OT: Army Begins Stadium Remodel

[ashokan]

I know some folks plan fall trips to USMA
Work starts mid April and seating capacity will go down to 30k for a couple years.
Shouldn't be much of a problem in 2024 except for Air Force

Long-awaited renovation project for West Point's Michie Stadium to begin April 15

The long-awaited renovation project of West Point's Michie Stadium will begin on April 15. It is expected to take two-plus years.

www.recordonline.com

Schedule

2024 Army Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com

View the 2024 Army Football Schedule at FBSchedules.com. The Black Knights football schedule includes opponents, date, time, and TV.

fbschedules.com

 

[mdk01]

Was in grade school when thy expanded the East/Visitors stands. Surprised they will lower capacity when completed.

 

[Leonard23]

Army raised $170M to add premium club seating, suites, a loge and better concessions: https://www.michiestadium.com/

 

[RUBOB72]

Army raised the funding? Or did the monies come from taxpayers . I would think the needed money comes mainly from the government in some form.

 

[mdk01]

Army raised the funding? Or did the monies come from taxpayers . I would think the needed money comes mainly from the government in some form.

I'm quite confident that at least part, if not all, of the funding came from the Associates of Graduates.

 

[ashokan]

Army raised the funding? Or did the monies come from taxpayers . I would think the needed money comes mainly from the government in some form.

Most people get service academy sports funding wrong. Alums (good careers and generous) pay for coaching salaries and construction projects. General funds, concessions and ticket/merch sales and handle maintenance etc. Like other programs, football pays a lot of bills.

"Mike Buddie, Army West Point Director of Athletics, said: "This project has been a critical need for over a decade, and we are thrilled to be breaking ground on such a transformative facility. It is a remarkable testament to the generosity and loyalty of the West Point community that we were able to raise $170 million in funding."

"This aspirational project more than tripled the scope of the next closest gift-funded project in the Academy’s history. To have secured two individual lead commitments of more than $20 million and several commitments of more than $5 million is humbling and overwhelming and speaks to the impact of the West Point experience. This project will support the entire Corps of Cadets and our fans, not just football and lacrosse cadet-athletes."

USA: Funding for Michie Stadium renovation project

stadiumdb.com

 

[Plum Street]

Of all the renderings shown here , none are of the actual areas where people watch the game . Which is the point of attending the whole thing .

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

Wow they’re getting rid off Mills road…that’s a big deal…

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

Of all the renderings shown here , none are of the actual areas where people watch the game . Which is the point of attending the whole thing .

The whole point, even at a service academy, is to make money…period. Seats are seats…they need to cater to their rapidly increasing a very wealthy alumni base. Hilariously enough it looks like their luxury seating will be far more plush than RUs! 🤭

 

[Plum Street]

The whole point, even at a service academy, is to make money…period. Seats are seats…they need to cater to their rapidly increasing a very wealthy alumni base. Hilariously enough it looks like their luxury seating will be far more plush than RUs! 🤭

true

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

Looks awesome
I wish we had something like that (meaning, I like their club better than ours)

 

[ashokan]

Of all the renderings shown here , none are of the actual areas where people watch the game . Which is the point of attending the whole thing .

Things are a little different these days
Baseball doesn't do great with TV dollars and even tickets.
Where they've made more money is allowing people to get out of their seats and walk around the stadium spending money (like new Yankee Stadium).

More concession/restaurant options, stores and hang-outs/parks will be installed.
Of course they needed better bathrooms and visiting team areas which are located in rehab site.
They certainly need to fix more things on the other side.

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

Of all the renderings shown here , none are of the actual areas where people watch the game . Which is the point of attending the whole thing .

But you'll be able to host a future Cam Spencer birthday party there now.

 

[Plum Street]

But you'll be able to host a future Cam Spencer birthday party there now.

Is he going to play professional basketball for the United States Army

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

Is he going to play professional basketball for the United States Army

Hope not. He couldn't just bail on them . What does that have to do with you hosting his party there though?

 

[koleszar]

Thank God, please tell me they're finally going to do something about the not to code steps going up and down to the seats. 8" rise is code, Army's steps are close to 12" rise, can't tell you how many times I've seen people take a header and old people struggling just to make the next step.

Also, more concessions and merchandize stands are sorely needed. Lines for the bookshop are insane. Would like to start picking up some merchandize at the stadium but those lines you miss almost a quarter.

 

[Plum Street]

Hope not. He couldn't just bail on them . What does that have to do with you hosting his party there though?

Should host at Rutgers since he’s a graduate.
His birthday is in April . So maybe a tailgate for a baseball game in the RAC parking lot with birthday cake

 

[yesrutgers01]

Only wish I had attended a nice Sunny Dry game at Michie stadium...The two times we played them when my son was playing, was horrible.

Best experience at an Army game was back in the early 90's- My MIL at the time was very good friends with a Colonel at the Academy. He and his wife invited us out for the weekend- They had a really nice tailgate going on and being a full bird Colonel there He and anyone that was his guest was treated like Royalty. Great seats but this was when they were really bad. But still such a fun time. And then we stayed at his house on Campus and they had a big formal that night that we all attended.

 

[Plum Street]

There was once a legendary bus trip to Army in 2007.
Rutgers won the Friday night classic with Jabu having one of his greatest games

 

[mdk01]

Only wish I had attended a nice Sunny Dry game at Michie stadium...The two times we played them when my son was playing, was horrible.

Best experience at an Army game was back in the early 90's- My MIL at the time was very good friends with a Colonel at the Academy. He and his wife invited us out for the weekend- They had a really nice tailgate going on and being a full bird Colonel there He and anyone that was his guest was treated like Royalty. Great seats but this was when they were really bad. But still such a fun time. And then we stayed at his house on Campus and they had a big formal that night that we all attended.

I was at a Friday night game back then when the weather was miserable, and so was Teel's thumb. Switched to Jabu late in the 2nd and basically ran the wildcat the rest of the game. Left the 50 yd line seats my family had to move under the 2nd deck. Fog and snow on the Palisades Interstate driving back. But I had been to enough early October afternoon games with great weather so it balanced out.

 

[RUaMoose]

There was once a legendary bus trip to Army in 2007.
Rutgers won the Friday night classic with Jabu having one of his greatest games

Was that the cold rainy ass night? I was on the bus. Got there late which turned out to be a good thing given the conditions. Then getting back to the bus after the game was a fiasco.

 

[Plum Street]

Was that the cold rainy ass night? I was on the bus. Got there late which turned out to be a good thing given the conditions. Then getting back to the bus after the game was a fiasco.

Yes !!! It was schiano ball at its best

 

[RU#1fan]

I'm quite confident that at least part, if not all, of the funding came from the Associates of Graduates.

That would be great. I was thinking Defense Contractors might have been involved with Donations.
The Suites and Club areas look sweet.

 

[mdk01]

That would be great. I was thinking Defense Contractors might have been involved with Donations.
The Suites and Club areas look sweet.

They may have. I don't know. But even if they did:

* The Association of Graduates also donated.
* Those donations, or about 75% of them, are not taxpayer fundung

 

[RU at the shore]

Desperately needed. My god that stadium is a dump

 

[RRosenwald]

A dump? I personally loved the stadium. Lots of charm and old school. And yeah, that 2007 game was a hot mess with the weather conditions!

 

[Fat Koko]

National Museum of United States Army opened a few years ago on Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

Cost = $200 million.

Super museum. Free admission. When I was walking in for a visit I asked myself, who paid for this?

The donor wall says it all - defense contractors. Many military leaders donated too.

Michie renovation likely using same funding sources as the museum.

Michie is great place to watch college football.

I recommend visiting the Army museum and Michie.

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

Michie is a great place. Went up for Air Force - Army night game about 20 years ago
It was freezing, but a great experience nonetheless

 

[Fat Koko]

Michie is a great place. Went up for Air Force - Army night game about 20 years ago
It was freezing, but a great experience nonetheless

Saw a few games at Air Force. My brother went there. Amazing flyovers.

Back in day guys would jump out planes and parachute into Rutgers Stadium holding footballs. The tradition ended after a parachute malfunction led to a crash landing. I was at that game.

Rutgers should bring back the parachute jumps. Might get people into the stadium earlier.

 

[mdk01]

National Museum of United States Army opened a few years ago on Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

Cost = $200 million.

Super museum. Free admission. When I was walking in for a visit I asked myself, who paid for this?

The donor wall says it all - defense contractors. Many military leaders donated too.

Michie renovation likely using same funding sources as the museum.

Michie is great place to watch college football.

I recommend visiting the Army museum and Michie.

The Association of Graduates is all West Point alums and probably played a larger role.

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

Saw a few games at Air Force. My brother went there. Amazing flyovers.

Back in day guys would jump out planes and parachute into Rutgers Stadium holding footballs. The tradition ended after a parachute malfunction led to a crash landing. I was at that game.

Rutgers should bring back the parachute jumps. Might get people into the stadium earlier.

Did we have one at the first game vs. Kent State in the remodeled stadium in 1994? I vaguely remember us doing that, as well as vs. Army in 1998 but i could be mistaken

 

[mdk01]

Did we have one at the first game vs. Kent State in the remodeled stadium in 1994? I vaguely remember us doing that, as well as vs. Army in 1998 but i could be mistaken

It was done at all home games unless there were high winds

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

It was done at all home games unless there were high winds

I don't remember one at the Miami game in 94, but there was a lot of rain so that could have played a part

 

[ashokan]

That would be great. I was thinking Defense Contractors might have been involved with Donations.
The Suites and Club areas look sweet.

Lots of service academy grads end-up with defense contractors. Many have engineering degrees (Raytheon CEO was a Rutgers grad with engineering degree and AF training). In fact, there's been something of a merger between upper levels of military and civilian corporations - not a good thing tbh (the actual fighters dont get promoted like the apple polishers). Military industrial crowd likes long drawn out wars with no real purpose. When the big guns arrive in theater with "Big Army" McDonald's and KFC are right behind them

 

[ashokan]

Rutgers should bring back the parachute jumps. Might get people into the stadium earlier.

Doesn't work at USMA - always takes 1st Q to get people into stadium.
The 2nd Q they spend running to the bathroom

 

[ashokan]

Michie is a great place. Went up for Air Force - Army night game about 20 years ago
It was freezing, but a great experience nonetheless

The first level of stadium was built a year after Yankee Stadium (1924). After that there was a hodgepodge of additions. The reservoir stands were put in during early 50s. The high press box was added in 2003. The bathrooms are pretty manky and finding a water fountain is an Indiana Jones level task.

The thing I like best about stadium is how close the wall is to the field and sidelines. You can stand a few feet away from unit meetings. With goal line stands you are almost in the secondary. Its easy to circulate and change seats.

Football games are a way for the military people to relax. Its families with kids and old alums having reunions. Fans are pretty much left alone in the lots. Bag pipers will come play for your group. You can have your beers and pig roasts. Nobody bothers you and its a self regulating crowd for day games (the local kids at night games can tip sketch)

https://s3.amazonaws.com/usma-media/inline-images/2035/pdfs/Michie_Stadium_History.pdf

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

The first level of stadium was built a year after Yankee Stadium (1924). After that there was a hodgepodge of additions. The reservoir stands were put in during early 50s. The high press box was added in 2003. The bathrooms are pretty manky and finding a water fountain is an Indiana Jones level task.

The thing I like best about stadium is how close the wall is to the field and sidelines. You can stand a few feet away from unit meetings. With goal line stands you are almost in the secondary. Its easy to circulate and change seats.

Football games are a way for the military people to relax. Its families with kids and old alums having reunions. Fans are pretty much left alone in the lots. Bag pipers will come play for your group. You can have your beers and pig roasts. Nobody bothers you and its a self regulating crowd for day games (the local kids at night games can tip sketch)

https://s3.amazonaws.com/usma-media/inline-images/2035/pdfs/Michie_Stadium_History.pdf

We had a blast there
First class operation the whole way
Also went to a bar near/on campus, can't remember the name but it was super classy with an older look on the inside

 

[ashokan]

We had a blast there
First class operation the whole way
Also went to a bar near/on campus, can't remember the name but it was super classy with an older look on the inside

Maybe South Gate Tavern right near Thayer Gate (main entrance).
I don't spend much Time in Highland Falls places aside from occasional McDonald's (one of the best ones - clean, internet, no grubby customers).

Billy Joel lived in Highland Falls a couple years and wrote "NY State of Mind" and "Summer at Highland Falls" there. The motels there are right out of "Psycho" lol.

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

Maybe South Gate Tavern right near Thayer Gate (main entrance).
I don't spend much Time in Highland Falls places aside from occasional McDonald's (one of the best ones - clean, internet, no grubby customers).

Billy Joel lived in Highland Falls a couple years and wrote "NY State of Mind" and "Summer at Highland Falls" there. The motels there are right out of "Psycho" lol.

That could be it
We had some of the best bar pizza I've ever tasted and the beers were ice cold

 

[ashokan]

That could be it
We had some of the best bar pizza I've ever tasted and the beers were ice cold

They always had some of the best pizza within half-hour drive for me.
They made it thin.