DNF Expansion Ideas / Plan #1

[AHSDawg]

My thoughts for the expansion/refurb of DNF would be this.

Looking at the back of the stadium, we need more concession areas/bathrooms, etc. That area is also on a pretty severe sloped area. I wonder how difficult it would be to fill in or make 2 levels of that area. Maybe keep the current area somewhat but in leveling the area out above, you could then do an area like the walkup to Turner Field or something in an upper level. I would say bring the level up (in the first picture below) to a few feet below the skyboxes. That area is a lot more sloped than it appears. You have the steps down to the ticket office and gate. This would enable us to have a cool entrance like Turner Field and give plenty of room to expand when needed for concessions/bathrooms.

 

[AHSDawg]

2nd Plan / for the seating area

My plan for the seating structure would be to do away with the skyboxes, pressbox and overhang of the current structure. I would love to see if we could then add a decking something similar to Autozone Park. I would like to see us do a kind of breezeway between the two structures that would tie into my idea for raising the area behind the stadium. Maybe where they are on the same level and give 'sight lines' through to the field below.

 

[LaurelDawg]

Your ideas overall are good. However, what everyone seems to forget or simply don't realize is the current sight lines are terrible! To do what you are talking about and address the sight line issue would require a complete rebuild.

 

[121Josey]

We can't have a breezeway until they win a NC.** We don't deserve anything like AutoZone park - especially barbeque nachos.**

Glad you are willing to take away the best part of the main structure and leave the rest.

 

[Shamoan]

td ameritrade has a general capacity of 24,000 which is expandable to 35,000. if you recall, we set the attendance record there at 27,127.
cost of construciton: 131 million (wow)

now, if we scaled things back significantly, smaller press boxes, cut the upper deck seating in half, (which would also include eliminating a triple deck behind 1st and 3rd), cut out the outfield seating, scale back the sideline seating, etc, i think we could work those numbers to fit what we want to do.

to:

im not married to the idea and really just wanted to throw the idea out there, as no doubt some of yall are salivating to poo-poo the idea. its just that...an idea and not a big deal. its FAR too expensive, but we would be eliminating about half the seating, a ton of auxiliary buildings (see concessions encircling the outfield, we wouldnt have that raised seawall feel, etc), but i think mirroring the field dimensions would be a wise decision.

im just thinking out loud, but that would certainly make the games much more enjoyable from a spectator standpoint. no more bleachers and chairbacks for everyone!!!! just throwing that out there for the hell of it. i seriously doubt we would ever consider something half this scale, and that is an enormous price tag, even halved it is huge, but they did go all-out in building it. anywho, thats my half-bit suggestion.

 

[WayboDawg]

However we decide to do it, there should be absolutely no aluminum bench seating drawn into the plans WHATSOEVER. I sat down the third base line on SBW Saturday, and those metal bleachers are for the birds in terms of comfort. My back and butt were killing me by the 3rd inning. They are also a horrible eye sore. Heck, I'd settle for something like what North Carolina has...

 

[Shamoan]

extend the chairbacks down closer to the outfield and add tiered chairbacks up near those boxed seats and i could roll with that. agreed on the bleachers. baseball games should not be physically painful for the spectators.

 

[o_1984Dawg]

Honestly, y'all aren't helping anything with expansion ideas. Anything short of a total rebuild will be a complete and utter failure on Stricklin's part. Nothing better than a 2nd tier stadium can ever be built with our existing structure. I'm sorry, that is just the truth. We have a 2nd tier stadium now, and that is what we'd be left with.

Start with an open concourse and a lower level that stretches down to the foul pole in the modern, curved style, and go from there. TD/Baum/Carolina/AlexBox style. I wouldn't mind seeing more upper deck seating than just boxes, ala Blue Bell. Also think we should build a decked grill/lounge area (with sections to be bought like boxes) from CF to the RF foul pole, and depending on its success, eventually go to LF as well. Anyway, there's a lot you can do, but it has to start with the demolition of Polk-Dement.

 

[o_fredgarvin]

Is it possible to demolish DNF and rebuild between June and February? If not, where would we play our home games for a season?

 

[00Dawg]

You lost almost all support when you got to the part about messing with the LFL. You wanna see how fast an AD can get fired? Get rid of the LFL.

That aside, it's very much doable to create a superb stadium and keep a chunk of the current structure. You couldn't build the ultimate stadium without total demolition, and I doubt you could build the hands-down #1 stadium in the nation, but there are more factors at play here than internet super dreams.

 

[o_1984Dawg]

Well first we don't necessarily have to rebuild on the same site, though I think that's probably what we'd do. I don't think it'd be that hard to spread our home games around at Trustmark and a few other places for a year. I don't know the logistics of scheduling at baseball stadiums.

 

[o_1984Dawg]

It is absolutely not doable, and you'd be surprised how many State fans really aren't attached to LFL. Besides, I'm saying get rid of RIGHT FIELD LOUNGE. Or more specifically, just modify it. Then a decade down the road, when people realize that MSU-owned lounge-boxes are better than the trucks, move on LFL. And if people don't agree, then there's no obligation to mess with LFL.

I didn't graduate that long ago and there were only a few lounges right of center. Hell most of those frats would probably prefer to have a more modern spot.

If y'all want a **** stadium, expand and don't rebuild.

 

[512taylor]

Propst Park

 

[YardBarker]

1. Demo everything but LFL
2. Open concourse.
3. More premium seating
4. Majority of the seating to be shaded. Not a fan swamp *** or skin cancer. See the old school fields (wrigley, rickwood)
5. Expand LFL toward the track and shira complex as well as toward the road in right field. This includes paved pedestrian concourse behind the rigs to connect right field and left field. New restroom/concessions building in center/right center field.
6. Get the fans closer to the action. Seating down to field level.

 

[ERDawg22]

Is it just me but there seems to be a trend amongst those who have lifetime seats and LFL spots and their idea of only remodeling the current structure?

 

[WayboDawg]

I'm just gonna come out and say it......Left Field Lounge looks like crap, and I would prefer to see the whole stadium demolished and replaced with a state of the art facility worthy of a top national program. It's freakin embarrassing to look at all those lawn chairs, cinderblocks, and makeshift bleachers back there. It looks like something more akin to a rural baseball game in Podunk, Alabama, and I'm truly embarrassed every time that mess gets featured on ESPN. Get rid of it.

 

[ERDawg22]

I'd like us to go with something similar to TD Ameritrade on a smaller scale for the grandstands. Absolutely chair-back seating only. For the outfield, modernize LFL with premium seating from LF to CF. Maybe even include some type of small elevated condos with balconies over looking the field that could be rented out for weekends. For RF, keep it just for students Add some type of bleacher type seating along with a open area for students. Whatever we do, I hope our AD doesn't try to build around a cracking, leaking grandstand.

 

[00Dawg]

It's just you.

 

[00Dawg]

Your end goal is the same...ditch the LFL as we know it. Luckily, our president knows how valuable the LFL is in its current form, no matter which physical area we're actually talking about.
As for the other, this total-rebuild-or-things-will-be-the-suck meme is getting as tiring as the Stansbury Sweet 16 stuff. It is an option, and it can be a good one.

 

[YardBarker]

I'm just gonna come out and say it......Left Field Lounge looks like crap, and I would prefer to see the whole stadium demolished and replaced with a state of the art facility worthy of a top national program. It's freakin embarrassing to look at all those lawn chairs, cinderblocks, and makeshift bleachers back there. It looks like something more akin to a rural baseball game in Podunk, Alabama, and I'm truly embarrassed every time that mess gets featured on ESPN. Get rid of it.

Craziness. That's all I can really say.

 

[ERDawg22]

Your end goal is the same...ditch the LFL as we know it. Luckily, our president knows how valuable the LFL is in its current form, no matter which physical area we're actually talking about.
As for the other, this total-rebuild-or-things-will-be-the-suck meme is getting as tiring as the Stansbury Sweet 16 stuff. It is an option, and it can be a good one.

I guess we'll have to see then. Opinions are opinions. Things will change with the rebuild. Some will be unhappy. Some may say they will not support anymore. Bottom line, there is many more out there that will pick up the slack plus some.

 

[messageboardsuperhero]

This is what should happen to Polk-Dement-



We can build a new grandstand with an open concourse that goes all the way around the stadium while keeping the LFL mostly the same- and we could build a berm area for students in the RF corner and a young alumni/GA area in RF as well.

 

[00Dawg]

Whatever we do, let's not make that last assumption. There is little to no evidence to show we have a vast untapped market of die-hard fans waiting in the wings. Our waiting list has only been back in existence for a couple of years, we don't sell out of bleacher season tickets, and single-game chairbacks are available for all but 2 or 3 games a year at little-to-no cost for anyone willing to post about it.
If we totally demo, great....we should still make sure we properly plan for our large skybox demand, don't overbuild on the middle tier of premium seating, and find ways to keep the long-time fans engaged so that we don't end up with another Hump.

 

[o_1984Dawg]

My end goal is a new stadium. Modifying right field is merely a preference that I would certainly concede to those who are irrationally strongly opposed. If right field were modified, comparing it to left field down the road is the natural course that AD worth their salt would follow.

I'm not saying ditch LFL. I'm just saying put it on the table.

 

[dickiedawg]

I'm just gonna come out and say it......Left Field Lounge looks like crap, and I would prefer to see the whole stadium demolished and replaced with a state of the art facility worthy of a top national program. It's freakin embarrassing to look at all those lawn chairs, cinderblocks, and makeshift bleachers back there. It looks like something more akin to a rural baseball game in Podunk, Alabama, and I'm truly embarrassed every time that mess gets featured on ESPN. Get rid of it.

Your opinion is irrelevant. LFL is the best tradition we have.

That's not to say it won't be changed somewhat- it could be improved, logistically.

 

[The Usual Suspect]

IMO the LFL needs to become a standardized, engineered structure of some kind, where people can still cook and socialize. My fear is that one of these days, one of the dilapidated structures is going to collapse and kill or injure several people, then it will end whether anyone likes it or not. You can say it won't happen, but when several kids got killed building A&M's bonfire, it ended 100 years of tradition that was huge compared to the LFL, and it ended it in a New York minute. I don't know if A&M settled all the lawsuits or not.

 

[codeDawg]

Whatever we do, let's not make that last assumption. There is little to no evidence to show we have a vast untapped market of die-hard fans waiting in the wings. Our waiting list has only been back in existence for a couple of years, we don't sell out of bleacher season tickets, and single-game chairbacks are available for all but 2 or 3 games a year at little-to-no cost for anyone willing to post about it.
If we totally demo, great....we should still make sure we properly plan for our large skybox demand, don't overbuild on the middle tier of premium seating, and find ways to keep the long-time fans engaged so that we don't end up with another Hump.

Ding, ding. Agree with everything here.

Also, keeping the "lifetimers" engaged will be key because there are a lot of them, and they do matter. (I'm not one and not related to one)

 

[rabiddawg]

I think the best thing would be to change locations. Maybe put it right off campus or across the street from Chadwick Lake. Don't y'all remember the flooded dugouts last spring? DNF is kind of in the bottom of a bowl in its current location.

 

[WayboDawg]

Your opinion is irrelevant. LFL is the best tradition we have.

That's not to say it won't be changed somewhat- it could be improved, logistically.

It's an eye sore. The AD should say "Hey thanks for the memories, but we're moving forward. Now move your crap...." to the loungers, demolish the whole thing, and then put some permanent chairbacks in that spot as part of the rebuild.

 

[Hump4Hoops]

Yeah! Lets get rid of cowbells too while we're at it!**

 

[mcdawg22]

I think we need something like the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. We need to add about 400 sextillion gallons of saltwater to Chadwick to make Bulldog Bay. We also need a dome, and a TV like Jerry world. Oh yeah and an ocelot.

 

[drt7891]

My biggest problem is that it is so damn exclusive. If you don't know someone or are a relative of someone who has a spot, you aren't getting a spot.

A full berm for students has to happen. Giving them some of the lifetime seats (except SBW), the bleachers, and a small patio is not cutting it. So many students the Saturday game of SBW had absolutely nowhere to go, and that is unacceptable.

We need a vast reseating of LFL,,, raise the price of admission and give it premium status, and do away with spots in right. Give people the opportunity to rent a spot (a private patio) for the weekend or something... But find a way to get people a chance to sit out there.

The dudes was a step forward, but I spent my entire student career, sans my last year, being forced to sit in the bleachers because a half empty grandstand was blocked off to anyone but season ticket holders and I didn't know anyone in LFL, an that should not happen. Students, especially, should be getting much higher regard than they currently are. Let fairness and capitalism sort out the rest of us.

 

[AHSDawg]

LFL Idea. Possible terracing? I think that could be a good idea. To actually go in there and do some work to create levels. Would be kind of awesome to have a 'theater' effect from the outfield in as well.

 

[00Dawg]

Yeah, a large berm needs to happen. I'd personally simply add rules banning tents in certain areas, leave most everything else in the outfields alone, and put the berm further back, but the details can be hashed out. Bottom line is we need one. It's an easy answer to viewing issues during our biggest games.

 

[Seinfeld]

When we renovated the West side of DWS last year, I was really hoping that they were going to put in some chairbacks on the lower level, but I'm guessing that idea was nixed since chairbacks would have reduced ticket sales by you know... actually giving people ample room to sit. Since there's not nearly as much money tied to baseball season ticket sales, I'm with you in hoping that they get rid of as many of those bleachers as possible. Even if you're 22 years old with a good back, there's nothing like getting kneed in the spine by someone sitting behind you.

 

[Seinfeld]

We could temporarily move to the softball field and perhaps then we'd actually hit a few home runs

 

[Shamoan]

look, i get that the accessibility of the lfl can make one frustrated, but the lfl is a big part of what makes msu unique. its been selected as THE best place to watch a college athletic event....OUT OF ALL OF COLLEGE ATHLETICS, not just baseball.

i think its a good idea to start getting some standardization of the stands out there (like 3 or 4 designs that must meet dimensional and structural requirements to improve the uniformity of the space and perhaps an inspection to certify that it is structurally sound), but we need to leave it with some flexibility. kill the lfl? crazy talk. thats our thing.

 

[ArcherSPS]

Oh yeah and an ocelot.

YES! I know where we can find one too...