Temporary stands at the practice field?

[Alaskawildkat]

On weekends when football games would be played the Lakefront Campus is close to a ghost town. Not sure where everyone goes but there is lots of room for visitors.

 

[PURPLE Book Cat]

That’s too bad. Wonder what kinds of traffic they expected if the Olympics has come to Chicago. Thought I read that NU was to host some of that chaos too.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

A permanent stadium of 40,000 on campus and a temporary stadium of 15-20,000 are vastly different challenges from a movement of people perspective.

A 20,000 capacity stadium on campus does not present insurmountable movement of people challenges. Even so, I would much rather see a 15,000 capacity stadium on campus than a 25% full MLS stadium with no students 45 minutes away.

Agreed. We aren't going to draw flies at any of these proposed offsite stadiums. Especially for Puke or Miami Hydroxide. Also whoever the Directional Illinois team we have for the 3rd non con. Play those 3 there and the other 4 remotely.

 

[PURPLE Book Cat]

resurfacing this to mess with gocatsgo2003

 

[nan0bot]

I think that while logistics challenges exist and while capacity would be limited (revenue issues), the reality is that there isn't a current known solution and the alternatives of turning every home game into a travel game for the fans and students; home game for the visitors; or ghost town for all aren't ideal solutions either. So why not not be creative, market the hell out of NU and turn game day into a game day for all. Plus with limited capacity, you could end up taking advantage of the situation to help forward sell season tickets for the new stadium. It would be a great atmosphere for recruits and also garner national TV mention as well as highlight our fantastic campus. Just an opinion.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Hawaii has erected additional stands for fans at their on campus practice field since Aloha Stadium has been closed. Wnen their team is playing away games on the Mainland that facility should be available for our Home games. We could probably pack the stands with Wildcat fans willing to combine a home game with a weekend in Honolulu courtesy of Northwestern's tour group arrangers.

 

[SmellyCat]

I like the Hawaii idea, but maybe NU should play all their home games in Ireland. They ARE undefeated there, after all.

 

[MD_CatFan]

Food trucks in the Kellogg and SPAC lots? Pitch it as an economic benefit to Evanston small businesses and the city? Have a “local food festival” on campus.

re: Restrooms, per United Rentals you need one potty per 50 people. With a capacity of 20000, that’s 400 portapotties to fit underneath and around the temporary stands.

Also cap capacity at 20k or whatever that MLS stadium holds, which really isn’t that many.

PBC for AD. That is the post.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Seriously, how many people do we expect for EIU and Miami?

dOSU fans will suck up all the season tix to get the Wrigley game, then dump the rest. We will be lucky to get 8k for these games if they are remote. If it's possible to have 10k seats on the lakefill just do that. And to it for Mich just to pi$$ them off

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

resurfacing this to mess with gocatsgo2003

Still a terrible, impractical idea.

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

Seriously, how many people do we expect for EIU and Miami?

dOSU fans will suck up all the season tix to get the Wrigley game, then dump the rest. We will be lucky to get 8k for these games if they are remote. If it's possible to have 10k seats on the lakefill just do that. And to it for Mich just to pi$$ them off

Look up actual reported attendance during “normal seasons.” While maybe not directly “butts in seats,” the numbers are probably higher than you’d think. And the Athletic Department has to use those figures as they account for tickets sold, banking on no-shows would be another recipe for disaster.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Look up actual reported attendance during “normal seasons.” While maybe not directly “butts in seats,” the numbers are probably higher than you’d think. And the Athletic Department has to use those figures as they account for tickets sold, banking on no-shows would be another recipe for disaster.

Define "normal season". 2020. Abnormal. 2023 Abnormal. 2024 and 2025: Abby Normal. We are going to have 2 years of shite attendance for these remote games, unless you count a) the behemoth schools buying season tix to get their game only and dumping the other games and / or b) AD arm twisting for 2024/5 to get 2026 preference. Neither of these will result in butts in seats. Imagine the lesser games, at a remote field with like 5k fans and no students. Humiliating.

Note that we wouldn't be having this conversation if the AD didn't have his head up his ***.

 

[PURPLE Book Cat]

Still a terrible, impractical idea.

Playing football at Northwestern?

 

[Eurocat]

We will be lucky to get 8k for these games if they are remote.

Silly. We will sell out the White Sox stadium if we play there because while we have had games at Wrigley I don't believe football has ever been played there. People will go just for the novelty of it.

For any games on the South Side we should do something with our brother Big Ten school the University of Chicago and give their students the same policy we give our students (whatever that is, do we do free tickets? cheap tickets? it's been so long since I graduated I don't even know) we should give the same policy to their students and that alone might get 1000 in there.

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

Playing football at Northwestern?

No.

 

[mountaindrew]

Playing football at Northwestern?

OMG. There's ten minutes I'll never get back.

Louie or Cappy, can't we have a warning header on certain threads, something like "WARNING: This Thread Appears Interesting, But In Fact Because Of Purple Book Cat, GoCatsGo and EuroCat, It Is In Fact A Complete Waste of Your Valuable Time" ?? Goodness gracious.

 

[PURPLE Book Cat]

Well, there's ten minutes I'll never get back. Goodness gracious.

Louie or Cappy, can't we have a warning header on certain threads, something like "This Thread Appears Interesting, But In Fact Because Of Purple Book Cat, GoCatsGo and EuroCat, It Is In Fact A Complete Waste of Your Valuable Time" ??

Hey buddy, if you're browsing WildcatReport to preserve the value of your time, you might reevaluate your priorities

 

[CappyNU]

OMG. There's ten minutes I'll never get back.

Louie or Cappy, can't we have a warning header on certain threads, something like "This Thread Appears Interesting, But In Fact Because Of Purple Book Cat, GoCatsGo and EuroCat, It Is In Fact A Complete Waste of Your Valuable Time" ?? Goodness gracious.

No.

 

[mountaindrew]

No.

I see what you did there, but... I am not amused.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Silly. We will sell out the White Sox stadium if we play there because while we have had games at Wrigley I don't believe football has ever been played there. People will go just for the novelty of it.

For any games on the South Side we should do something with our brother Big Ten school the University of Chicago and give their students the same policy we give our students (whatever that is, do we do free tickets? cheap tickets? it's been so long since I graduated I don't even know) we should give the same policy to their students and that alone might get 1000 in there.

Silly? The only game that can be played at Sox park is Illinois, the others are too early or OSU Wrigley. Might get some novelty fans for ILL but, unless they are good, their support is pretty weak.

Indiana is at SeatGeek? Care to forecast the "novelty" attendance there?

Wisconsin may/may not be at Lambeau, anyway too early for baseball stadium.

EIU Puke and Miami Hydroxide are before students arrive. Wherever that is, I predict attendance of less than 20k...COMBINED.

 

[Eurocat]

Silly? The only game that can be played at Sox park is Illinois, the others are too early or OSU Wrigley. Might get some novelty fans for ILL but, unless they are good, their support is pretty weak.

Indiana is at SeatGeek? Care to forecast the "novelty" attendance there?

Wisconsin may/may not be at Lambeau, anyway too early for baseball stadium.

EIU Puke and Miami Hydroxide are before students arrive. Wherever that is, I predict attendance of less than 20k...COMBINED.

Ridiculous. 20k each at Soldier Field. Minimum.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Ridiculous. 20k each at Soldier Field. Minimum.

Gagg already announced that Soldier isn't an option because NU can't/won't wait until May to decide (when NFL schedules come out)

 

[nan0bot]

Playing football at Northwestern?

Agree with you. I never know why wanting to play at Northwestern is terrible or more impractical than other alternatives. It would be nice to compare and contrast all the current terrible and impractical ideas to see which is the least terrible and most practical on a rational basis.

 

[CappyNU]

These AI bots are getting slightly better in quality, but eventually they give the game away with their terrible syntax.

 

[xxxbobxxx]

Silly. We will sell out the White Sox stadium if we play there because while we have had games at Wrigley I don't believe football has ever been played there. People will go just for the novelty of it.

For any games on the South Side we should do something with our brother Big Ten school the University of Chicago and give their students the same policy we give our students (whatever that is, do we do free tickets? cheap tickets? it's been so long since I graduated I don't even know) we should give the same policy to their students and that alone might get 1000 in there.

Doesn’t UoC still have a small football field?

 

[ohiovalleycat]

I like the idea of building able to have the temporary seaa

A permanent stadium of 40,000 on campus and a temporary stadium of 15-20,000 are vastly different challenges from a movement of people perspective.

A 20,000 capacity stadium on campus does not present insurmountable movement of people challenges. Even so, I would much rather see a 15,000 capacity stadium on campus than a 25% full MLS stadium with no students 45 minutes away.

I agree with idea the of installing temporary capacity on-campus for the early season games:

• Aug. 31, 2024: vs. Miami (Ohio)
• Sept. 7, 2024: vs. Duke.
• Sept. 14, 2024: vs. Eastern Illinois
• Oct. 5, 2024: vs. Indiana

With the above schedule, a smaller seating capacity would seem to suffice for the early season games and actually may be a better fit as far as having a full-looking stadium. Could there be any creativity as far as working out Park N Ride shuttles at various points in Evanston and Chicagoland to overcome parking issues??? And imagine the awesome view of the early fall Lake Michigan and Chicago skyline from Northwestern's campus being marketed to the TV audience across the country?

The rest of the schedule feels like the larger attendance games that would suit a permanent stadium:

• Oct. 19, 2024: vs. Wisconsin.
• Nov. 16, 2024: vs. Ohio State.
• Nov. 30, 2024: vs. Illinois.

I guess they have to hold Wrigley Field in October and early November in case the Cubs make an extended playoff run. Still, SOMETHING has to be open by those later October and November dates. SeatGeek seems to be open on Oct. 19 with the Chicago Fire in Soldier Field. and there is no soccer game at SeakGeek between October 13 and November 2, so it feels like there should not be logistical issues switching the stadium field back from soccer to football to back to soccer. Wrigley is already set for Ohio State on Nov. 16. Wrigley, Soldier Field, and SeakGeek all seem to be available on November 30.

Is this really this difficult?

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

Doesn’t UoC still have a small football field?

It has a seating capacity under 2000. Even if they would allow additional temporary seating, which I doubt, I can't think of any reason to choose it over SeatGeek.

 

[Eurocat]

Doesn’t UoC still have a small football field?

Not really, most high schools have bigger stands and capacities than they do.

 

[CSCatFan1]

Not really, most high schools have bigger stands and capacities than they do.

Amos Alonzo Stagg Field (football, soccer, lacrosse, softball, outdoor track)​

The Stagg Field complex is named for UChicago football coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, who led the Maroons from 1892 to 1932. The football playing surface is comprised of FieldTurf, with end zones oriented north and south. The playing field is encircled by Ted Haydon Track and official seating capacity is 1,650.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Amos Alonzo Stagg Field (football, soccer, lacrosse, softball, outdoor track)​

The Stagg Field complex is named for UChicago football coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, who led the Maroons from 1892 to 1932. The football playing surface is comprised of FieldTurf, with end zones oriented north and south. The playing field is encircled by Ted Haydon Track and official seating capacity is 1,650.

I'm surprised they left out the most distinguishing factor relating to Stagg Field. It was under Stagg Field that the nuclear bomb was developed.

 

[TXnumbCAT]

Do either 1) Long Field or 2) Deering Meadow have enough room for a temporary modular stadium??

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

No.

It spreads.

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

I like the idea of building able to have the temporary seaa

I agree with idea the of installing temporary capacity on-campus for the early season games:

• Aug. 31, 2024: vs. Miami (Ohio)
• Sept. 7, 2024: vs. Duke.
• Sept. 14, 2024: vs. Eastern Illinois
• Oct. 5, 2024: vs. Indiana

With the above schedule, a smaller seating capacity would seem to suffice for the early season games and actually may be a better fit as far as having a full-looking stadium. Could there be any creativity as far as working out Park N Ride shuttles at various points in Evanston and Chicagoland to overcome parking issues??? And imagine the awesome view of the early fall Lake Michigan and Chicago skyline from Northwestern's campus being marketed to the TV audience across the country?

The rest of the schedule feels like the larger attendance games that would suit a permanent stadium:

• Oct. 19, 2024: vs. Wisconsin.
• Nov. 16, 2024: vs. Ohio State.
• Nov. 30, 2024: vs. Illinois.

I guess they have to hold Wrigley Field in October and early November in case the Cubs make an extended playoff run. Still, SOMETHING has to be open by those later October and November dates. SeatGeek seems to be open on Oct. 19 with the Chicago Fire in Soldier Field. and there is no soccer game at SeakGeek between October 13 and November 2, so it feels like there should not be logistical issues switching the stadium field back from soccer to football to back to soccer. Wrigley is already set for Ohio State on Nov. 16. Wrigley, Soldier Field, and SeakGeek all seem to be available on November 30.

Is this really this difficult?

Reportedly Indiana is already set (insofar as anything in this situation can really be considered “set”) for SeatGeek.

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

Do either 1) Long Field or 2) Deering Meadow have enough room for a temporary modular stadium??

No.

 

[Sheffielder]

This topic is the textbook definition of message board fodder...people applying the most sincere, highly theoretical logic possible to a situation that is in no way actually based in reality.

I tend to believe the rumors about the Athletic Dept. not liking the lakeside field idea are for tangible, well-researched reasons. I see talk about traffic and people movement...for all we know, the ground that the temporary bleachers would sit on isn't strong enough to hold the weight of X thousand fans (I recently listened to a podcast related to structural things like this that us non architect/engineer types never think about), or it would cost eleventy million dollars to set it all up and it's not worth the return on investment...or maybe it would require City of Evanston approval and we used up all our favors with the mayor.

Honestly, if this were feasible, what reason in god's name would Derrick Gragg not want to go for it when he appears to be very short on Plan B options?

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Honestly, if this were feasible, what reason in god's name would Derrick Gragg not want to go for it when he appears to be very short on Plan B options?

Because he's a doof. Now, it is probably not feasible, but let's not use Gagg's sagacity as proof.

The Fitz Mahal is a lot heavier than a few thousand fans, is that ground more stable?

 

[jne381]

Is Lakeshore Park, right in front of the Downtown Campus, big enough to throw up some stands and play a game? If it is, that would be a really cool sight.

 

[Fanaticat98]

Is Lakeshore Park, right in front of the Downtown Campus, big enough to throw up some stands and play a game? It it is, that would be a really cool sight.

No and there’s nowhere to park or have locker rooms. They’d have good medical facilities next door though! At least at the lakefill field they would have locker room and injury care facilities at the practice facility.

 

[NUCat320]

I bet there’s lots of space at Northwestern University-Qatar. Could that work?

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

I bet there’s lots of space at Northwestern University-Qatar. Could that work?

I'll bet it will be pretty hot, though.