The Dude is in need of upgrading, we have fallen behind.
To touch upon some of them,
I would literally "chop" off the current pressbox,
and rebuild it larger and with suites to both sides, and a matching roofline extended to both current sets of suites. This would add ~ 7-10 Suites depending on the sizes and expansion of the Press box. In addition, about 5 rows of PREM (Behind the Plate) Seats would be added where the press box used to dip down. Or you could connect it back with the press box and be a Club Level.
Combo this into creating a Nice facade for the entrance of Dudy Noble, and wrap it around all way down to the foul poles (more on that later).
Adding a new entrance will require you to dig out more of the hill that is now the current entrance, and likely move the road in between the Hump and the Dude.
Now that gets us to the universal want. Grandstands down the foul lines with SkyBoxes on top. I agree, but in my deisgn its not that simple. Because, At the angle down the line, you are staring into Cf. So you have two choices, Build permant chairback seating that face Center Field, or Build a Nice Structure and then built bleacher seating right back In.
I would take the Permanent seating, but bend the stadium in more towards the foul lines, allowing the seats to be angled more towards the infield than the outfield. To disguise the bend, I would add New Field level seats which Jut out towards the foul line, from the current Grandstand, and desquise the stadium literally wrapping around to the foulpole. Hard for anyone to visualize with Pictures. but I have been unable to find any that i can work with to modify into my idea.
Back to the outside,
Move the road, inbetween the hump and the dude, closer to the Media entrance, and remove all parking spots down there, Except for the Vistors Bus Parking. Create this is as the Main Entrance to Dudy Noble from the Street, Create Something Nice.. Create a Nice Series of Steps to walk down from Street Level and Place Monuments and Statues along the walkway, and a Possible Small Museum on the corner of Entrance.
Take the Visitors bullpen and flip it so that it extends the 90' Total along the outfield wall. (Sorry whoever is in that last wooden rig, I'm taking your spot). With this corner now upon, I take the
area next to the expanded grandstands down the line, out to the Outfield Fence (which I'm moving back closer to the road in Right Field to open more space), Down to Even with the Foul Line. Use the naturlal Hill in place, Level it off and creats a Kids Play Area, in which they can still watch the game, or the parents..without an obstructed view.
last, On the topic of the Outfield,
I have long been in the favor or Let it be..Raise the Prices..
But let us be. The second the university sticks their finger in it,
It becomes a liability and they will have to regulate things, which is what makes the outfield so great. It is unregulated and not uniform. Left Field Lounge is good, though with the addition down the Lines, I can think of about 5 rigs that might lose any viewing (The ones behind the Bullpen and over)
I would give those first crack, at the new Tier I would build in Right Field. Dig out some of the Right Field hill and slope if off much as the Left field is done, Allowing two tiers in most spots, and three closer to Center Field.
Those are my dreams, I'd love to put pen to paper and let others Visualize what I see. This topic has been on my brain for the past 3 seasons, I try to keep up with what other baseball Stadiums are doing, Love Love USC's new stadium.
*edit* One thing I forgot about. I would NOT but chairbacks ALL the way down the extended grandstand. I would leave the last 3-5 Sections or so as bleachers for now. Only add as many Chairbacks as you can sell season tickets. If you chairback everything, there is no Premium Price point as there is no incentive to buy season tickets.
Here are some photos for some of the ideas I have
Here is what we have
First, I want to look at the "bowl" of the USC granstand.
If you compare it to ours, you can see they started with a lot more foul ground and are able to create better angles. But this is the gist of what I would like to do. Past the infield, jet it towards the foul line, and stay on that line as the wall grows higher as the stands wrap towards the line. You can see what Im describing in the 3rd base line.
The major difference, between the two "bowls" (Concrete grandstand) is the angle at which the stadium surrounds the field of play, and the foul territory to work with.
At MSU the grandstand takes such a hard angle already (compare the distance from foul line to dugout, to the 5 feet at the bullpen)
it makes it harder to change the established angle.
Compare that to USC, where the bowl goes horizontal to the foul
line until after passing the infield, and it then takes a hard angle towards the foul line, and then rides the line with a wall.
Now here are some pictures from around the nation that gave me ideas
FSU Outside, Would love to have a Nice Entrance
with brick or other material to reach up to the roofline.
Baylor Outside
Some Ideas for gate and fence work , I could see the Stadium Name
written out in a nice Font, and the main entrance way Having an Iron Gate with a baseball with the Baseball MS in the middle, Other entrances having Interlocking bats like this
Arkansas Gates
Sample Signage from USC
Next from USC again,
Take note of how deep and back the dugouts are.
If anything was going to be done with this, it would of been better done when the drainage work is being done..oh well.
Also note the lower seating right behind home plate, two rows.
Here is how the seating wraps, but I would extend ours all the way to the top, where it would meet a skybox, instead of adding the grillin space USC has.
Two more outsides
Texas A&M planned renovations (See the same Upper deck supports like we have, but they a Nice front covering everything up)
and University of Texas Disch Faulk
Its a Nice park, and entrance
