Time to get REAL seats in Kinnick!

[judzeehawk]

This is probably a silly pet peeve of mine, but I wish posters would stop making the assumption that "older fans" don't yell. I have season football and basketball tickets and my seats in both cases are around many people who are 60+ and retired. They (I) don't seem to have any trouble at all screaming at the officials, yelling at KF, cheering for good Hawk plays, doing the wave and the (very embarrassing) "big burrito lift.", and generally showing they understand the game. BTW, we stand up all the time, but usually when something big is happening. Nobody ever gets yelled at for standing, because there is a clear understanding about when it makes sense.

Seating: I have chairbacks and enjoy them because they carefully define your seats. I am a big guy and wish I was smaller, but the seats also assure that those who sit next to me will have plenty of room. I even select aisle seats for both sports so I can be considerate to those around me. I sit by choice in the south endzone, which you know has been recently re-constructed. It provides much more leg room, which really helps. Last year I sat in the east stands for one game and it was pretty miserable.

I would favor the eventual addition of "theatre" type seats. I have been at some bowl games and have used them and they really are nice. I hardly think they will put anyone to sleep...that is a pretty silly assumption. They are pretty comfortable at Carver Hawkeye and even big guys like me fit into them pretty well.

I am a big movie freak and go to the theatre all the time...the Marcus has redone all of their 10 auditoriums in Sheboygan and they have leather recliners for all seating. Get over it...its a sign of the times. Make it nice and comfortable and they will come. Otherwise, they will stay home with there big TV sets...movies, football, basketball, whatever.

Thank you for your comments. I also get peeved about the people assuming older people Don't yell. I know I stand and yell.

 

[SectionSFan]

They have actual seats with arm rests and cup holders in the club seating in the press box.

 

[Fkakert]

I say get rid of seats all together. Stand up or stay home. Fat takes up less room when standing.

 

[LG210]

They could go different seating and if they lose seats they can make it up elsewhere.

I think an easier option is going to the current seatbacks as mandatory in most areas of the stadium. I agree that they skinnied down the seating width sometime ago and a row with a lot of fat and wide bodies in it can be uncomfortable. They may have widen the seats back to what they were I am not sure but I do remember when they skinny-ied them down.

If one third of the seats right now have a seatback at $45 a piece then simple algebra would say you could make seatbacks mandatory in all east and west grandstand areas ( except for student sections) and they would double the number of seatbacks and could reduce the price to $25 each (which would be the day hell freezes over).

We have had seatbacks since they started to be offered because I was tired of the extra people squeezing into rows and crowding me.

Paying $400 for a seat of season tickets and you can't even stay on your seating area is a joke.

It was great having theatre style seats at a bowl game. I can still fit into one and if you are super fat you have to pay for a wider seat.

If seatbacks were mandatory, wouldn't it reintroduce the crowding effect to those that currently reserve their space with a seatback because all seating would be on the same "level"?

 

[DesMoinesHawki]

With all of the money going thru the football program, it's long past due that the bench seating is replaced in Kinnick. They were designed for short, skinny people and there aren't too many of those around anymore. Nothing worse then sitting there on a warm day next to some caveman and his sweaty legs all over over you. Now, if it's a couple of nice looking ladies on either side, I may have to rethink this.

With the advent of large HD TV's, we need comfortable seating for the fans that choose to come out. I think the trend of ticket sales declining will continue. It's just a lot of time and money to spend for a day and to get stuck in there like sardines makes no sense.

Get stadium seating so everyone has their own space, seat back and arm rest. Hell, for those that can't fit in those seats, make a section with bigger seats for a premium. If they have to lessen capacity by a couple thousand to make this happen, I think it will pay off in the long term.

At the very least, put permanent seat backs on the metal bleachers. The current seating is just a joke and WILL drive more and more people away who will choose the comfort and price saving of being at home. Anyone else feel this way or pretty much resigned to what we have?

Before I gave up my season tickets last year I used to purchase the seat backs simply so I would have my own designated space. I think part of the problem too with congested seats is friends wanting to sit together and cramming their friends into their section. I know on several occasions we had people cramming into our row who had seats elsewhere ...

 

[LP4Hawkeyes]

So glad I bought seat backs - I made my sweet way up section 102 to find 3 UNI fans trying to squeeze into 2 spots until they realized that they couldn't because my seats were "defined" by my seat backs - I find that without seat backs I go from an having an aisle seat to simply standing halfway in my row and halfway in the aisle.

 

[Sooby]

Keep the student section with bleachers, but Kinnick needs NFL-type seats in the stadium.

 

[HawkIMalaise]

Back in the day when the old man had seats in the west stands 32 rows up on the 45, we had a fella we called "Knees in your back Henry" sitting behind us. This old codger had ice picks for knees. Even when I was like 10 years old I had his knees in my back. I could probably sue the U of I for fan endangerment and permanent spinal related issues, where is OK4P anyhow.

Anyway old "Knees in your back Henry" passed in the Fry era. Ole Henry...

 

[sioux34]

I only go to about 1 game a year for this reason. I am 6'8" and weigh 250 lbs. i just don't fit in the space allotted. Combine that with the fact I usually go with my cousin who has four seats, that just happen to be behind a guy who clocks in at about 400 lbs, and it is a recipe for disaster. This guy takes up all of his seat, half of the seat on each side of his and half of the seat in front of him and all the space behind him. He really should be paying for three tickets. Combine that with my 60" screen and oversized recliner, and going to kinnick is a tough sell.

 

[QuadCityHawkeye]

It gets somewhat annoying when people try to cram in extra bodies. I've sat in sections where you know people had their buddies come sit with them because you are so bunched together. I understand that in the student section but it is pretty silly to do that outside that area.

 

[NEIChawk]

Yep, here I am, comfortable in my own section........

 

[sioux34]

I think that's the guy.