The time has come... move the band

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Schnauzer

Schnauzer

Pretty Sure You are Wrong
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The University of Minnesota marching band deserves better than the sunken, sound-challenged current band pit in Huntington Bank Stadium.

I know on paper it seemed like a great idea. A dedicated spot for the band that created room for fans seated behind the band to still easily see the field. The band was to be front and center.

In theory, it was a great design for the band. In practice, it was not. It was a very troubled design for the band. It is long past the time to admit to the mistake and make it right.

1. The band is hard to hear in its sunken, nearly sound-proof location.
2. The design somehow allowed for the size of the band... WITHOUT instruments!! So now the band pit is shared with other seating for the overflow band nearby to wedge in the rest of the group. Both appearance and sound are compromised.

So what is the solution? Move the band up, and over to the lower bowl in the NE corner of the stadium. The band would still be seen, would sound much better, and would still have easy access to the field through stairs installed in the corner. Use the old band pit area to create some sort of "student club seating" arrangement that could be reserved for various clubs, organizations, etc.

Fix this 16 year old issue once and for all.

This is a part of a larger question: What other longer term issues are present that a stadium "refresher" could address? We are nearing two decades in the "new" stadium and very few changes have been made from the night it opened in that game vs Air Force.
 

Schnauzer said:
The University of Minnesota marching band deserves better than the sunken, sound-challenged current band pit in Huntington Bank Stadium.

I know on paper it seemed like a great idea. A dedicated spot for the band that created room for fans seated behind the band to still easily see the field. The band was to be front and center.

In theory, it was a great design for the band. In practice, it was not. It was a very troubled design for the band. It is long past the time to admit to the mistake and make it right.

1. The band is hard to hear in its sunken, nearly sound-proof location.
2. The design somehow allowed for the size of the band... WITHOUT instruments!! So now the band pit is shared with other seating for the overflow band nearby to wedge in the rest of the group. Both appearance and sound are compromised.

So what is the solution? Move the band up, and over to the lower bowl in the NE corner of the stadium. The band would still be seen, would sound much better, and would still have easy access to the field through stairs installed in the corner. Use the old band pit area to create some sort of "student club seating" arrangement that could be reserved for various clubs, organizations, etc.

Fix this 16 year old issue once and for all.

This is a part of a larger question: What other longer term issues are present that a stadium "refresher" could address? We are nearing two decades in the "new" stadium and very few changes have been made from the night it opened in that game vs Air Force.
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My solution was to just mic the band with the speakers right in front of it.
 



WAGopher said:
Why not just raise the band pits seating to the same level as regular seats?
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I think sight lines for the students might be disrupted and the band needs to get into the field efficiently.
 
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Full Speed Ahead said:
Turn this into a rooftop party patio.

View attachment 38210
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If you go to an SEC baseball game, the outfield is often a massive party (BYOB), standing room tickets, people are playing flip cup while the game is going on, etc. It's not an awful idea to do something like that for football games.
 



Bob_Loblaw said:
If you go to an SEC baseball game, the outfield is often a massive party (BYOB), standing room tickets, people are playing flip cup while the game is going on, etc. It's not an awful idea to do something like that for football games.
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They could rent it out for parties at any time - no need to only use it during football games. It's the best roof-top terrace in the state.
 

WAGopher said:
Why not just raise the band pits seating to the same level as regular seats?
Click to expand...
I could live with this. I do understand the argument about fans seeing over tubas, but every other D1 stadium seems to deal with it okay. I just cringe every time I look over there and see 1/3 of the band separated from the rest due to the undersized pit.

I sit pretty close to the band so I hear them okay. I just know it would be better if they weren't buried down in that pit.
 

Schnauzer said:
I could live with this. I do understand the argument about fans seeing over tubas, but every other D1 stadium seems to deal with it okay. I just cringe every time I look over there and see 1/3 of the band separated from the rest due to the undersized pit.

I sit pretty close to the band so I hear them okay. I just know it would be better if they weren't buried down in that pit.
Click to expand...

I sit pretty much as far as one can in the lower bowl from the Marching Band. I hear them fantastically well.
 

Schnauzer said:
The University of Minnesota marching band deserves better than the sunken, sound-challenged current band pit in Huntington Bank Stadium.

I know on paper it seemed like a great idea. A dedicated spot for the band that created room for fans seated behind the band to still easily see the field. The band was to be front and center.

In theory, it was a great design for the band. In practice, it was not. It was a very troubled design for the band. It is long past the time to admit to the mistake and make it right.

1. The band is hard to hear in its sunken, nearly sound-proof location.
2. The design somehow allowed for the size of the band... WITHOUT instruments!! So now the band pit is shared with other seating for the overflow band nearby to wedge in the rest of the group. Both appearance and sound are compromised.

So what is the solution? Move the band up, and over to the lower bowl in the NE corner of the stadium. The band would still be seen, would sound much better, and would still have easy access to the field through stairs installed in the corner. Use the old band pit area to create some sort of "student club seating" arrangement that could be reserved for various clubs, organizations, etc.

Fix this 16 year old issue once and for all.

This is a part of a larger question: What other longer term issues are present that a stadium "refresher" could address? We are nearing two decades in the "new" stadium and very few changes have been made from the night it opened in that game vs Air Force.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Give them an entire section (the final section of students in either of the corners. Fill out the current band spot to align it with the rest of the stadium and call it good.
 






Schnauzer said:
The University of Minnesota marching band deserves better than the sunken, sound-challenged current band pit in Huntington Bank Stadium.

I know on paper it seemed like a great idea. A dedicated spot for the band that created room for fans seated behind the band to still easily see the field. The band was to be front and center.

In theory, it was a great design for the band. In practice, it was not. It was a very troubled design for the band. It is long past the time to admit to the mistake and make it right.

1. The band is hard to hear in its sunken, nearly sound-proof location.
2. The design somehow allowed for the size of the band... WITHOUT instruments!! So now the band pit is shared with other seating for the overflow band nearby to wedge in the rest of the group. Both appearance and sound are compromised.

So what is the solution? Move the band up, and over to the lower bowl in the NE corner of the stadium. The band would still be seen, would sound much better, and would still have easy access to the field through stairs installed in the corner. Use the old band pit area to create some sort of "student club seating" arrangement that could be reserved for various clubs, organizations, etc.

Fix this 16 year old issue once and for all.

This is a part of a larger question: What other longer term issues are present that a stadium "refresher" could address? We are nearing two decades in the "new" stadium and very few changes have been made from the night it opened in that game vs Air Force.
Click to expand...
I never had an issue hearing the band. My old tickets were visitor side, 2nd deck 25ish yard line.

I attend a few games in Brookings at SDSU in the new stadium there and the band is also in recessed, end zone seating and sounds fantastic no matter where you sit. I don't think the recessed seating is causing an acoustic problem.
 

Ope3 said:
I sit pretty much as far as one can in the lower bowl from the Marching Band. I hear them fantastically well.
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Sitting directly across the stadium from the band is probably the best place to hear them.

Our seats in 231 are behind the band, and we can't hear them at all.
 




Schnauzer said:
...
This is a part of a larger question: What other longer term issues are present that a stadium "refresher" could address? We are nearing two decades in the "new" stadium and very few changes have been made from the night it opened in that game vs Air Force.
Click to expand...
Green turf is boring - everyone does it. Along with my "Party Patio" on the roof, let's embrace our living in the snow and tundra by one-uping Bosie State Blue and going with all white field turf. White turf with green stripes instead of green turf with white stripes.

1754611529546.png
 

Full Speed Ahead said:
Green turf is boring - everyone does it. Along with my "Party Patio" on the roof, let's embrace our living in the snow and tundra by one-uping Bosie State Blue and going with all white field turf. White turf with green stripes instead of green turf with white stripes.

View attachment 38217
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The real question is which field would be more "lit" (I heard someone younger than me say that once): maroon with gold stripes or gold with maroon stripes???
 

Honestly the biggest mistake is having the only 2 deck student section in the country. Instead of 10k they promised just have 7,500 in lower bowl and pack it in. Or should have taken one section on each corner of lower bowl and put those extra students there. Can't do that now because that would misplace season ticket holders. It looks terrible when they cram in and down. Could have used that upper bowl for season ticket holders or make that the party section. Oh and put a concourse on that level so they don't all pack down at halftime.
And suites on the visitor side as well.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
If you go to an SEC baseball game, the outfield is often a massive party (BYOB), standing room tickets, people are playing flip cup while the game is going on, etc. It's not an awful idea to do something like that for football games.
Click to expand...
Lets copy the Rose Bowl
rose bowl 6_0.jpg
 

minnyrules11 said:
Honestly the biggest mistake is having the only 2 deck student section in the country. Instead of 10k they promised just have 7,500 in lower bowl and pack it in. Or should have taken one section on each corner of lower bowl and put those extra students there. Can't do that now because that would misplace season ticket holders. It looks terrible when they cram in and down. Could have used that upper bowl for season ticket holders or make that the party section. Oh and put a concourse on that level so they don't all pack down at halftime.
And suites on the visitor side as well.
Click to expand...
Not sure if still true but I thought it was legislation that said 20% of the stadium had to be allotted to students. Part of getting some of the state funding for the stadium
 





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