Schoellkopf / new West Stands

Imagine what a successor to West Stands would be like combining offices, weight rooms, and stands.

I believe the old West Stands seated 7,000. The new stands don't need that many seats. It would be nice to have some of the seats - 2,000 perhaps? - under a roof or awning to improve the fan experience on rainy or snowy gamedays. Cold you can deal with; rain is harder.

Perhaps the press box moves closer to the field and includes skyboxes for boosters or fan groups or corporate events. Maybe that's part of the offices under the stands. Go to Ivy football games especially at HYP and you'll see impressive tailgates sponsored by brokerage firms.

Please make the stands - lowest row of seats - start at least a half-dozen feet off field level so your view isn't affected by people on the sidelines or any canopied scorer tables or player enclosures. It was disappointing that the Berman Field stands are so low. Berman feels low-rent compared to, say, Princeton's Class of 1952 field for lax / soccer. Its 4000 capacity is about right, just about filled for a major event such as Princeton-Cornell lax when both teams are nationally ranked. It's also surrounded by evergreens, making it feel like an enclosed facility.

I believe the plan is to shift the field surface closer to the cresent side of the stadium, thus giving more space for whatever long term plan they have for the west side.

Cop at Lynah
I believe the plan is to shift the field surface closer to the cresent side of the stadium, thus giving more space for whatever long term plan they have for the west side.

That's a good point.

Just plant trees. I have always loved the end zone view of the trees leading down into the Cascadilla Creek gorge. Wrap that all the way around the west side of the stadium; it will be unique and bucolic, and one small step away from the increasing cluttering and uglification of the campus.

Trotsky
Just plant trees. I have always loved the end zone view of the trees leading down into the Cascadilla Creek gorge. Wrap that all the way around the west side of the stadium; it will be unique and bucolic, and one small step away from the increasing cluttering and uglification of the campus.

I don't think they can afford not to develop the shrinking land/space available to support 36 athletic teams.

Ken711

Trotsky
Just plant trees. I have always loved the end zone view of the trees leading down into the Cascadilla Creek gorge. Wrap that all the way around the west side of the stadium; it will be unique and bucolic, and one small step away from the increasing cluttering and uglification of the campus.

I don't think they can afford not to develop the shrinking land/space available to support 36 athletic teams.

Drop football; that'll pay for the trees. The background will be beautiful for our next lax national championship.

Ship the whole Eng school to Roosevelt Island and raze that whole part of the campus.

And some Aggie please fix the goddamn Dutch elms.

Trotsky

Ken711

Trotsky
Just plant trees. I have always loved the end zone view of the trees leading down into the Cascadilla Creek gorge. Wrap that all the way around the west side of the stadium; it will be unique and bucolic, and one small step away from the increasing cluttering and uglification of the campus.

I don't think they can afford not to develop the shrinking land/space available to support 36 athletic teams.

Drop football; that'll pay for the trees. The background will be beautiful for our next lax national championship.

Ship the whole Eng school to Roosevelt Island and raze that whole part of the campus.

And some Aggie please fix the goddamn Dutch elms.

Good one...

Trotsky

Ken711

Trotsky
Just plant trees. I have always loved the end zone view of the trees leading down into the Cascadilla Creek gorge. Wrap that all the way around the west side of the stadium; it will be unique and bucolic, and one small step away from the increasing cluttering and uglification of the campus.

I don't think they can afford not to develop the shrinking land/space available to support 36 athletic teams.

Drop football; that'll pay for the trees. The background will be beautiful for our next lax national championship.

Ship the whole Eng school to Roosevelt Island and raze that whole part of the campus.

And some Aggie please fix the goddamn Dutch elms.

Certainly don't care about football.

Many of us wouldn't have attended CU, if Engr was not on campus. Hell, school diversity was one of the main reasons some of us didn't go to Clarkson or RPI. I might have followed my brother to Lehigh and now be following wrestling.

They are coming up with good elm trees, not that any of us will ever get to see those beautiful canopies again.

Indeed, there may be some hope on the elms:

[www.bostonglobe.com]

Killer
Indeed, there may be some hope on the elms:
[www.bostonglobe.com]

The road (Washington Road) from Route 1 into Princeton campus has a spectacular run of elms that somehow have escaped the blight. [en.wikipedia.org]

Trotsky
Just plant trees. I have always loved the end zone view of the trees leading down into the Cascadilla Creek gorge. Wrap that all the way around the west side of the stadium; it will be unique and bucolic, and one small step away from the increasing cluttering and uglification of the campus.

A photo. Nothing beautiful about that side of the field. It actually looks slightly dystopian.

[x.com]

mike1960

Trotsky
Just plant trees. I have always loved the end zone view of the trees leading down into the Cascadilla Creek gorge. Wrap that all the way around the west side of the stadium; it will be unique and bucolic, and one small step away from the increasing cluttering and uglification of the campus.

A photo. Nothing beautiful about that side of the field. It actually looks slightly dystopian.

[x.com]

"Slightly"?

mike1960

Trotsky
Just plant trees. I have always loved the end zone view of the trees leading down into the Cascadilla Creek gorge. Wrap that all the way around the west side of the stadium; it will be unique and bucolic, and one small step away from the increasing cluttering and uglification of the campus.

A photo. Nothing beautiful about that side of the field. It actually looks slightly dystopian.

[x.com]

Speaking of dystopian, is there a picture that can be seen without logging into Muskovia?

Last I heard they were looking at putting up bleachers on that side because the Cornell team bench will be on that side of the field.

rss77
Last I heard they were looking at putting up bleachers on that side because the Cornell team bench will be on that side of the field.

Done before...to avoid looking into the sun. Looks dumb to have the main stadium behind the visiting team's bench.

I agree with having the Cornell home team on the West side of the stadium because that's where the press box is located. Two reasons, first the home coach doesn't need to deal with the flag sticks......chain gang walking up and down the sideline. Secondly if an assistant coach or coordinator needs to get down to the field lever to speak to the offense or defense they have easy access. When Kent Austin was at Cornell he hated being on the Crescent side and that may be Swanstrom's thinking. Regardless the West side of the stadium looks hideuus with the parking garage in the background. In reality the old West Stands were basically the same set up as many high school granstands and if Cornell cannot replace them it's ridiculous. We're not talking big money. No other Ivy and all but one Patriot League teams have home and away bleachers.

Its not just an issue on money its also liability for those types of metal stands.

upprdeck
Its just an issue on money its also liability for those types of metal stands.

Yes it is. Any new stands have to be ADA compliant. You have to provide bathrooms, also ADA compliant. And finally, you need to provide a refreshment stand for that side as well. It's all related to money and the focus of the money now is the new Meinig Fieldhouse facility, and the ultimately new field hockey field next to the new baseball Booth field complex.

Even if you don't like sports............Cornell needs those West Stands for graduation. In terms of football and other sports, the current condition of the stadium is definitely a recruiting liability. If we want to attract top talent to Cornell than Schoellkopf Field needs to at least be brought back to Ivy League standards. When a recruit visits schools like Princeton, Harvard, and even Dartmouth their stadiums are quite impressive. Again the old West Stands were basically a set of high school bleachers with 4,000 seating capacity. Cornell could add a new set of ADA compliant bleachers with say 1500 seats for less than a $1MM. Rent one of those portable bathroom trailers and park a food truck for concessions and we're good to go.

With a new West Stands we could bring soccer back to Schoellkopf Field for a night game with Syracuse etc. The place would be rocking. By the way several pro teams play on Field Turf so that should not be an issue. Go Big Red!

Local Motion
Even if you don't like sports............Cornell needs those West Stands for graduation. In terms of football and other sports, the current condition of the stadium is definitely a recruiting liability. If we want to attract top talent to Cornell than Schoellkopf Field needs to at least be brought back to Ivy League standards. When a recruit visits schools like Princeton, Harvard, and even Dartmouth their stadiums are quite impressive. Again the old West Stands were basically a set of high school bleachers with 4,000 seating capacity. Cornell could add a new set of ADA compliant bleachers with say 1500 seats for less than a $1MM. Rent one of those portable bathroom trailers and park a food truck for concessions and we're good to go.

With a new West Stands we could bring soccer back to Schoellkopf Field for a night game with Syracuse etc. The place would be rocking. By the way several pro teams play on Field Turf so that should not be an issue. Go Big Red!

Unless you're willing to write that check, the financial focus is elsewhere.

Thankfully.

It's a great place to show all our Ivy and national titles. Some parts of the banner are fuller than others.

Regardless the lack of the West Stands is a recruiting liability for Coach Swanstrom and we easily have the uglist stadium in the Ivy League. Cover the parking garage how you wish, but it's like putting lipstick on a pig. I think if Coach Swanstom reaches our alumni base we can easily raise the funds to build a smaller fully ADA compliant West Stands. Given the weather in Ithaca if we constructed a smaller 1500 to 2000 seat granstand with an awning (roof) for the rain during inclimate weather it would become very popular during home football and lacrosse games. Another way to sell it, the awning would shade our admins and VIP's during those hot graduations over Memorial weekend.

Local Motion
Regardless the lack of the West Stands is a recruiting liability for Coach Swanstrom and we easily have the uglist stadium in the Ivy League. Cover the parking garage how you wish, but it's like putting lipstick on a pig. I think if Coach Swanstom reaches our alumni base we can easily raise the funds to build a smaller fully ADA compliant West Stands. Given the weather in Ithaca if we constructed a smaller 1500 to 2000 seat granstand with an awning (roof) for the rain during inclimate weather it would become very popular during home football and lacrosse games. Another way to sell it, the awning would shade our admins and VIP's during those hot graduations over Memorial weekend.

Swanstrom also has a recruiting advantage with the soon to be built Meinig Fieldhouse. Nothing is going to happen on the West Stands for a few years.

Tang Hall looks good in the pictures.