LINCOLN — As it at least considers potential expansion of Memorial Stadium, the University of Nebraska is going to its football donors and season ticket-holders to determine the feasibility of any future project.
Nebraska on Monday sent e-mails to an estimated 20,000 people alerting them of the possibility — and asking them to complete a survey that would help evaluate the interest level.
“What we hope is there is a large demand, and what we think is the case is reality,” said Paul Meyers, NU's associate athletic director for development and ticketing. “We just felt it was important not to guess on something like this but get the facts.”
The e-mail states to “please understand that there is no guarantee that this project will come to fruition” and that there is no “timeline for construction to begin or end.” But it also says “we are aggressively looking into the future of Memorial Stadium.”
Meyers said there are no designs or blueprints for how additional suites, club seats or regular seats would be added to East Stadium. Or how many.
“That's down the road still,” Meyers said. “We always sit back and dream what we'd like to see. But I think prior to doing that you have to know what the people want.”
Nebraska has about 3,000 individuals on its waiting list for season tickets. It has whittled down its skybox waiting list in recent years to about 15 names, which Meyers calls “legitimate prospects, but no commitments.”
Memorial Stadium's capacity is listed at 81,067 after its most recent makeover was completed in 2006.
NU sent out the e-mail just after lunch Monday and had received more than 1,000 responses within a half-hour and about 2,000 by the end of the work day. Meyers did not have a chance to look at what the initial completed surveys were revealing.
Eventually, Meyers said, the information will be released.
Among the questions, the survey gives recipients four options — not interested, need more information, interested or very interested — to the possibility of more regular seats, outdoor club seats, 12- to 14-person suites or 20- to 28-person suites. It also asks if recipients like the idea of increasing the attendance at Memorial Stadium, “possibly reaching an attendance average of more than 90,000, making Nebraska one of the top 10 largest college stadiums.”
In 1999, 42 suites and 2,400 club seats were added to West Stadium, and the initial 10-year contracts for those suites recently were renewed on 10- or five-year plans. The Huskers added 13 suites and more than 6,000 seats to North Stadium in 2006.
Meyers said it's exciting that NU could again be considering expansion so soon. Especially considering the recent hard economic times.
“It's just a testament to the special situation we have at Nebraska,” he said.
Nebraska averaged 85,888 fans for seven home games in 2009.
Its nation-leading sellout streak, dating to 1962, is now at 304 games.
The sellout streak is one thing Nebraska will have to consider as it weights supply and demand. A question is included in the survey that asks recipients if they consider the sellout streak or being in the Top 10 in average attendance more important.
Nebraska asks that donors and season ticket-holders respond to the 13-question survey by June 4.
Meyers would not say what kind of results NU would need to see to move forward.
“I have a good feeling in talking to people that the demand is really good,” he said. “But it's a very serious decision.
“We're going to get good concrete information.”
Contact the writer:
444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com
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