Premium Seating A Possibility in the JHS Endzones

[AUinNashTN 0]

I like the idea of adding premium seating on the tops of each end zone section but leaving out the upper deck. You throw some big boards on top of the premium seating and your good to go. You have just added nice premium seating but JHS still has the same look.

[eibua12 81]

Hmm, that seems a bit strange to move the Home locker room to the North Endzone. Unless they do a complete switch of the Student and Away team seating sections, I'm not sure how that would work. And moving the student section to the north endzone would (I think) dramatically downgrade the quality of the seats since the majority of students would then be facing the afternoon sun rather than have it at their backs/sides. I would assume they'd either have to do away with the videoboard and add smaller ones or move it over to the north side. That would also be very interesting concerning Tiger Walk and if the route would have to change to adjust to the change in locker rooms - not sure that it would since there is a large opening onto the field near the band's corner that you can bypass the locker room. Wonder if this would mean that both teams would make their entrance onto the field from the same endzone.

It would be very strange and would extend tiger walk just a bit

[triangletiger 1,599]

This is just silly. People in those boxes contribute nothing to the stadium noise or atmosphere. Put in some more/better regular seats, stage promotions for Boy Scouts, special groups, schools. Start earning some goodwill in this state to cut into Bama's popularity. This kind of nonsense just plays into the rep that Auburn gets as an "elitist" school.

Auburn has that rep now?

Elitist cow college

[Auburn Elvis 5]

If we need more premium seating to pay the bills, fine. Whatever.

For the rest of us, let's replace the bleachers with stadium seats... except the student section. They stand the whole game anyway.

[auburntiger1987 759]

If we did that, it would lower the # of seats significantly. Premium seating, new jumbo's make sense. get the people that contribute to AU back here and spending money. Once the demand is there for more seats as everyone else has said, it will happen.

[aucosby 43]

I will be glad to write a check for a club level endzone section like Bama has in Turdville.

[RunInRed 16,409]

Excellent post PatBoCamRob ... interesting ... thanks for sharing.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

This is just silly. People in those boxes contribute nothing to the stadium noise or atmosphere. Put in some more/better regular seats, stage promotions for Boy Scouts, special groups, schools. Start earning some goodwill in this state to cut into Bama's popularity. This kind of nonsense just plays into the rep that Auburn gets as an "elitist" school.

The people in those boxes are the ones funding the program with very large donations. And if they want to a heavy premium for box seats and sit inside so that AU can compete and my ticket price doesn't rise too much, then that's fine and dandy with me.

[Piketiger1990 173]

I think is would be cool to just upgrade the jumbotron and add club level endzone section opposite. Not sure if people would prefer the stadium being symmetrical though.

[Ed_ 3]

This is just silly. People in those boxes contribute nothing to the stadium noise or atmosphere. Put in some more/better regular seats, stage promotions for Boy Scouts, special groups, schools. Start earning some goodwill in this state to cut into Bama's popularity. This kind of nonsense just plays into the rep that Auburn gets as an "elitist" school.

Neither do empty seats which is what we will have for most games if we go over 90-95k seats.

[Piketiger1990 173]

All I want is a working game clock. Is that too much to ask

[autigeremt 6,631]

I am a member of the AUMB, so the idea of moving the home locker room to the opposite side of the stadium scares me. It would completely alter how we do pregame. However, I DO agree on expanding the stadium. 90K+ with the easy option of expanding it above 100K (see the 2004 upper deck expansion). Aesthetics obviously need upgrading. The sound system is terrible, every time a rap or hip hop song plays the bass sounds TERRIBLE because the speakers have blown. I find the idea of moving the locker room interesting because it'll make it easier to brick up that side, but from a band standpoint, it terrifies me.

I will confer this when the time comes.

[struttinduck01 2]

http://www.piepersfc.com/index_files/Page1468.htm

[cooltigger21 0]

Someone said that adding premium seats doesn't help with noise. Well it does and doesn't. I understand what they are saying and that part of it holds true. At the same time however, you must consider that those boxes will help keep noise inside the stadium and are likely to reflect the noise back inside instead of letting it escape out that end.

[Watasha 0]

I agree we need to go to 100,000.

"No." And here's why... (Sorry. I disagree. But, it's for a good reason.)

I love Auburn. I'm a season ticket holder in JHS. The games I can't go to, I Stubhub. I've done the math. It's about break even.

One year I scalped Bama tickets for fun. Bought season tickets and sold them piecemeal. Played the part and all. I learned a lot. Made a few hundred bucks. I'd like to share this with you so you know what I know.

I lived in Birmingham. To save on the fees, I used Craigslist, etc. to market Alabama tickets. I would meet a Turd at a gas station or something. Sometimes I'd even wear a red shirt for the hell of it.

Let me say this first. They are exactly as we describe them here. They are the 85%. They are dumb. They are foolish with their money when it comes to Alabama. They buy unlicensed apparel. They do not possess a college degree. They have bad habits, etc.

The lowest common denominator for someone living in the state of Alabama is Alabama football. "RMFT" is all some people have. They make very little money. They have borderline personality disorders originating from dysfunctional upbringings and hard times at home.

I write all of this as a prefix to this:

We are outnumbered in the state. It's not necessarily a bad thing. Auburn graduates sufficient students annually to expect a packed stadium every Saturday. But, plenty of those alums are engineers, veterinarians, etc., who have busy lives and may have relocated out of the state- too far to attend every home game.

I would estimate the demand for Alabama tickets to be about 2X or more the demand for Auburn tickets.

"There are currently 32,000 names on the Tide Pride waiting list for season tickets and only half of one percent of ticket holders drop off the list annually." http://www.al.com/sp...hletics_di.html

I believe some portion of what they are reporting is generated by the Alabama athletic department to drum up demand. But, I know plenty of Alabama fans who have been waiting over 7 years for that call.

By contrast, season tickets to Auburn were available from the ticket office late into the summer this year.

If we want to consider expanding seating, we need to be certain we can fill those seats. JJ and the PTB in the athletic department know this.

That's why they are talking more club seating and not an expansion in the 10,000s of seats.

Personally, I think we could take large portions of the end zones and convert them into cushier seating with covered pavilions, at the cost of attendance figures, and experience a net positive for the school and the program. I support a plan to increase premium seating. If it is planned right, we can add seats when the "Bahr" generation dies out and Auburn enjoys a better share of the local fan base. Though, I'd prefer we not co-opt any of the 85%.

I don't think the University is basing the decision on whether or not to expand the stadium on a fan map generated by Facebook "likes" nor do I see what the Bama waiting list has to do with Auburn. That extremely flawed map is also misleading in that although Bama is shown as controlling the majority of the state, Auburn is a very strong 2nd in Alabama & much of Georgia. Auburn has a ton of fans, just because Bama has more it doesn't take away from how many we have. Anyway, we sold out almost all of our home games this year if I'm not mistaken, this without having Bama or UGA at home. If the demand is there then it's there. I agree that we need to focus on quality rather than quantity but the two aren't mutually exclusive.

[RunInRed 16,409]

OP updated with photos ...

[AUinNashTN 0]

I like this design the more I look at it. I think it provides the best of both worlds. Adding premium seating while retaining the original design of JHS.

[meh130 1,043]

"No." And here's why... (Sorry. I disagree. But, it's for a good reason.)

I love Auburn. I'm a season ticket holder in JHS. The games I can't go to, I Stubhub. I've done the math. It's about break even.

One year I scalped Bama tickets for fun. Bought season tickets and sold them piecemeal. Played the part and all. I learned a lot. Made a few hundred bucks. I'd like to share this with you so you know what I know.

I lived in Birmingham. To save on the fees, I used Craigslist, etc. to market Alabama tickets. I would meet a Turd at a gas station or something. Sometimes I'd even wear a red shirt for the hell of it.

Let me say this first. They are exactly as we describe them here. They are the 85%. They are dumb. They are foolish with their money when it comes to Alabama. They buy unlicensed apparel. They do not possess a college degree. They have bad habits, etc.

The lowest common denominator for someone living in the state of Alabama is Alabama football. "RMFT" is all some people have. They make very little money. They have borderline personality disorders originating from dysfunctional upbringings and hard times at home.

I write all of this as a prefix to this:

We are outnumbered in the state. It's not necessarily a bad thing.

Auburn graduates sufficient students annually to expect a packed stadium every Saturday. But, plenty of those alums are engineers, veterinarians, etc., who have busy lives and may have relocated out of the state- too far to attend every home game.

I would estimate the demand for Alabama tickets to be about 2X or more the demand for Auburn tickets.

That's why they are talking more club seating and not an expansion in the 10,000s of seats.

Personally, I think we could take large portions of the end zones and convert them into cushier seating with covered pavilions, at the cost of attendance figures, and experience a net positive for the school and the program. I support a plan to increase premium seating. If it is planned right, we can add seats when the "Bahr" generation dies out and Auburn enjoys a better share of the local fan base. Though, I'd prefer we not co-opt any of the 85%.

Well said. My thoughts exactly. You do not have the riff-raff in JHS like you do in BDS, Tiger Stadium, or even Sanford Stadium. You also do not have the riff-raff ticket-less tailgaters at the levels those other schools do.

[damabama 15]

Hmm, that seems a bit strange to move the Home locker room to the North Endzone. Unless they do a complete switch of the Student and Away team seating sections, I'm not sure how that would work. And moving the student section to the north endzone would (I think) dramatically downgrade the quality of the seats since the majority of students would then be facing the afternoon sun rather than have it at their backs/sides. I would assume they'd either have to do away with the videoboard and add smaller ones or move it over to the north side. That would also be very interesting concerning Tiger Walk and if the route would have to change to adjust to the change in locker rooms - not sure that it would since there is a large opening onto the field near the band's corner that you can bypass the locker room. Wonder if this would mean that both teams would make their entrance onto the field from the same endzone.

this is what i'm thinking too. not a good plan imo

[SKIPPER_01 99]

Hate the rendering of the south endzone. It looks like the artist was trying to make an exact replica of bds. I'll throw up if Auburn builds that.

I love the large portion of the posters agreeing to extend the club level seats into the endzones with pavilions perhaps. Maybe some more boxes. Rework the entire endzone with cushy seating like some said. That's cool.

[lca408 366]

Someone said that adding premium seats doesn't help with noise. Well it does and doesn't. I understand what they are saying and that part of it holds true. At the same time however, you must consider that those boxes will help keep noise inside the stadium and are likely to reflect the noise back inside instead of letting it escape out that end.

Exactly. There was a study at Penn State several years ago when they added a new upper deck and re-arranged their student section underneath it that it trapped the noise and actually kind of reflected it back down onto the field. If the boxes are positioned correctly and if they match/line up with the east and west upper decks, it would be fine. You couldn't really do that as well in the south endzone however because the middle 4 sections of that endzone actually extend higher about 15 to 20 rows - this is what the videoboard is mounted above and is set higher than the rest of the lower bowl. You could extend boxes over the normal height sections (the corners) and then figure out something special for those higher sections.

I've been a proponent for enlarging the stadium for years, but only for small scale enlargements. Adding premium seating would technically add more seats and might free up just a bit of regular lower bowl tickets for us regular folks. That said, Auburn could easily enlarge to over 90,000 just by adding sections (half sections actually) to the ends of both upper decks. Is there a need for this? Probably not, especially since the aesthetics of the stadium need an immediate and considerable overhaul, including the sound system, game clock, and north endzone scoreboard. I'd like to see that first, along with the adding of boxes to at least one endzone before an actual real expansion of JHS.

At any rate, it seems unlikely that anything major will be happening until at least 2016 since it hasn't been announced.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

If JJ had his way, there would never be any talk about adding more seats to Jordan-Hare.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

If JJ had his way, there would never be any talk about adding more seats to Jordan-Hare.

Not true at all. Every time he's spoken on the subject, he's said that major expansion will only happen if we sell out every game for several years in a row and start building a season ticket waiting list. We haven't done that and thus he's right in his judgment of not needing to expand. If it's financially lucrative to add premium seats like extra luxury boxes and we can sell them (which it appears there is demand for them), then we should explore that option and it sounds like he is doing just that.

Stadium capacity is nothing more than a pissing contest between people who can't see the bigger picture. The stadium size isn't what attracts recruits. Practice facilities, coaches, locker rooms, dining facilities and the like play the biggest roles. If it was all about stadium size, Oregon would never win a game.

[SillyWilly 0]

Whatever stadium improvements happen at Auburn, the focus should be on gameday experience, recruiting upgrades, and adding premium seating.

Attendance is down at most places in America, including most of the SEC. We, just like everyone else, have to make sure that the experience of being at the game is worth the price of the ticket.

To go over 90,000 would be a waste. Nothing in our performance of season ticket sales suggests we should add any seats, really. However, there does seem to be an appetite for premium seating, and that's where good money is made.

The SEC is one of only two conferences seeing an uptick in attendance.

[im4au 44]

This is just silly. People in those boxes contribute nothing to the stadium noise or atmosphere. Put in some more/better regular seats, stage promotions for Boy Scouts, special groups, schools. Start earning some goodwill in this state to cut into Bama's popularity. This kind of nonsense just plays into the rep that Auburn gets as an "elitist" school.

It makes no sense to build seating that isn't in demand. Read the WSJ article about our problems selling tickets. I love coming to campus for games and am a season ticket holder, but it's getting harder and harder. TV moves kickoff times to suit the remote viewing audience with little thought for the on-site audience, and Auburn has to comply to get the revenue. Those of us who live in Atlanta are becoming accustomed to arriving home at 1:00AM after too-common night games.

Standard seating will keep getting harder to sell as home theaters improve and cable networks continue to wreak havoc with kickoff times and days. Do we really want to have 100K seats we can't fill, or would we rather have 90K or fewer seats, sell out our games, and increase our revenues with premium seating? I'm not being an elitist, but a realist. And, frankly, when one compares the Auburn fan base with others it tends to be more affluent, and therefore more able to afford deluxe home theaters and premium football tickets. Elitist or not here's the truth, Auburn ranks third in graduates' salaries and Alabama ranks last with (I believe) a much higher percentage of fans that didn't graduate from anywhere. That helps explain their need for more standard seating.