RAC Seats Potential to Increase
- Thread starter fg7321
- Start date
How many more will the Piscataway fire department allow without building more exits? Years ago when West Virginia was near the top of the rankings, we used to sell standing room. Behind 118 in the lobby was a clock where the R in Rutgers Scarlet Knights is currently. That is where I stood on my tip toes. I was able to see about two-thirds of the Court , but most importantly I could see both baskets. That was a crazy win.We had over 9,000 for that game. After that I think the firemen said no more standing room. Maybe we could take out all the seats in The RAC and have the whole place be bleachers, but we would need to have more exits, plus we already need more bathrooms. I would guess putting more exit doors on the Hospital Road end would be fairly easy. Out in front maybe we could get rid of some or all of the ticket office. Perhaps it could be moved right to the front of the RWJ Barnabas Center. When you walk into RWJ there is quite a lot of empty space to the left.
I think expansion is a bit premature. Demand for less inventory is better than empty seats, especially if you can increase ticket prices and make additional revenue without a capital expense. Empty seats don't buy beer and hot dogs.
Not sure where you could add temporary seating. The building probably is maxed out for code (not to mention where would you put these seats) when it comes to restroom facilities, as well as ingress and egress. At least when the football stadium had the temporary bleachers, there was nothing on that hill.
Not sure where you could add temporary seating. The building probably is maxed out for code (not to mention where would you put these seats) when it comes to restroom facilities, as well as ingress and egress. At least when the football stadium had the temporary bleachers, there was nothing on that hill.
i don't know much about fire code, but if the reason the student seats are back so far is because of code then why not just put some temporary stairs near the top of each side for additional egress? Add doors/stairs to the building wherever they are needed.
From my perspective, the way to do it would involve a major redesign of 118/the concourse area. First they would need to push out the front of the building to make room in the lobby. Then media center and concourse would need to be gutted opening up the extra space (with the media center being relocated). Stands could be built going up from there, allowing for a gap at the concourse level where you could have the handicap seating (it would just be moved further away from the court than it currently sits). You would be able to extend the seating further up (a new section 218). The number of rows would depend on how much space you've created by opening up the front. Lastly, you could turn the offices into luxury boxes and add a few rows of seats that create an overhang over the new section 118 (like the Audi Club seating at the football stadium).
Where on earth is there space to add 2,000 more seats to the RAC? That's 25% of the current capacity...
Make the glass area above the concourse luxury boxes.
Extend seating out from the glass area down towards where the handicap pavilion is, looking similar to how the seats extend out from the luxury boxes at football stadium.
Leave enough space under the extended seating for handicaps.
Fill in open space in front of the four roof support poles.
Extend seating out from the glass area down towards where the handicap pavilion is, looking similar to how the seats extend out from the luxury boxes at football stadium.
Leave enough space under the extended seating for handicaps.
Fill in open space in front of the four roof support poles.
Capacity used to be over 8500 (500 more than today) before they reconfigured some of the seating a while back. I'd bet you could come close (9000? 9500?) without too much of a radical change to the building.
What about selling out the place for a few years before talking about expansion?
I'd think 2k is probably the limit. You can definitely add seats in the 118 end of the court up over the concourse. There could also be opportunities to expand a bit into the corners if there was structural support built - but that closes off functional floor space, too.
To RU_DIO's point, too, we need a few years of sellouts (and the resultant increase in ticket prices) to warrant it.
While it's great these games are sellouts, there are a lot of freebies and ticket discount specials needed to do it.
Currently the seating in the RAC is approx as follows:
100 Sides = 1500
200 Level = 2400
300 Level = 2300
118/Floor/HC = 200
Student Sec = 1600
You can certainly add a few student rows in front of the current section and put 118 back to bleachers to gain a few hundred seats. I don't think you want to reconvert the 100 sections behind the benches back to bleacher style seating to squeeze in another hundred there. But that is about it without a major reconfigure.
I've posted this numerous times before... one more time can't hurt. :Wink:
Early rendering of the RAC (circa 1976)
As it stands, the only place to add seats: where the offices are now located.
Early rendering of the RAC (circa 1976)
As it stands, the only place to add seats: where the offices are now located.
I've posted this numerous times before... one more time can't hurt. :Wink:
Early rendering of the RAC (circa 1976)
As it stands, the only place to add seats: where the offices are now located.
Which is what I said further up in this thread.
You can see in the rendering what I mean with respect to seats extending out from where the current glass offices are.
Make that luxury boxes.
They have to improve the flow of people in the concourse and add more bathrooms if they want one more seat in there. It's been a bottleneck all season esp with the addition of the beer sales.
Agreed. Plus need to widen the side concourses by pushing them outward and add additional restrooms in the back side of the RAC opposite to the main concourse.
There is more revenue to be had with 8,000 seats vs. 10,000 (I know that is counterintuitive) until we have a few years of 6,5000 season tickets sold.
If the trajectory of the program continues as it has, just start by raising the prices of the tickets first. Other than students, the general population can certainly pay more to see a great product. Continued demand will decide on adding more seats to a place that certainly seems to work to the team's advantage.
Before I did this, I think the school should offer some kind of package for more than a year's season at a discounted price from what it would be otherwise. Win, win for both sides.
Before I did this, I think the school should offer some kind of package for more than a year's season at a discounted price from what it would be otherwise. Win, win for both sides.
Yes, if you expand the outer concourses, they can include windows to allow for natural light to make it more inviting. I would also add colorful wraps (or panels) to the walls with pictures of various games/ events that took place there. Do as much as we can to eliminate the 1970s Soviet architecture feel.
As Piscataway mike has said... the only way to add seating to RAC is on the end where section 118 is...
This would require extending the building out to allow for room for a new concourse that would need to be built to replace the current concourse that would be under the seats (but
This could bring capacity to approx 10000.
That’s it ...
This would require extending the building out to allow for room for a new concourse that would need to be built to replace the current concourse that would be under the seats (but
This could bring capacity to approx 10000.
That’s it ...
And there has to be adequate handicapped seating which everyone conveniently ignores.
It might be in reference to the circa 1982? or 83? game that I believe was a CBS national TV broadcast against No. 6? ranked WVU. Unless that game was at Brendan Byrne in the Meadowlands, not totally sure.
I remember that game well and it was probably the loudest I've ever heard the RAC and I've been going to game since its first year. I had good seats in the 100s but you could barely get out of the aisle because people were allowed to sit (or stand) on the steps. You would sweat through the entire game because people were almost on top of you. Those were fun times that will never be duplicated (for good reason) due to fire codes.
The place is a weapon. I wouldn't touch it.
BINGO. And as I've posted a picture of the RAC with 118 plus some small bleachers for Julie to sit in they can even put a bigger set in there. Or as also posted in that pic of the other square arena like ours put the suites upstairs like heaven said and run a big bleachers section up....with handicapped row where it us. Not hard. Maybe plus 750 to 1k seats...but that would be cool.
Putting some bleachers in is cheap and maybe just Maybe more seats would be sold to people like my that don't want to or can't sit all the way up there in mid 300.
You folks have never heard of a dormer? I live in an expanded Cape Cod. The dormers protruding out the front create some amazing space and the entire back of my house is extended creating even more room . this is 2020 not 1976. I would think there are amazing options for a metal roofed building 45 years later.
And yeah, if course they'd have to address restrooms and fire exits.
Im guessing we removed the 118 wood bleachers because they made our old arena look like a high school.
I'm hoping they renovate the RAC but I would assume they would want some sustained success and a continued attendance spike before doing it.
Any bleachers going up from the lobby can simply provide for the same existing spots they now have.
So the purpose of the facility is about how it LOOKS on TV and not the environment it creates, the fan experience, or the ability to get more people in it?
OK, I'll re-post as well. He is the RAC with 118 AND some small bleachers in the lobby. And why couldn't they be bigger? Foundation support? (yet the have tons of people walking on the floor). Look at all that open space in the corner of the student section...now look at the next picture.
