Sound and the Fury: Facilities

We're starting a new department today. More readers than you would imagine are averse to using the comments section and the Hawk Digest forum is still on hiatus. So, I get a fair amount of e-mail questions. I thought I would utilize that as new department idea. No more than one a week and I'll post them as I can.

With the new offices and practice field nearly complete, what's next for Memorial Stadium?

There's a lot on the table and actually a real plan to take the track out. Interestingly, in that plan there is no desire to get the seats closer to the field. The goal is to make the first five rows actually "game viewable seats" by lowering the field slightly.

So why take out the track? Sliding the field to the north gets the field closer to the bowl (good for both noise and ticket prices). However, that presents an issue with the suite holders. The guy on the fifty is now on the 35-yard line. Think about the end suite on the south. In other words, the suite holders may get the WEF parking lot treatment the regulars enjoyed a few years back.

For my personal pet issue -- the blue screened fence -- some good news. There are drawings, but I don't have that kind of a connection. I'm just glad it's in the universe of possibility.

The theory that Memorial Stadium will someday match the yellow exterior of the football offices is not valid. The University did make the choice and I believe it had something to do with being easier to keep clean along with matching other campus facilities. There is a desire to work on the exterior of Memorial, but nothing concrete on that yet. The east side sure could use it.

Okay, it sounds good. Lose the track, make the first few rows viewable seats and slide the field to the north. What's the hold up? Well, it's not money and it's not desire. There is a sort of "this has to happen, then this has to happen" domino effect when you talk about removing the track, but there is actually a bigger factor to consider. It's right there in front of you if you look, but no one will say it out loud. Suffice it to say, it should be a few years. We are due for new turf though.