An idea to improve Bobby Dodd Stadium.

[Ramble1885]

Tear it down and build a new modern stadium that is fan friendly and can be used for other events. Use the Atlanta Braves model. Open air, fewer seats, and where the fans are protected from most weather issues. Eventually television is going to rule more and more. The day of the mega stadiums may have peaked. Even some of the big SEC games are not seeing full stadiums.
Does anyone miss the old Orange Bowl or Tulane Stadium (former Sugar Bowl site)?

I get it but we modernized Bobby Dodd in ‘03, we can do it again. The edge center will help a lot with its new look.

 

[Ramble1885]

the only gripe i have ever had about BDS is bleacher seating. Place needs actual seats and not something from a high school stadium

Literally every other school in the CFB has mostly bleacher seats. Alabama has bleachers, LSU has em, Athens does too. Literally almost big CFB school does. It’s not bleachers that’s the problem. However, the current bleachers are kinda old and kinda rusty. I do agree that they need a replacement.

 

[Ramble1885]

Is there a world class stadium 2 miles away? We compete in a very different market. We won a lot with CPJ and still didn’t fill the stadium on a regular basis.

Yeah but we had like 45-50K in there for an ORDINARY game. We’d sellout like 1-2 games per year.

 

[Ramble1885]

Call me nostalgic but the best way to improve fan experience is to score more points than the other team.

I mean you aren’t wrong.

 

[Ramble1885]

Tear down the upper north, put all chair backs in the lower west, create a beer garden with local beers in the lower south stands. UNC did a similar thing where they changed their whole stadium to chair backs from bleachers. Lower concession prices, offer a drink and a pretzel/candy/popcorn combo for just a few dollars more than the single item. Example: 32 ounce drink $4, combo with popcorn: $6.

I’d rather tear down lower south than upper north. I like how the noise bounces off of the north stands.

 

[Ramble1885]

I just sat in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge for the LSU-Ole Miss game. Tiger Stadium (other than its video system, which is SUPERB) is old, decrepit, run-down and at least as 'bad' as Bobby Dodd. Food was terrible, prices were too high, etc. etc.

Our stadium is the fringe stuff. The steak is the team and the game itself. LSU fans had GREAT time yesterday in an old stadium and judging by the attendance, the stadium did not matter much.

THIS.

 

[bigbob]

the only gripe i have ever had about BDS is bleacher seating. Place needs actual seats and not something from a high school stadium

This is the first thing that need to be done.

 

[Thwg777]

Aside from my jab at actually winning…

Seating arrangements need to be reevaluated. What I mean by that is that I have CL - mainly due to having small children there. While I’m loud (and I’m teaching them to be as well), the section is generally silent.

Comfy chairs, open bar, food, etc. should be expanded to upper levels. Similar to Tech terrace but more seats. I’m good with students in the end zones but we need more life behind the opponents - maybe more students there too. Not sure the vibes in sect 105-107 lately on that side but our quietest fans are in what should be the noisiest section.

 

[Ramble1885]

Aside from my jab at actually winning…

Seating arrangements need to be reevaluated. What I mean by that is that I have CL - mainly due to having small children there. While I’m loud (and I’m teaching them to be as well), the section is generally silent.

Comfy chairs, open bar, food, etc. should be expanded to upper levels. Similar to Tech terrace but more seats. I’m good with students in the end zones but we need more life behind the opponents - maybe more students there too. Not sure the vibes in sect 105-107 lately on that side but our quietest fans are in what should be the noisiest section.

Where in CL do you sit? Because that’s where I sit as well! We’ve probably walked past each other sometime.

I do agree. While I’ve sat in CL most games, I sometimes walk over to the west stands and watch games there to see some tech friends I know. It’s a lot louder there because there’s more diehards and longtime alums. The CL is more of a wine and cheese section imo. We have our loud rowdy folks but most of it is recent alums.

 

[katlong]

I love the upper north. We sit down low in 218 - I can hear the band play and see the game very well - when they are on the opposite end of the field, I do have to squint or watch the board some, but it's a great view of how the team lines up (and was FANTASTIC when we ran TO). It's also easy to get in and out of, little lines at the restroom, etc. I wish it did have more fans there, but part of the draw for me is that it is affordable for those of us who are alum in the 6/7 that didn't make it to millionaire and that I don't have to stand the entire game. I know there are people who do - yay for them - I can be pretty loud sitting (and often am) and just stand when it's an important play and enjoy the game, make the noise when needed, etc. I'm not saying we shouldn't do something better with the stadium, just that you have to consider what you dislike about upper north is exactly what I and some others like about it.

 

[Ramble1885]

I love the upper north. We sit down low in 218 - I can hear the band play and see the game very well - when they are on the opposite end of the field, I do have to squint or watch the board some, but it's a great view of how the team lines up (and was FANTASTIC when we ran TO). It's also easy to get in and out of, little lines at the restroom, etc. I wish it did have more fans there, but part of the draw for me is that it is affordable for those of us who are alum in the 6/7 that didn't make it to millionaire and that I don't have to stand the entire game. I know there are people who do - yay for them - I can be pretty loud sitting (and often am) and just stand when it's an important play and enjoy the game, make the noise when needed, etc. I'm not saying we shouldn't do something better with the stadium, just that you have to consider what you dislike about upper north is exactly what I and some others like about it.

Upper north also has some killer views of the city. Great photo op.

 

[Towaliga]

I love the upper north. We sit down low in 218 - I can hear the band play and see the game very well - when they are on the opposite end of the field, I do have to squint or watch the board some, but it's a great view of how the team lines up (and was FANTASTIC when we ran TO). It's also easy to get in and out of, little lines at the restroom, etc. I wish it did have more fans there, but part of the draw for me is that it is affordable for those of us who are alum in the 6/7 that didn't make it to millionaire and that I don't have to stand the entire game. I know there are people who do - yay for them - I can be pretty loud sitting (and often am) and just stand when it's an important play and enjoy the game, make the noise when needed, etc. I'm not saying we shouldn't do something better with the stadium, just that you have to consider what you dislike about upper north is exactly what I and some others like about it.

I’m with you. I’m in 218 as well (first row below the tunnel walkway). I originally got those seats because of the price and not having to donate to the fund (I’m a non-millionaire sidewalk fan). Over time I’ve become more appreciative of the angle of the view you get as a play developed, especially with the TO. Also the view of the skyline is terrific. The UN doesn’t need to be removed, but modifications would help (ie beer garden, better concessions, better access to the rest of the stadium, etc ).

 

[Lil G]

Hear me out. One massive roof over the west side that covers the upper stands and part of the lower stands like Washington.

This will provide a spot the crowd can run to on rainy games. But more importantly imo- if you’ve sat in east stands for an afternoon game you know the sun murders your eyes 5-7pm. If this roof was tilted up instead of flat, this would take away a lot of the painful sun time. We could also do some awesome modernized equivalent to a church stain glass window but a massive “GT” on it. When the sun drops, no more eye sore but a huge glowing symbol of cool stuff that sets us apart. Maybe on certain moon at a certain time the “GT” glow shines onto the field? Some nerds would foam at the mouth for that kind of project

 

[wrmathis]

Literally every other school in the CFB has mostly bleacher seats. Alabama has bleachers, LSU has em, Athens does too. Literally almost big CFB school does. It’s not bleachers that’s the problem. However, the current bleachers are kinda old and kinda rusty. I do agree that they need a replacement.

Bleachers suck and is a problem for me after almost 20 years in the army. My back is ****ed up. And I’m sure plenty of other people feel the same.

 

[Ramble1885]

Bleachers suck and is a problem for me after almost 20 years in the army. My back is ****ed up. And I’m sure plenty of other people feel the same.

I feel for you. But my point was that bleachers aren’t a Tech only problem. They’re all over college football.

 

[85Escape]

I know this is specifically about BDS improvements, but I'd like to suggest focusing on the whole Gameday Experience. I'm still salty about the lack of support...much less encouragement...for tailgating. CFB is a social activity, but it seems like the GTAA wants to make it only about the actual football game. You want fans that show up no matter what? Then maximize the FOMO. Make people think "Oh, I don't want to stay home even though it's overcast and 42F. I don't want to miss hanging out with the tailgate crowd to get my mind-rite, and then going into BDS to cheer on the brave and bold!"

As to the stadium, the #1 thing is to fix the seating issues. Not only are bleachers sucky, but they are way too tight. I'm a reasonably fit 6' man for my age, and I barely fit on my 'space'. But when an extra large person sits next to me I have to be in their lap to even be on my seat. It's ridiculous. Since we don't sell out the games anyway we should re-number the stadium seating to give everyone extra space, even if we don't put in actual seats.

 

[UgaBlows]

We need to only make changes that don’t add debt at this point, until we pay-down the existing crushing debt. I do think turning the South endzone into a beer-garden would be awesome, craft beers and reasonable prices and bar-food would be really nice

 

[UgaBlows]

And definitely leave a few seats for the Goldfellas!

 

[Ramble1885]

We need to only make changes that don’t add debt at this point, until we pay-down the existing crushing debt. I do think turning the South endzone into a beer-garden would be awesome, craft beers and reasonable prices and bar-food would be really nice

yeah. The vision I have is a similar seating setup to how the place looked from 1988-2002. No south seats. (Obviously the north end is bigger now.) Some sort of area in between the endzone and the base of wardlaw. On field level.

 

[davidgray]

Ha! Getting into and out of our stadium is 100 times easier than going to a game in Athens, Clemson, Auburn, and the list goes on and on. What a sorry excuse.

I’ve been to Auburn and it was 5 times as easy to get in and out of. And this was a SEC conference game.