Georgia State vs Bobby Dodd Stadium

[GTBlaze]

Georgia State football Stadium looks more modern with better features than Bobby Dodd especially with their big scoreboard. At least it does on the internet.

I know Bobby Dodd has the history behind it but it appears to me that the old Turner Field seems to be a much better venue to watch a football game with real seats, etc

has anyone been to their stadium and experienced a football game there?

just curious on everybody’s thoughts about their stadium compared to ours

 

[yeti92]

Their stadium sucks. /thread

 

[Oakland]

Georgia State football Stadium looks more modern with better features than Bobby Dodd especially with their big scoreboard. At least it does on the internet.

I know Bobby Dodd has the history behind it but it appears to me that the old Turner Field seems to be a much better venue to watch a football game with real seats, etc

has anyone been to their stadium and experienced a football game there?

just curious on everybody’s thoughts about their stadium compared to ours

Here, I did this for you. See for yourself. One of the oddest places in college football to watch a game.

Center Parc Stadium Seating Chart - RateYourSeats.com

Georgia State Football Seating Chart at Center Parc Stadium. View the interactive seat map with row numbers, seat views, tickets and more.

www.rateyourseats.com

 

[MonroeJacket]

This ought to be good.

 

[RonJohn]

The biggest thing that bothered me about BDS was the discolored and rusted metal in the Upper East section. They painted that last year, and it looked good last year. They redid the sound system last year(or year before). They have done work to make cell phone reception better in the stadium. BDS has a large scoreboard. I don't have any issues with the stadium as a facility.

There are some issues with operation that have been discussed frequently on this board. However, to compare the facility to a 26k seat stadium that was carved out of a baseball field is ridiculous.

 

[smokey_wasp]

Trollololol

 

[presjacket]

Georgia State was a great place to watch baseball or the Olympics.

 

[GTBlaze]

The biggest thing that bothered me about BDS was the discolored and rusted metal in the Upper East section. They painted that last year, and it looked good last year. They redid the sound system last year(or year before). They have done work to make cell phone reception better in the stadium. BDS has a large scoreboard. I don't have any issues with the stadium as a facility.

There are some issues with operation that have been discussed frequently on this board. However, to compare the facility to a 26k seat stadium that was carved out of a baseball field is ridiculous.



View attachment 10910

wow that stadium looks a heck of a lot bigger on the web than 26k. Interesting!

not being a troll at all. I just saw something come across about their stadium on the internet (never looked at it before) and the pics I saw looked pretty good

I was just wondering about the difference between the two

yes.. that’s a very weird seat layout for sure!

 

[Techster]

Remember how I said "Chaos is a ladder" in the expansion thread? Well, I wonder if a P5 (for now) conference is looking towards GA State.

Many years ago I said GA State would be what was then Division 1 before not too long. Everyone was incredulous that an upstart program at a commuter school just down the road from GA Tech with no football history could jump to D1 football so fast. Fast forward to 2013, 3 years after they started football, GA State joined the Sun Belt at the FBS level. If it wasn't for the chaos of the last expansion round, GA State probably doesn't sniff FBS that quickly, but they used that chaos to fast track their rise to FBS.

Now we're on the doorstep of another round of expansion chaos, and GA State could use it to improve their situation...possibly into a P5 conference. Whether you think GA State's program is a joke or not, they are still sitting in the #10 media market in the Nation, and #1 in the Southeast. Their football stadium was designed specifically for future expansion. Sure, they may not be a good football program at the moment, but they don't need to be. Other conferences can look at GA State as an investment towards the future. Recruiting at GA State looks totally different if they get asked to fill a void in the Big 12...or ACC if GT leaves for B1G (or SEC). Their basketball program is actually competitive and could probably compete at a decent level Day 1.

This next round of expansion will definitely uplift a school that probably had no chance at P5 before. Teams like UCF/GA State, two teams in really good markets could find themselves in a better position than they could have imagined.

 

[Jacketman]

Remember how I said "Chaos is a ladder" in the expansion thread? Well, I wonder if a P5 (for now) conference is looking towards GA State.

Many years ago I said GA State would be what was then Division 1 before not too long. Everyone was incredulous that an upstart program at a commuter school just down the road from GA Tech with no football history could jump to D1 football so fast. Fast forward to 2013, 3 years after they started football, GA State joined the Sun Belt at the FBS level. If it wasn't for the chaos of the last expansion round, GA State probably doesn't sniff FBS that quickly, but they used that chaos to fast track their rise to FBS.

Now we're on the doorstep of another round of expansion chaos, and GA State could use it to improve their situation...possibly into a P5 conference. Whether you think GA State's program is a joke or not, they are still sitting in the #10 media market in the Nation, and #1 in the Southeast. Their football stadium was designed specifically for future expansion. Sure, they may not be a good football program at the moment, but they don't need to be. Other conferences can look at GA State as an investment towards the future. Recruiting at GA State looks totally different if they get asked to fill a void in the Big 12...or ACC if GT leaves for B1G (or SEC). Their basketball program is actually competitive and could probably compete at a decent level Day 1.

This next round of expansion will definitely uplift a school that probably had no chance at P5 before. Teams like UCF/GA State, two teams in really good markets could find themselves in a better position than they could have imagined.

GSU isn't even too far off. Excellent basketball program and football is rising- not great, but they're a consistent bowl team now.

 

[Josh H]

The best thing about catching a GA State game is $4 tall boy beers.

Turner field had a massive footprint as the Olympic stadium, and was always off as a baseball stadium because of it. The nose bleeds in right field tell that story. The football field is has the sarcophagus of that stadium all around it.

But hey, $4 beers.

 

[Oakland]

Remember how I said "Chaos is a ladder" in the expansion thread? Well, I wonder if a P5 (for now) conference is looking towards GA State.

Many years ago I said GA State would be what was then Division 1 before not too long. Everyone was incredulous that an upstart program at a commuter school just down the road from GA Tech with no football history could jump to D1 football so fast. Fast forward to 2013, 3 years after they started football, GA State joined the Sun Belt at the FBS level. If it wasn't for the chaos of the last expansion round, GA State probably doesn't sniff FBS that quickly, but they used that chaos to fast track their rise to FBS.

Now we're on the doorstep of another round of expansion chaos, and GA State could use it to improve their situation...possibly into a P5 conference. Whether you think GA State's program is a joke or not, they are still sitting in the #10 media market in the Nation, and #1 in the Southeast. Their football stadium was designed specifically for future expansion. Sure, they may not be a good football program at the moment, but they don't need to be. Other conferences can look at GA State as an investment towards the future. Recruiting at GA State looks totally different if they get asked to fill a void in the Big 12...or ACC if GT leaves for B1G (or SEC). Their basketball program is actually competitive and could probably compete at a decent level Day 1.

This next round of expansion will definitely uplift a school that probably had no chance at P5 before. Teams like UCF/GA State, two teams in really good markets could find themselves in a better position than they could have imagined.

A couple of things. There are other schools that would be a much better draw for the Big 12 to choose from. Georgia Tech is not going to the B1G or SEC. The SEC does not want Tech and Tech can't afford the Grant of Rights money to go to the B1G. Ga. State may be sitting in the #10 media market in the nation, but so was the Atlanta Thrashers. I agree with you that the expansion chaos has helped their cause. Not sure about their stadium being designed for expansion. It's a baseball stadium that was made into a football stadium. The east side stands can be enlarged, but not unless there is a serious demand for more seats. I do like their parking situation and their chair back seats versus our bench seats. I always thought that Ga. State should have built a stadium similar to what Kennesaw State or Mercer did and work their way up once better fan support came about.

 

[mts315]

With the collapse of the Big12, there are 8 P5 teams that will be looking for a new home. At current the ACC needs 1 or 2 based of if we can get ND to get to 16, the SEC will be at 16, The BIG will need 2 teams, and the PAC12 is too far away to try and pull Georgia State. There is no legitimate power conference for GSU to go to at this point.

Also, the talk of the SEC going to a 20 team super conference is unrealistic. The money isn't there for that. At the end of the day college football is about your team. A 20 team SEC alienates way to many teams to be truly viable long term.

 

[Tech Lawyer]

Prediction: GSU upsets Auburn on September 26. The Panthers visit UNC the previous week to get their feet wet and probably get trounced., But they will more than hold their own verses the Tigers. Auburn visits Happy Valley the week before and travels to LSU the week after. Prime upset material. First year Head Coaches usually have at least one bad upset.

 

[Vespidae]

Since the thread is about stadiums, I’ll stick to that.

BDS is one of my two favorite stadiums to watch a game, the other being Ole Miss. By today’s game day experience expectations, it is woefully out of date. There are no visible sight lines to the field from the concourses, luxury and loge seats are few, and overall food is ok but limited.

Folks talk about sidewalk fans? They want a fun “game day experience“ and that includes the facility. BDS today is marginally better than my high school stadium and that was 1960s too. (The school built a new stadium away from campus with excellent parking and close to restaurants. Attendance exploded and is a Friday night sellout today.)

The highest concentration of Tech alumni is N Atlanta. I wonder what would happen if Tech built a 30,000 seat, state of the art stadium there for a few games there and rented it for events to others on non game days ... I know Stansbury wants MBS because he can sell corporate suites and booze, but and potential fans (families) are in Dunwoody, Roswell and Alpharetta.

We love BDS. But while it was state of the art in 1960, it is not current with today’s expectations. Just my opinion.

 

[Techster]

Since the thread is about stadiums, I’ll stick to that.

BDS is one of my two favorite stadiums to watch a game, the other being Ole Miss. By today’s game day experience expectations, it is woefully out of date. There are no visible sight lines to the field from the concourses, luxury and loge seats are few, and overall food is ok but limited.

Folks talk about sidewalk fans? They want a fun “game day experience“ and that includes the facility. BDS today is marginally better than my high school stadium and that was 1960s too. (The school built a new stadium away from campus with excellent parking and close to restaurants. Attendance exploded and is a Friday night sellout today.)

The highest concentration of Tech alumni is N Atlanta. I wonder what would happen if Tech built a 30,000 seat, state of the art stadium there for a few games there and rented it for events to others on non game days ... I know Stansbury wants MBS because he can sell corporate suites and booze, but and potential fans (families) are in Dunwoody, Roswell and Alpharetta.

We love BDS. But while it was state of the art in 1960, it is not current with today’s expectations. Just my opinion.

I went to the Notre Dame game in South Bend in 2015. IMO, BDS is a way better venue. In terms of game day atmosphere I'm not sure we're on par with ND, but BDS is definitely a better physical venue with better sight lines. I would also say that BDS is on par with Michigan's football stadium in terms of physical venue quality (definitely not in size). I think game day operations is better run at Michigan and ND.

Point is, historical college stadiums are pretty much all the same. They're old, and it's part of the college charm. BDS is actually one of the better historical stadiums due to spacing and backdrop...the only problem is our gameday atmosphere is severely lacking compared to the other schools. Atmosphere makes up for a LOT of issues related to age. When Atlanta United played at BDS, the atmosphere was AMAZING. To this day, Atlanta United fans still miss the atmosphere at BDS. Mercedes Benze is an infinitely better venue than BDS (spending $1.5+ billion helps), but unless the Benze is packed all the to the top levels, the Benze just can't recreate what Atlanta United had at BDS.

 

[GTBlaze]

I am so pumped for the upcoming season but I seriously cannot stand the cheesy money down. Need new announcer asap

 

[FlatsLander]

I am so pumped for the upcoming season but I seriously cannot stand the cheesy money down. Need new announcer asap

Yes! the announcer sounds like he's calling a HS basketball game. He sounds so cheesy and uninterested all the time. I'm hoping they looked at the gameday experience (videoboard, sound, music selection, announcer, crowd engagement, etc) and made some major changes.

 

[Coloradojacket]

Since the thread is about stadiums, I’ll stick to that.

BDS is one of my two favorite stadiums to watch a game, the other being Ole Miss. By today’s game day experience expectations, it is woefully out of date. There are no visible sight lines to the field from the concourses, luxury and loge seats are few, and overall food is ok but limited.

Folks talk about sidewalk fans? They want a fun “game day experience“ and that includes the facility. BDS today is marginally better than my high school stadium and that was 1960s too. (The school built a new stadium away from campus with excellent parking and close to restaurants. Attendance exploded and is a Friday night sellout today.)

The highest concentration of Tech alumni is N Atlanta. I wonder what would happen if Tech built a 30,000 seat, state of the art stadium there for a few games there and rented it for events to others on non game days ... I know Stansbury wants MBS because he can sell corporate suites and booze, but and potential fans (families) are in Dunwoody, Roswell and Alpharetta.

We love BDS. But while it was state of the art in 1960, it is not current with today’s expectations. Just my opinion.

Wow...when I was a kid just going to Grant Field and watching the Jackets was the game day experience. The Ramblin Wreck, the band, the flash cards. Lunch at the Varsity prior to the game. Now what we have to entertain people while they are at the game? Hell many I look at are so busy on their smart phones what need is there for more entertainment.

Bring back the guys selling cokes in the stands.....

 

[Vespidae]

Wow...when I was a kid just going to Grant Field and watching the Jackets was the game day experience. The Ramblin Wreck, the band, the flash cards. Lunch at the Varsity prior to the game. Now what we have to entertain people while they are at the game? Hell many I look at are so busy on their smart phones what need is there for more entertainment.

Bring back the guys selling cokes in the stands.....

I get it. I prefer the stadium experience from the 80's.

But if you read the fan preference surveys for new stadium design, clearly tastes have changed. A new stadium recently went up, 20K attendance and parking is super easy. It looks like it will be very fan friendly.

I'm not sure it matters much. I understand that 30 years ago, it was stadium attendance that mattered. Now, they look at "views" and break that down by live (stadium), stream, phone, etc. The total number is what they look at ... so I don't think you'll see AD's fret too much about declining live attendance as long as the stream compensates.

I recall reading that no one really cares if ANYONE attends a live game. College football is content now ... look at the Wednesday night games. Nary a fan in sight.