I think Princeton has an endowment of $12 billion. Not that they use that for athletics, I have no idea, but they have loads of money.
That's what I'm talking about. CU does not want this.I'm glad that we dont have a big video board, and that our speakers suck. I go to a bunch of the Texas games here in Austin and every timeout, commercial break, etc is just a loud blaring advertisement. It's like watching the game on TV, with no remote or mute button. Instead of the band playing and guys doing flips and cheerleaders dancing its just one giant commercial for 3 hours between plays.
The cute antique video boards that CU have aren't a big deal if you don't watch games at other stadiums. But as soon as I find myself in an other stadium with better video boards, there is envy. I suspect when one of our Buff players walk off the field in Norman or Lincoln or Austin that they also look at those video boards and wonder why CU is so cheap.
Good video boards are not only for the fans, but also the recruits.
When you take a recruit to the fifty yard line and ask him, "can you imagine seeing yourself play football and have your image broadcast to a stadium full of Buff fans?" The recruit is going to remember being asked the same question and having a much clearer picture etched in his mind.
Off topic, but there is something to be said for true amateur athletics, true student athletes. You have to like that set up at places like Princeton and also at the military academies.You better believe they use it for athletics. They also have a brand new (5 year old) stadium that holds 30K but only manages to squeeze about 5K in there on the typical Saturday afternoon/evening. It's a different environment, for sure. My dad and I parked about 50 yards from the entrance to the stadium and paid $5 to do it. Oh, and the tickets - on the 50 yard line cost $6 each. A season ticket is $25. No, I'm not kidding. The endowment is most certainly subsidizing athletics.
Personally, i'll take the band. That's what they're for. That's just one guy's opinion.we do need better music. My wife is a Virginia Tech grad, been to a couple of their games and the team coming onto the field with enter sandman really gets you pumped up...
I'd rather see CU trick out and pimp out the locker rooms, Oregon-style than go for the big video board. I think you would get more mileage with the recruits.
SMU, on the other hand, has a video board that is 32' X 45' and sound system costing $900K. The size is similar to what is in Folsom, but the resolution is amazing. It does not overwhelm the stadium, and provides the High Def image that is sharp and clean. Something with that dimension is what I want, not a scoreboard taller than Gamow tower that obscures the view of the Flatirons. Both the UT and SMU boards are made by Daktronics.
Where would you put bigger video boards at CU?
The east stands?
Great post.
Since (allegedly) no one at the AD reads message boards (cough, cough), maybe you should re-draft that into an email to Bohn? This type of stuff is what he's good at. And I know that new video boards / gameday experience at Folsom is his top facility priority right now.
(And some rep to you for making that trip and finding a way to enjoy it.)
Thats not true. They have 5 or 6 people who spend all day trying to figure out who you goons are so they can disavow you. :lol:
Their fans show up before kickoff. Our student section shows up late as hell to our games. Need to fix that first.
Part of this could be fixed with far better entrance management, make it easier for students to get in and out. While your at it doing a better job of keeping them separated from the normal fanbase might help with some of our perceptions issues as well.
The kicker is as all this is happening the recruits are on the sidelines watching. if im a kid, i couldnt help but imagine myself on that huge board saying my name and postion and the crowd cheering after it and being apart of that type of presentation, non the less a program of that stature, no matter how crappy norman is.
Off topic, but there is something to be said for true amateur athletics, true student athletes. You have to like that set up at places like Princeton and also at the military academies.
Also, look no further than CU xc teams. Tremendous respect for those folks.