University of Texas DKR Football Stadium Expansion and Renovation

[brando]

The Godzilitron is being replaced at DKR with a LED display. It'll be brighter and won't require an air conditioning unit to cool it. They'll also add smaller ribbon boards around the stadium’s seating bowl. It's suppose to be installed by the start of the 2017 season. I remember hearing that the company that installed the Godzillatron is no longer in business so servicing it was tough. I'm not sure if that's true or not.

http://www.hookem.com/2017/04/19/nex...-godzillatron/

The Texas football locker room isn’t the only thing getting a facelift. Next up: Godzillatron.

UT officials are soliciting bids for a company to replace the gigantic south end zone video board inside Royal-Memorial Stadium with an LED display and add smaller ribbon boards around the stadium’s seating bowl.

According to a posting on the school’s project management and construction service website, the projected cost of replacing the aging video board could run anywhere from $4-6 million. The school is asking for sealed bids from companies wishing to earn the business.

Texas generated wild headlines when football coach Tom Herman unveiled new state-of-the-art lockers that will be installed inside the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center. Each one cost approximately $10,500. A new video board inside the stadium is something that will get fans even more excited.

“The main south display, north field tunnel and all field displays will remain in the same locations and same size,” according to a proposal document available to companies who wish to bid on the work.

“The existing structures and mounting systems will be retained, wherever possible,” it continues. “The Club level ribbon displays on the north and east sides of the stadium will be extended the full length of the building as one continuous display.”

UT’s construction documents state that Godzillaton itself measures 56 feet high and 135 feet long.

UT project manager Jill Stewart said no final company has been selected, but the projected is expected to be completed by the 2017 football season. In fact, the document states that the project should be finished by July 19, 2017, most likely to coincide with the UT’s “Under the Lights” recruiting event.

As part of the proposal, the company chosen would also install scoreboards at the new UT tennis facility. The school is also asking a locker room clock to be installed in the football locker room.

Stewart said LED lighting is clearer, and the school won’t need the massive air conditioning units currently hidden behind the video board to keep things cool. “So there’s a big energy conservation and savings just by changing the type of lightning fixture,” Stewart said.

The locker rooms are getting an update. Here is a rendering of the renovated locker rooms:



Some Demos and Tours:

https://youtu.be/1I47YyYNWGg
https://twitter.com/TexasFootball/st...25450758168577
https://twitter.com/TexasFootball/st...20767468404736
https://twitter.com/RobertShipley2/s...50859034054657

Current Master Plan for UT Athletics: https://s3.amazonaws.com/texassports...March_2016.pdf

Future Changes for DKR:
SOUTH END ZONE
• Expand South End Zone
• Improve customer experience
• Add premium seating with suites, loge spaces, and club spaces
• Add Longhorn Network game-day space
STADIUM IMPROVEMENTS
• Renovate westside concourses, Levels 5, 7, and 11
• New signage, directionals, and informational maps
• Upgrade sound system including sound room—east and west sides
• Improve overall technology in all venues, including video, audio, wi- , and credit card processing
• Add Gate 25 lower plaza of ce
• Add elevator car to gold and silver side
• Renovate Terrace Club pods
• Update sound system and add video wall in Touchdown Club


MONCRIEF-NEUHAUS CENTER TEAM FACILITIES
• Renovate and add locker rooms including student athletes, coaches, and support staff
• Create new of ces for coaches and support staff
• Create a player development suite
• Renovate team and position meeting rooms
• Renovate sports medicine, hydrotherapy, and exam rooms
• Renovate weight room
• Renovate player and staff lounges
• Add media relations room
• Add video editing suite
• Renovate entry lobby
• Add storage
• Expand equipment room
INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY
• Add permanent indoor football practice facility
• Possibly relocate closer to Moncrief-Neuhaus Center
DENIUS FIELDS
• Build two full outdoor practice elds
• Add camera towers at upper eld
• Renovate natural grass elds

[drummer]

I'll admit, I'm super giddy about the idea of expanding the south end zone.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by drummer

I'll admit, I'm super giddy about the idea of expanding the south end zone.

I'd like to see a south end expansion for the sake of completing the 'bowl'. But like the EC, this could be overkill, more seats than they can ever fill. Even if Texas becomes a legit perennial national championship contender, how many more than the 102K fans can they get to buy tickets to fill the stadium. They certainly can't copy the northern end zone seating, perhaps just the bottom portion. I think UT would be wise to cap out at 108k - 110k max.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by the Genral

I'd like to see a south end expansion for the sake of completing the 'bowl'. But like the EC, this could be overkill, more seats than they can ever fill. Even if Texas becomes a legit perennial national championship contender, how many more than the 102K fans can they get to buy tickets to fill the stadium. They certainly can't copy the northern end zone seating, perhaps just the bottom portion. I think UT would be wise to cap out at 108k - 110k max.

I feel like they could lower the bottom tier ticket prices and they would fill up. Right now, it is an expensive day to go to a game. From door to door roundtrip, I spend north of $500 to take my family when it's all said and done.
I would go more often, if i could scoop some cheap seats for $25/each.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by Dcbrickley

I would go more often, if i could scoop some cheap seats for $25/each.

I would too, and I prefer the Aggies. But that would make my Longhorn wife happy if we could go more often. We used to scoop up tickets on game day for about 25 bucks each at HEB, 20 yard line upper west side deck near the top.
I think the way to go would be to complete the bowl with a bottom seating section, stacked with 3 floors of suites, food courts and a standing room only roof top viewing section. Bring the total seating capacity to 108,486 seats.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by the Genral

I would too, and I prefer the Aggies. But that would make my Longhorn wife happy if we could go more often. We used to scoop up tickets on game day for about 25 bucks each at HEB, 20 yard line upper west side deck near the top.
I think the way to go would be to complete the bowl with a bottom seating section, stacked with 3 floors of suites, food courts and a standing room only roof top viewing section. Bring the total seating capacity to 108,486 seats.

No. Gotta go bigger than the Big House. This is Texas! Hee, hee...

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by the Genral

They certainly can't copy the northern end zone seating, perhaps just the bottom portion. I think UT would be wise to cap out at 108k - 110k max.

Actually, they can (if they still choose to). It was in the original master plan for the stadium. The expansion would complete the bowl and copy the north end zone - creating a seating capacity of 115,000+.

However, that masterplan is about 20 years old. From the latest I have heard, they will end up bowling off the south end zone (eventually). But, it will not look exactly like the north end zone. It will include different features that do not currently exist in the north end zone. Times have changed and universities, donors, clients, vendors, recruits, coaches are continuing to want/adapt to the newest, greatest thing.

[lzppjb]

I love stadium expansion. It's the reason I joined this site, actually.

[brando]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I love stadium expansion. It's the reason I joined this site, actually.

Me too! Check out this website: http://www.ballparks.com

Originally Posted by drummer

I think it *could* fill if they were national champion contenders again, but it probably wouldn't regularly fill. If they wrapped around in the same way it was done on the north end, it'd put it up to 120K or so, I'm guessing (feel free to correct my guesstimation there, folks).

That said, I think lzppjb is correct - I think it's going to wrap around and have boxes and some seating at most. I don't think it'd be full-on like the north end. My source on this is reading something, somewhere, sometime with a basic schematic...could've been the Master Plan for UT Athletics?

They released an updated master plan last year where the new south end zone has just a lower bowl, then suites, then the scoreboard.

It's not just about adding more seats, it's about adding much better seats. The current north end zone is occupied by the band and various UT spirt organizations. It's very very small. This is a high quality add. Existing stands: https://www.rateyourseats.com/shared...-4-19-2014.jpg

The new North end zone will be connected to the existing east stands so we have a continuous bowl from up to where the west stands and north stands meet. The looks of all of the new sections of the stadium are so nice but the side facing campus is such shit.


Here is the updated plan: https://s3.amazonaws.com/texassports...March_2016.pdf

[lzppjb]

I read somewhere that they may just do the bowl, which won't add many seats at all. It'd be replacing some of the existing west & east grandstands (so they can make the curve), and it'd replace the semi-permanent bleachers under Godzillatron. Texas can't pass up the opportunity to add luxury suites, so that will probably match the north end. I just doubt they'll add an upper deck.

I could see the middle spot where a luxury suite would go actually being the coach's office overlooking the field. And instead of an upper deck, it could be some club for donors like is now on top of Moncrief.

[drummer]

I think it *could* fill if they were national champion contenders again, but it probably wouldn't regularly fill. If they wrapped around in the same way it was done on the north end, it'd put it up to 120K or so, I'm guessing (feel free to correct my guesstimation there, folks).

That said, I think lzppjb is correct - I think it's going to wrap around and have boxes and some seating at most. I don't think it'd be full-on like the north end. My source on this is reading something, somewhere, sometime with a basic schematic...could've been the Master Plan for UT Athletics?

[MichaelB]

I just really really hope they don't turn the college game experience into a "pro" experience.
Too many adds or too many Electronic surfaces just kills the vibe.
One of the reasons I really dislike going to pro football games.
The Team, the Crowd , The Cheers/yells, The band. All part of the energy. It's happening in some college stadiums, the greed is killing the traditions.
I'm not much of a traditionalist... but some things are just better when people are front and center.

[brando]

Some Tidbits from Chip Brown. Take them for what they are worth:

DKR IMPROVEMENTS

Improvements to DKR this fall will include an LED renovation to Godzillatron, new speakers throughout the stadium (including microphones for the band so you can actually hear the Longhorn band!) as well as improving the strength of the WIFI by 300 percent.

While locker room renovations are well underway, DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium renovations are set to begin in the coming weeks. According to drawings attached to the University of Texas' request for proposals, the Longhorns are looking to add the following updates inside the football stadium:

South Endzone,



West Sideline,





North Endzone





East Sideline



Upgrades to the main video board are expected to be complete by July 19, with the remaining stadium modifications finalized by August 1, according to documents obtained by Horns Digest.

All of the new ribbon LED displays should be cool. They can do a lot of neat stuff with those. The new LED scoreboard will be great as well. It'll likely be sharper and brighter but the display is only about 190 sq feet larger which isn't a lot when you are looking at it from so far away. A complete teardown and rebuild of the South Endzone is in the master plan but that is far out. It's likely a lower priority than the new basketball arena since they want to teardown the Erwin Center to expand the new Medical School. The new south end zone will just consist of a lower bowl and suites and won't mirror the north end zone. It's unlikely they could build a 2nd level since it would require a bigger footprint that might require the athletic facilities to be completely torn down. I doubt they need that much additional capacity. I think a lot of this has to do with adding additional better seating than just adding a lot more seats. The south end zone is typically reserved for the band and UT spirit groups.

BETTER GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE

Perhaps the biggest change coming to Texas football gameday experience is Tom Herman's push to reduce so-called "ads" aired on the video board during games. (THANK THE LAWDY!!!)

Obviously, this is a hugely sensitive subject for Texas women's athletic director Chris Plonsky, who is in charge of marketing and has given Texas marketing partner IMG a lot of leeway in selling ad packages that includes "a presence" inside DKR during games.

I'm told the football office would like for graphics wizards Tommy Lakes and Matt Lange to be turned loose in creating energy raising video clips that would be tagged with an advertiser logo briefly at the end. The video ring inside DKR at the mezzanine level, which will be connected from the east side, around the north end to the west side, could also be used to satisfy previous agreements with advertisers, sources said.

"It's been made very clear that Tom Herman thinks the advertising being done on the video board detracts from the gameday experience," one source close to the situation said. "And right now, it's been, 'What Tom Herman wants, Tom Herman gets.' So, there's a lot of discussion going on about how the gameday experience can be improved. It will probably be better in Year 2 and Year 3 than it might be in Year 1 - again, because of existing agreements. But it's going to get there." ...

[MichaelB]

Please please don't let this turn into more Ads!!!! PLEASE!
I see mention of Tom Herman's push to reduce ads.... yes.please.
One reason I like college ball more is less commercialism.
Bring on the band and the cheerleaders and all the student spirit......
Don't crush it with louder commercials.

[brando]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Please please don't let this turn into more Ads!!!! PLEASE!
I see mention of Tom Herman's push to reduce ads.... yes.please.
One reason I like college ball more is less commercialism.
Bring on the band and the cheerleaders and all the student spirit......
Don't crush it with louder commercials.

I don't mind it as long as it doesn't get in the way of anything else. The current owner of the Astros isn't very wealthy and installed a shit ton of small billboards above the outfield wall blocking the skyline view. It was disgusting. When Reid Ryan was hired, he had the thing removed.

[brando]

It's very nice to finally see an upgrade to the west side of the stadium. It's not anywhere close to watching the newer North and East side but at least it's a little nicer. The picture makes it look a little plastic but maybe it looks better in person. It has a sort of Solider field or Yankee stadium look.

Apparently there is work everywhere in the stadium. The new LED scoreboard is already in operation. Herman was on the radio this morning saying a player left some trash in the lounge and that means the entire team will have to wait an additional day to use their new home locker room. They'll be in the visitor's locker room when they report on Monday until at least Wednesday. Maybe that's just cover because he's not sure if the Locker Room will be done. They are still working on it. How much would it suck for a player to see a video highlight on their locker monitor of them ****ing up?

[lzppjb]

Now I know who you are on shaggy.

[DoubleC]

Vibe I'm getting of the thread; putting money and profit first ruins everything, if not degrade the experience.

[jg6544]

They should replace those south end zone bleachers with a more permanent structure like Ohio State has (as a practical matter, I don't see them building out the south end zone anytime soon). They should also move the Band and the student section to the east stands between the goal line and the 50. College football ought to be principally for college students. Old farts like me can watch on t.v. at home.

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by jg6544

They should replace those south end zone bleachers with a more permanent structure like Ohio State has (as a practical matter, I don't see them building out the south end zone anytime soon). They should also move the Band and the student section to the east stands between the goal line and the 50. College football ought to be principally for college students. Old farts like me can watch on t.v. at home.

That's the plan for the south end. Add a permanent lower bowl similar to the north end. Then stack some luxury suites on top of it. It won't look exactly like the north end because they aren't trying to add that many seats.