Go Buckeyes!

Good, they need something. How can over 100,000 people be so damn quiet? They sit on their hands the whole game.

You want folks who know how to be loud, try Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium (example). And we do it with less than 70k.

FTFA: "Late last week, Bruce Springsteen took the stage at a sports arena north of Detroit and greeted his Michigan audience with a cheerful 'Hello, Ohio!'"



/ The Boss understands :)

Rich Rod has really trainwrecked that program in a hurry.

I think there's a penalty in this picture somewhere.

tricycleracer: I think there's a penalty in this picture somewhere.

Nah, he's just helpin Tate pick his nose.

VictoryCabal: Good, they need something. How can over 100,000 people be so damn quiet? They sit on their hands the whole game.

From what I understand it actually mostly has to do with the acoustics of the stadium itself. Look at the Big House versus the Horseshoe:




The Big House - flat, wide, sound goes up and out
Horseshoe - tall, narrow, sound echoes inside

VictoryCabal: Good, they need something. How can over 100,000 people be so damn quiet? They sit on their hands the whole game.

You want folks who know how to be loud, try Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium (example). And we do it with less than 70k.

That's pretty good, but I think Besiktas wins this one.

32,000 supporters, 132 decibels. Link (new window)

Crazy pyro show. Link (new window)

This week Ohio gets payback for getting stuck with Toledo.

It's definitely louder this season than it's been in the past.

SigmaAlgebra: That's pretty good, but I think Besiktas wins this one.

32,000 supporters, 132 decibels. Link (new window)

Impressive.

I was there for the Delaware State game and was amazed at the difference in the noise level.

VictoryCabal: SigmaAlgebra: That's pretty good, but I think Besiktas wins this one.

32,000 supporters, 132 decibels. Link (new window)

Well sure, they get to have night games! Why, I bet if we ever played past 6:00, we'd... um... maybe we'd get some glow sticks, and... yeah, nevermind.

/go blue, dammit

SigmaAlgebra: Besiktas

More (new window)

Could you ever imagine a stadium full of American fans being this passionate and coordinated.

This and a good Liverpool YNWA are always highlights of a big time match.

ultimateklay: Could you ever imagine a stadium full of American fans being this passionate and coordinated.

Yes, seen it many times.

Just doing some mathy stuff here to figure it all out:

The NYT article links to Michigan's stadium improvement website, which lists 85 suites instead of the article's 82.

Just doing the math and assuming 16 people per suite (source: article), they're adding the following capacity (ignoring the "+" appended to damned near every number on the site):

1. 784 people in (49) suites on the west side of the stadium;
2. 576 people in (36) suites on the east side;
3. 3,000 people in club seats on the east side; and
4. 650 chairback seats on the west side.

Yet the site claims that total seating for the stadium will increase from the current capacity of 107,501 to about 108,000 -- a net increase of only about 500 seats, depending upon what the "+" signs everywhere turn out to be.

Since they're adding 5,010 total premium seats in The Two Towers plus chairbacks, and since it's unlikely that the existing premium seats are going anywhere, that suggests that roughly 4,500 regular-Joe seats must be DISAPPEARING. I assume that's due to the seat widening, aisle widening, handicapped seating, etc.

Sucks for the little guy in Michigan -- unless he's fat, wobbly, and/or handicapped. Of course, that might be most of them.

Total expansion cost: $226M, $190M funded by issuing debt. If over the foreseeable future every suite costs on average $100k/year (current top price is $85k), and for the 8 home games/year you can get a chairback seat for $100/game or a club seat for $200/game, the increased revenue even after losing the 4,500 regular-Joe seats could be well over $10M/year. That's not including improved concessions revenue.

Impressive, but it still would take a generation to pay off the debt (think interest) under the best of circumstances -- if not for private donations and the "pay to play" money fans give for the privilege of subsequently buying seats. Just goes to show how critically a major college sports program depends on the will of its alumni to donate.

(...And the debt-fueled extremes to which these programs are willing to go to stay competitive with each other.)

mrjah: Just doing some mathy stuff here to figure it all out:

The NYT article links to Michigan's stadium improvement website, which lists 85 suites instead of the article's 82.

Just doing the math and assuming 16 people per suite (source: article), they're adding the following capacity (ignoring the "+" appended to damned near every number on the site):

1. 784 people in (49) suites on the west side of the stadium;
2. 576 people in (36) suites on the east side;
3. 3,000 people in club seats on the east side; and
4. 650 chairback seats on the west side.

Yet the site claims that total seating for the stadium will increase from the current capacity of 107,501 to about 108,000 -- a net increase of only about 500 seats, depending upon what the "+" signs everywhere turn out to be.

Since they're adding 5,010 total premium seats in The Two Towers plus chairbacks, and since it's unlikely that the existing premium seats are going anywhere, that suggests that roughly 4,500 regular-Joe seats must be DISAPPEARING. I assume that's due to the seat widening, aisle widening, handicapped seating, etc.

Sucks for the little guy in Michigan -- unless he's fat, wobbly, and/or handicapped. Of course, that might be most of them.

Total expansion cost: $226M, $190M funded by issuing debt. If over the foreseeable future every suite costs on average $100k/year (current top price is $85k), and for the 8 home games/year you can get a chairback seat for $100/game or a club seat for $200/game, the increased revenue even after losing the 4,500 regular-Joe seats could be well over $10M/year. That's not including improved concessions revenue.

Impressive, but it still would take a generation to pay off the debt (think interest) under the best of circumstances -- if not for private donations and the "pay to play" money fans give for the privilege of subsequently buying seats. Just goes to show how critically a major college sports program depends on the will of its alumni to donate.

(...And the debt-fueled extremes to which these programs are willing to go to stay competitive with each other.)

I seem to recall them borrowing 190 million but they had something like 50 million on hand. Also, the interest rate on the borrowed money is 4%. Supposedly the carrying cost should be around 10 million. The minimum brought in by the new club seating and luxury boxes should be about 13 million. Estimates for revenue generated are higher.

Assuming Rich Rod can win some games and ensure that people keep coming, the AD should be able to pay its debts and still net about three million a year minimum.

This is why I've never gotten why the Big House is consistently ranked among the toughest places in the country to play. Yeah, there are an ass-load of people in the building, but a) they're relatively quiet and b) the way the stadium is designed, sound isn't trapped in the building.

The place that would scare the shiat out of me if I were a player is the newly-redesigned Boone Pickens Stadium at Oklahoma State. The fans look like they're maybe 10 feet from the visiting sideline. You get some drunk fans in that area and you're going to have some major problems eventually.

MIguy: ultimateklay: Could you ever imagine a stadium full of American fans being this passionate and coordinated.

Yes, seen it many times.

Haha. The breadth and detail of the examples you provided have done wonders to solidify your counterpoint. Well done.