South End Zone

[smootness]

We can go round & round about what needs to be done in the South endzone, but here is the cold.hard. fact:

It looks like absolute shit on TV, in person, & is likely the biggest eyesore in the entire SEC outside of Vandy's entire stadium. It's needs to be fixed

Please. We're constantly so worried that other fanbases make fun of us. The stadium looks great as is. There are certainly things that can be done to make it even better, but it is not even close to an eyesore.

[Maroonthirteen]

Just FYI, as far as adding seats..... there are many many many Seats open on the east side for season ticket sales as of today.

[Liverpooldawg]

We can go round & round about what needs to be done in the South endzone, but here is the cold.hard. fact:

It looks like absolute shit on TV, in person, & is likely the biggest eyesore in the entire SEC outside of Vandy's entire stadium. It's needs to be fixed

No it isn't. Ole Miss' stadium is the worst, including Vandy. It looks lopsided with one endzone totally dominating the stadium. Davis Wade suits our needs and is a very nice looking stadium, especially IN PERSON (not that you would know). THE most needed thing isn't the south endzone, it's renovations under the east side stands.

[Dawgology]

Why don't we just make it the football version of the left field lounge. Replicate the layout of the left field lounge there and let people pay a premium to setup and tailgate/grill there. It would have to be closed off from the rest of the stadium to a certain degree but it was be 100% unique and make a pretty rowdy atmosphere down there.

[BHildreth3]

We should do something similar to this --- I love the idea of the entrance to the left - with trees on each side of the walkway that opens up into the Junction. Make it 2 levels with a long balcony/deck overlooking the Junction, and have a restaurant and something like Steak and Shake or a Raising Cane's. The deck would be great for ESPN remotes, etc.

[R2Dawg]

Why don't we just make it the football version of the left field lounge. Replicate the layout of the left field lounge there and let people pay a premium to setup and tailgate/grill there. It would have to be closed off from the rest of the stadium to a certain degree but it was be 100% unique and make a pretty rowdy atmosphere down there.

I actually like this idea. No one else has done this. We don' t need lots of extra seats yet; this adds some character and moves tailgating inside the stadium. Let opposing team run through our tailgate and our players as part of Dawg Walk. Building that type low level structure would not be that expensive and could be designed for easy seat expansion if desired later.

I also think the practice facility is a wise investment. I do think we have two of the right projects on tap right now - Hump renovation and indoor tennis facility.

[ShotgunDawg]

Why don't we just make it the football version of the left field lounge. Replicate the layout of the left field lounge there and let people pay a premium to setup and tailgate/grill there. It would have to be closed off from the rest of the stadium to a certain degree but it was be 100% unique and make a pretty rowdy atmosphere down there.

Love that idea for baseball but not football.

I honestly don't understand why an MLB team hasn't attempted the LFL model

[BrunswickDawg]

Love that idea for baseball but not football.

I honestly don't understand why an MLB team hasn't attempted the LFL model

Why not? Football has a bigger tailgate tradition and scene then baseball nationally, so the demand would be strong. No one else is thinking like that either. It would be minimal investment for now, tie in to one of our most unique traditions as a university (LFL), be a huge atmosphere changer for the south end zone, and create a unique fan experience while waiting for the funding and appropriate time for expansion.

We could even do it in a more "open" way then the LFL has been by holding a lottery for slots. You pay a refundable fee up front to be entered and are eligible for 1 draw per person, and you only get a slot for 1 game. Make the spaces big enough for 15-20. You get a set up time of Friday, get to tailgate on Saturday, and break down on Sunday. You get "passes" to give to your guests but they have to also have a ticket for the game. I think it would cool and would be in huge demand.

[smootness]

Why not? Football has a bigger tailgate tradition and scene then baseball nationally, so the demand would be strong. No one else is thinking like that either. It would be minimal investment for now, tie in to one of our most unique traditions as a university (LFL), be a huge atmosphere changer for the south end zone, and create a unique fan experience while waiting for the funding and appropriate time for expansion.

We could even do it in a more "open" way then the LFL has been by holding a lottery for slots. You pay a refundable fee up front to be entered and are eligible for 1 draw per person, and you only get a slot for 1 game. Make the spaces big enough for 15-20. You get a set up time of Friday, get to tailgate on Saturday, and break down on Sunday. You get "passes" to give to your guests but they have to also have a ticket for the game. I think it would cool and would be in huge demand.

A few issues:

1) At DNF, you're pretty much in the open and the smoke can dissipate easily. At DWS, you have people and structures all around you, and the smoke will linger a lot more.

2) In baseball, you typically have somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 fans. So having spots that are more sparse in the outfield doesn't really impact how many people you can fit in. At DWS, taking space that could fit several thousand seats easily and using it for only a couple hundred seems inefficient.

3) It honestly would look much trashier inside DWS than it does at DNF. It adds to the charm at DNF; at DWS, it would just seem really bizarre and super redneck.

4) Football is just a different sport and a different vibe. Baseball is laid-back and is as much, or more, about the atmosphere and hanging with other people as it is about the game. Football is about the game and about being as loud and intimidating, as a fanbase, as you can be. Having some people grilling inside the stadium would actually detract from the atmosphere in football.

[Jack Lambert]

I thought plans were already going forward to do something about the S. End Zone.

[Jarius]

Just FYI, as far as adding seats..... there are many many many Seats open on the east side for season ticket sales as of today.

No one in this thread wants to add seats.

[Lord McBuckethead]

I think the only person who thinks this is probably you

No. I agree 100%.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Put it this way, I would bowl in the football stadium before I did anything to the hump.

The bandaid they are placing on the hump, not sure if it is anything other than a 4 year refresher before we will have to build a totally new one.

[Lord McBuckethead]

I thought plans were already going forward to do something about the S. End Zone.

There is, but the focus missed the mark, big time.

[BuckyIsAB****]

No. I agree 100%.

If you would rather ''fix'' the South Endzone before we got a new IPF it shows just how out of touch some of us really are when it comes to wanting to compete for recruits

[msu15]

Not this again. I literally could have written Shotgun?s response word-for-word.

[RocketDawg]

Whatever happened to the hotel idea? If that happens, I actually think that's a really good idea. It bowls in/encloses the stadium. It is something that MSU can use year round. They can and I'm sure they will charge an arm and leg for it during football season. I'm sure there are a lot of people that tailgate in the Junction that would love to have a room as a base of operations per say with a bathroom, a place to store food and etc. We can use it in recruiting in that we can have players stay there on visits- pretty sure Ole Miss has one or they use one to leave their backpacks of cash in the room. Not saying we should do that by the way....

It's also within walking distance of The Cotton District which is a good thing for those staying there I would think.

Not to mention the premium they could charge for a room that faces the field with a balcony.

Plus the fact of the matter is attendance in college football is declining and who knows if it will ever rebound? Likely not. Now is not the time to add more seats. Which is why I like Shotgun's idea about adding permanent seats instead of the bleachers.

Turning all the lower bleachers into chairback seats is a great idea, but the seat charge will be a LOT higher. Everybody would have to be prepared for that. A real seat is a lot more expensive than an 18-inch piece of aluminum.

[Turfdawg67]

It's shitty type of unique. It's not attractive to recruits & people watching on TV. It needs to be fixed

Once a year this is a discussion, once a year you'll tell us how ugly our stadium is and once a year 90% will tell you that you're full of sh*t.

ETA... actually that last one is wrong. That'll happen many, many times.

[Turfdawg67]

The whole west side needs to be demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. In my opinion

You know what they say about opinions...

[ejdallas322]

I really love Clemson's stadium with the hill at one endzone that give fans the option to stand in to watch games.