Build a stadium on campus

[Triple B]

Just now, ArmyBull said:

You have come a long way.  I am proud of you.  

[michibull]

28 minutes ago, Triple B said:

With 20/20 hindsight that looks awesome but seriously, a growth plan that chooses to shut out over 25% of their paying customers ...... this defense of an ocs against basic common sense is getting kind of nuts.

 

Not that I’m a soccer fan, but I do love stadiums and architecture. Sporting Kansas City has one of the nicest MLS stadiums around (Children’s Mercy Park). It holds about 18k seated fans and roughly 19.5-20k for standing room. They have sold out every game for the last 10 years. It has been proposed by fans that they expand the stadium to allow more fans. The ownership group is on record stating that they have around 6k waitlisted for season tickets and they wouldn’t consider expansion until they reached 10k; the reason behind this is because they like the full stadium and those who don’t have season tickets still have access to single game tickets. So by that math, they are “shutting out” 30% of the paying customers; seems to be working for them, and they have a stated growth plan (future expansion of the stadium if need be, it was built with the foundation ready for expansion of the need arose). I’m not a business man, I’m an engineer; but that sounds like a good business plan to me. If you google the expansion of Children’s Mercy Park, the interview will pop up. It’s been a couple years and I don’t have the link right now. 

Edited September 11, 2021 by michibull

[Triple B]

1 minute ago, michibull said:

Not that I’m a soccer fan, but I do love stadiums and architecture. Sporting Kansas City has one of the nicest MLS stadiums around (Children’s Mercy Park). It holds about 18k seated fans and roughly 19.5-20k for standing room. They have sold out every game for the last 10 years. It has been proposed by fans that they expand the stadium to allow more fans. The ownership group is on record stating that they have around 6k waitlisted for season tickets and they wouldn’t consider expansion until they reached 10k; the reason behind this is because they like the full stadium and those who don’t have season tickets still have access to single game tickets. So by that math, they are “shutting out” 30% of the paying customers; seems to be working for them, and the have stated a growth plan (future expansion of the stadium if need be, it was built with the foundation ready for expansion of the need arose). I’m not a business man, I’m an engineer; but that sounds like a good business plan to me.

USF football fans are smarter than that and not near as dedicated as soccer fans .... but would their plan have worked if they were relegated to the USL?

[puc86]

4 minutes ago, Triple B said:

USF football fans are smarter than that and not near as dedicated as soccer fans .... but would their plan have worked if they were relegated to the USL?

Or more importantly contracting isn’t quite the same thing as expanding, as a matter of fact they are actually opposites 

[michibull]

1 minute ago, Triple B said:

USF football fans are smarter than that and not near as dedicated as soccer fans .... but would their plan have worked if they were relegated to the USL?

You do have a good point with USF fans not being as dedicated as other fan bases; but I think that lends itself to how important an OCS is. It wouldn’t be hard to get 10-15k students to every home game if it is across campus. At 35k, you would have almost a 33% of the stadium filled without selling tickets. Oh, and I looked up the article: 

Sporting KC President Jake Reid: Stadium Expansion, Price Decreases, Fan Engagement

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SKC looks to continue improving the experience

sounds like they had 4.5k waitlist. 

[Triple B]

2 minutes ago, michibull said:

It wouldn’t be hard to get 10-15k students to every home game if it is across campus. At 35k, you would have almost a 33% of the stadium filled without selling tickets.

So that would be a good thing?

[michibull]

Just now, Triple B said:

So that would be a good thing?

I think so. Take the other 15k people that show up to Ray Jay during these bad years and you have a near sell out most games

[puc86]

2 minutes ago, Triple B said:

So that would be a good thing?

Not from a debt service perspective but I guess from a visual perspective that’s nice 

[Triple B]

Just now, michibull said:

I think so. Take the other 15k people that show up to Ray Jay during these bad years and you have a near sell out most games

I admire your perseverance .....

[Triple B]

Just now, puc86 said:

Not from a debt service perspective but I guess from a visual perspective that’s nice 

People need to realize that the fact that we're even near agreement on this shows how right it must be ....