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Head Coach [785]
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Stadium expansion
May 18, 2015, 5:54 PM
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Just wondering if anyone has any idea when/if we will ever expand the capacity of Memorial stadium? Seems like with the amount of people there on game days and the recent amount of national exposure, we could easily seat anywhere in the 87-90 range. Thoughts?
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Head Coach [762]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 18, 2015, 5:55 PM
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Think we would need to have almost ever game sold out for that to happen.
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All-TigerNet [14488]
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110%er [9942]
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100k range. Thoughts! ??***
May 18, 2015, 6:00 PM
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CU Guru [1077]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 18, 2015, 6:00 PM
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Where exactly can we expand is my question? I just don't see where we could do it
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110%er [5977]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 18, 2015, 6:07 PM
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You could do a East Endzone club level like the West endzone without touching the hill. You couldn't also add additional luxury suite on top of the north and south upper deck. I would think you could also do at least another two level of club seats in the west endzone because that was the original design.
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Legend [15501]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 18, 2015, 11:12 PM
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Agreed. There are lots of ways to put many more seats in the stadium. And, it could be done without taking away the hill or other important features of our stadium. The question is would we fill it? With the way some now seem to think it's okay to just stay outside the stadium, or only go in for a little while and then leave, it looks bad on TV to see the empty seats. (even if they were sold, and that's a considerable "if"). I would love to make it a complete dome, while preserving "The Hill". No better venue in the world than Death Valley (the real Death Valley), on a Saturday!
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CU Guru [1273]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 19, 2015, 2:42 AM
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Structurally, given constraints and opportunities, there is a "maximum" you can achieve in any stadium, given the existing layout of facilities, without simply razing everything and starting over again. Going back to the original structure of Death Valley (i.e.: Memorial Stadium), expansion was considered and allowed for in the design and we took advantage of it with construction of the upper decks in '82-'83. The West Zone has been a work in progress, but the Northwest and Southwest corners still afford some "two deck" expansion opportunities. The entire East End Zone affords expansion opportunity, but it's kinda' nice the way it is.... My feeling/experience is that we might add another 10-12,000 seats without MAJOR renovations.
On the other hand, I recall - I believe it was the 2013 FSwho "Game Day" game - there might have been a recorded 83,000(+/-) attendance in the stadium, but there were also well over 200,000(+) "non-residents" in Clemson on game day. Geez, do the math on that....
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All-TigerNet [14488]
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never***
May 18, 2015, 6:02 PM
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CU Medallion [64517]
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The roof of the WEZ addition was designed....
May 18, 2015, 6:05 PM
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to accomodate another level but to my knowledge, there are no plans to expand at this time.
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All-TigerNet [13036]
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Outside of a few places (Bama and such), the national
May 18, 2015, 6:12 PM
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trend is smaller stadiums with less capacity.
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All-In [38422]
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Re: Outside of a few places (Bama and such), the national
May 18, 2015, 6:21 PM
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I like that our average attendance is over 81K in and 83K+ stadium .
When you consider that 2 of our home games will be against the likes of Wofford and Appalachian State then that is really quite impressive.
Stay at the current or add a few thousand more , I think Clemson reps itself as a football first university and I am proud of our fans .
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MVP [514]
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Re: Outside of a few places (Bama and such), the national
May 18, 2015, 8:51 PM
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Since Clemson issues student tickets for the hill the capacity of the stadium includes those 5,000. The actual numbered
seating capacity of the stadium is slightly over 76,000.
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Head Coach [781]
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I remember temporary bleachers set up behind the hill
May 18, 2015, 9:50 PM
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for games against FSU, Georgia, and USC. When you see old attendence numbers in the 80s and 90s that show 85000 or more it was these games and bc of the bleachers. I think they had to quit putting them up bc of fire codes. But maybe permanent seating there would be allowed
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Hall of Famer [22965]
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I hope before seating capacity is raised , some serious
May 18, 2015, 6:21 PM
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studies are done about expanding and improving the infrastructure necessary for larger football weekend crowds---transportation, parking, lodging, sewer/water,---so many areas to examine.
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CU Guru [1273]
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Re: I hope before seating capacity is raised , some serious
May 19, 2015, 3:07 AM
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Exactly - it's codes and ordinances that will determine the "allowable" size of a stadium, not simply a desired seating capacity and how many tickets you can sell. Just imagine what the city of Clemson and its infrastructure incurs with over 200,000 showing up on game day! HELLO....!?!? Money is one thing, but sewer and trash is another (oh, er, hmmm.... maybe they're the same?)
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110%er [5434]
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Re: I hope before seating capacity is raised , some serious
May 19, 2015, 9:12 AM
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I think Clemson does a great job with all of the above. What would you like for them to do about sewer and trash i'm confused
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Recruit [82]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 18, 2015, 6:24 PM
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I could see one day that they could build another club level above the West Endzone, stacked right on top of the current one. I think it we're going to have any major projects done to the stadium in the foreseeable future that it would be adding 1,000-2,500 "premium" seats, not general seating/ bleacher sections that would greatly increase the capacity of Memorial Stadium by 5000+.
I don't know what the next big trend in stadium design will be, but a guess would be to add field level suites or some kind of open air viewing stand/ private club in the corners on the hill side. Maybe even a "lounge" type space that is set back without a view of the field but is enclosed with premium concessions, AC, Big Screens, etc.
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All-In [38422]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 18, 2015, 6:29 PM
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Sell beer tickets . Each adult who wishes to embibe must stand in the new " Tipsy Tiger Tunnel , which will basically be a large , open ended quansit hut atop the WEZ . They can be branded and have a 4 beer limit , and must be escorted from the stadium premises by a member of the Rally Cats .
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All-In [43992]
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I don't think we will see many stadiums expanding much.
May 18, 2015, 6:41 PM
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There are several factors affecting people's willingness to attend as many games in person:
1. All of the games are available on TV, in HD, in the comfort of one's home. This is huge for people who would rather sit at home, with the A/C on, saving tons of money on food, beverages, and travel costs (as well as time).
2. Ticket prices are perceived as too high by many, especially for the big games.
3. Going to a game takes up most of the day, especially if you tailgate before/after.
4. People have more options for entertainment now than they used to, plus people's kids are involved in a wider variety of activities.
Don't get me wrong, I believe Clemson will always have a strong core of fans who attend the games. And the continued population growth in the Greenville area coupled with the sustained success of the football program will surely keep our attendance high. But I am not sure we will see demand reach levels which require a stadium expansion.
If anything, I won't be surprised to see a slight lessening of stadium capacity in the future to focus on improved seat quality (e.g., adding folding chairs with armrests and cup holders to replace the metal bleachers, at least in some sections) and better amenities (more club level, restaurants, etc.).
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CU Guru [1824]
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I agree with this
May 19, 2015, 7:55 AM
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I could see us taking seats out to have a higher quality of seats. I could see the south stands having the center section maybe 40 yard line to 40 yard line having the aluminum bleaches taken out and seat backs added for a "home side" open air club section. This would certainly reduce the capacity of the stadium.
I agree with others here, it is hard to commit to going to every game. It takes an entire Saturday to go and if you have season tickets, 7 Saturdays in 3 months - that's a lot. Although my wife and I are both alumni and my daughter is at Clemson now that is a lot to ask with a son in high school playing football on Fridays nights.
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Athletic Dir [884]
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East End Zone!!!!!!!!
May 18, 2015, 6:45 PM
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We need the East end enclosed to mirror the Wez for a symmetrical look. Leave the Hill in tack underneath. If necessary the club area could be built over the road with an entrance tunnel to the Rock. Mainly we need the two end zones to have a similar look.
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110%er [5434]
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Re: East End Zone!!!!!!!!
May 19, 2015, 9:14 AM
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NO leave the hill and that area alone. Plus where you going to put the students outside?
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Orange Blooded [3257]
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Maybe not now, but if we increase, it should max at 85,000.
May 18, 2015, 7:03 PM
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To me parking is a bigger issue than seating. Iptay level for parking far exceeds the donation my seats required. I am a die hard, alum, and Iptay rep (for what it is worth), but I am beginning to feel gouged.
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Oculus Spirit [83001]
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If we continue our rise and win a couple of ACC titles
May 18, 2015, 7:31 PM
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and make the playoff, maybe expand to 88,000. The new seats would have to go in the West End Zone somewhere if possible. It wouldn't be a good idea somewhere else.
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Legend [17584]
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No
May 18, 2015, 8:00 PM
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When the corners of the upper decks are full for most games then maybe. But until then it'll never happen.
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110%er [6403]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 18, 2015, 8:22 PM
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We lost seating capacity/admission capacity after the West End Zone project and some Hill modifications some years back.
Last season we had empty seats in the upper decks for at least 4 of our 7 home games.
We use to put 86,000+ in the Valley for big games like FSU in 1988 or when the Dirtpeckers or DAWGS came to the Valley,but no more.
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Legend [19352]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 19, 2015, 8:01 AM
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The main reason for no longer getting 86k is due to the school not being able to sell as many Gen admission tickets aka Hill tickets.
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All-TigerNet [12533]
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With interest rates at all-time lows and coming off of a
May 18, 2015, 8:23 PM
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season in which we were at over 100% capacity, I think now would be a good time. If they just added 8,500 that would be a 90,000 seat capacity. That would probably do us for 25 years at least. It has been 33 years since our seating expansion. I know the attendance for college football in general has probably peaked, but we did average over 100% capacity last year.
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All-TigerNet [11934]
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No. We have plenty of seats and ample capacity IMHO ...
May 18, 2015, 8:36 PM
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The problem is that 20-30% of our seats are absolutely lousy and only get filled by visitors who travel well a couple of games a year.
When we can't sell those lousy seats each and every game, there seems no valid reason to add any more seats to our stadium.
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CU Guru [1330]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 18, 2015, 11:32 PM
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No reason to increase capacity. Clemson is a much smaller school than most at our level of competition and while we do okay in attendance there's always tons of empty seats in the upper corners. As a school that's technically not the primary school in the state and in specifically in a less densely populated part of a lower-population state at that, we just don't necessarily have the fan base to support a much larger stadium. As others have noted, people just aren't willing to dedicate an entire day to football like they used to be. The best way we could improve this would be to make ingress/egress from campus easier (maybe expand perimeter road to 2 lanes?) and create better infrastructure for parking, restrooms, stadium amenities, etc.
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Orange Blooded [2156]
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Oh, h3ll, don't give Radacovich.......
May 18, 2015, 11:36 PM
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another reason to raise IPTAY dues, season ticket prices, student fees or any other increase he can think of. 5,000 more seats would probably increase the seat equity plan by a $1,000 per seat.
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110%er [5434]
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Re: Oh, h3ll, don't give Radacovich.......
May 19, 2015, 9:18 AM
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That alone is going to drive attendance down. They think they have to go up every year and that's getting old
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110%er [7233]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 19, 2015, 12:16 AM
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From what I hear, there is a fire code that prevents Memorial Stadium from being at full capacity as it is. I'm not sure how true that is but I'm sure there is a reason why the corners of the top levels are always empty... Now the dumpster fire at Willie B is the reason why there will be empty seats this year.. And many years to come.
GO TIGERS!
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Hall of Famer [24509]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 19, 2015, 1:33 AM
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Someone said,a fellow clemson fan,that if we would have joined the $EC Or the BIG XII we would have to expand between 5,000 to 9,000.....
Glad we didn't join either league....
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CU Guru [1858]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 19, 2015, 7:06 AM
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I realize I am in the minority that believes the ACC is not, has not or ever will be a pro-Clemson conference. Heck, we are the only conference member to have their NCAA probation time extended by the conference! We are successful at football despite being a member of this conference. As a charter member of the ACC we should wield more power within the conference than we do.....but we are stuck here and will always be nothing more than a red-headed stepchild to the Tabacco Road 4, FSU and now part-time member Notre Dame. All they want from us is our $$$. Again, this is just my opinion.
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110%er [5434]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 19, 2015, 9:28 AM
[ in reply to Re: Stadium expansion ] |
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You getting your info from York LOL
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All-In [25381]
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Jess Neely told Frank Howard that Clemson would never
May 19, 2015, 6:10 AM
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need more than 10,000 seats.
During my time in the 60's we never imagined a larger stadium with 45,000 being a record-setting crowd. After the upper decks were added, folks said, "Well, that'll do it."
30 years from now, I suspect DV will look vastly different: I can visualize baseball-style seating as fans will demand more comfort and...ahem, "leg" room; the WEZ will see an expansion; and the EEZ will see an enclosure that saves the hill but adds a bowl-like effect connection with the north and south stands above the hill. The result: seating over 100,000.
Of course, infrastructure will have to be addressed; but, the demand along with the money will find the ways to address the issues.
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All-TigerNet [11934]
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Interesting projection ... I kind of see things going in the
May 19, 2015, 11:10 AM
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opposite direction.
I think the rising cost of attendance and the proliferation of games on TV along with the increased sophistication of the TV viewing experience may cause the casual fan to opt out of actually going to the games down the road.
You see it already with vast numbers of empty seats at almost all of the bowl games each year.
I guess for the casual football fan, it's sort of like what has happened to movie theater attendance with the advent of Netflix and other cheaper, more convenient options.
But hey! I'm still looking forward to you and I being around in 30 years to witness what actually comes to pass 
Apextiger Class of 1973
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Orange Blooded [4756]
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I don't see any reason to expand
May 19, 2015, 7:01 AM
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We already have trouble filling the top decks for all but the premiere games--even ACC games are not usually sellouts anymore. Why would we add another 5-10K seats that will just stay empty most of the time?
That being said, if they ever do add more seats, I could see adding a wrap-around section to the East end zone above The Hill. That would be pretty neat I think.
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Orange Blooded [3194]
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I think what we need to do
May 19, 2015, 7:17 AM
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Is instead of expansion, they need to try and figure out better ways to handle gameday traffic. To get in Clemson before the game and out after is an absolute nightmare. You are sitting in traffic after the games for up to 2-3hrs and depending on where your coming from, you have to make sure your in Clemson about 2 hrs before kickoff to make sure you get there on time. I know its hard to manage traffic with 80000 fans especially in a small town but i think we need to focus on the traffic before we talk about stadium expansion. What i usually do on gamedays is i find i try to find a hotel around tiger town so i don't even have to worry about that mess, i would rather walk 10 miles than sit in traffic for 2hrs
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110%er [6877]
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It is the right size now.***
May 19, 2015, 8:13 AM
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110%er [5434]
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Re: Stadium expansion
May 19, 2015, 9:30 AM
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I don't think we should expand anymore period let's make it the hardest ticket in college football to get.
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