I get the idea that a lot of TU fans/alums/backers don't always appreciate the significance of having great facilities. But IMO it is everything, especially if we aren't in a BCS AQ conference. Look at OSU. They have committed a huge amount of money to facilities and it is paying off bigtime. They have their committed big money guy in T Boone, but they also get that AQ money each year. And because of their commitment, they are laughing all the way to the "BCS Bowl" bank this season. Facilities was always the key to winning and OSU has them now. OSU is a state school and has access to state finance in a multiple of ways we don't. Created and financed alumni, political influence, even tax match schemes. But unless I'm unaware of a push to become a state university, TU won't have access to those advantages anytime soon.

Our advantage is this city and this region and the hundreds of thousands of potential fans living here. So it is important of course, to tap resources as the only major college FB program in this region of the state. So where should those resources go? Well, IMO they must go to the cash cow first and that is CFB. We need a variety of new, appropriate and up to date CFB facilities. We are on track, but must not sit on our hands and stop building for the future. Our competitors won't.

So where should we start? Well, IMO we should begin with a masterplan. We need to have a large, targeted set of ideas and goals that bring the football programs' facilities into focus. That inlcudes facilities for the players. Facilities for the coaches/staff. Facilities for use by the team. Facilities for the fans. And facilites that attract those without long term TU connections - a liability because of our small enrollment.

I'm kind of a facilites nerd. Call me the Rick Couri of posters so to speak. I, evidently like he, enjoy the nuts and bolts of on-campus athletics facilities. He did a number of stadium and arena video postings as TU travelled last year that were both informative and interesting. It allowed many of us to compare the facilites at TU with our conference "brothers". We compared well with some and not so much with others. But the one overriding thing I saw was that most of the other schools had well laid out and well planned footbal facilities.

So here is my list. Call it MY masterplan list of initial goals.

1. Team facilities - facilities that focus on the developement of the team as an on-field product - something that enables the team to get better physically and mentally. Weightrooms, gathering areas, practice facilities, dining, living.

2. The stadium - improving the cash flow, attendence and overall look and experience of the FB program on game day and beyond.

3. Fan only enhancements.

4. Support facilities.

Finally let me say one thing about all this. It is imperative we keep the cost down to a reasonable level. We don't need to have facilities that are as extravagant like OSU or Arkansas for instance. We have something they don't, a city that has a university in it instead of a university with a college town near it. But money has to be spent and looking at the TU campus, we can all see there is a framework of quality to begin with.

This thread is a little long, so I'll add specifics to my wish list later.

These are only my thoughts and ideas. I am just that "facilities nerd" that backs TU from near and far, but want the best for this school and this community. IMO it can be done, especially while the iron is hot.

More to come.

I'm going to come back periodically to this thread from time to time just to address what I think TU needs to do to improve the facilities and its overall program. So let me begin with the past.

IMO TU needs to desperately enhance their great CFB history and awaken the fans and casual onlookers to that tradition of excellence. Here is a suggestion that would create some instant pride and give those that don't know much about TU FB traditon and history some well needed education on the subject. IMO we need to "open up" the great players/tradition/history and teams of the past to the average fan by creating a series of plaques, pictures, busts and galleries that highlight TU's past that would surround Chapman stadium. It might be located on the north, east or west sides of the stadium, but should be accessable to every onlooker. It should be well planned and designed.


You may ask "why should we do that since we already have a lot of the history of TU FB inside the Case Athletic Center"? Well, my answer to that is simple. Most people have never been in, visited or don't even know those things exist in the Case Center. So the simple answer is to move some similar galleries outside where people can actually see them. It's for people who have an interest in TU, come to the occasional game, but aren't necessarily grads, alums or backers.

Let's face one thing about the Case Center. It was designed to show off TU FB for recruits and those close to the University since it is located IN a building. But for the long term health of the program, we need "MORE" fans, backers, interested parties to get involved in the program. That isn't necessarily the GHC or rich alums or even recruits or players. Its the potential fans that will be the lifes blood of future success.

And one more thing, no matter how hard we try, most casual fans will never visit the Case Center, but they'll come to a game once in a while. Tulsans turned out in good numbers for the Houston game this year and it was an opportunity somewhat lost. But IMO there will be other opportunites to capture fans in the future. We need to have the infrastructure to enhance the experience. It isn't just clean bathrooms and tasty hot dogs, its the "total" fan experience IMO. We have an advantage many other DI programs do not - a history of winning and success that needs to be advertised. Think about it. Our CFB history is better than almost any other team in CUSA. The only ones that come close are Houston and SMU. Our history is better than UTEP, Rice, Tulane, Memphis, Marshall, ECU, UCF, UAB. The only one comparable from the east "might" be So Miss - and that only recently. That's not a criticism of our conference brothers, but is a fact. My opine

Facilities are important and so is the area around those facilities. I remember when Skelly Stadium was enlarged to 40,235 seats (later revised to 40,385). At that time TU was about half the size in area it is now and there is no comparison with the look of the place then compared to today. Skelly was nearly surrounded by houses (except for Mabee Gym) and was at the perimeter of the campus rather than a distinctive part of it. Those were the days as the saying goes. But when Skelly was enlarged, it opened up an importance to that part of the campus that became immensely valuable to TU, much moreso than before. More events were scheduled there. North American Soccer League was bigtime. USFL football and the Oklahoma Outlaws. The Cowboys, Bears and Vikings played preseason exhibition games. Even a major league baseball team playing the old Tulsa Oilers there.

But TU didn't keep up the place and it fell on hard times. Later on, mostly thanks to the MBB program, Nolan, Tubby and later Bill, there was a move to build an oncampus MBB arena. Where? Well, of course the logical place was somewhere close to Skelly. So the Don was built next to Skelly Stadium and it started a small renaissance in athletic building at TU that I want to see continue.

By the way, not many people know this, but the funding for the Mabee Gym was originally raised to include a Mabee Basketball arena on campus. In the athletic offices at that time, there was a renderring of the arena to be built. But for whatever reason, probably funding, it was not built. This was about 1965 or 66, I'm not sure. But I saw the picture. Maybe it was a pipe dream of Coach Dobbs (who was the AD at the time) but it just never got done - then. But I always hoped TU woiuld do what it has done, which is improve the athletic facilities on campus. We had one of the nations best baseball programs (going to the CWS in Omaha and national runnerup to USC) and never played an important game on campus. During Nolans years and Tubby's, we never played on campus in MBB. So we needed those facilities in the worst way IMO. And even now it is an ongoing struggle to convince people of the importance of building facilities that show the commitment that progresses the athletic program.

Back on track. One of my main hopes is that our facilities will be better and more pleasing to the eye and not fall on hard times like Skelly did - something that necessitated eliminiating the upper level steel structures and dramatically reducing the size and revenue stream we had with the CFB program. But there are things today that I think we can do that enhances and makes the stadium even more attractive and eye appealing. One is to petition the city and leadership to help us where possible. IMO we should start by improving the area around 11th street. That is an historic area since it is directly on and a part of Old Route 66. Some folks don't realize that, but it is actually along the old route that the classic TV series back in the 60's highlighted. There is currently a move to beautify the route and I think TU would be wise to jump on the bandwagon. The first thing I'd like to see is the elimination of the telephone poles along 11th Street. It shouldn't cost much if anything to the university since there will be funding from the government to make Rt 66 an attraction. The poles/lines are unsightly, they are hazardous and they are an obstruction as well as a danger when events are occurring in Chapman. Think about this, the OSU game this year was somewhat "stormed out" but what if we had some dangerous power lines snap? That could be a disaster of biblical proportions. So PSO, the city and the university need to address this from a standpoint of both hazard and eye appeal. Eliminating those would greatly improve the 11th street area and make it more iconic to anyone travrlling the old route. It is something that was promised by PSO after the freezing rain a couple of years ago and also enhances the businesses in the area. Just bury the cables, its that simple. Then TU can address their side of the street and what can be done to make that expanse along 11th make people want to come to campus on game day. My opine.

It's going to take some creative people and marketing/advertising people. If nothing else the university could form a committee for nothing else but this subject that reports to the President. You can't rely on TU employees to come up with all the ideas and the steps to implement them. Hell, it could even be independent of TU if the university doesn't want to do anything about. There are many people that would be willing to share their ideas if there was a central place to send them. As I've said for many years, there should be some kind of grade school or middle school or high school activity at half time and before every game.....as everyone knows if you get them young, you got them forever. I would have as many championship games of any kind at Skelly/Chapman stadium and Mabee.....Pee wee football, basketball.....middle school football and basketball of course high school football, they use to do that. Add the monuments that you have mentioned around the stadium and gym for all those kids to see. Even have some video productions facing 11th street and around the stadium. Tulsa had great teams in the 40's, 50's 60's 70's, 80's 90's.......not every year but some years.....let the world know about them over and over!!

One thing I would like to see.......and I'm sure no artist or graphic designer but I would like to see some ideas on a Golden Hurricane symbol, a design that people, mostly young people would buy, even if they never heard of the University of Tulsa......I'm talking about people buying it all over the country not because it represents a university but because it's cool, different, unique.......something that just looks special!!! We have that kind of talent that comes out of TU, I'm sure many alumni would send in ideas besides students......hell, some one not even associated with TU might have a good idea. Make it an icon!!!

If they really want to build their fanbase, they need to start taking ideas from those like myself and many others who dont have any ties to the university. Never attended the school or anything, just a local resident born and raised in the area that loves college football.

Those are the people to build on.

Alumni and donors are great and needed, but what brings them to the games, is not what brings the same $50,000 a year family to the game.

Bingo..............you've got it!!!!

(01-13-2012 10:02 AM)Jesterondirt Wrote:  If they really want to build their fanbase, they need to start taking ideas from those like myself and many others who dont have any ties to the university. Never attended the school or anything, just a local resident born and raised in the area that loves college football.

Those are the people to build on.

Alumni and donors are great and needed, but what brings them to the games, is not what brings the same $50,000 a year family to the game.

Not only does that make you a very valuable asset to the university, it makes you a very good resident/neighbor of this area. We need more of you - but the university sometimes just caters to the same group of people year after year, but are few in number. We should treat fans whose only connection to the university is their desire to see a great product on the field/court like gold (no pun intended).

If Mike Case and many others generous to TU who don't have any visible ties can support the program, then that just shows what a great untapped source the university just seems to ignore at times. Thank you for what you do!

I attended the UAB @FIU game, primarily to see their new stadium. They had a new wrinkle, something special for the season ticket holders that were not Club Seat.

What FIU has done is put in nice tables and chairs in the "food booth" area to spruce up the environment for season ticket holders that are not Club seat members. It turned the food booth into a restaurant type experience, somewhat similar to the Club Seat facilities. Only season ticket holders were allowed to use this area. I thought that was a nice touch and probably did not cost all that much.

This post generated from the Navy Stadium, one of my very favorites, and a dull shopping center.

A dull shopping center I know in DC where I used to live entirely changed its dull ambience and faded look by hanging all kinds of decorative banners. My guess is those banners were very inexpensive.

At Navy, their football stadium is a living museum. They have banners; they have historical markers for such sites as Corrigidor, Midway, Gaudacanal, etc.

Banners would be a great way to add to the ambiance of Chapman Stadium.

An indoor practice facility is probably what Tulsa needs to keep up with the recruiting wars. This is a very expensive undertaking.

Those are all good ideas. You've evidently been to more stadiums than I have. But I think some of those ideas would be great at Chapman. Its true that some facility improvemtns would be more expensive than others, but its always been my contention we need a masterplan just for CFB and then MBB/WBB and then the other sports. Fans and backers should have input. But your post actually helps an idea I was going to post about eventually connecting Mabee Gym and and the Case Center above the road. But thats for another day - the off season when things get a bit boring.

Now here's a non-athletic facility idea that could have an immediate impact on TU. So here it is. Just my opine about the state of the university.

City Signage. To me, that is an important aspect that enhances an attraction like a sports event because it directs visitors, backers and friends of a university to it. Its a constant reminder of not only where a facility is at, but of what may be happening there. I want both TU and the city to step up and create the signage that TU needs to grow, develope and enhance the TU experience. The cost is minimal for the govt as well as TU. A great return on investment IMO.

Signage is what identifies the athletic and campus facilities for the university that are critical to TU IMO. There are reasons TU needs this in our very unique position inside a decently sized city with only a marginal number of alums. Signage is a contiuous reminder of the importance of this universities sports programs as well as the general importance of the university to the entire city in a variety of ways. So why doesn't TU have more signage that directs and leads people otherwise unafilliated with TU, to TU? I think it's because there is a mindset at TU that we should just be satisfied with the scraps thrown to us from the city as well as a concerted effort to overprotect TU both from within and without. We should be proud of our university and its programs and its "top flight reputation". But there are a few in the Tulsa community that have a bias against private schools like TU, a kind of "like it or leave it" mentality by a few in town that have power and aren't open supporters of TU. And there are also some at TU that give that destructive idea credence, even if it hurts TU and the city. This must stop IMO. TU should openly advocate the city get involved in more signage that leads people, like those coming from out of town to sports events or who would just like to tour the university. No more fear of outsiders "invading the campus. No more alienating the visitors to campus as "invaders" of the school IMO.

So what should we do about it? Well, I advocate the city/state (OK, I know, we need the politicians on board) erect "direction signs" to Chapman and the Reynolds Center as well as the university at several strategic points. Where? Well, I'd do it at several points at least 1 mile more or less from TU. Certainly along the Crosstown Expressway at several points instead of the tiny sign the size of your bedroom window that says "University of Tulsa - - Next Right". That is embarrasingly unimportant for a top 100 university. Ridiculous.

Other points could/should be in the vicinity of 3rd, 6th, 11th, 21st and 15th along Harvard, Yale, Lewis, Admiral. But the most important is along the expressway where thousands of cars travel each day

In the end, we need a lot of signage highlighting the importance of TU and directing people to it. It would become a constant advertisement for the sports programs and events going on as well as enhancing to everyone what we have. Unbelievably, there are people I know that have never been to TU that live here. There are alums from out of town that haven't been to TU in years and there are people that just "sightsee" schools as part of their city tour. I'm tired of people saying they want to see ORU on their city tour and don't even mention TU. That has to stop. TU needs to demand it be treated like the "big boys" by the city/county/state and start being proud enough to throw this wonderful campus out there so people can tour it, appreciate it and have pride in it. IMO.

BTW, I recently called the office of the state representative for the TU midtown area and, along with an inquiry about another issue, mentioned this and had a discussion about it. Hopefully, it wasn't in vain.

I look at facilities a little different from some of the folks out there in that to me a facility is any "device" or structure that contributes to selling, enhancing and enabling the program to win or to advertise and attract fans to a venue or to improve, expand or build the athletic venue itself. I thought I'd inject that into this thread because in doing so, I can explain it and not have everyone reading it thinking I just "ramble" (although it sometimes resembles a ramble). So here is another "facility" idea that I believe would be helpful in attracting folks to our nighttime events in CFB, MBB, WBB etc.

Searchlights. I know that sounds strange to say, but it was once common practice to rent or buy a search light or two as a reminder of an important event occuring somewhere in cities everywhere. They are seldom used anymore, I assume because of either the expense, maintenance or inconvenience. But folks, IMO it would be a unique way of creating a conversation piece in and around town and would get people "wondering" what the heck goes on down there at TU some nights. It would engender the "casual fan" to drive by, check out the campus or just take a looksee. Those are the fans we need to attract IMO. There is also the aspect of showing out of towners who are visiting where the place is and might entice them to spend their money at TU watching a sports team rather than going to the casino where they can walk in later and gamble their hearts out.

How would you like to have a FB game at TU with say, La Tech on a Saturday night and be at 31st and Memorial and look up at the sky to the east and see 4 search lights coming from one spot in town. Or maybe a WBB game against Wichita State or a mens game versus North Texas. Anyone want to check that out? IMO.

TU IMO needs to keep improving the facilities. With a new president, I can only hope the "new order" will look at expanding what we have. But where do we go? Where does TU expand?

Well, its pretty evident that TU can expand its campus and its athletics facilities westward in due time. The houses between Delaware and Lewis are in severe need of repair and IMO will eventually be bought and eliminated. Just go down some of the streets in the neighborhoods west of the Hardesty athletics fields, Case Tennis center and the track-soccer stadium. Those houses are in a delapidated state. Look at their foundations for instance. Almost all have such bad foundations that it would cost more to fix them than they are probably worth - cracked steps, brick exteriors collapsed, uneven walls. Some have already been torn down and some others are either rentals or are vacant. TU needs to expand in that direction and since there are already athleitcs fields there, its only natural that any new facilities would fit in there.

So what facilities do I think might go there some day? Well, playing Nostradamus, I'll project my mental powers (second to none of course - ha!) and envision a large outdoor tennis stadium (close to and west of the Case Tennis Center of course) similar to the track-soccer complex yet slightly bigger. That would immediately make TU the best tennis facility in this part of the country as it has been. Also, my recent rant about baseball could eventually come true with an on campus baseball stadium in that vacinity.

Also, I've mentioned my desire to have a Indoor Practice (multipurpose) facility. It would fit nicely in the area next to the Collins Fitness Center and just east of the Track-Soccer fields. The area is a little short of full length for FB, but is large enough when compared to other facilites like at TCU and Colorado State. At this point, I'm probably opposed to an IPF at Harwell, because we need those grass fields. BTW, if you have time, check out the IPF at Colorado State's official athletics site, that facility has just been recently completed and is somewhat unusually configured, yet very functional. If the IPF is multipurpose, then every team that plays outdoors could use it i.e. softball (and our future baseball team of course- ha!), track, soccer as well as CFB.

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Lastly, it is imperative that TU's "masterplan" be presented to the fans and backers ASAP, because of all the volatility in college conference affiliation at the moment. If we sit on our hands and look "satisfied" we will once again be left behind when/if the next realignment occurs. We seem to have the program, the teams and the players so lets be ready to take the next "leap of faith" IMO.

Next up - Lafortune Hall (House).

As best I can tell, Lafortune Hall, which was once an athletic dorm and a very good one, has been converted to "just" campus housing - ala another dormitory. This needs to be changed IMO back to an athletics only facility. That dorm is in the wrong place for student housing, yet is still a viable building close to Chapman, the Don, Harwell Fields and Mabee. It was intended to be an "athletics only" building in the first place.

So what to do with it? Well here is my idea and what I think would immediately add to and enhance athletics at TU at the same time.

Phase 1 - Convert part of LH to an athletics-only dining "unit". Most people don't know this, but TU is one of the few DI schools in the nation that doesn't (at present time) have an athletics dining "training" table facility. Well, that needs to change IMO. Part of Lafortune could be converted or a dining hall could be added to the existing structure. Lafortune is conveniently located near most of the "revenue" athletics facilities as well as most of the academic facilities on the campus. So the players could easily walk to Lafortune for a before practice meal, after practice supper or stop in for some protein "snacks" between classes. The one glaring, player development "missing link" to our athleic programs is a training table IMO.

Phase 2 - Convert part of LH's Front "great room" to a players lounge. The lobby of LH is somewhat ideal for a "homey" get together place for players, coaches, fans and important alums. There would be little need to change much that already exists other than to possibly expand what is already there. This "grand" entrance is something that needs to be opened to all athletes.

Phase 3 -Convert part of LH to a meeting place for the HC, lettermen etc. This would be a facility that could accomodate large groups for team meetings, get togethers for the HC, etc. It would have theatre seating for films and power point presentations as well as highlights videos for the HC each week. This frees up the Case FB building as more of a fb only facility.

Phase 4 - Convert part of LH to a medical facility for rehab. We need more on-campus player rehab facilities (for convenience) and coordination with coaches/medical staff. Offices would be included for all our fine athleics doctors and training staff. We already have "some" facilities for this at various locations, but they need to be "centralized". These would be for non rev athletes as well.

Phase 5 - Convert part of LH to an academic center for non rev student athletes. This frees up the Case building for FB only monitoring.

Phase 6 - Convert part of LH to an open area Hall of Fame for all sports. This would be something the players would "visit" everyday that reminds them of the history of the university. It is also an area that could be opened on game days for interested fans.

Phase 7 - A "monitored" game room for players/athletes that might include pool tables, game tables etc.

These are just "some" possible ideas to take advantage of what we already have at the university. TU has recently gone to the on-campus apartment model for student housing and most of the dorms, except LH are located closer to Delaware, thus IMO we need to keep and protect the area close to Glenn Dobbs Drive for athletics only. LH was and should be for that purpose in some capacity. These ideas might need to be addressed as we transition to a greater, better and bigger program IMO.

If I may interject something, from my vantage point, Tulsa has some of the most underrated facilities in the country, if nothing else, they are steadily but surely evolving into something truly special. Don't get me wrong, I love my UAB Blazers athletic program, but in terms of facilities, if you guys and gals at Tulsa had to settle for what the Blazers have had to work with in terms of this topic, you would sing an entirely different tune in comparison, I can assure you. If you knew what we at UAB have had to contend with as it relates to our board of trustees, it would really burn your biscuits. Classic example of the importance of facilities, IMHO. For a number of years, UAB's softball team had to toil in the pathetic, primitiive environment of a city-run softball complex, Greens Springs-George Ward Park. It was an embarrassment for UAB to have to play their "home" games there, they had to use an "artificial fence" to meet the required diameters of a standard NCAA softball outfield, among its' other obviously glaring deficiencies, absolutely horrible place for this brand of softball, there was no way that the Blazers were going to evolve into what they've been in recent seasons having to endure that place now.

Needless to say, parents and fans of the program were outraged and demanded better, and as of 3 years ago, finally got a beautiful and modern complex on the UAB campus, your softball has played there obviously (they clenched both regular season and the tournament championship there) and can attest to how much better it is there as opposed to Green Springs. As for UAB's softball program, they have made the NCAA Regionals 3 years in a row since moving into a place of their own where they can actually compete and feel proud of being there. As a fan, I love the new complex, and attended the conference tournament this year with UAB hosting it. Had the most wonderful time. Quality facilities can and do make a world of difference...

Thanks for contributing. I know how you feel about those facilities and we are still trying to catch up in so many ways to the programs here in our state just like you are in your state. But to be honest, I'm so much of a facilities nerd that I think if the other programs in CUSA don't make a similar commitment, it is grounds for "dismissal" so to speak - even if we dismiss ourselves from it. I hope you start catching up, because geographically, your membership changes the dynamic of the conference - a more southeastern fit. But I am not willing to wait forever. We just have to meet "perception" expectations or we are doomed to mediocrity here at TU. That is unnacceptable.

The AD and HFBC have just started the ball rolling on an on-campus IPF and evidently have some of the resources to make that happen. I hope so. We have to make ourselves attractive to the other conference teams whether that conference is CUSA or some other league.

Also, we just finished a $700,000,000 university funding campaign and of that money, $60,000,000 is supposed to be for sports (football)and 1/3 of that amount supposedly dedicated to the stadium - hopefully more suites.

This facility push is actually a "race" to see who can survive and who falters. Those that falter will fail because recruits want to see the commitment. If they don't see it, they just look elsewhere.

It was officially 111 degrees in town today and an IPF would certainly have come in handy. Iowa State has one - our first opponent. I don't know how hot it was there, but they had the option of practicing when and where they wanted. We need the same advantages.

I like Tulsa's football stadium. I didn't like where we had to sit, but I liked the stadium. The basketball arena is looking nice too.

Time to cancel the setback!

When TU built the Donald Reynolds Center for MBB/WBB/WVB, TU agreed to buy houses and demolish them along Harvard Ave as a setback barrier in that general area along Harvard. At the time, a setback seemed to make sense. But as we all know, times change. When TU MBB was in the Self era, TU FB was in decline and there was little enthusiasm for more seats for more FB parking. TU was basically letting the CFB program die on the vine and the parking was no problem. But of course the most storied sport on campus made its miraculous comeback. Chapman was renovated and simultaniously somewhat demolished. In its place was the "shell" we now know as Skelly Field at Chapman Stadium. With the recent success of the program, we have now discovered that we need more fan amenties and, because of interest, more parking for more fans. Without that, we have basically halted the hard earned CFB progress we experienced recently. There is no more need to "wait and see", TU football is back. Thus we need those amenties I alluded to or the fans will just head to Stillwater, Norman, Fville or the TV set at home. ...........We need more parking close to SF at CS.

The setback is basically owned by TU - as I understand it, but TU is prevented from using the land because the city simply wants to pacify a few malcontents in the residential area east of Harvard. I think its time to use that vacant, unoccupied area and set up a paved parking lot/tailgate area for sport events as well as the Lorton PAC for events. A while back, I suggested TU go to the city council and push for opening up that area for parking. I even came up with an idea that would be politically acceptable to the Council and probably popular with the area residents. My scheme was to build a couple of extremely nice parks that would be maintained by the university along the setback area. I looked at it as win, win for everyone concerned. Also, I thought it would be neat to have picnic and camp areas there that could be used by the general public residents through the week and the CFB fans on the weekday/weekend of a game. It might even have a few RV connections installed somewhere along that area. Naturally, there would be some kind of large barrier/wall seperating the tailgate area from the residents. That was my "vision".

I've actually done some calculations of the setback area with parking spot numbers in mind. By my intiricate and "geometric" calculations (ha!), I forsee the possibility of about 650-800 spaces that can be sold and controlled by TU for gamedays/nights. Definitely a money maker for TU. That would require some vacant or substandard buildings to be raized (approx 6) - three along 11th and three more along Harvard. Thus the area along and close to Route 66 would be enhanced and modernized instead of an eyesore.

As I understand it, the usual paid parking "ppc" (people per car) is about 3 to 3.5. Thus, 800 spaces equates to nearly 3,000 fans who then could park closer to the stadium, and they wouldn't have to inconvenience residents in the nearby neighborhoods and would allow TU to expand SF at CS without too many folks angered by having fans walk across their lawns.

TU sports is a valuable Tulsa "city" asset that makes TU unique and garners millions of dollars in revenue for the city every year. Thats reason enough to do this.

A "silly", "ugly" setback or a nice useful tailgate area for TU? Let's "git R done".

IMO.