OU announced plans to alter Memorial Stadium by changing lower-bowl seating on the west side.
Why this is a stupid idea:
- It is ugly. Slicing out the center of the stadium and adding a rampart wall between fans is what the kids these days call “chopped”.
- You are sacrificing fans for corporate clients. 7,000 seats are lost. Instead of vocal, die-hard Sooners you get Texas Tech alums eating bacon-wrapped-asparagus as a corporation entertains them. Long-term this plan erodes the fan base.
- There is a cascade effect. Fans moved out of this area will be given tickets in the surrounding area and those fans will be moved out further. 7,000 fans have to fall off the back of the truck for this to work. Those folks are blue-collar, family fans.
We can do better. Come up with a stadium plan than is patron-forward AND incorporates luxury suites.
How You Can Help
Email Athletic Director Roger Denny at rdenny@ou.edu. Let him know:
- You demand a new stadium plan.
- You are prepared to withhold your NIL donations.
- You are prepared to boycott the corporations that buy the boxes.