Can you feel it yet? Stadium expansion fever is coming.
If Charlie Strong is openly discussing the possible expansion of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, the bulldozers can’t be far behind.
The head football coach doesn’t talk about stadium expansion without having broached the subject with Tom Jurich, the vice president of athletics. Strong has said more than once that TJ has never turned down a request to improve the football program. So if expansion is what Charlie wants, we can assume that Jurich is probably on board.
All three of the first three games were sold out in the 55,000-seat stadium, with an average of 53,522 persons in attendance. For such foes as Miami, Ohio; Eastern Kentucky and Florida International, suggesting that the fan base has advanced to the point that it will turn out to support UofL football no matter who the opponent may be that day. As long as the team is winning, of course.
Upcoming games against Rutgers and Central Florida, two of the strongest teams on the schedule, are certain to be sellouts. Add in Houston, which is undefeated right now, and rival Memphis in the final game, and a new all-time attendance record is all but assured this season.
Entering the Atlantic Coast Conference next season, advancing from one of the softest schedules in the country to the strongest in the school’s history with Florida State, Miami, NC State, and Wake Forest coming to PJCS. Demand for seats is going to be through the roof.
Seems like no-brainer, time to expand. The only question then is how to proceed and how soon. The quicker the better. Probably too late for have anything done for next season so it would have to be during the next two three years. I’m pretty confident UofL could sell as many as 75,000 seats for the game against Notre Dame in Louisville in 2017.
All sorts of ideas have been tossed around, including adding second tiers to the west side above the Brown & Williamson Club or above the party deck in the south end zone. Adding second stories to those sections would be unsightly, greatly detracting from the stadium’s overall appearance.
The most logical step, and the one Charlie Strong favors, would be closing in the north end, possibly raising the seating capacity to 70,000 seats or significantly more if the expansion didn’t have to include additional luxury suites to help finance the project. The only minus would be obscuring the view of the Howard Schnellenberger football complex, which would be more than offset by the presence of thousands more UofL football fans.
The new addition would have to include an authentic tunnel from the complex, making the start of games more dramatic, and the Johnny Unitas Statue would finally be repositioned or moved to another location. Things that most fans want to happen.
Keep Charlie Strong happy. Reinvest in the product, invest for the future. Let’s get it started.
I think the next move in stadium expansion should be to remove the roof on the west side, add at least one or two more levels of suites on top of the existing ones and extend them all the way to the corners. Add the suites now because you won’t be able to do it later. Then go with an upper deck just like the other side or even bigger. I would then put a new press box on top of the upper deck. I would not like to see the closing of the endzone and blocking the sight of the football complex. There is nothing wrong with a horse shoe design.
Good point about the horse shoe design but Charlie Strong has already expressed his preference for closing in the stadium. Interesting suggestion about the pressbox, which just might make it the world’s highest press facility, which probably wouldn’t go over well with the media.
Adding seats above the press box would achieve the balance the stadium so sorely needs. ALL the great stadiums have BALANCE. More importantly, is there a fan among us that prefers watching a game from the end zone ? I think not. Why spend money on seats with poor sightlines when the same amount can be spent to provide a better game watching experience. That is, how many yards are gained or lost on a play? I don’t know since my seats were behind the endzone.
Good point, James, even though the Crunch Zone revelers might be inclined to disagree with the viewpoint. The advantage of expanding the end zone would be the addition of more luxury boxes to finance the expansion. One has to question what’s most important in the VIP boxes, however — the brown nosing, being seen in the boxes or actually watching the games?
I think adding a second tier above the press box would look great – however I have attended two games in the “Flight Deck” and I felt disconnected from the game. Maybe the new sound system will help with that issue. I would hate for UofL to add something above the press box that wouldn’t provide fans with a great game experience.
Does anyone know if the stadium is significantly louder with the second deck being added?
I think closing in the horseshoe would be great, but that would shut out the complex.
That is why they hire architects and don’t consult me on these projects!
It will be possible to blend the Schnellenberger complex into the view and still close the North end, so let’s get it done!
I understand the logic of enclosing the north end with stands. I just hate the loss of that beautiful view of the Schnellenberger complex!