dome

[Critical Thinker]

Just did some research. JSU averages 14,462 per game. Assuming that carries over, the new stadium will be 71% empty. No matter how nice the building looks, 29% capacity will not impress recruits. Also, 50k seats takes up a lot of room; there's no way 14k fans will fill the dome with noise, even if all of them will yell throughout the game. JSU mentioned something about the prohibitive costs of expanding later as opposed to now, but how do they expect to more than triple the attendance?

Remember Ford Field for the MAC Championship? There were two nearly full sides, but nearly empty behind the endzone with the upper deck as dead as Oak Grove Cemetery. I don't know about you guys, but I could barely hear our own band two sections away from me. The sound would travel to the NIU side and wouldn't really bounce back to ours. There was just so much empty space, it was hard to make loud. I suspect the JSU dome will be do different, except even more empty and quiet.

This kind of dome is the EXACT opposite of what BG needs. An empty stadium would look awful for those weekday night ESPN games. I fear that using a dome would be just like Ford Field: too much empty space to be loud. We can't have a low, flat roof like the Ice Arena, either. Our field should be as loud and unforgiving as possible, especially with the Falcon Fanatics as the 12th man. Plus, don't forget about the Sebo Center. I'm almost sure the structure wouldn't support another load, and moving the field would make the Sebo a complete waste and an awkward looking building (think of all the traffic from I-75 and the lost advertising potential). The Doyt is crumbling, and something has to happen, but a dome would be a bad idea.

[AZZZZ]

Did someone say pressbox?

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-n ... share_copy

[TG1996]

I think I've said it before, but despite the cold, I was a bit of a fan with how Crew Stadium felt for football. It only seats about 20K, including some seats where we couldn't put them (Sebo side), so I don't know how well it would expand, but as far as having access to seating from above or below and decent sightlines and a closed atmosphere, I thought it worked. Two tiers on the sidelines are also nice, for those that prefer to sit a little higher, without having to hike up 30-some rows.

Of course, I think that if they're tearing down and rebuilding, something like what we have now also works as long as there's more than one tunnel for 2+ sections to get people in and out. Also, raising the Falcon Club/Bookstore tents a little higher, leaving either a few rows of seats or a hillside in front would be a good look. I enjoy the camaraderie in the Falcon Club tent, but hate feeling like I'm missing 90% of the field by being at such a low angle.

And the Jetsons press box, of course.

[Flipper]

You ever been to the top of the arch in St Louis? You ride in this little cart like some kind of coal miner or something....It'd take them all day just to get their snacks up there

[TG1996]

I have. It's the most fascinating terrifying experience of my life.

[Flipper]

For me getting married and being in the delivery room when my daughter was born top it...but yeah...

[TG1996]

Those Arch capsules are a little like childbirth, I suppose...

[MarkL]

Few quick dome thoughts ...

Interesting idea. Not that I would necessarily support it but I'd be willing to listen.
If we didn't already build a Stroh Center, I'd give it more thought. A Kibbie Dome style building to encompass basketball, football, and maybe more would have been an awesome idea to be proposed about 5 - 10 years ago.
A bit larger than Kibbie Dome type size would be pretty good. That stadium sits less than 20,000, which is appropriate for Moscow, Idaho. Around 30,000 seats with the possibility of filling in both end zones to increase to 40,000 for when we host big name teams would be appropriate for Bowling Green, Ohio. That would be obscenely loud, and honestly it would even be pretty loud when we only draw 11,000 when hosting Eastern Michigan, certainly far louder than the Doyt with that kind of crowd..
We've won at least our last four games in domes (03 Motor City Bowl, 07 at Minnesota, 2011 at Idaho, last week vs NIU). I don't know prior history. Just a thought ...
If around the same time that the Doyt is to be updated the hockey arena needed a serious renovation or there is another need for an indoor part-time use facility, I would seriously consider revisiting this idea.
How much would it cost to build and then to maintain a dome vs a concrete stadium? If I had to take a guess, I'd say a dome built correctly would have lower maintenance costs but would be really expensive for initial construction.
The band would sound awful in the dome, which is a big enough deal to me to be a bit against it.

Not gonna lie ... if somebody in administration mentioned the possibility of a dome, I'd be willing to give it some input. My instinct is it would just be too expensive and the proper solution is going to be a one side at a time renovation of the Doyt.

[transfer2BGSU]

Once the dome over the entire campus is completed, you won't need a dome for the football stadium.