(04-27-2023 11:22 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  

(04-27-2023 10:23 AM)TDenverFan Wrote:  

(04-27-2023 09:15 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  

(04-26-2023 10:12 AM)bluesox Wrote:  I was on the Vanderbilt campus recently and my take was the football, basketball, frat and sorority houses we’re awful looking... I mean all should be torn down. Thus, I really don’t think it would be a bad idea for them to play at the new stadium, especially since the capacity will only be 60,000. Use the football land to build a new hoops arena and housing.

This Vanderbilt fan of about 50 years recognizes the flaws you noticed — but to describe these buildings as "awful looking"? What do you want: An antiseptic and generic presentation that is seen on many campuses.

It's important to understand that the Vanderbilt three-stadia arrangement "model" is very different from those at most P5 members — bordering on dramatically different. All three buildings are located within very close proximity to one another (they are essentially connected), which can be jarring to those folks who have not seen such an arrangement. As such, there are some limitations (that can yield both ugliness and "quirky beauty") to what can and can't be done to improve the stadiums (football, baseball and basketball) and how they interact with one another.

As to "tearing down" Memorial Gymnasium ... that is a non-starter. The facility ranks as one of the nation's most important examples of modernist era (the 1950s and 1960s) sports facility architecture. The interior is extremely distinctive and special. Not that Memorial is the equivalent of Wrigley Field (my all-time fave stadium), but it is in the next tier down. It's historic and distinctive in a very noteworthy way.

More later ...

That is funky. A lot of schools have their stadiums share parking lots or something, but the football/baseball/basketball stadiums are basically touching each other

https://www.google.com/maps/place/FirstB...0vMDNiNDMw

I have in-person seen more than 35 campuses of P5 universities and have spent a decent bit of time over the years viewing P5 campuses on Google Maps (thanks for the link, too). There simply aren't many P5 members for which the football, basketball and baseball stadiums essentially touch each other, as is the case with Vanderbilt. Yes, you will find some examples of two stadiums sitting on adjacent sites. But not many with all three.

Vanderbilt offers a distinctive model in this respect — a model that creates some limitations regarding the effectiveness and attractiveness of the overall form and function of the three stadiums.

Bill, I've examined the layout and I have a solution.

The Natchez Trace should be closed off on that block. Vanderbilt should purchase a hefty portion of the adjacent parking lots to the West.

At that point, demolish the Western side of the stadium and build anew...new press box and luxury boxes. Make the primary structure 2 levels with most of the seating on the lower level and a smaller percentage sitting atop the new enclosed structure below.

Once you've got a new center for the design, move the field a few feet to the West.

Extend the closed in end zone portion to the South and then rebuild the Eastern deck. I would create a few yards of open space between the football field and the baseball field. Essentially, create a common space for fans to mill around behind either stadium depending on what season it is.

The Eastern deck could also be more vertical so as to save a little space.

Part of the goal here is to create more pedestrian traffic around the stadium as well as adjusting the footprint. Parking lots can easily be made up with creative uses of space elsewhere.