Jordan-Hare Stadium Renovation

[lionheartkc 6,150]

Just now, Win4AU said:

if they moved it back to where the old scoreboard sat then I think the resolution would be a lot better for those in the south end zone.  It actually overhangs the last two rows.  Good if it starts to rain I guess 

I'm pretty sure the position of it has everything to do with the fact that it's ridiculously heavy. They needed it to be supported not only by the giant support system built for it, but also the stadium itself.  To move it back, they would have basically had to have built a building under it.

[AuCivilEng1 11,004]

Well im standing here looking at the stadium, while I wait on the transit. It's hard to concentrate on anything other than the females, actually. She could probably use a good pressure washing in some areas, but she's as beautiful as ever! It's gonna be rocking on Sept 3rd at 7:55! 

[logan adams 333]

15 hours ago, Win4AU said:

I'm still PO'd with the placement of the Aubietron.  First 10-20 rows infront of it have 0 view.  Either Jay was ok with a section of season ticket holders not being able to see their new investment or he and the architects didn't have the foresight to know that was a problem.  Who knows how'd they screw up the north endzone seats.

You wouldn't even have to worry about this issue if they renovated the North end zone. They'll be putting two caddy corner screens the size of the old scoreboard that we had in the South end zone, if not larger.

[War to the Eagle 363]

On 8/22/2016 at 11:26 AM, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

The money is/will be there to do the renovation. Just not with JJ leading the project. Money isn't a issue. Surprised, not really, that JJ is raising the prices like he is on the ticket inside the 20's. 

Well if that is the case and JJ doesn't go anywhere in the near future, what happens? Zip?

[PatBoCamRob 30]

On August 22, 2016 at 10:23 AM, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

Ouch. Just the new tickets sold or is JJ raising the price on everyone? 

Just new tickets. Alabama is like the 3rd poorest state in the union. I don't know who they think will afford this, much less fill 1/4 the stadium at that kind of clip. 

[keesler 5,924]

3 hours ago, PatBoCamRob said:

Just new tickets. Alabama is like the 3rd poorest state in the union. I don't know who they think will afford this, much less fill 1/4 the stadium at that kind of clip. 

Auburn isn't selling to the poor though.  In fact AU alum aren't poor, they earn in the top % of college graduates in the SEC.....I've seen the charts.  And we don't have any sidewalk fans, so we aren't selling tickets to the poor, toothless, cargo short wearing, wal-mart t-shirt buying masses like the turds.  

[lionheartkc 6,150]

4 hours ago, PatBoCamRob said:

Just new tickets. Alabama is like the 3rd poorest state in the union. I don't know who they think will afford this, much less fill 1/4 the stadium at that kind of clip. 

Blame it on Stub Hub.  It's not just Auburn, it's happening with ticket prices all over the country.  The vendors are seeing that people are willing to pay the trumped up prices that Stub Hub charges, so they are raising their own prices. If we'd go back to the day of scalping being illegal, it would make it so a lot more people could afford to go to games.

[cptau 169]

2 hours ago, lionheartkc said:

Blame it on Stub Hub.  It's not just Auburn, it's happening with ticket prices all over the country.  The vendors are seeing that people are willing to pay the trumped up prices that Stub Hub charges, so they are raising their own prices. If we'd go back to the day of scalping being illegal, it would make it so a lot more people could afford to go to games.

Not sure about this year, but Auburn has had the most expensive tickets in the SEC for several years.     The JHS may be sold out, but it is not always "full".    Other SEC stadiums are so big (or the team is so bad) that they have trouble selling all their tickets.   Tennessee is advertising it has tickets available on the radio around Nashville.   I've haven't head ads like that in Birmingham for Auburn tickets.  

[lionheartkc 6,150]

25 minutes ago, cptau said:

Not sure about this year, but Auburn has had the most expensive tickets in the SEC for several years.     The JHS may be sold out, but it is not always "full".    Other SEC stadiums are so big (or the team is so bad) that they have trouble selling all their tickets.   Tennessee is advertising it has tickets available on the radio around Nashville.   I've haven't head ads like that in Birmingham for Auburn tickets.  

So true.  As a remote Auburn fan, it's a giant pain in the butt for me to see a game in Jordan Hare. I have to plan airfare and hotel around trying to get tickets through friends or friends of friends, because there's no buying them directly from AU, and I'm not supporting Stub Hub.  At least I get to go to Arkansas every other year.  Those seats may suck, and the neighborhood around the stadium may be less than enjoyable, but at least the tickets are easy to come by and cost face value.

[PatBoCamRob 30]

6 hours ago, keesler said:

Auburn isn't selling to the poor though.  In fact AU alum aren't poor, they earn in the top % of college graduates in the SEC.....I've seen the charts.  And we don't have any sidewalk fans, so we aren't selling tickets to the poor, toothless, cargo short wearing, wal-mart t-shirt buying masses like the turds.  

You are correct. I don't think we actually disagree. What I'm figuring on, though, is like overall demand etc. 

So tickets at 3k/season would be for the higher earning alums rather than the dirt road turds. But maybe the higher earning alums have gone away for work... Because Alabama has the 3rd or 4th lowest median income per capita in the US. 

I reckon that kind of explains the NYTimes fan map.  Combination of turd bandwagons and Auburn alum flight = http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/03/upshot/ncaa-football-fan-map.html?_r=0

and if we aren't selling out the stadium, it's not really a matter of what we can afford.  It's what people will pay.  And the AU fans are more rational than Alabama fans.  They won't overpay for something that isn't selling out.  

I reckon AU could do well to do what Stanford did, if the money were there.  But, we aren't driving distance from the wealth creation capital of the 21st century.

 

[bigbird 60,513]

 

6 hours ago, keesler said:

Auburn isn't selling to the poor though.  In fact AU alum aren't poor, they earn in the top % of college graduates in the SEC.....I've seen the charts.  And we don't have any sidewalk fans, so we aren't selling tickets to the poor, toothless, cargo short wearing, wal-mart t-shirt buying masses like the turds.  

Damn...I wear cargo shorts.

 

[keesler 5,924]

7 minutes ago, bigbird said:

 

Damn...I wear cargo shorts.

 

Put those things in the Good Will box dude.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Jacobs didn't put any thought before it place where it is now. That's Jay for you.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Jacobs didn't put any thought on how much it would hang over the those first 2 rows of seats before it place where it is now. That's Jay for you.

[Tigerfinz 1,362]

On 8/23/2016 at 2:21 PM, logan adams said:

You wouldn't even have to worry about this issue if they renovated the North end zone. They'll be putting two caddy corner screens the size of the old scoreboard that we had in the South end zone, if not larger.

Yep

[augolf1716 21,109]

2 hours ago, bigbird said:

 

Damn...I wear cargo shorts.

 

Your also toothless

[bigbird 60,513]

Says the jorts wearing Floridian

[augolf1716 21,109]

Their comfortable and cheap

[telling tiger 156]

2 hours ago, bigbird said:

 

Damn...I wear cargo shorts.

 

At least you retired the coaches shorts......kudos.

[bigbird 60,513]

4 minutes ago, telling tiger said:

At least you retired the coaches shorts......kudos.

I wear those most of the time. 

[telling tiger 156]

Sigh................

[logan adams 333]

I emailed them again a couple of days ago, and this was the response I got:

 

"Good afternoon Logan,

 

 

 

Thank you very much for following up, we very much appreciate your interest in the potential renovation. Since we last spoke there have been no new updates as the Athletics Department is continuing to evaluate donor and fan interest, design modification and financial feasibility of the potential project.
 

Have a great rest of the day, enjoy the upcoming weekend and War Eagle!"

 

The time before that that I had reached out to them was mid-March. 

[War to the Eagle 363]

I love how people make Jay Jacobs out to be this buffoon without a high-school diploma; that he's some complete moron who puts no thought into anything and/or never makes a good decision.  Auburn athletics, whether it's by way of facilities, competitiveness or national attention, is or has been at the pinnacle of its ascension under Jay Jacobs.  Just a little memory refresher.

[logan adams 333]

Quote

Auburn is still reviewing the feasibility of its renovation plans for the North end zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium, with a decision as to the fate of the more than $140 million project, which has been delayed by at least a year, coming by the end of this year.

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said his department is "moving down the road" in the process and determining the exact number of seats that would be part of the new end zone and most importantly, the demand for such seats. He expects to have enough information to decide on whether to go ahead with the project.

"I think we'll know by the end of this fall where we are," Jacobs said at SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Florida. "If that happens and it's positive and we're able to raise the money we need to raise to move forward with the project, then it could possibly start after the '17 season."

Auburn is still seeking feedback from fans to gauge interest in the project, which would include an expanded concourse and walkways, club seating, additional concessions, two video boards in the Northeast and Northwest corners, new locker rooms, recruiting lounge and other amenities.

The project, which was initially estimated to cost $145 million but Jacobs has said "could definitely be higher," clearly is no longer on its initial schedule.

As of February, Jacobs expected a new cost estimate to be announced by the end of March, and then be subject to approval by Auburn's Board of Trustees. The Board met on March 31, April 8 and has a scheduled meeting for June 10 and the stadium project is not on the agenda to be discussed.

"It was never on the agenda for this Board meeting," an Auburn spokesman told AL.com. "Athletics is still in the due diligence phase."

Had there been enough fan interest for the process to move along as expected, construction could have begun as soon as this December, but now the earliest crews would begin work is Dec. 2017.

Even Jacobs appeared to hedge on the need for the immediacy with the renovation.

"The great thing about what we've done is the work we've done, whenever we're ready to start it we can pull it off the shelf and move with it, whatever time that is," he said. "The key to it is is that we're not trying to fix anything, we could perfectly live with our North end zone the way it is. We're just trying to create different price points to create a better game day experience for our customers, our fans in the North end zone, and also try to produce revenue to support these 21 sports.

"All that has to come together for us to be able to move forward. It has to be a good business decision."

As for the rest of Auburn's football facilities, coach Gus Malzahn believes his program is "right there" near the top in the sport.

"We've got a great dorm," Malzahn said. "We've got a great place to eat. A great indoor (practice facility). I know there's talk about expanding our stadium, and that'll happen in the near future. ... I feel pretty good about our (football offices) right now."

http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2016/06/when_will_auburn.html

Article posted some months back. What really struck me is this quote, "The key to it is is that we're not trying to fix anything, we could perfectly live with our North end zone the way it is." I REALLY hope that Jacobs is joking! That end zone is an absolute eye sore. That trash scoreboard is absolutely hideous, and has GOT to go, soon. It's extremely cheap looking and very outdated.

[AU64 10,122]

I see the term "fan interest" as meaning ...fans willing to make six figure donations to make it happen.  A few folks can get on this board and other sites and complain about the appearance of the scoreboard or whatever but one thing is pretty certain in my mind...if this were really considered a shortcoming by a large number of AU fans....or even a small number of the PTB....it would be on the agenda.  

Personally I find it difficult to get excited about spending more than a hundred million bucks on the stadium and I bet that most people feel that way. if they think about a facility that gets used less than a dozen times a year.   What I picture is the Athletic Department spending that money on the stadium improvements and half the fans not liking the result...and all of them complaining about the increase in ticket prices that is sure to follow. 

At least when we spend that kind of money on a class building you see the benefits marching across the stage getting their diplomas year after year.