it over there. Bathrooms are inadequate proportionally, the number of vendors proportionately is awful among other things. He did say they hope to keep capacity above 80k, but much of the reno is infrastructure.

 

I haven't studied the entire athletic department but I guess the main reason I distrust the process is because they just aren't Gators. Stricklin, a lot of his administrators, etc., didn't grow up cheering at Florida Field. They can't really know what the stadium means to generations of Gators. They see it only as a means of generating revenue and what changes could maximize that.

 

I like that!

 

What about these guys?

HOK | A Global Design, Architecture, Engineering and Planning Firm

 

When I remember what the old, old basketball building was like, I sure liked the O’Dome !

 

The food is pretty sad and the lines are so long you’d miss a quarter if you were desperate enough to stand in a line.

 

And I’d like to see an excellent, big Handicap seating area with good elevators.

 

But I don’t like

 

One thing that can be a mistake in all this....

Huge architecture projects, in all massive builds around the world, offer several design proposals from several design firms... If we have one then we already got possibly jobbed... the more the merrier, IMHO.

 

They would just raise prices to offset it, teams today (college and pro) only want deep pockets in the place, the people trying for the cheap sets are no longer wanted.

 

Which is part of the calculus of why they don't mind decreasing seating. Also the fact that attendance has been dwindling is a reason. I get almost daily messages from the football office imploring me to buy ticket packages and I already have season tickets and the season is less than 2 months away.

Problem is, they have seemed to ignore one of the biggest reasons that attendance has fallen: putting a product on the field that can compete with anyone.

 

Tickets priced per pound

 

I LOVE BHG EXACTLY as it is. I get that change is inevitable, but at what price? The mystique we have at BHG is unique today.

The cement, peeling paint, metal benches, 100 degree heat, 95 percent humidity, walking up Lemerand to our shrine, blazing sun in early September, torrential storm during game, the glorious noise, stopping UT Knoxville on 3rd down and forcing a punt, I love it like that.

As have many here, I have taken various guests "who wanted a taste of Gator Country" to these types of games. I told them beforehand what to expect (the searing elements), a lot of walking in intense heat and humidity, and that this is who we are at UF and this is what we do. THIS is a homefield advantage like no other. "Well, if you ain't a Florida Gator, then you ain't gonna' understand it, ever," I told a few of 'em who looked at me like I was gone mad.

Hahahahahaha. I LOVE our BHG shrine. I cannot wait to do this in 2.5 months when UT Knoxville enters Gator Country. I am praying for heat, humidity, storms, blazing sun, sweat and the "gameday experience" of forcing UTK to punt to the raucous, triumphant adulation of all my great UF brothers and sisters.

It Is Great To Be A Florida Gator!!

 

Don't like it. Looks like à snake from this view.

 

I’m not a fan of Ben & Jerry’s either

 

<rant>

• I just hope they don't figure out a way to jam pack the space with more ads or sell the naming rights to pay for it all.
• As far as creature comforts are concerned if you want the NFL experience go to an NFL game.
• College football experience should cater to college kids not little kids or old men that want a lazy boy and a large screen TV
• Don't sell the naming rights to pay for turning a college gem into a corporate entertainment experience

How to make it better for free

• Allow reentry
• Allow the fans to have whatever cheers they want (Dragnet was great)
• Less piped in music, more time for the bands

</rant>