your exactly right. I got torched by Tammany for mentioning a cheap out on the stadium rebuild. We have the smallest stadium in big ten outside of northwestern and now that they have remodeled not sure if they exceed us. Their facilities are better than ours. Toured them with my nephew who is committed to play there
get us to 60k seating
They're going down in capacity, but this stadium is gonna be the most expensive stadium ever built. There's a lot of really cool features they doing, it sounds like.
https://talksport.com/nfl/3394384/northwestern-ryan-field-new-stadium-cost-ncaa-record/
@walt542 Can get MS to 60,000. Not to be forgotten, but Bloomington will need (needs) more hotels. I believe there are fewer than 800 rooms in Bloomington.
@boogie As I am sure most noticed, the Ryan family funded most of their $250M practice facility and $750M stadium. It will be interesting if they ever start focusing more on NIL… their team isn’t matching these facilities.
@walt542 Can get MS to 60,000. Not to be forgotten, but Bloomington will need (needs) more hotels. I believe there are fewer than 800 rooms in Bloomington.
Fwiw, the actual number is 2,500 rooms and about 500 house rentals typically available. The convention center expansion will include another new hotel. But yea, game day options are rough on the lodging front.
@tammany That is way different than what I heard, so thanks for clarification.
All good suggestions, Sammy. Let's sell naming rights to the FB stadium.
~800 rooms are “downtown.” Probably just down to what area folks are referencing. And really some hotels in the Bloomington area are pretty grim and probably don’t work for people coming into a game.
New place by the convention center will add around 200 rooms.
Just think how much more developed Bloomington would be with a stronger FB program the last 30 years.
@tammany Gotcha. I would not consider any rooms that are in Bedford or Martinsville as "Bloomington". But the ones off 69 by 3rd street (?) count and it seems like plenty of AirBnB options.
There is a 150 room hotel approved for the Trades District and, as Tammany mentioned, a hotel is in development to service the expanded convention center, but those will take years to come online.
@red-hornet I need a commission on it. There is no way you can rename a stadium dedicated to veterans, but you can sell the field.
@boogie Northwestern's new stadium is going to be awesome. They don't draw all that well, even when they are good so making a lower capacity and just blinging it out is perfect for them.
To make up for lost ticket generation, I am sure they will rent the venue for concerts and other big time events.
I know the residents of Evanston aren't huge fans of it. It is a beautiful, quiet area on the lake. However, it's going to draw a lot of people in.