Hypothetical Dana J Dykehouse Stadium Addition

[salemjack]

I'm anticipating December playoff games, so I'd like to have heated field or at least a thermal "blanket" to cover it prior to games, for player safety.

Regarding a dome, might a canopy/cover over seated areas be a more cost effective option that doesn't cause Jacks to lose the outdoor "advantage"?

Heated seats!

[RahRahRabbits]

Better food options for people with food allergies, get rid of the bench seating and add chairback seats everywhere. I would also like a giant cowbell that could be rang after touchdowns etc. I would steal from Montana State and utilize the SDSU rodeo team to add to the pageantry. A dome or at least a roof over the seats and protect fans from the weather and keep fans from leaving early. outside the stadium a giant SDSU flag that can seen (Like the size of the Perkins USA flag. And paint the closest two water towers in Brookings blue and yellow and add in the Jackrabbit Logo, like UNC, Iowa and I assume others.

Interesting ideas there. I agree, food allergy folks are an underserved market. At least having allergen information more accessible - and maybe it is... who knows. Dome won't happen, that ship sailed a long time ago. Maybe a roof over seats would be an option, but how much does that really protect the fans when the wind is ripping as it usually does? I like the water tower plan too.

My serious ideas -

I like the idea of the rodeo team, would be neat to embrace the school's ag roots with more pageantry like you said.. Pyrotechnics - blue and yellow ones of course! - built into the stadium for pre-game festivities and scoring, or at least on the Stiegelmeier Family Student Athlete Center. SFSAC. Rolls right off the tongue

Add blue and yellow lights, with stadium lights, flashing during pregame/hype moments (Tennessee's Neyland Stadium with their orange/white for example, South Carolina, etc). Few night games makes this one a fairly low priority though I suppose.

My less serious, but still doable ideas...

Crank up the Bummobile to lead the team out each game. That thing has a pretty high top speed actually.

I also miss the days of brining a steer out on the field during the beef bowl. Could bring in the rodeo team to bring out whatever animal of the week it is - dairy cow, steer, a few lambs, etc, for the various themed games during the pregame runaround.

[jakejc795]

Heated seats!

Honestly, I didn't sit the entire semifinal game

[OldHare]

There has to be a solution to get better WiFi reception in the stadium area. It's nearly impossible to get any kind of signal on a game day.

This fix would be an easier solution than many ideas. It is nearly impossible for checking progress in other games while in the stadium. I have no idea what the cost might be for this expansion.

[RahRahRabbits]

The stadium is built to easily add on to the east side. Yes, that removes the parking lot. I'm assuming, if there is demand, suites will be a part of that. I would also love the idea of a SOR party deck in the corners. Beneath the addition, I would love a kids/family area with large screen TVs. There is another school that has this and a mini-turf field some playground equipment/bounce houses and the big screen TVs for the parents to still watch the game. This wouldn't just be an in-game thing but would encourage families to get through the gates early and avoid the lines and then their kids could play before kickoff.

I second the family area. It gets tough keeping the little ankle biters happy the whole time in the seats, and concourse is just too busy. Having a family friendly place to go could alleviate much of that burden.

It has been properly moved and seconded to add a family area in the stadium, all those in favor, say "aye" (insert raucous response). Those opposed say "no" (insert crickets). The ayes have it;the motion is carried. A family area will now be added to Dana J Dykhouse stadium, effective... immediately? Ehh... we'll give em a few weeks

Like you said, places to still watch the game while wandering a bit would be great too. With the closed concourses, there's really no place for that kind of stuff without being in the way of somebody. Having a few TV's with Merriam piped into the concourse is better than nothing, but there's certainly still a divide from the action there.

[RahRahRabbits]

Honestly, I didn't sit the entire semifinal game

Playoff football is my favorite football. While there are fewer fans in attendance, those that are there are so engaged and amped up. You aren't judged for standing up and making noise. And yes, like you said... hardly a seat in the whole place is used the entire game.

It does seem like our older crowd is less "old-lady in a church shushing kids being even an ounce rowdy" than it used to be, which is good... but if you're in the wrong area, standing the entire time is certainly still frowned upon.

[jakejc795]

Playoff football is my favorite football. While there are fewer fans in attendance, those that are there are so engaged and amped up. You aren't judged for standing up and making noise. And yes, like you said... hardly a seat in the whole place is used the entire game.

It does seem like our older crowd is less "old-lady in a church shushing kids being even an ounce rowdy" than it used to be, which is good... but if you're in the wrong area, standing the entire time is certainly still frowned upon.

I try to consider fans with limited mobility and not impede their views, but that game folks behind me were all standing too.

Coach Rogers referred to Saturday as essentially a playoff game, so hopefully the fans are "playoff raucous"

[jbjack]

The stadium is built to easily add on to the east side. Yes, that removes the parking lot. I'm assuming, if there is demand, suites will be a part of that. I would also love the idea of a SOR party deck in the corners. Beneath the addition, I would love a kids/family area with large screen TVs. There is another school that has this and a mini-turf field some playground equipment/bounce houses and the big screen TVs for the parents to still watch the game. This wouldn't just be an in-game thing but would encourage families to get through the gates early and avoid the lines and then their kids could play before kickoff.

Looking at the west side tower, I would assume that additional suites could be added to the north and south of the second story of suites/press box. It seems like there is a trend towards keeping premium amenities together and adding suites to the west side keeps access to the club area and eliminates additional elevators, etc.

My addition would be someone slinging Nick's Hamburgers in the aisles.

[jakejc795]

There has to be a solution to get better WiFi reception in the stadium area. It's nearly impossible to get any kind of signal on a game day.

Gaining some media attention

[Prairiehaas]

Better wifi/cell service, it currently is horrible. Distributed PA speakers so the scoreboard speakers don't have to be cranked to 11. And then, more seating. I believe the stadium was designed for expansion on the east side. Attendance will be increasing with the competitive performance of the program. And, the student section has been packed and then some at several games in recent years.

I also like the idea of pregame theatrics by the rodeo team, boy howdy!

[jacksfaninne]

Gaining some media attention

At least a few years ago, back when he was doing his weekly podcast, I could have sworn I heard Justin Sell mention this problem and that they were working on improvements. It can be done. It used to be a similar issue in Memorial Stadium. But I was among the 92,000+ at the volleyball match last week, and I was able to text and send and receive pictures without issue. I couldn't always get on ESPN or other apps, but it was acceptable most of the time. It did take them a few years to get the data capacity up to where it needed to be, but they figured it out.

[jakejc795]

At least a few years ago, back when he was doing his weekly podcast, I could have sworn I heard Justin Sell mention this problem and that they were working on improvements. It can be done. It used to be a similar issue in Memorial Stadium. But I was among the 92,000+ at the volleyball match last week, and I was able to text and send and receive pictures without issue. I couldn't always get on ESPN or other apps, but it was acceptable most of the time. It did take them a few years to get the data capacity up to where it needed to be, but they figured it out.

I've never had an issue sending texts, but I've noticed lag when checking conference opponents' scores.

When I moved back to Brookings, I noticed that an old water tower on 12th Ave had been replaced with a cell tower, and now it's back to a water tower. They also added cellular antennae to the water tower near the intersection of 6th St. and 14th Ave.

Lastly, I don't think that Verizon offers 5G in Brookings, so that may be complicating things

[Carolina010]

I have Verizon and my phone is unusable whatsoever for anything other than checking what time it is but my wife is on T-Mobile and I can use hers just fine. Most of the time I can even stream another game if I wanted to.

[RahRahRabbits]

I have Verizon and my phone is unusable whatsoever for anything other than checking what time it is but my wife is on T-Mobile and I can use hers just fine. Most of the time I can even stream another game if I wanted to.

That's interesting. Could very well be because most people I know around here - especially if you get more than 10 miles off the interstate, are on Verizon. Quite a few AT&T though too. Almost zero T-Mobile/Sprint... historically their service outside of the interstate is abysmal at absolute best. So... I suppose having 18,000 people gathered in one spot doesn't really bother their network if only 20 people in the crowd have their service? Sounds like it could be time to get a T-mobile burner phone for SDSU games now! Ha!

[JackJD]

...

I also like the idea of pregame theatrics by the rodeo team, boy howdy!

Closest to a rodeo performance was back in the Great West Conference days...I wonder if many remember Whiplash, the cowboy monkey, appearing pre-game in the early D1 days at old Coughlin Stadium. My memory says we were playing UC-Davis. Whiplash's handler strapped Whiplash to the back of one of those manic Frisbee catching dogs (Aussie Shepherd?) and they were off to the races. Damn that was funny. The little organ-grinder species of monkey (Capuchin) held on for his life as the dog ran 50 mph figure eights on the field. I was sitting on the east side behind the Davis bench and some of Davis team had to take a knee they were laughing so hard.

Taco Johns ad featuring Whiplash:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYNoQZ5djUA