Now it's starting to look like a building. GO TROJANS! Sorry for the lack of photos. I guess Trojan Athletics is busy with graduation...
http://troytrojans.com/photo_gallery.aspx?gallery=141

I can say that from my experiences traveling around the Sun Belt that the three worst venues(for football, basketball and baseball anyhow) were Middle Tennessee baseball, FAU football and Troy basketball.

We did a total overhaul for our baseball stadium, FAU's football stadium will be opening this fall and Troy is getting well on their way with basketball arena. Congrats to all three programs.

I never made it to Fouts field and I understand that a new venue was needed, but at least from the pictures I saw, it didn't appear to be as much of an embarrassment as the three aforementioned venues, nonetheless, congrats to UNT as well.

Now what other venues in this conference need to be brought up to snuff? Could be your own school or other ones you've traveled to, you can stick to the major sports, or take it into the smaller sports if you wish.

At MT, I would love to have a brand spanking new football stadium too, but our existing one is as good as any in the conference from a functionality standpoint. If money were no object I'd love a new one, but we could do a lot worse than the one we have.

I think the obvious choice for us would be a new indoor track facility which would benefit us in more ways than one. Our indoor track team is pretty successful and they deserve better than a track around the bleachers at the top of our basketball arena, but beyond that obviously moving the track would make it possible for us to renovate our basketball arena as well. Get rid of the wooden bleachers, build permanent seating to match the lower bowl and add suites.

The other one and this is far from a necessity, but with the success that our volleyball team has had, I'd love to see them with a volleyball specific venue. The current old basketball gym serves it's purpose just fine and the place can get pretty rockin, but they're easily one of our most successful programs and it would be nice to be able to reward that, plus with a new facility they could possibly host tournament games.

If could trade bank accounts with T Boone Pickens I'd cut a check for a multi purpose athletic facility that would include an indoor football practice facility, indoor track, a separate section that would be a volleyball specific arena and the building could obviously also house brand new offices.

I've been to MTSU's football stadium twice and I like it, there's no need for a new one. It's not the nicest looking one, but it is certainly a fine Division 1 stadium.

Once we get that new building up in the endzone I think we will be set for quite a while. I love our football stadium and the upgrade will only strengthen my belief that it is the nicest football facility in the Conference. I'm sure UNT and FAU will be joining TROY at the top as far as football stadiums once their new fields are finished.

(05-06-2011 03:57 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  I've been to MTSU's football stadium twice and I like it

I've always wondered why MTSU's stadium doesnt get mentioned much when we do a "who ahs the best stadium" poll on here. Like burnthehorse, I think it's a great stadium. Probably my favorite regular opponent stadium.

(05-06-2011 04:38 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(05-06-2011 03:57 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  I've been to MTSU's football stadium twice and I like it

I've always wondered why MTSU's stadium doesnt get mentioned much when we do a "who ahs the best stadium" poll on here. Like burnthehorse, I think it's a great stadium. Probably my favorite regular opponent stadium.

well, I know why it doesn't get any votes from arkansas state fans...

Looking good.

(05-06-2011 05:12 PM)SpaceRaider Wrote:  well, I know why it doesn't get any votes from arkansas state fans...

It may become more appealing this year.....eh....I can always hope...

(05-06-2011 04:38 PM)TroyFootball05 Wrote:  

(05-06-2011 03:57 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  I've been to MTSU's football stadium twice and I like it

I've always wondered why MTSU's stadium doesnt get mentioned much when we do a "who ahs the best stadium" poll on here. Like burnthehorse, I think it's a great stadium. Probably my favorite regular opponent stadium.

I think it's a great stadium as well, not really a bad vantage point, and the open air boxes are awesome.

I think that our stadium could stand to be dressed up a bit more, one project in that regard is supposed to be taking place this summer, the one thing I really don't like about our stadium that I wish could be changed, is how far from the field the stands are. Granted, they're nowhere near as far as they were at Fouts and I honestly don't think they're so far away that it's actually any kind of problem, I just wish they were right on top of the sidelines like they are at Troy.

Again, I really like our stadium and over the next ten years I think we'll see more aesthetic upgrades and I hope we're playing well enough and drawing well enough to justify expansion, but I do think it's only natural to see the pictures and videos of the new facilities being built and think about how nice it would be to be opening a brand new stadium, even if the one you already have is very nice.

(05-08-2011 07:35 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  ...is how far from the field the stands are. Granted, they're nowhere near as far as they were at Fouts and I honestly don't think they're so far away that it's actually any kind of problem,...

If it were grass instead of concrete, with something planted there (bushes, flowers, something) I doubt it'd look near as far. It definitely doesn't feel all that far. The sidelines don't have much they could get closer anyways. Endzones and corners could stand to be a bit closer though.

(05-08-2011 09:07 PM)Raider_ATO Wrote:  

(05-08-2011 07:35 PM)MTPiKapp Wrote:  ...is how far from the field the stands are. Granted, they're nowhere near as far as they were at Fouts and I honestly don't think they're so far away that it's actually any kind of problem,...

If it were grass instead of concrete, with something planted there (bushes, flowers, something) I doubt it'd look near as far. It definitely doesn't feel all that far. The sidelines don't have much they could get closer anyways. Endzones and corners could stand to be a bit closer though.

Agreed and like I said, I don't really think it's a problem, it's just that when I go to other stadiums, including Troy, where the front row on the sidelines is about ten feet closer to the field, it makes a difference. Not that I sit that close anyhow, but I like the idea of our fans, specifically our student section, being right on top of the visitor sideline.

Yeah, being so close to the field was GREAT as a student. Troy puts the students behind the visitor's benches, and we were/are close enough to carry on conversations with the opposing teams. It isn't usually anything I can repeat on here though.

(05-08-2011 09:14 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  Yeah, being so close to the field was GREAT as a student. Troy puts the students behind the visitor's benches, and we were/are close enough to carry on conversations with the opposing teams. It isn't usually anything I can repeat on here though.

The set up is similar at Floyd stadium, it's just about ten feet further back. There's definitely some "conversing" going on between the visitor's bench and the student section, but it recalls a bit more shouting...

I remember the 2007 season when Florida Atlantic came to our house (they beat us, don't want to talk about it). My fraternity had gotten there (pledges) several hours before kickoff so we could get the best seats. We proceeded to "converse" with their kicker and a "slick dude" with hair gel on the sidelines (AT I assume). We got in that kickers head so bad he missed everything, hahahaha. Good memories.

MTSU's students were brutal to the Sound and even their own band, which is odd.

(05-08-2011 10:25 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  I remember the 2007 season when Florida Atlantic came to our house (they beat us, don't want to talk about it). My fraternity had gotten there (pledges) several hours before kickoff so we could get the best seats. We proceeded to "converse" with their kicker and a "slick dude" with hair gel on the sidelines (AT I assume). We got in that kickers head so bad he missed everything, hahahaha. Good memories.

Don't give yourself too much credit. Our kicker sucked that season. He would have missed every kick regardless...

(05-08-2011 10:25 PM)Burn the Horse Wrote:  I remember the 2007 season when Florida Atlantic came to our house (they beat us, don't want to talk about it). My fraternity had gotten there (pledges) several hours before kickoff so we could get the best seats. We proceeded to "converse" with their kicker and a "slick dude" with hair gel on the sidelines (AT I assume). We got in that kickers head so bad he missed everything, hahahaha. Good memories.

We have a similar 'section' at stAte. The entire first few rows are filled with students constantly harassing the players and coaches. Sometimes, they go a bit too far, so stAte has police officers stationed in the aisles and on the field.
But these guys are hilarious. They talk smack to the players the entire game.



The 'worst' end, is on the left side....behind the bulk of the players.....but we have others all the way down.

Finally with our new stadium, the student section (behind the visitor's bench) will be close enough to properly "communicate" with and express themselves to opposing players.

FAU's administration plans to put its students in the south end zone. That is a repeat of the mistake they made putting the students in the southwest end zone at Lockhart - especially when the sideline sections are not filled. It looks bad and the atmosphere that could be created by the students is left out in the end zone.

(05-09-2011 11:45 AM)BMarkey Wrote:  FAU's administration plans to put its students in the south end zone. That is a repeat of the mistake they made putting the students in the southwest end zone at Lockhart - especially when the sideline sections are not filled. It looks bad and the atmosphere that could be created by the students is left out in the end zone.

huge mistake

Yeah I tend to agree. They opened the visiting sidelines last year in Lockhart and it really enhanced the feel of the game.

I wonder if they could designate a small section of the visiting sideline as student seating, (say from the 30-30, and 5 rows deep) so that it would help balance the crowd and provide some that atmosphere you all are taking about.

Have it on a first come first serve basis. That way students could get there early to get "better" seats.