We should expand to 50k+ and fill it. A baby stadium isn’t impressive to anyone
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A full stadium is more impressive as is a waiting list for tickets
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A full larger stadium with a waiting list is more so
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Those are rookie numbers we need at least 60k… lets start brainstorming on how we can get 80k into the stadium.
Let’s start by getting 30k season tickets
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You mock, but which conference is considered to be the pinnacle of the sport? Which programs? Why? Why do TV partners prefer to showcase certain stadiums? Why are game day atmospheres so much better at certain stadiums?
If we want to compete at the highest levels we need to build the program and facilities accordingly. That’s all I’m saying. Building out a 40k stadium with a bunch of suites and broken up mini grandstands isn’t going to create an atmosphere that the general public or blue chip athletes want to experience.
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Please let us know your ideas on justifying expansion to 50K+ when we struggle to get 40k.
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Thank you for putting out a starting point.
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Yeah the next AD needs to prioritize ticket sales. Coaching hires are absolutely critical. We have to win. And the department has to capitalize on the success with donor relations and fund raising. Sustained success on the field is the first step.
UH can’t fill a 40,000 seat stadium and some in our fanbase want to take on expanding the seating. None of that makes any sense to me. Have people forgotten the optics of a half-filled 40,000 seat stadium just last season? Not to mention the cost of stadium expansion. If I’m on the Board of Regents, I’m pushing back, questioning the need to expand, arguing UH can’t even fill the stadium currently.
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If anything, we also need a season ticket waiting list in addition to 5+ years of sellouts before thinking about expansion.
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You misunderstand what I’m saying. We should work to fill the sub 40k stadium we have, but should also plan to maximize seating in the future and fill that. We should aspire to build the program and facilities to be the best they can be so that we can draw the best talent and sustain success, which continues to attract donors and generate revenue.
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Let’s put the aspirations aside until 2030 at the very least.
We need to shift focus on increasing our core amount of season tickets sold to 30k+ in the next few years.
No school built a 100k seat stadium hoping to fill it, they built it satisfy the demand for their tickets. If you start looking at stadium renovation plans most call for reducing the total number of seats and increasing the luxury and club level seats. The world has changed and most teams are having trouble filling their cheap seats. Sure there are few schools that don’t have any trouble but we are not going to become the Michigans or Alabamas no matter how hard we try. The if we build it they will come idea will just get us laughed at even more so then we currently are.
Think about what attendance will look like in November if we win the projected number of games Vegas has for us, we are going to have trouble getting 20k to the games whether our stadium seats 40k or 60k.
I had a realization last year when we finally made the Big12 and most of our games were against household named teams, the stadium was half empty for most of the games and good apparel was just as hard to get as it was before that maybe just maybe we don’t have as many fans as we think.
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Imagine the outcry from academic departments who are underfunded if UH spends tax dollars on stadium expansion when they can’t fill what they have. Dr. K. will have a problem on her hands.
You guys are completely missing the crux of my comments. All I’m saying is that we should have a minimum capacity of 50k at some point asap to compete at the highest level of the sport consistently. A 39k stadium capacity is extremely JV. It doesn’t look good on TV, it doesn’t make the best athletes want to play here, it doesn’t make TV partners want to showcase the stadium. If there is a split among P4 schools right now we get left behind. So if we don’t want to be left behind again, we need to consider these things.
I agree, first thing’s first and all of that, but having a smaller stadium than the two tiny private schools in the conference shouldn’t be the goal. UH has 48 thousand students for crying out loud.
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See also: Fertitta Center
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The big mistake was initially allowing so many brokers to buy season tickets
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We’re no longer a g5 school? Would love to expand to 50k plus. I will donate!!
We already have plans for expanding the stadium when the attendance warrants it. Of course plans can change as well. Right now we don’t need addition debt.
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