When Halton was built, there was at least some grumbling that it was too small. TV has changed all of that. Littlejohn will now be smaller than Halton. And it begs the question of whether an eventual updated for Halton shouldnt include removing some seating in favor of luxury boxes too? Some of the best hoops arenas these days are 7-10k. Look at games at VCU, Wichita State, etc.
When TWC arena was built, the team effectively downsized from the 23k arena on Tyvola. This was pro basketball.
If anyone looks past Kentucky, and maybe one or two other programs (eg Tennessee), most of the SEC schools have arenas closer to the size of Halton than the pro sized arenas like KY, Louisville, Memphis, etc.
Itâs happening in football now too. The CUSA schools with large older bowls (eg UTEP & Rice) cover a portion of their seats permanently. I suspect that is coming for many big 10 schools as well.
However, mirroring the economy - there is a trend to cater to the prvileged (1%) types with more high end amenities and luxury boxes. We probably need to be thinking about that expansion of the Rich.
Below is Providence Park (formally Jeld Wen stadium, and a few other names), home of the Portland Timbers (MLS):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Jeldwenfield2011.png (large)
Seating capacity is about 22-23k. This stadium almost looks like they started with seating like JRS already has, and built upwards.
A few things I like about this staidum:
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Intimacy. Every seat seems to be right in on the action, and as a whole, the stadium has a very intimate, obsessed fan vibe. It also gets very loud.
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Look at the luxury boxes - these are sponsored by a local dealership (hello ADs office - another naming rights opportunity). Theyâre nice inside, but not ridiculously opulent, and more importantly, they are right in on the action. I bet the Charlotte ADs office could sell 5-10 of these at $10-15k each, annually, to local major businesses - Loweâs, WF, BofA, CMC, etc. Easily. They would pay for themselves, and build more ties to the business community. The naming rights for the suites would be a good chance for one of the new-to-the-area busiensses to get its name out - and if itâs on suites facing the camera, in constant view of TV broadcasts, it would only increase the value.
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thereâs also a sponsored Club level. Same concept as above. I do wish we could put a bar in, but you can have private concessions.
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Much of the stadium seating is covered. Night games and lights are cheaper answers, but you can always cover a portion of the stadium and make those premium seats. It does rain too sometimes.
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Just the look of the stadium - âfinishesâ (too much HGTV with the wife) look like a coffee/hangout bar in the pacific NW, which isnât a bad thing since thatâs their market and its familiar and comfortable for those folks. I like how dead space in the stadium is covered with team logos/art/etc (we actually do a pretty good job of this, these days - kudos to whomever is in charge of that - I like all the gold mine and charlotte 49ers stuff in both of our arenas).
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The have a team store tucked inside the stadium - and its walls are glass/lots of windows - come on in and get some gear. BTW, this is also spnsored âthe Adidas Timbers team storeâ - Maximize revenue opportunities:
- This isnât a stadium feature per se, but IIRC, both the Timbers and the Sounders have loyalty systems based on a card system (the card is also their season ticket). You get so many points just for buying season tix, then more for each use (showing up), and anytime you spend money in the stadium, etc. They also do special promotions for each game - maybe a hot dog & beer that weekend is 50% off for club members. The manager/operator of the Sounders says that total revenues on merch, etc increased once they started that program, and it further encourages attendance.
I wish we would consider ideas like this, as well as working to continue to improve the tailgaiting and student experience (as has previously been discussed). Expansion of JRS should happen, but if we do it right, itâll add value to the entire experience and give us a chance to be a leader, rather than a follower. Football games are infrequent events, but captive audiences. Product on the field comes first, but itâs also about making your 4 hours + tailgate as much easy fun as it can be.
