The Senior Bowl has taken place in Mobile for the last 50 years and it will remain there for years to come, but there will be a different look in 2021.
The game and the week of practices leading up to the game will be taking place at a new venue. The Senior Bowl’s board of trustees voted to approve a multi-year deal to move the event to the new Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of South Alabama.Ladd-Peebles Stadium had been the venue for every Senior Bowl since 1951.“We owe it to our community and players to host the nation’s premier college football all-star game in the region’s most advanced stadium and this transition to Hancock Whitney Stadium will best ensure our game resides in Mobile, Alabama for decades to come,” Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said in a statement.South Alabama is set to play Grambling in the stadium’s first game in September of this year.

What do you guys think of this? Is it a good move or not?

Good Move. Ladd-Peebles is out of date

The only negative to it is that it's on South's campus which is like 15 miles outside of down. There aren't as many hotels in that area, and the ones that are there stink.

Whatever it takes to get out of the dump it was at. Having just been to January's bowl game there it was clear they needed a new venue for the game, Senior Bowl, and South Alabama football. Great host city however.

(03-04-2020 05:48 PM)HoustonCougarNation Wrote:  What do you guys think of this? Is it a good move or not?

On balance, basically a move of interest only to those in Mobile. Probably some silly city and state politics behind this, so nobody elsewhere will care.

On one hand, the new venue is newer, so that's a plus, on the other, it is farther from downtown, which is a minus. Overall, no big deal.

I am glad I made it down to Mobile for USA’s Black Friday game as I figured Ladd Peebles would be going extinct.

(03-04-2020 07:11 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I am glad I made it down to Mobile for USA’s Black Friday game as I figured Ladd Peebles would be going extinct.

Truth is, there's zero wrong with LP. It's an old-school stadium where the focus is on watching the football game. Bleachers with good sight-lines, which is all you really need.

I've never needed retractable roofs and puffy chairbacks and air conditioning and 40 concession stands selling sushi and $20 mint juleps to enjoy live football. Bleachers, hot dogs, beer and soda is all I've ever needed.

(03-04-2020 05:48 PM)HoustonCougarNation Wrote:  The Senior Bowl has taken place in Mobile for the last 50 years and it will remain there for years to come, but there will be a different look in 2021.
The game and the week of practices leading up to the game will be taking place at a new venue. The Senior Bowl’s board of trustees voted to approve a multi-year deal to move the event to the new Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of South Alabama.Ladd-Peebles Stadium had been the venue for every Senior Bowl since 1951.“We owe it to our community and players to host the nation’s premier college football all-star game in the region’s most advanced stadium and this transition to Hancock Whitney Stadium will best ensure our game resides in Mobile, Alabama for decades to come,” Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said in a statement.South Alabama is set to play Grambling in the stadium’s first game in September of this year.

What do you guys think of this? Is it a good move or not?

I haven't watched the Senior Bowl game since circa 2012, nor did I ever have the inkling to go to the game. I watched the drills when I had NFLN before I realized it and the other channels along with it were not worth what I was paying my pay-TV provider.

If it helps pay off the debt of the municipality which floated the bonds, I is good, I guess, but I'm not sure what else to say to prove that the move is "good/better".

(03-04-2020 07:24 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 07:11 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I am glad I made it down to Mobile for USA’s Black Friday game as I figured Ladd Peebles would be going extinct.

Truth is, there's zero wrong with LP. It's an old-school stadium where the focus is on watching the football game. Bleachers with good sight-lines, which is all you really need.

I've never needed retractable roofs and puffy chairbacks and air conditioning and 40 concession stands selling sushi and $20 mint juleps to enjoy live football. Bleachers, hot dogs, beer and soda is all I've ever needed.

There is plenty wrong with Ladd. It’s not ADA compliant. It’s scary to see some older fans walk up and down the bleachers at Ladd without a hand rail, much less making it accessible to others with disabilities. Ladd doesn’t have a good scoreboard and no videoboard. If you’re a coach, you want a videoboard to know when to challenge a play. The PA system is only on the press box side, so they blast out the home side so the other side of the stadium can hear. There isn’t parking unless you’re a season ticket holder or if you want to park in someone’s front yard. There’s no WiFi there. All of the above will not be issues at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

(03-04-2020 09:27 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 07:24 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 07:11 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I am glad I made it down to Mobile for USA’s Black Friday game as I figured Ladd Peebles would be going extinct.

Truth is, there's zero wrong with LP. It's an old-school stadium where the focus is on watching the football game. Bleachers with good sight-lines, which is all you really need.

I've never needed retractable roofs and puffy chairbacks and air conditioning and 40 concession stands selling sushi and $20 mint juleps to enjoy live football. Bleachers, hot dogs, beer and soda is all I've ever needed.

There is plenty wrong with Ladd. It’s not ADA compliant. It’s scary to see some older fans walk up and down the bleachers at Ladd without a hand rail, much less making it accessible to others with disabilities. Ladd doesn’t have a good scoreboard and no videoboard. If you’re a coach, you want a videoboard to know when to challenge a play. The PA system is only on the press box side, so they blast out the home side so the other side of the stadium can hear. There isn’t parking unless you’re a season ticket holder or if you want to park in someone’s front yard. There’s no WiFi there. All of the above will not be issues at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

Yeah, I was surprised there was no cash parking. Parked on someone’s lawn and the neighborhood felt very sketchy, but Mobile did a good job providing a large police presence.

It was surprising how small the concourses were. Couldn’t imagine it soldout for Auburn or Alabama games back in the day.

Got a kick out of the “Umbrellas Not Allowed” signage and thought the train/utility poles south of the stadium gave it old-time character.

There's won't be Wifi everywhere in the stadium, The premium seating yes, but don't expect it in the cheap seats. The cell coverage should be at South compared to Ladd.

(03-04-2020 09:27 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 07:24 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 07:11 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I am glad I made it down to Mobile for USA’s Black Friday game as I figured Ladd Peebles would be going extinct.

Truth is, there's zero wrong with LP. It's an old-school stadium where the focus is on watching the football game. Bleachers with good sight-lines, which is all you really need.

I've never needed retractable roofs and puffy chairbacks and air conditioning and 40 concession stands selling sushi and $20 mint juleps to enjoy live football. Bleachers, hot dogs, beer and soda is all I've ever needed.

There is plenty wrong with Ladd. It’s not ADA compliant. It’s scary to see some older fans walk up and down the bleachers at Ladd without a hand rail, much less making it accessible to others with disabilities. Ladd doesn’t have a good scoreboard and no videoboard. If you’re a coach, you want a videoboard to know when to challenge a play. The PA system is only on the press box side, so they blast out the home side so the other side of the stadium can hear. There isn’t parking unless you’re a season ticket holder or if you want to park in someone’s front yard. There’s no WiFi there. All of the above will not be issues at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

To me, none of those things are "wrong" things about a football stadium. Well, ADA compliance is a government requirement, and I'm not sure how LP has managed to stay open if it isn't compliant, so I wonder about that.

The other stuff like Wifi and video scoreboards and the PA system are IMO tangential, I've never been to a football game where I cared about such stuff.

That said, if you guys at USA are happy with your on-campus stadium, which I wish USF also had, more power to you.

(03-05-2020 10:08 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 09:27 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 07:24 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 07:11 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I am glad I made it down to Mobile for USA’s Black Friday game as I figured Ladd Peebles would be going extinct.

Truth is, there's zero wrong with LP. It's an old-school stadium where the focus is on watching the football game. Bleachers with good sight-lines, which is all you really need.

I've never needed retractable roofs and puffy chairbacks and air conditioning and 40 concession stands selling sushi and $20 mint juleps to enjoy live football. Bleachers, hot dogs, beer and soda is all I've ever needed.

There is plenty wrong with Ladd. It’s not ADA compliant. It’s scary to see some older fans walk up and down the bleachers at Ladd without a hand rail, much less making it accessible to others with disabilities. Ladd doesn’t have a good scoreboard and no videoboard. If you’re a coach, you want a videoboard to know when to challenge a play. The PA system is only on the press box side, so they blast out the home side so the other side of the stadium can hear. There isn’t parking unless you’re a season ticket holder or if you want to park in someone’s front yard. There’s no WiFi there. All of the above will not be issues at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

To me, none of those things are "wrong" things about a football stadium. Well, ADA compliance is a government requirement, and I'm not sure how LP has managed to stay open if it isn't compliant, so I wonder about that.

The other stuff like Wifi and video scoreboards and the PA system are IMO tangential, I've never been to a football game where I cared about such stuff.

That said, if you guys at USA are happy with your on-campus stadium, which I wish USF also had, more power to you.

Ladd is grandfathered in as to not violate ADA in its current form. If they were to make a certain $ of improvements they would forced to also bring the stadium into ADA compliance, which would be quite costly. I will disagree the scoreboard isn’t an issue as it goes beyond the stadium. It doesn’t integrate with TV which is a big deal for the networks. For our program Ladd affected recruiting and isn’t ideal for building a program.

(03-05-2020 10:26 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  For our program Ladd affected recruiting and isn’t ideal for building a program.

Like I said, I wish USF had an on-campus stadium so I respect that you guys have made that happen. The stadium does not look like an erector set, it looks similar to Tulane's stadium, which is a nice intimate facility.

But as you say, the real rubber test is how it impacts the program. USA has struggled in two areas - attendance and winning games - and if the new stadium helps with winning by bringing in better players, and helps with attendance because fans like it better, than the investment will have been worth it. We shall see.

(03-04-2020 06:19 PM)Auburn_Blazer Wrote:  The only negative to it is that it's on South's campus which is like 15 miles outside of down. There aren't as many hotels in that area, and the ones that are there stink.

There aren't any hotels super close to Ladd-Peebles

(03-05-2020 11:13 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 06:19 PM)Auburn_Blazer Wrote:  The only negative to it is that it's on South's campus which is like 15 miles outside of down. There aren't as many hotels in that area, and the ones that are there stink.

There aren't any hotels super close to Ladd-Peebles

Yes, but LP is clearly closer to downtown and the Mobile attractions, such as they are, than is the USA campus.

A bowl game is different from a school's home games. For USA, having an on-campus stadium is way better than playing at a downtown stadium separated from campus. Far more convenient for students and staff, and alumni care about being at the school and feeling the game-day vibes there.

But for a bowl game, which is mainly outsiders, fans want to be closer to whatever amenities the city has to offer.

(03-05-2020 11:01 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(03-05-2020 10:26 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  For our program Ladd affected recruiting and isn’t ideal for building a program.

Like I said, I wish USF had an on-campus stadium so I respect that you guys have made that happen. The stadium does not look like an erector set, it looks similar to Tulane's stadium, which is a nice intimate facility.

But as you say, the real rubber test is how it impacts the program. USA has struggled in two areas - attendance and winning games - and if the new stadium helps with winning by bringing in better players, and helps with attendance because fans like it better, than the investment will have been worth it. We shall see.

Good eye. During the planning phase, our AD and planning committee took trips to several stadiums. We ended up taking aspects from the stadiums of SMU, Tulane, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, and Central Florida.

(03-05-2020 11:16 AM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  Good eye. During the planning phase, our AD and planning committee took trips to several stadiums. We ended up taking aspects from the stadiums of SMU, Tulane, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, and Central Florida.

Haha .... I like all of those except one, LOL.

One thing I like about your design as compared to Tulane is the lack of overhang of the second tier over the lower bowl. At Tulane, they figured an overhang over half of the lower bowl would be good as it would provide shade against the often hot sun. In reality, the shielding from the sun in those seats is more than offset by the lack of breeze caused by the overhang, and the air becomes oppressively thick in those seats, you can barely breathe. And you're still hot, LOL.

USA, like Tulane and FAU, faces the problem of the hot sun of the deep south. This is a big factor that schools up north that complain about southern teams never playing in the cold and snow always neglect. But better to make everything (save for enclosed suites) as open-air as possible. Or play all the home games at night.

(03-05-2020 11:13 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 06:19 PM)Auburn_Blazer Wrote:  The only negative to it is that it's on South's campus which is like 15 miles outside of down. There aren't as many hotels in that area, and the ones that are there stink.

There aren't any hotels super close to Ladd-Peebles

Depends on your definition of super close. You have the Hampton and a few other hotels downtown that are about a mile and a half away.

(03-05-2020 02:59 PM)GreenHornet33 Wrote:  

(03-05-2020 11:13 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(03-04-2020 06:19 PM)Auburn_Blazer Wrote:  The only negative to it is that it's on South's campus which is like 15 miles outside of down. There aren't as many hotels in that area, and the ones that are there stink.

There aren't any hotels super close to Ladd-Peebles

Depends on your definition of super close. You have the Hampton and a few other hotels downtown that are about a mile and a half away.

More like three miles but it's all slow speed in-town driving. I've stayed there and other downtown hotels for games multiple times.