Puzzled- Major Stadium Upgracde, Poor NIL Money

https://facilities.ufl.edu/library/prjdocs/00077680.pdf

Here's the 2021 study referenced describing alternatives and projected seat reductions for each.

 

I understand everyone’s angst at losing seating, and we will lose seating, but without in depth studies it’s impossible to say how much.
Both Homer and myself were Fire Inspectors at some point in our Careers. The current bleacher seating areas would at least need extensive changes.
Fire Code is updated every 3 years in Florida (at least it’s suppose to, it is often late) the 2024 code is still in proposed form. Those codes (NFPA 1 Fire code and 101 Life Safety code) are uniform throughout Florida, (except for some differences in Miami-Dade) and they are administered according to occupancy.
They are extensive, and while relatively straightforward, on a structure as large as Florida Field would require a great deal of attention to detail if extensive changes are made.
This isn’t something that can be done in a week or two, it will require time and a lot of back and forth among the involved agencies (not just Fire) and the Architectural firms.
Is short until they go through the planning stages, no one, I repeat no one, can say with any assurance what the impact on capacity will be.
It will probably consist of several options.
I favor as few changes as possible, but some are probably absolutely necessary. (periodical structural inspections by qualified entities are already mandated)
My advice is to go through the process and then voice our opinions after the options are released, until then we are just guessing what the impacts will be.

 

Yep...lots of moving parts. And SS has stated they don't want to lose any home games to construction and they want to minimize capacity reduction. And my understanding is that $400M is nowhere near what the cost will be to do much of what they want. Going to be interesting....there is stuff that has to be done re the infrastructure and aging facility, there is stuff that can be done independent of disrupting seating (video boards, sound, gates), and there is the seating issue which will require real demo type activity. My hope would be they go ahead with the non disruptive stuff.
One hidden wild card....what will be the revenue stream moving forward with the changing conferences and TV contracts an/or the economic climate. Up, down, neutral? Have to be careful when making big spends like this.

 

The people that bitch the loudest have their wallets closed up tight

 

Half stepping things usually ends up, biting you in the ass down the road. Sometimes it’s better to just bite the bullet

 

This is mostly true. Doing renovations to existing structures is treated completely differently as you note. There is a huge "financial feasibility" and practicality an analysis that has to be done.

I promise you, the engineers and architects working on this project are all over that. This ADA hysteria is just silly. Compromises will be made.

 

I'm not sure I agree with this, except for maybe the biggest games. The seats that regularly sell out, but don't always fill up are typically in the least desirable parts of the stands (NEZ nose-bleeders being the worst). Most of the seating reductions (if any) will likely be in the very desirable sections, and I'm sure there will be cancellations from individuals asked to move to worse seats and pay more for them. The most likely scenario is that the crappy seats will still be empty for less desirable games just like they always are.

A good comparison is the 3rd level seats in the O'Dome. There generally aren't any more fannies in seats in that level for games than there were before its renovations.

 

His estimates are pretty solid IMO and don't even include the potential waste of premium seating by installing a horizontal aisle about 30-32 row up on the E and W stands like shown in the graphics from 2021.

IMO, no seating upgrades should be performed that trigger bringing access and egress up to code unless we are talking about the toilet seats in the bathrooms.

 

From the study:

Exact number for Scenario 1 (W, E, [N lower bowl only] stands, widen aisles and add handrails): -2,181
Exact number for Scenario 2 (all above and widen arse room from 16.8" to 19"): -8,837
Exact number for Scenario 3 (all above and widen tread depth in lower bowl from 25" to 33" and add cross aisle at the lower bowl exits): -14,760
Exact number for Scenario 4 (all above and add 22" wide chairbacks to lower bowl): -16,986
Exact number for Scenario 5 (all above and add 24" wide chairbacks to lower bowl): -18,408

 

To elaborate, Florida has the #14 alumni base (450,000) and the #6 fan base (5.89 million). I am not here to sell Florida Victorious, but there is some money to be made.

 

I absolutely agree coming from a fan that can only afford to go to one or two games a year with all the travel involved for me. If I’m paying for hotel, rooms and food and gas, I’m dang sure sitting in crappy seats under any circumstances. if I had to sit up there, I’d rather watch from my living room. It’ll only make the premium seats more expensive.

 

Exactly. You are not the only one to make this observation. The wealthy investors and season ticket holders are the ones paying for tickets sold even if there is no person occupying the seat. Those same wealthy investors are the ones prioritizing the air conditioned box seating over a couple extra inches of bench space. I do not blame them.

Ever since graduation I have lived in California or Texas, so I have only made it to one game a year at most, sometimes one game every two years due to military obligations. I get single game tickets and on occasion I will talk to the fans around me who know the original “owners” of the seats and they have said that on several occasions the seats are empty because the owners purchased the tickets, could not attend, and could not re-sell the tickets.

 

Yeah, I have 4 seats....and the 4 seats directly in front of me have also been in the same family for generations. They came to UT and FSU, sold them for one game, were empty for the rest. Nice to give me some leg room but thats 4 primo empty seats half the games

 

Ummm, how many are at the top of their game?

 

You said "Small market areas aka Gainesville cannot compete." I listed 4 smaller towns in the SEC (and there may be others). At least one of them has had a player with a national commercial. I'm not sure I understand what your question is?

 

Top 6 public school. Our Admin are not losers.

 

Vanderbilt is still ranked higher (but not a public school). Their admin likes cashing that SEC check and appear to care less if their football team is a consistent loser. Similarities?

 

No, we are not similar. UF clearly wants to win at sports. Texas was terrible since Vince Young and just got good this year. Notre Dame is a shell of itself. Miami is mediocre. There are many examples of teams that want and try hard to be good but don’t get the results they want. Nobody is entitled to winning.

 

Can’t compare Gainesville to towns in Bama. I’ve been to Bama. No professional sports. Their college teams are all they root for. HS football is crazy there as well. Florida has 3 NFL teams, and 2 professional Hockey, Basketball, Baseball teams, and even a Soccer team.

 

From my viewpoint I've seen a lot of hope, wishful thinking, and money squandered on coaches that showed flaws very early in their tenure, but what I haven't seen is the all-in attitude by the University. Of course, no one is entitled to winning, its difficult to do, because other teams want the same thing. Its particularly difficult if your institution is squeamish about jumping into the pool with the rest of the sharks. To me it appears that our admin is much, much more focused on expanding revenues than winning at the highest level and only tend to act when that revenue stream is threatened.