Yep, there are about 30 FBS programs and 5-6 FCS programs that have "always-sell-out" attendance every year. Basically 1/2 the Big10 and SEC, and 2-3 ACC teams + montuckies and a couple SWACs.

None of those teams are in CA.
Lately, the problem seems to be getting worse for California programs. In California it isn't about adding seats, its about making existing seats/space better. Basically to raise revenue and survive.
The Davis community and students may be the sleepiest and most inconsistent of them all. Quite the challenge.

See I agree BUT I think if the team ever wants to move up and play in the MW they should obviously prioritize box and high-revnue seating and add some extra seating as I would assume higher interest (I’m talking get the stadium to like 18 or 20k or something in non-box seats).

I think a Davis stadium that size would be a much better idea than a sac 40k stadium with no conference plans :lol:

And preserve the ability for standing-room only. 25K in a 20K seating arrangement would be cool (or similiar).

FBS football feels pretty far off at moment. Davis takes a long time to do stuff. Aggie Stadium (and D1) was about 15 years overdue.
But yes...20k-25k capacity seems to be required for MWC football success.

I agree with the long game that Davis seems to play, but jeez I really am curious how this MW all sports but football works cause half of the students I talk to think we are gonna be playing Air Force in football next year... we cant escape the 2 league splits haha.

Am I creating revisionist history or was aggie stadium supposed to be 25k (or 15k? i cant remember) to start and then they scaled it back with the economy and steel prices?

It was built at a modest size with the ability to be expanded, but it seems like adding suites / seats on the home side might require rebuilding the press box / Bruce Edward's Room.

I believe it was originally designed with more steel raised structure, but was redesigned to a bowl due to high steel costs at the time.

It was designed to be "easily" expanded to 30k. I'm not sure what the original capacity was designed to be, or if it was value engineered down at all. *Edit* It appears the bowl was supposed to be 16k seats originally....see my pic in further post*

Seems like the original stadium design was the current setup with steel raised sections (from this LDA project)



https://humanecology.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk161/files/inline-files/HHarkins.pdf

I would much rather we have one side be boxes and the other side be about half as much seating if we expanded (and spread out wider than taller)

Early concept design...(above ground)



30k-ish build out design


Although I think this one is closer to 25k version of what we have now



Bowl is so much better IMO. Glad we settled on that.

I agree whole heartedly. The bowl is awesome because even if you built boxes/some extra seating shaped to the bowl on the other side you would just be able to take advantage/use the already existing bowl to keep sound in, make it feel more enclosed and real "stadium" like instead of having just 2 high school grandstands that eventually would have seating at each end.

Much rather have what seems to be the most likely reno plans than something like what we could be having (ie ball states design with one grass berm)

this is the plywood sign that was posted at the site 2004-ish. So at one point it was 16,000 base, expandable to 30,000 and was value engineered back to 10k. It was just built at an inopportune moment. National shortages of building supplies driven by Hurricane Katrina, unfavorable economic conditions, local labor shortage. And probably contributing was the low bid general contractor selected had zero experience with stadiums. They were a strip mall and apartment firm.

See I still would echo the idea that a stadium like this but with one side of pure boxes instead of a ton of extra seating on the press box side is a better money maker and would allow for more realistic capacities. I hope what we go with is a plan more like that than just two big huge sides of seating

I think it would be cool to enclose an endzone (or both) with some sort of suite situation with balconies and glass fronts. Keeps the sound in (considering Davis crowd starts making noise at some point).

Something like Vandy just did?

That's pretty cool! Might generate more revenue this way, as opposed to having a 1/2 full grass berm with GA tix sales.

Something like this I'm sure would be astronomically expensive. So who knows what the school comes up with in the future.....


With all that said......I'd rather keep the grass as we'd probably end up with some sh*t endzone situation like Sac has going on due to the cost.

Why dont we just ask the mondavi people pretty please for 200 million dollars

cc me pls so I can follow up :lol:

The thing that stands out in the expansion pictures is how slanted the upper decks would be. If you were in the top row on the east side, you might be able to jump into the rec pool on a hot day!

Colorado State has a cool plaza/beer garden. I'm not UC-educated and can't figure out how to paste the picture, but here's the link: https://csurams.com/facilities/the-new-belgium-porch/2058 Would be cool to place above one of the grassy knolls.

Speaking of the grassy knolls, there may be no better entertainment in college football than watching the free for all that takes place every Saturday on either berm. Spectacular carnage with kids rolling, fighting, and playing ball!

More on Vandy....It kinda feels like this is the future of stadium reno's in the near term.....

The berms are unbeatable as far as beauty and fun.

Very cool!

Interesting: Capacity is 35k, 12k less than their old stadium.
Old Ryan Field was U.G.L.Y.

Check out SMU. I believe that's what our stadium was modeled from.

Looks like they filled in their remaining endzone grass berm with a money maker as well....Definitely see the resemblance to Davis before the renovation.
https://gmitexas.com/project/smu-weber-end-zone/