And you better be winning like CU and Miami did in the 90s to get a packed house into a stadium like that.
Folsom needs to be able to compete for the Colorado sports entertainment dollar and it simply doesn't measure up right now.
The U's attendance has plummeted, according to dad, since the (forced) move even though they started winning again. The Orange Bowl was 1/2 an hour at most from campus. The new stadium is well over an hours plus drive. The Dolphins attendance, while not falling as far, also suffered on the move. The Orange Bowl used to sell out frequently when the Phins were there. Like Mile High there was density and money concentrated in several areas near the old OB. The new stadium struggles to sell out. Its too far from the coastal neighborhoods which is where the money is in Miami. Unlike Folsom the City of Miami was broke and refused to even spend on basic maintenance and upkeep. Then UM and Miami got a bit of a pissing contest and the decision to move was made. Miraculously, Miami later found the money for a state of the art baseball stadium... Sports and politics go hand in hand in that town.
Coral Gables will not let UM build a stadium on campus. They had a chance in the 80s to acquire a big enough property (a closed mall) across the street in South Miami but they didn't take it. From time to time the idea is floated to expand the very basic stadium at Tropical Park, about 10 minutes away in unincorporated Dade county, but no one wants to pick up the tab to build a new stadium from scratch.
As for the Colorado sports entertainment dollar I doubt its spread around by competition. I think most of our paying fans are alums or they are the descendants of alums or lifelong season ticket holders. I suspect a lot of our fans have a college education. The Denver Broncos fan, otoh, is partly the rich and partly those that save all year and splurge on tickets. Im not sure we can bridge to and pick up some of those fans even if we were winning all the time. I think we'd get some of them. But given how much is on TV these days compared to 20 years ago and the cost of tickets, well....
But it's not acceptable in its current condition. It's not about adding seating capacity anymore, it's about maximizing the fan experience. Balch, the bathrooms, and the sound system do not help with that.
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Im glad to know your the authority on what is and isn't acceptable. :wink2: Seriously, its not like we draw only 3000 to 4000 fans per game like the Rockies. We draw reasonably well for a team that didn't exactly kick any ass anytime in the last 7-8 years. But people still showed up a lot more than ever show up for Western Michigan, CSU, and a whole host of other programs. I dont see the argument that no one really decides to attend the game because they didn't like the crapper. Except girls. Which I can understand.
Maybe some are out for the experience and clean bathrooms I, on the other hand, came to see the game. The product on the field. After that I'd like to have something decent to eat. And a beer would be nice too but I won't hold my breath on that one. Oh, and I dont want to feel like Im living under martial law in a police state while Im there. There is a certain charm, a certain quaintness to Folsom that makes it unpretentious and friendly. Its old too, like Michigan Stadium, but better than Michigan Stadium. The view is better.
Im just not sure making Folsom uber posh will improve attendance. What it will most likely do is cause ticket prices to go up. A lot.
