My trip to OU and why CU the athletic dept should listen

[bbads]

Exactly,recruits value it.

and the game of college football is changing. top programs dont have these rinky dink screens like we do at CU.
the ambiance is good but can be improved greatly.

 

[Buffnik]

We compete with other programs for recruits. Scoreboards make an impression. They matter.

We recruit with the Denver Broncos for casual local football fans. We're a better value, both put a bad product on the field right now, and Invesco is for more convenient for most people in the Denver metro area. Scoreboards and other amenities vastly favor the Broncos. We need to better compete with them for the local entertainment dollar. Comparable scoreboards would matter. (It also further separates us from CSU in the public perception game.)

 

[sackman]

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.

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.

 

[HornBuff]

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.

That's what I'm talking about. CU does not want this.

 

[HornBuff]

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.

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.

 

[Buffsfan09]

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...

 

[HornBuff]

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.

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.

 

[HornBuff]

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...

Personally, i'll take the band. That's what they're for. That's just one guy's opinion.

 

[Deleted member 807]

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.

Yeah-sitting in UT stadium is kind of like visiting somebody's tiny living room that has a huge plasma TV. As they say in Texas, anything worth doing is probably worth over doing. Do not want.

The UT Godzillatron is an $8M 47' x 111' screen that takes away the Austin skyline.

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.

 

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

Where would you put bigger video boards at CU?

The east stands?

 

[Deleted member 807]

The U of Oregon DuckVision is a $4M video wall that is 35' x 88'. It's the largest in the PAC-12.

 

[MrFrumpylane]

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.

Just thinking off the top of my head, but if you were to put the new scoreboard precisely on the south end, I don't think it would block the view of Gamow towers or Flatirons - I think they have a southwest bearing relative to the stadium. ??

 

[GregInArlington]

Can't we just install seatbacks with individual screens in the headrests of each seat? You can choose your camera angle and control your own instant replays. Or, you can change the channel to watch a real college football game.

 

[Deleted member 807]

Where would you put bigger video boards at CU?

The east stands?

Today Folsom has scoreboards on the N and S sides if the stadium. Going forward, put them in the exact same spot.
South board

North Board

Make the dimensions the same. But offer a crisp video image.

If SMU can put in on 32x45 board with sound for under $1M, so can CU.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

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:

 

[leftybuff]

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:

I wonder who the plants are...:wave:

 

[AlferdJasper]

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.

Yes, having ONE gate for all the students to single file in is not condusive to arriving in the first quarter.
THESE ARE YOUR FUTURE ALUMS AND DONORS, CU... for Pete's sake, get them into the stadium shortly after they arrive at their gate.

 

[AlferdJasper]

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.

I also noticed the huge number of recruits at that game. They all had nametags of some sort, along with parents. Tons of kids on the sidelines and being ushered to a certain section. Must have been an exciting game for them to watch ... OK was no fool to bring them in to watch the carnage.

 

[dio]

The south video board could be bigger imo. Duane already blocks our view of the Flatirons :lol:

 

[sackman]

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.

I hear what you're saying, but let me tell you something: the atmosphere at a Princeton game sucks. There's no electricity, no excitement, no anticipation of seeing something awesome. It's a beautiful stadium on a gorgeous campus and they can't get anybody to go watch the games. The football is decent, but there's no sense that the game means anything. Granted, the game I went to was against Lehigh, but it was their first home game of the year, and they got *maybe* 5,000 people in the stadium. The highlight of the game was the halftime show with the band. They have a violin player. Seriously. The marching band has a guy who plays the violin.