Updates You'd Like Seen Made to DWS

[StarkVegasSteve]

It seems like we mention this ad nauseum so just figured I would get everyone's thoughts in a single thread on it:

1. LED Lights-Most HS programs in the state have LED lights at this point. It's not borderline, it's outright embarrassing that we don't have them. We're a damn SEC school.

2. Either replace or remove the Giant Banner M. It's crooked and ugly

3. Chairback the stadium. It's high time we stop caring about fitting as many people as humanly possible in the stadium. Cut the capacity by 10K or so and chairback the damn thing.

4. Do something, anything, with the SEZ. The M Club is an eyesore and the temporary trailers look even worse. Enclose it somehow, even if it's with premium seating or an M Club area that mirrors the NEZ, but just make it look like an SEC program and not a MWC school.

5. Sound system....enough said

6. Adding some sort of locker area for non club levels. Before alcohol was allowed this was not doable, but I think it would sell like wildfire. You could add some sort of corkage fee and locker fee onto season tickets where people not in the club level could put liquor, wine, beer, etc. Where that area would be? I have no clue, but it seems like it could be doable and would probably make the university and extra 50-100K. There are obvious landmines to this issue such as: beer distributors fighting it because it would cut into their sales, where the hell would you put this many lockers, etc. But I would think it would be relatively inexpensive to construct and it would probably cut down on the people who just want to watch the game in the junction so they don't have to leave their cooler. It would also probably cut down on the people who have Gridiron passes/Club level just so they have a locker so you would cut down the congestion down in those areas and make it a little easier to move around.


What else you guys got?

[civildawg]

Not having a functional sound system or LEDs yet really make me question Selmon's decision making

[StarkVegasSteve]

Not having a functional sound system or LEDs yet really make me question Selmon's decision making

I don't know the cost or the timeframe of putting that type of stuff in, plus taking your old stuff down, but I can't imagine it's enough to break the budget. Heck, we have them in baseball.

[Offshore Dawg]

Football team apathy has expanded to stadium apathy. I would like to see the chair back seats put in. However, the thing about bucket seats is everybody doesn't have the same size bucket.

[starkvegasdawg]

One of our Skycam's hanging off the west side skydeck.

[Dawgology]

It seems like we mention this ad nauseum so just figured I would get everyone's thoughts in a single thread on it:

1. LED Lights-Most HS programs in the state have LED lights at this point. It's not borderline, it's outright embarrassing that we don't have them. We're a damn SEC school.

2. Either replace or remove the Giant Banner M. It's crooked and ugly

3. Chairback the stadium. It's high time we stop caring about fitting as many people as humanly possible in the stadium. Cut the capacity by 10K or so and chairback the damn thing.

4. Do something, anything, with the SEZ. The M Club is an eyesore and the temporary trailers look even worse. Enclose it somehow, even if it's with premium seating or an M Club area that mirrors the NEZ, but just make it look like an SEC program and not a MWC school.

5. Sound system....enough said

6. Adding some sort of locker area for non club levels. Before alcohol was allowed this was not doable, but I think it would sell like wildfire. You could add some sort of corkage fee and locker fee onto season tickets where people not in the club level could put liquor, wine, beer, etc. Where that area would be? I have no clue, but it seems like it could be doable and would probably make the university and extra 50-100K. There are obvious landmines to this issue such as: beer distributors fighting it because it would cut into their sales, where the hell would you put this many lockers, etc. But I would think it would be relatively inexpensive to construct and it would probably cut down on the people who just want to watch the game in the junction so they don't have to leave their cooler. It would also probably cut down on the people who have Gridiron passes/Club level just so they have a locker so you would cut down the congestion down in those areas and make it a little easier to move around.


What else you guys got?

1: it’s downright embarrassing it has not happened

2: I thought they removed it and put up the cursive State

3: Yes. 100%. Add mobile concessions

4: turn it into premium tailgating like the left field lounge

5: again. Embarrassing it has not happened already.

6: ehhhh…might be tough to pull off

[Cooterpoot]

The stadium doesn't allow for all chairback. They'd have to tear down and start over, so that's not likely happening. But chairbacks will happen in some areas in the near future.
LEDs & speakers are coming next season supposedly.
Everything else mentioned makes sense.
Mobile concessions are likely as well.
Suites will happen on the west side too if we ever decide to get started.
SEZ is a wait and see.

[Maroonthirteen]

Forget it. Don't care.

[viverlibre]

The first and easiest thing (but not cheap) would be to provide robust wi-fi (even if it has to be paid for) and enhance cell service in the stadium/junction. We will lose a lot of potential young fans if they can't get online.

[NeuteredDawg]

Remove both upper decks. Bowl in south end zone.

[RockyDog]

Bowls are overrated. The end zone is fine. Let the old farts have their M Club. Missouri has a damn grass hill in their end zone. It’s not a big deal.

[CaptainObvious]

Cut seating to 40,000 seats to match program apathy!

[Todd4State]

The stadium doesn't allow for all chairback. They'd have to tear down and start over, so that's not likely happening. But chairbacks will happen in some areas in the near future.
LEDs & speakers are coming next season supposedly.
Everything else mentioned makes sense.
Mobile concessions are likely as well.
Suites will happen on the west side too if we ever decide to get started.
SEZ is a wait and see.

I'm sure it's tricky and I am by no means a construction/architect/engineer person but the lower decks were built in what? The 1930's as a WPA project under Franklin Roosevelt? Maybe tearing down that lower section in stages isn't the worst idea. The NEZ is obviously fine and the upper decks probably are fine or need some chairback/mild renovations. But the lower section- it's just hard for me to believe that there is no way to add chairbacks there.

[BrunswickDawg]

I've never understood how we've always had such a terrible sound system. Don't we have engineers that can figure it out? Don't we have famous alumni who literally make industrial grade sound systems? We are going close to 40 years now with major sound systems being a big part of college football atmosphere and we've got the equivalent of Everett and Delmar singing into a can for $10.

[Coursesuper]

Provide free booz to all that wish it so we can make make it thru this shattastic season and the upcoming seasons until we are relegated back to the football have nots league.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

Have a cash only line at the concession stand. This will make getting food much quicker for those of us that actually carry some cash like a grown adult. These cards slow the entire line down. We should be making things quicker and easier for the customer, not slower.

I have always liked the idea of chairbacks.

[StateDawg44]

Football team apathy has expanded to stadium apathy. I would like to see the chair back seats put in. However, the thing about bucket seats is everybody doesn't have the same size bucket.

Well, they would probably be spilling over into someone else's space on a bleacher otherwise.

[MStateDawg]

Fix the effing sound system already! They were talking about doing distributed sound for the 2014 expansion and yet here we are, TEN YEARS LATER with the same $hitty sound system.

[Leroy Jenkins]

Replace M club with suites that connect east/west concourses, TTech or T Boone Pickens for example. Or some sort of entertainment plaza, as long as it's not something that will just be empty seats 99% of the time.

https://i0.wp.com/roadtocfb.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FXbJLIhXEAAOk70.jpg?resize=1140%2C641&ssl=1

[gtowndawg]

I could have sworn something came out this winter hinting at announcements about future upgrades that would come out this summer? I have no idea where I saw that though?

edited: here's what I was thinking about (https://hailstate.com/news/2024/4/25/athletics-mississippi-state-enters-final-stages-of-master-plan-process). Duh, I took the survey. I thought someone said the results would be released this summer though.

[StarkVegasSteve]

I could have sworn something came out this winter hinting at announcements about future upgrades that would come out this summer? I have no idea where I saw that though?

edited: here's what I was thinking about (https://hailstate.com/news/2024/4/25/athletics-mississippi-state-enters-final-stages-of-master-plan-process). Duh, I took the survey. I thought someone said the results would be released this summer though.

Well the "master plan" for athletics was supposed to be released in January, but a lot of that stuff was shuffled around or scrubbed because of the NIL House Settlement and Universities knowing they are going to be on the hook for 20-25 million EACH AND EVERY YEAR.

[NWADAWG]

1: it?s downright embarrassing it has not happened

2: I thought they removed it and put up the cursive State

3: Yes. 100%. Add mobile concessions

4: turn it into premium tailgating like the left field lounge

5: again. Embarrassing it has not happened already.

6: ehhhh?might be tough to pull off


I like the inside the park tailgate idea (#4). Could be a great atmosphere.

You could let that are have the ice chests too. Adds incentive to pay the premium.

[DawgFromOxford]

Sound system should be the first item on the list. We undoubtedly have the money to pay for a new sound system. Could?ve done it last year with the money we saved on Arnettes salary

[gtowndawg]

Well the "master plan" for athletics was supposed to be released in January, but a lot of that stuff was shuffled around or scrubbed because of the NIL House Settlement and Universities knowing they are going to be on the hook for 20-25 million EACH AND EVERY YEAR.

wonderful

[KOdawg1]

-LED/Sound System are a must. Beyond embarrassing

-Chairbacks would be ideal, but I think just bench backs like Kentucky has in most of their stadium would do the job too. Another thing I would add is to widen the space designated for one seat to more than 7.5 inches so people aren't sitting in each other's laps. This would lower capacity, but like whats already been said, high attendance numbers don't matter anymore. A stadium that only has 50k in the crowd but is completely full looks better than a stadium that holds 61k but has 7,000 empty seats. Prioritize the experience and comfort over squeezing everyone in there.

-The south end zone just needs to be something that bowls the stadium in. Doesn't have to be something that holds a lot of people. It could literally be just suites and premium seating. I liked the hotel idea that came out years ago but that's been scrapped. Whatever it is, it needs to be done because us and Vandy are the only two without a bowled in stadium.

[Mjoelner34]

-LED/Sound System are a must. Beyond embarrassing

-Chairbacks would be ideal, but I think just bench backs like Kentucky has in most of their stadium would do the job too. Another thing I would add is to widen the space designated for one seat to more than 7.5 inches so people aren't sitting in each other's laps. This would lower capacity, but like whats already been said, high attendance numbers don't matter anymore. A stadium that only has 50k in the crowd but is completely full looks better than a stadium that holds 61k but has 7,000 empty seats. Prioritize the experience and comfort over squeezing everyone in there.

-The south end zone just needs to be something that bowls the stadium in. Doesn't have to be something that holds a lot of people. It could literally be just suites and premium seating. I liked the hotel idea that came out years ago but that's been scrapped. Whatever it is, it needs to be done because us and Vandy are the only two without a bowled in stadium.

I agree with all of the above.

How about a 3 level south endzone, for the top level, turn the M-Club into something like the Scoreboard Club with suites on either side, for the 2nd level have a food court with terraced outdoor dining at tables or the tailgate spots as mentioned earlier which are rented on a per game basis and for the bottom level, another Gridiron Club.

[Cooterpoot]

I'm sure it's tricky and I am by no means a construction/architect/engineer person but the lower decks were built in what? The 1930's as a WPA project under Franklin Roosevelt? Maybe tearing down that lower section in stages isn't the worst idea. The NEZ is obviously fine and the upper decks probably are fine or need some chairback/mild renovations. But the lower section- it's just hard for me to believe that there is no way to add chairbacks there.

Too expensive to do. You can add chair backs in part of the lower level, but not all. It's not happening.

[HoopsDawg]

Too expensive to do. You can add chair backs in part of the lower level, but not all. It's not happening.

We never should have added decks to the stadium. Should have torn down Davis Wade 35 years ago.

[Dawgology]

I’m telling yall. Make the south end zone premium tailgating like the left field lounge. It would be unique and awesome. Which means we definitely won’t do it

[Cooterpoot]

We never should have added decks to the stadium. Should have torn down Davis Wade 35 years ago.

Maybe, Maybe not but Templeton wasn't spending that kind of money and TV wasn't producing it either.
That original upper deck was in the 70s. I don't give a crap about chairbacks one way or another. If fans are standing & into the games they're pointless anyway.
Lawsuits and lawyers are who 17d up all this or we'd already be moving on a lot of stuff.

[Cooterpoot]

I?m telling yall. Make the south end zone premium tailgating like the left field lounge. It would be unique and awesome. Which means we definitely won?t do it

Welcome to the board John Cohen*
Half the bad crap at Davis Wade is because Cohen wanted it to be the LFL.

[Leroy Jenkins]

I agree with all of the above.

How about a 3 level south endzone, for the top level, turn the M-Club into something like the Scoreboard Club with suites on either side, for the 2nd level have a food court with terraced outdoor dining at tables or the tailgate spots as mentioned earlier which are rented on a per game basis and for the bottom level, another Gridiron Club.

Yes. And we'll need a visitor locker room somewhere.

[SpaceBully]

Bowls are overrated. The end zone is fine. Let the old farts have their M Club. Missouri has a damn grass hill in their end zone. It?s not a big deal.

is it never looks bad regardless of crowd size. BAMA games it's all red and white, Eastern KY games it's well....nice and green!

[SpaceBully]

Football team apathy has expanded to stadium apathy. I would like to see the chair back seats put in. However, the thing about bucket seats is everybody doesn't have the same size bucket.

I wouldn't go less than a 20" wide seat. 21" would be best.

[Coach34]

That original upper deck was in the 70s. I don't give a crap about chairbacks one way or another. .

What? Maybe I'm not understanding but we didnt add an upper deck until the 1990's. When Jackie arrived- we had the north and south sides with no seating in either end zone. Capacity was around 40K

I agree to get rid of the upper decks and fill in the bowl. I would nevahhhhhhh sit in our upper deck. You couldnt pay me to sit there. Fill in the bowl- have about a 58-60K stadium and thats all we need. Fix the sound system and improve the wifi. Thats all we would need for the next 20 years

[starkvegasdawg]

What? Maybe I'm not understanding but we didnt add an upper deck until the 1990's. When Jackie arrived- we had the north and south sides with no seating in either end zone. Capacity was around 40K

I agree to get rid of the upper decks and fill in the bowl. I would nevahhhhhhh sit in our upper deck. You couldnt pay me to sit there. Fill in the bowl- have about a 58-60K stadium and thats all we need. Fix the sound system and improve the wifi. Thats all we would need for the next 20 years

I actually prefer the times I've sat in the east side upper deck over when I was in the lower section. My son and I won the stub hub moving on up best seats in the house one game and spent the entire game wishing we were back in our normal seats.

[somebodyshotmypaw]

I actually prefer the times I've sat in the east side upper deck over when I was in the lower section. My son and I won the stub hub moving on up best seats in the house one game and spent the entire game wishing we were back in our normal seats.

From the upper deck you really see plays develop. You quickly realize why coaches sit in a high box in stadiums to call plays. Maybe coach34 doesn’t know what he is looking at **

[KOdawg1]

Give me upper deck over the first few rows on the bottom deck any day. Can't see crap down there

[Dawgology]

Give me upper deck over the first few rows on the bottom deck any day. Can't see crap down there

Truth. You have to be about 20-30 rows up before you can see plays fully.

[Pinto]

I actually prefer the times I've sat in the east side upper deck over when I was in the lower section. My son and I won the stub hub moving on up best seats in the house one game and spent the entire game wishing we were back in our normal seats.

We have seats on the first and second rows of the east side upper deck. Best seats in the house to me. Buddy who sat with me one time said the same thing and said I can see why you text what you do. You can see the plays really develop up here.
Plus I don?t have to stand up or worry about someone walking in front of me.
That being said, there is a huge difference between the East and west side upper decks. West side needs to be torn down. Put up a new press box and club level and that?s it. Agree on closing in the south end zone.

[Leroy Jenkins]

First row upper deck is the best.... if you actually want to watch the game. It's the original "all 22" view.

[MStateDawg]

Missouri has a damn grass hill in their end zone. It?s not a big deal.

Missouri has announced a $250 million dollar addition to their stadium around that "grass hill".
https://images.rivals.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,t_large/nx5bsbvwaqf2eg3pzfg2
https://images.rivals.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,t_large/tkpnu2ajsvys8xssag7u

https://missouri.rivals.com/news/mizzou-unveils-250-million-football-stadium-renovation-plan

[speedy1972]

What? Maybe I'm not understanding but we didnt add an upper deck until the 1990's. When Jackie arrived- we had the north and south sides with no seating in either end zone. Capacity was around 40K

I agree to get rid of the upper decks and fill in the bowl. I would nevahhhhhhh sit in our upper deck. You couldnt pay me to sit there. Fill in the bowl- have about a 58-60K stadium and thats all we need. Fix the sound system and improve the wifi. Thats all we would need for the next 20 years

A 1986 expansion costing $7.2 million, raised without state budget appropriations, added almost 9,000 seats, consisting primarily of a 5,500-seat upper deck as well as permanent lighting and a computerized scoreboard which was replaced in 1997 with a Sony JumboTron.

It actually happened during Rocky's tenure. I watched Tony Shell have the game of his career in 1988 against UGA only to fall short 42-35. Then as we were walking down the ramp on the northwest side, it starting swaying like it was an earthquake. Evidently, the engineers didn't do their job and the whole ramp tower felt like it was going to collapse. The next week, steel braces were installed and it seemed to fix the problem. Anyone else remember that??

[Pancho]

Yes, I too walked down as the ramp shook.

[TheLostDawg]

From the upper deck you really see plays develop. You quickly realize why coaches sit in a high box in stadiums to call plays. Maybe coach34 doesn?t know what he is looking at **

I'd much target sit in our upper deck then end zone. Our upper deck is line mid level at many stadiums.

[Maroonthirteen]

The stadium was only the lower west and east side until 1984. Held 33k until 84. Then an expansion started that added sections to the east side lower and the west 100s, 200s and uppper deck, that you see today. That brought capacity to 40k.

Then in 86 Rocky had an amazing start, with a big win a UT. We brought in temp bleachers from Dudy Noble to handle demand for the 86 Bama and Auburn games. Before 86, we played Bama and AU in Jackson. So demand was high and we had our largest on campus crowds of 42,700 With the temp bleachers.

Sometime along 89 or 90 the temp bleachers were removed reducing capacity to 40k.

Jackie came along in 91. Which btw, the start of Jackie's era was very low key, kinda meh, wait and see. Very Similar to Lebby. Anyways, 36k showed for Texas in 91. Then I believe the 91 egg bowl was a hard sell out. It was the first on campus egg bowl since the early 70s.

The stadium was expanded to add the east club Level, suites and upper deck in 2000ish. Also temp bleachers were built back in the north endzone until 2013.

The last expansion was in 2013 with the north endzone and was completed in time for the 2014 season.

[Rawdawg]

The south Jumbotron and the west ribbon board have panels out, 2 weeks before kickoff.

[viverlibre]

I actually prefer the times I've sat in the east side upper deck over when I was in the lower section. My son and I won the stub hub moving on up best seats in the house one game and spent the entire game wishing we were back in our normal seats.

The east side upper deck is a hidden gem. Inside area to get out of the weather (if needed), nice restrooms, etc. When I bought 5 tickets, we sat up there. I prefer the chair backs on the first few rows of the west side though. Now that we only buy two tickets, Scoreboard Club for us. Last year we tried sitting on the lower level on the west side, it was horrible. Fortunately we were able to get back to the Scoreboard Club for this year.

[Mjoelner34]

I just thought about something that hasn't been mentioned in this thread that I've seen people complain about for years. It doesn't affect me where I sit but for years I've seen complaints about the length of rows and lack of entrance ramps to the lower west side seating. The lower east side has 8 ramps whereas the lower west side has 6. The upper decks on each side are the same. The west has 6 and the east has 8. I've never seen people complain about that. I guess its because of two reasons. One, there are fewer seats in the upper deck and the upper decks aren't packed with fans as often as the lower decks.

[Mjoelner34]

Fortunately we were able to get back to the Scoreboard Club for this year.

Best seats in the house. That's why both teams film the game from 1 row behind and 6 seats to my left.

[TheLostDawg]

Best seats in the house. That's why both teams film the game from 1 row behind and 6 seats to my left.

I just am not a fan of the end zone but I'm glad others do.

[viverlibre]

Best seats in the house. That's why both teams film the game from 1 row behind and 6 seats to my left.

We used to sit along the top row, but now stay at the drink rail for the whole game.

[Mjoelner34]

I just am not a fan of the end zone but I'm glad others do.

I never thought I would be a fan of sitting there until I sat above the M in Michigan during the bowl game. That's when I realized how soon you could see the plays develop with holes opening and receivers coming open. It's like watching a couple of frames ahead of the rest of the stadium plus you can see things on the field that others can't without having to turn their heads because you are seeing the entire field just by looking straight ahead.

[Pancho]

an old basketball coach once told me the best view for basketball or football was the end zone view.

[MedDawg]

I'd much target sit in our upper deck then end zone. Our upper deck is line mid level at many stadiums.

This. I really really do not like endzone seats. I would rather sit on our sideline upper decks than the scoreboard club. Have sat in both.

Our sideline rows (knee room) are too short for chairbacks, but they still can be done. Sat in chairbacks in Bryant-Denny last year and you could tell they were not originally designed for them. Very short knee room like ours would be. Your knees pretty much straddled the chairback in front of you, and you HAD to stand up to let anyone by. Would be tough for large people. There was a huge guy two rows in front of me, but he was on the aisle and his skinny friend next to him gave him extra room on that side.

As tight as those chairbacks were front-to-back, I much preferred them to bleachers. My back can't take regular bleachers for long anymore. Don't like the MSU prepaid mesh chairbacks very much, either. Better than bleachers.

So I would be in favor of putting permanent chairbacks in our sidelines, but they will be really tight front-to-back. Maybe just the three sections closest to the 50, or all of the West side but not on the East.

Interestingly, the new North endzone where the students are were built with more knee room and could easily have permanent chairbacks installed. Maybe we could build a South endzone for students and chairback the North endzone.

[Jarius]

We used to sit along the top row, but now stay at the drink rail for the whole game.

Scoreboard club drink rail is where it's at.

[viverlibre]

Scoreboard club drink rail is where it's at.

https://media1.tenor.com/m/-7FAblyoy5EAAAAd/metis-metis-crypto.gif

[Pancho]

I hear the scenery is nice there.

[SpaceBully]

I'd go with total lower bowl chairbacks with bigger wider aisleways and 2) escalators everywhere. Capacity would be about 50-55K max. That's all our small fanbase needs.

[Jarius]

https://media1.tenor.com/m/-7FAblyoy5EAAAAd/metis-metis-crypto.gif

We probably know each other. Lol