Cornell Razes West Stands

[DFW HOYA]

Lack of use. They will not be rebuilt.

http://cornellsun.com/2016/03/10/west-schoellkopf-stands-torn-down-due-to-underuse-disrepair/

[Mattymc727]

Why not try to fill those stands will a winning football program?

[Go Green]

If you enjoy watching football with a big parking garage serving as a backdrop, then Schoellkopf Field will be your place!

http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/schoellkopf-field-s1745/

[PAllen]

Because nothing screams top tier football more than a one sided stadium.

[Franks Tanks]

Why not try to fill those stands will a winning football program?

Cornell football has never really been a consistent winner. The stadium had a capacity of 25k before the stands were razed, and I imagine capacity will still be around 20k. Will the press box complex remain on that side?

[superman7515]

So Cornel West just shows up, tears down some football stands, and rolls out like Ludacris and no one bats an eye. Unreal. #StadiumLivesMatter

[Catsfan90]

So Cornel West just shows up, tears down some football stands, and rolls out like Ludacris and no one bats an eye. Unreal. #StadiumLivesMatter
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who caught that!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The amazing part is that they named the stands after him.

[Go Green]

It is very difficult to see Cornell leaving the Ivy Football basement anytime soon. Cornell has produced some of the Ivy's best players, but for whatever reason, they haven't been a force in the Ivy in a long while....

A shame.

[Gater]

You could make that a family picnic area for about $8. Put in some grass and tables and stuff and let kids run around. Or with some schools serving alcohol in suites, make it a cocktail party section. It would pay for itself in few games and bring people in from tailgating. Or pave it and give people the view of the parking garage Ivy League football fans have been missing!!! (I realize options 1 and 2 are entirely too practical/fun.)

[ngineer]

It is very difficult to see Cornell leaving the Ivy Football basement anytime soon. Cornell has produced some of the Ivy's best players, but for whatever reason, they haven't been a force in the Ivy in a long while....

A shame.

especially since they have a huge student body of which a good sized segment is part of the SUNY system. Certainly have the money to put into a program if they want...just like they did with wrestling, in which they were horrible back in the 1990's.

[Ivytalk]

Some people have bragged about how spectacular Schoellkopf is during high-leaf season -- about the time of the Harvard game. The place is a dump, and the view is overrated.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

I haven't been there since 2001. While I remember it being "cool" it seemed in disrepair then.

[bulldog10jw]

Some people have bragged about how spectacular Schoellkopf is during high-leaf season -- about the time of the Harvard game. The place is a dump, and the view is overrated.

That's not how it used to be. The first game I attended at Schoellkopf was in 1974. Cornell was Yale's 5th game back then so it would have been the end of October. It was homecoming so there was a good crowd. Those bleachers they are tearing down were full. The crescent about half full. Great road trip. Nice stadium at the time. Sad that they won't make a commitment and rebuild.

[dgtw]

Because nothing screams top tier football more than a one sided stadium.

When I was in high school. we played a team (I didn't play, went as a spectator) that had a one-sided stadium. This was in the largest classification in the state, so this wasn't some place out in the boondocks. That always amused me for some reason. Years later, I met and married a woman who went to that school and actually attended that game (her brother was on the team). She wondered if we might have seen each other and I said we probably did since we had to sit on the same side.

[clenz]

Because nothing screams top tier football more than a one sided stadium.
You mean to tell me Indiana State isn't big time?

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics32/640/OI/OIZEYPWJXGXUQUT.20120124223112.jpg
http://image2.stadiumjourney.com/images/stadiums/1792_Indiana_State_Memorial_Stadium_Panoramic_View .jpg
http://image1.stadiumjourney.com/images/stadiums/1792_End_Zone_at_Memorial_Stadium.jpg
https://www.garmong.net/images/projects/Institutional%20-%20ISU%20Stadium.jpg
http://media.mwcradio.com/mimesis/2011-11/07/IMG_20111105_144206_jpg_475x310_q85.jpg
http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics33/640/YD/YDITAXMEXADMITU.20130916132048.jpg

[BisonFan02]

You mean to tell me Indiana State isn't big time?

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics32/640/OI/OIZEYPWJXGXUQUT.20120124223112.jpg
http://image2.stadiumjourney.com/images/stadiums/1792_Indiana_State_Memorial_Stadium_Panoramic_View .jpg
http://image1.stadiumjourney.com/images/stadiums/1792_End_Zone_at_Memorial_Stadium.jpg
https://www.garmong.net/images/projects/Institutional%20-%20ISU%20Stadium.jpg
http://media.mwcradio.com/mimesis/2011-11/07/IMG_20111105_144206_jpg_475x310_q85.jpg
http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics33/640/YD/YDITAXMEXADMITU.20130916132048.jpg



Its a perfect set up for when they make the move to non-scholly PFL football with the rest of the MVC schools. #SummitLeagueFootball


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_6CZ2JaEuc

[POD Knows]

So Cornel West just shows up, tears down some football stands, and rolls out like Ludacris and no one bats an eye. Unreal. #StadiumLivesMatter

I didn't know his middle name was Razes. It is amazing what you learn on this site.

[kdinva]

Because nothing screams top tier football more than a one sided stadium.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://facilities.rmu.edu/_/rsrc/1432168693271/ath-bldg-jws.jpg&imgrefurl=http://facilities.rmu.edu/campus-buildings/joe-walton-stadium&h=343&w=576&tbnid=mssYYNv3KUNxHM:&docid=Wpb0LS4E2p5bIM&hl=en&ei=9Hn0VtaeGMupe8mhmcgP&tbm=isch&ved=0ahUKEwjW6IXPvtrLAhXL1B4KHclQBvkQMwgdKAAwAA

[superman7515]

I didn't know his middle name was Razes. It is amazing what you learn on this site.

It's a family name. It used to be $h!t House, but they changed it in the 9th century.

[bonarae]

What to think of this: I don't think they're doing a Chicago or Pacific there (the former downsized the stadium after they left the Big Ten, the latter demolished the stadium in 2014)... but the said demolition tells us that Ivies are still de-emphasizing football after all these years.

[NoCoDanny]

So they tore down the press box also? I don't know much about this stadium but just a quick google search it seems the remaining side has no press facility...

[Go...gate]

What to think of this: I don't think they're doing a Chicago or Pacific there (the former downsized the stadium after they left the Big Ten, the latter demolished the stadium in 2014)... but the said demolition tells us that Ivies are still de-emphasizing football after all these years.

Sadly true.

[Go Green]

but the said demolition tells us that Ivies are still de-emphasizing football after all these years.

If it makes you feel better, Dartmouth and Penn have both done major upgrades to their stadia in very recent years. True, Dartmouth reduced capacity--but Memorial Field does look really nice.

We're still waiting to see what Yale does to it's own venue....

[Franks Tanks]

If it makes you feel better, Dartmouth and Penn have both done major upgrades to their stadia in very recent years. True, Dartmouth reduced capacity--but Memorial Field does look really nice.

We're still waiting to see what Yale does to it's own venue....


I think Ivy football is actually on the upswing. The cache of attending an Ivy has never been higher, and admission spots are insanely competitive. Incredible financial aid packages allow the schools to be extremely affordable for anyone, including athletes. The Ivy's have had some tremendous football recruiting classes over the last 5-8 years, and the product on the field is getting better. Many Ivy recruits could attend FBS schools, but instead choose the reputation of an Ivy, and get to play some pretty darn good football along the way.

Ivy league football is a good product. I think many locals would be surprised at the level of play, and overall entertainment value, that goes along with attending an Ivy football contest. Ticket prices are low, and its a shame more people in the community don't attend games. With that being said Ivy attendance levels aren't coming back to what they were in the 70's. The same can be said for pretty much every school playing football in the Northeast, save for a few power programs like PSU and Rutgers (who has raised their profile and attendance a great deal since the 70's). A myriad of external factors, which we have beat to death, have led to a decline in attendance at football games in the Northeast. We all feel it, and many programs have stadiums built decades ago to accommodate crowds that now seem hopelessly optimistic. When was the last time Holy Cross filled their 23,500 seat stadium? Probably around the last time Cornell or Penn filled theirs. This is ok, and Ivy football still draws strong crowds by todays standards, but some of the stadiums can feel like monuments to days gone by at times.

[Franks Tanks]

What to think of this: I don't think they're doing a Chicago or Pacific there (the former downsized the stadium after they left the Big Ten, the latter demolished the stadium in 2014)... but the said demolition tells us that Ivies are still de-emphasizing football after all these years.

I understand the point, but Cornell has to be pragmatic a some point and make the decision due to the fact that the stands are simply not needed. Some old timers may be upset, but it would probably behoove Cornell to demolish the whole thing and replace the Crescent with a modern 15,000 seat stadium with chair back seats, and stands closer to the field. The Crescent is historic, but it isn't exactly the Yale Bowl, Franklin Field or Harvard Stadium (or Palmer). Dartmouth made a very good decision regarding the renovations to Memorial stadium. Brown would probably be better off following the plan I suggest for Cornell as well.

[Libertine]

So they tore down the press box also?

I don't think that's the plan. The accompanying image in the article shows the seats as a pile of rubble but the press box still standing. Also, the black work zone fencing doesn't extend to around the press box.

[PAllen]

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://facilities.rmu.edu/_/rsrc/1432168693271/ath-bldg-jws.jpg&imgrefurl=http://facilities.rmu.edu/campus-buildings/joe-walton-stadium&h=343&w=576&tbnid=mssYYNv3KUNxHM:&docid=Wpb0LS4E2p5bIM&hl=en&ei=9Hn0VtaeGMupe8mhmcgP&tbm=isch&ved=0ahUKEwjW6IXPvtrLAhXL1B4KHclQBvkQMwgdKAAwAA

Thank you for all of the contributions proving my point.

[Go Green]

I think Ivy football is actually on the upswing. .

I agree. Although I can't speak for the rest of the league, Dartmouth is certainly getting more "scholarship" guys than we did 10-15 years ago.

Unfortunately, unless we either start scheduling tougher opponents or participate in FCS playoffs, it will be impossible to prove whether Ivy football talent has gotten better.

[Go Green]

Should also mention that the decision to tear down the visitor stands is not going to make this guy any happier.

http://cornellsun.com/2016/02/23/guest-room-is-big-red-football-sustainable-on-the-east-hill/

[clenz]

I agree. Although I can't speak for the rest of the league, Dartmouth is certainly getting more "scholarship" guys than we did 10-15 years ago.

Unfortunately, unless we either start scheduling tougher opponents or participate in FCS playoffs, it will be impossible to prove whether Ivy football talent has gotten better.
xthumbsupx

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

I agree. Although I can't speak for the rest of the league, Dartmouth is certainly getting more "scholarship" guys than we did 10-15 years ago.

Unfortunately, unless we either start scheduling tougher opponents or participate in FCS playoffs, it will be impossible to prove whether Ivy football talent has gotten better.

The Ivy League was damn good 10-15 years ago. Dartmouth was really struggling but Penn had a 2-4 year run where they had some Top 10/15 teams under Bags. The Harvard team with Fitzpatrick and Dawson is an all-time Ivy League FCS/1AA era team. Brown had some FBS level talent at that time too.

The worst period for the IL imo was the late 80's and the late 90's.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I agree. Although I can't speak for the rest of the league, Dartmouth is certainly getting more "scholarship" guys than we did 10-15 years ago.

Unfortunately, unless we either start scheduling tougher opponents or participate in FCS playoffs, it will be impossible to prove whether Ivy football talent has gotten better.

Colgate split against New Hampshire and beat JMU at JMU last year, and finished nationally-ranked, and Yale and Princeton beat the Raiders. I don't think it's "impossible" to prove that Yale and Princeton had a pretty damned good team last year.

[Go Green]

The worst period for the IL imo was the late 80's and the late 90's.

Dartmouth was down in both those eras. :)

[Go Green]

I don't think it's "impossible" to prove that Yale and Princeton had a pretty damned good team last year.

Hey, Dartmouth manhandled both Y and P last season. :)

[Sader87]

I think Ivy football is actually on the upswing. The cache of attending an Ivy has never been higher, and admission spots are insanely competitive. Incredible financial aid packages allow the schools to be extremely affordable for anyone, including athletes. The Ivy's have had some tremendous football recruiting classes over the last 5-8 years, and the product on the field is getting better. Many Ivy recruits could attend FBS schools, but instead choose the reputation of an Ivy, and get to play some pretty darn good football along the way.

Ivy league football is a good product. I think many locals would be surprised at the level of play, and overall entertainment value, that goes along with attending an Ivy football contest. Ticket prices are low, and its a shame more people in the community don't attend games. With that being said Ivy attendance levels aren't coming back to what they were in the 70's. The same can be said for pretty much every school playing football in the Northeast, save for a few power programs like PSU and Rutgers (who has raised their profile and attendance a great deal since the 70's). A myriad of external factors, which we have beat to death, have led to a decline in attendance at football games in the Northeast. We all feel it, and many programs have stadiums built decades ago to accommodate crowds that now seem hopelessly optimistic. When was the last time Holy Cross filled their 23,500 seat stadium? Probably around the last time Cornell or Penn filled theirs. This is ok, and Ivy football still draws strong crowds by todays standards, but some of the stadiums can feel like monuments to days gone by at times.

The Boston College game in 1986 to be exact.

Fitton and many of the Ivy stadia with capacity ovah 20K do seem like relics of a day gone by most football Saturdays these days.

That being said, I think both of the leagues are on an upswing competition-wise than they were for much of the late 20th and early 21st Centuries.

[DFW HOYA]

A myriad of external factors, which we have beat to death, have led to a decline in attendance at football games in the Northeast. We all feel it, and many programs have stadiums built decades ago to accommodate crowds that now seem hopelessly optimistic.

And yet it comes down to one big factor: interest. Put UMass, UConn, or BC in Fitton Field and it's full. Teams like Georgetown, Bucknell, and Fordham have zero (and in GU's case, less than zero) resonance among the local fan base which needs to fill the seats. Put Army or Rutgers at Princeton Stadium and you get the same result. The likes of Stetson or Sacred Heart will never sell tickets as a matter of sheer numbers.

[Go...gate]

If it makes you feel better, Dartmouth and Penn have both done major upgrades to their stadia in very recent years. True, Dartmouth reduced capacity--but Memorial Field does look really nice.

We're still waiting to see what Yale does to it's own venue....

You guys and Penn are still making the effort, no question. Princeton did the same thing. Hard to say the same thing about Brown, Cornell and Columbia, though - though in Columbia's case, bringing in Bagnoli is a strong step in the right direction. Maybe he can get something done about the practice field situation and other shortcomings which hamper the Lion program.

[Go...gate]

Hey, Dartmouth manhandled both Y and P last season. :)

They did indeed. That was a very good club.

[Go...gate]

The Boston College game in 1986 to be exact.

Fitton and many of the Ivy stadia with capacity ovah 20K do seem like relics of a day gone by most football Saturdays these days.

That being said, I think both of the leagues are on an upswing competition-wise than they were for much of the late 20th and early 21st Centuries.

I remember watching that game - televised in the NYC metropolitan area. Though BC won, it was one of those games that show how strong Eastern College Football really was back in the way.

[caribbeanhen]

Ivy league not getting better its the rest of FCS slowly crumbling away

[Sader87]

Ivy league not getting better its the rest of FCS slowly crumbling away

Perhaps there is part of that....or a dilution of talent with the NEC, Big South and other leagues/schools playing FCS football on the East coast compared to say 1985.

I do think that the Ivies in general are strongah than they were though in say 2000.