Remember The Crappy Kibbie Dome?

[NT80]

doesn't work that way. you'll never see us bring in a team just for one game, unless it's a I-AA.

Either we do the 2-1 thing with a bcs team, do 1-1 with a non-bcs team, or bring in a i-aa. Even TCU doesn't just bring in a name team for one game. You can get a 1-1 with a BCS team but it's rare.

SDSU was promised a certain amount of money to go to Idaho to fulfill their part of the series. Idaho gets the same amount when they go to San Diego.

It's getting harder and harder for the mid level BCS teams to fill out their schedules. They don't want to go on the road to play the big boys and the big boys certainly aren't going to their place. And why would the North Texas' of the world go to...let's say Maryland for one game when they can go to Alabama for that one game and get a big payday. So the Marylands have to sign a 2 for 1.

The price of poker is getting more expensive as they say for BCS schools wanting to buy-a-win. NT got out of a contract to play at Miami last year to play for more $$ at LSU instead. More game $$ and less travel expense made the upgrade better for us. The bidding wars have begun by some BCS schools. I think we'll see the same deal for UNT getting out of playing Tennessee to play at OU instead. A closer opponent helps NT fans too plus saves big expenses on team travel. Bus trip vs. plane trip. I expect we'll get on a regular rotation playing one big money game a year with either UT, OU, LSU, Bama, with an occasional Arkansas, Iowa, Clemson, or Georgia tossed in for variety...and $$. May the highest bidder win.... a game with us.

[UNT_playmaker]

Also earlier this year......

Colorado played at Toledo (capacity of the Glass Bowl: 26,248)

and Mizzzou just played at Nevada (capacity: 29,993).

Anyway, I want our stadium to be over 30,000 (listed capacity). But dealing with the reality of the situation....I don't think it will be.

SUMG,

Last I heard we were going to be over 32,000 seats.... Are we back at the possibility of 28,000 seats and additional seats will be in the grassy area.... Please dont tell me this is actually the case.

$80 million is alot for a 28,000 seat stadium, you can easily add to that to make it a bigger capacity.

Edited September 30, 2009 by UNT_playmaker

[stebo]

SUMG,

Last I heard we were going to be over 32,000 seats.... Are we back at the possibility of 28,000 seats and additional seats will be in the grassy area.... Please dont tell me this is actually the case.

$80 million is alot for a 28,000 seat stadium, you can easily add to that to make it a bigger capacity.

Not trying to steal John's question - but Alex, I went into the room with the renderings and on the way out there was an AD staff member walking out - so I was able to ask about the seating. The answer is, according to the guy I talked to - they will not know exactly how many seats the benches will fit until construction is taking place but estimates are between 28K and 29K for fixed bench seating. It's not exactly a science, stuff happens during construction and nobody wants to promise anything because when they number the things it might come in lower than they thought or high than they think...

This number does not include the luxury boxes, which hold about 600 more, the club seating which will add about 750 more, and the new version of the deck - Touchdown Terrace - which could hold up to another 500 people. That would put our stadium capacity anywhere between 29,800 and 30,800 without the grass berm seating. All things being said - the grass berm will be included in the "official" capacity which will be at a minimum - 30K. That is what I was told - straight from the department's staff member. I was also given about 20 examples of other schools that have x amount of "fixed" seats yet have a capacity of 2,000, 3,000, or even 4,000 more depending on the luxury amenities. They were all recognizable schools like Ball State, Rice, Tulsa, Southern Miss, even Texas A&M... The only hole that I see in this is that anyone in the 500 "seats" of touchdown terrace would own their seat down on the benches or in club seating (depending on donation level) - and you can't count the same person twice (and they can't be in two places at the same time). Those people will be able to wander back and forth between the two areas (much like they can now with the deck)... but all things considered, the official capacity (because seating can be reconfigured at any time) will be 30K or more, that I was assured - and the numbers do add up. It will barely be over 30K - but it will be 30K or more.

Anyone else have a familiar conversation?

Oh - and Alex - btw, the numbered bench seating still could come in at 30K seats and our capacity would be 32,000 or even 32,500. Or it could be 29,765 (or any number in that range) with the lowest number being around 28,000 to 29,000. I specifically asked how many numbered seats were in Fouts and the guy kind of smiled and said that the official capacity was 30,502. When I pressed him on the actual seat numbers - because the deck had been added since the aluminum seating was erected - he just said that it didn't matter how many seats there were, the capacity of Fouts is 30,502. So it sounds like we have less than 30K seats already but with some tickery (like the seats up in the press box and presidents box and deck and stuff) - the capacity is higher than the actual seating. Anyone up for going out there and counting? I would be curious to know the actual answer.... and to be honest, I would bet that nobody knows because those GA seats in the endzones are not even numbered, lol. They are just GA section, G/H/K/etc...

Edited September 30, 2009 by stebo

[NT80]

Not trying to steal John's question - but Alex, I went into the room with the renderings and on the way out there was an AD staff member walking out - so I was able to ask about the seating. The answer is, according to the guy I talked to - they will not know exactly how many seats the benches will fit until construction is taking place but estimates are between 28K and 29K for fixed bench seating. It's not exactly a science, stuff happens during construction and nobody wants to promise anything because when they number the things it might come in lower than they thought or high than they think...

This number does not include the luxury boxes, which hold about 600 more, the club seating which will add about 750 more, and the new version of the deck - Touchdown Terrace - which could hold up to another 500 people. That would put our stadium capacity anywhere between 29,800 and 30,800 without the grass berm seating. All things being said - the grass berm will be included in the "official" capacity which will be at a minimum - 30K. That is what I was told - straight from the department's staff member. I was also given about 20 examples of other schools that have x amount of "fixed" seats yet have a capacity of 2,000, 3,000, or even 4,000 more depending on the luxury amenities. They were all recognizable schools like Ball State, Rice, Tulsa, Southern Miss, even Texas A&M... The only hole that I see in this is that anyone in the 500 "seats" of touchdown terrace would own their seat down on the benches or in club seating (depending on donation level) - and you can't count the same person twice (and they can't be in two places at the same time). Those people will be able to wander back and forth between the two areas (much like they can now with the deck)... but all things considered, the official capacity (because seating can be reconfigured at any time) will be 30K or more, that I was assured - and the numbers do add up. It will barely be over 30K - but it will be 30K or more.

Anyone else have a familiar conversation?

Oh - and Alex - btw, the numbered bench seating still could come in at 30K seats and our capacity would be 32,000 or even 32,500. Or it could be 29,765 (or any number in that range) with the lowest number being around 28,000 to 29,000. I specifically asked how many numbered seats were in Fouts and the guy kind of smiled and said that the official capacity was 30,502. When I pressed him on the actual seat numbers - because the deck had been added since the aluminum seating was erected - he just said that it didn't matter how many seats there were, the capacity of Fouts is 30,502. So it sounds like we have less than 30K seats already but with some tickery (like the seats up in the press box and presidents box and deck and stuff) - the capacity is higher than the actual seating. Anyone up for going out there and counting? I would be curious to know the actual answer.... and to be honest, I would bet that nobody knows because those GA seats in the endzones are not even numbered, lol. They are just GA section, G/H/K/etc...

Fouts was expanded in 1993-94 under former AD Steve Sloan. The requirement at the time to meet NCAA standards for us to rejoin 1-A in 1995 was to have a stadium that seated a minimum of 30,000. He purposely expanded to 30,500 to be sure we were well over the minimum needed.

And again, as some have already mentioned, official stadium capacity and official listed seating are two different numbers. When you look up a stadium on a school's website or ticket website you will find official "fixed seating" stadium size, not capacity. Nobody quotes "capacity" because it varies so much with each facility in what there is available for grass seating, standing room, flex space, etc, which can vary by game and media needs.

I agree the final number of fixed bench seats in the new stadium will not be known until the benches are actually installed and seats numbered or distance measured for each bench. Even the Cowboy's new stadium fixed seating wasn't set until they installed them, to see how many would fit snug into the corners of some sections. Also, as someone earlier posted bench seating has to be defined by space before numbered. People are getting bigger. Where seats used to be say 15" apart, some now are being numbered up to 19"-21" apart. Again, size matters.

RV also said that if we had added seatbacks to the benches as SMUt did, that would first add a big extra expense plus cause the rows to be further apart and not as many rows available per vertical section. That would increase overall cost to get the same number of seats by needing a larger section to start with. Plus some wanted to use their own seat cushions but would not be able to with the built-in seat backs. I would actually like to have fixed individual seats with backs and cupholders when we get rich!

Edited October 1, 2009 by NT80

[stebo]

How can you "purposely" expand a bench with no numbers on it? The 10,000 seats that were added are General Admission seats without seating numbers. There isn't a "seat" in the entire stadium - there are benches. And I am sorry to say - but you are wrong, lots of schools list capacity. In the case of UT and A&M it is for bragging/pissing rights. For schools like Ball State/North Texas - it is to show how many people can be crammed in there. Of course there is overflow - that is the grass (just like at ULL)... and that can't be counted. And I would agree with you that Tounchdown Terrance capacity should not be counted - that is kinda stupid to count that because those donors will also have seats in the stadium or in a box. But the seats in the boxes and the other amenities like Club Seating are not included in the bench measurements. I get where you could think the way that you do - before I talked to the rep - I was thinking that it was a little bit of an "excuse" - but have you actually spoken to someone with the athletic department or is your information from the internet? They can explain it much better than I can.

SUMG - what do you think the capacity will be? What about fixed benches, lol?

In all reality, it will probably seat 26,000 because Americans are fat.

[NT80]

There isn't a "seat" in the entire stadium - there are benches. In all reality, it will probably seat 26,000 because Americans are fat.

There are numbers on the benches, and the distance between the numbers determines how many per bench. Simple math.

"Seating capacity" is what is quoted in guides, not "stadium capacity" which again includes standing room, etc.

http://www.collegegridirons.com/sunbelt/FoutsField.htm

http://www.eventticketscenter.com/Event.aspx?EventID=3076

Edited October 1, 2009 by NT80