Somewhat disappointing. I thought the plan was going to be laid out this year. Seems like the study is this year and then the firm will start developing a design. No timing on when we’ll see a design and a plan. Then there is no head room to borrow $$. We will need fundraising. Looks like the tent in the end zone could be there for years
Besides the SE end zone and scoreboard, what else will come from this next round of stadium changes?
From MBob’s comments, it sounds like everything may be held off until they have a total plan in place.
Playing surface upgrade? Their field is in great condition. Not much more needs to be done.
I’d love to get rid of grass. This year was the best it’s looked in years but I suspect Fieldturf will be part of any major renovation.
Except we don’t maintain it. “15 times out of 10” past years it’s been an embarrassment. It’s been painted dirt by the end of the year. I agree this year seemed better. But there’s no valid reason to have grass except for tradition with the ag school. Fieldturf is superior in virtually any metric. Sooner or later we will replace the grass.
What I was referencing was that if Brohm favors field turf and he believes it helps his offense, especially in colder conditions....Do you think they will prioritize the Ag Department's want for a single field vs. a coach who is now making near $6 million a year? Again, the Ag Sciences group still has access to baseball, softball, soccer, the practice football field, and the golf courses. Plenty of other spaces.
They also have large pumps that drain the field if heavy rains come days or the night before any game.
It doesn’t look great. Technically I only looked at the 2015 game. But you really have to be up close to determine the condition. There’s a close up of an IU touchdown where you see even the end zone is torn up. I agree they do a better job now than Hope/Tiller years but there’s no way that field is in better shape than FieldTurf would be. It’s a tradition, that’s all. Let the Ag School go nuts with a Pete Dye golf course. We should be maximizing our team’s potential and grass in November isn’t it. I get people’s nostalgia for it. I can appreciate it. But I’m sure Brohm would tear it out tomorrow if he could.
If Brohm wants turf, then turf it will be. The turf management school can practice away on the soccer and baseball fields.
Not a first class look. The stands don’t help either. I wonder if there has been any consideration given to painting the concrete. The gray bleeds through the gold and black and makes them look drab (especially the gold) from any angle besides directly overhead.
Can't paint the concrete unless you want to paint it....grey. Paint it black and people would be melting in September and October. It would seem like a huge waste of money and resources to paint concrete grey when its already grey. Possibly painting or replacing the seating would be better...could even have a shortened back installed on them as well.
You're probably right about the paint being a waste of money. I think the problem with the bleachers is the gold. Gold is unforgiving. Putting the right shade of gold on a material that looks good in a variety of lighting is always difficult (see all gold jerseys). And in this case the original color is diluted by weathering and mixed with grey concrete from a distance. Ends up looking drab. I look at the photo above and immediately think of two things would improve the aesthetics: (1) rich green turf (2) uniform black bleachersCan't paint the concrete unless you want to paint it....grey. Paint it black and people would be melting in September and October. It would seem like a huge waste of money and resources to paint concrete grey when its already grey. Possibly painting or replacing the seating would be better...could even have a shortened back installed on them as well.
Hey- did you know Papa Johns stadium has seat backs?Can't paint the concrete unless you want to paint it....grey. Paint it black and people would be melting in September and October. It would seem like a huge waste of money and resources to paint concrete grey when its already grey. Possibly painting or replacing the seating would be better...could even have a shortened back installed on them as well.
You could fry an egg on black bleachers during those first few games of the season though.
But 2/3 of the stadium already is black bleachers. If you want to fix both problems (heat and aesthetics) then just go with the standard silver/gray bleachers. Of course then people will be upset that it isn't a school color. I don't hate the idea of a seatback, but we can only aspire to those levels of eliteness!
Google says $720M. But for half of that you can have a nice modern stadium like Minnesota or Baylor. So if anyone has 300 mil lying around..
Wasn’t like $100 million of that for the retractable roof that gets used 1-2 times a year?
