Western Illinois new West Side of Stadium plans unveiled

[ST_Lawson]

WIU's athletics department has been working on this privately for a while, talking to individual donors, getting designs, etc., and have now gone public with the plans for the new renovation of the Hanson Field West (Home) Side stands. For those of you who haven't been to WIU's Hanson Field, the east side (visitor's side, band, used to be the student section) was completely redone along with new bathrooms and concessions stands in '07, but the west side of the stadium has, outside of a few coats of paint and minor repairs here and there, is original, and showing every bit of it's 66 years of age (1950). They have some funding lined up currently, but are now going to the larger community to raise what else they need. The goal is to raise $10M over the next 4 years, likely beginning actual construction sometime sooner if they are able to line up enough pledged money. All money will be privately raised, no money will come directly from the university itself and/or the State of Illinois (not that they have any money to give anyway).

Anyway, thought that some of you might be interested. Here's the design renderings that they've put together for the new west side of the stadium:

https://i.imgur.com/C1JGBlV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jqG0MWo.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oqma7yA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/R7bgPXE.jpg

[citdog]

Get rid of the track.

[Mattymc727]

Looks a lot like UNHs reno! Cool!

[ST_Lawson]

Get rid of the track.

If we could afford to, we would. That, unfortunately, would be a MUCH bigger project than what is possible at this time.

[REALBird]

ST_Lawson

Are the plans to build the new press box and add the club seating to the existing West side bleachers, or totally level and rebuild the West side? Looks like from the renderings and the current pictures of Hanson that the press box and club seating will be built behind the existing seats, with a concourse being added between the existing seating and the club seats/press box.

At any rate, looks good. Now if we can just get Indiana State to do something to their stadium. LOL

[ST_Lawson]

ST_Lawson

Are the plans to build the new press box and add the club seating to the existing West side bleachers, or totally level and rebuild the West side? Looks like from the renderings and the current pictures of Hanson that the press box and club seating will be built behind the existing seats, with a concourse being added between the existing seating and the club seats/press box.

At any rate, looks good. Now if we can just get Indiana State to do something to their stadium. LOL

I would assume level and rebuild the entire west side, because a lot of the concrete is falling apart and there's safety issues with it in it's current state. The rebuilt "lower" section will probably look very similar to the existing stands (just newer and safer) because of the existing hillside that is underneath them. I will say that I don't know that with 100% certainty, but knowing the condition that the concrete, existing seating, and other parts of the current stands are in...I'd have to imagine that they will completely tear out all the existing stuff and go with new concrete and seating...ideally with a bit more leg room for the "premium" seating section.

[Schism55]

Looking good! Excited for the Leathernecks xthumbsupx

[Redbird007]

Good to see for WIU. Great looking stadium but I echo the need to remove the track. I would rather see the track go around or inside the quad!

[ST_Lawson]

Good to see for WIU. Great looking stadium but I echo the need to remove the track. I would rather see the track go around or inside the quad!

Yea, if we had all kinds of silly money, I'd love to see them redo the soccer field and put the track around that. I've seen schools do that before that are still regulation length, and I think that it ends up making the curves on the ends less sharp. We've got plenty of space over by our soccer field and football practice fields: https://goo.gl/maps/Rxf2WLtRD322
That area is generally used for intramural stuff...softball, flag football, ultimate frisbee, etc., but they should still have enough room for all of that even if the put the track there and moved the soccer field back from the road a bit.

Then they could build the new stands closer to the field (although it'd cost more there too, since the current stands actually just sit on the hill)...or maybe tear out the whole field and dig it down so that they could continue the stands down and closer. At that point though, it's really getting WAY out of our price range.

I think they're doing the best with what the limitations are, but unfortunately it'll be a while until we're able to have a dedicated football-only facility.

Still, it'll be nice to have a good looking pressbox (with suites), entry area, concessions and bathrooms on the west side, etc.

[dewey]

Looking good! Excited for the Leathernecks xthumbsupx

^^^This right here. Congratulations to the Necks.

Dewey

[Mayville Bison]

This should kill any of the "WIU is shutting down football" rumors. Another great step for the FCS and MVFC.

[Thumper 76]

Congrats WIU!


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[RootinFerDukes]

That is going to be a beautiful facility. I agree though that I don't like any stadium with a track. I do get why schools do it for multi-purpose but it moves fans too far away from the action.

[PantherRob82]

Looks nice, but honest question: why bother? Do they think a nicer stadium will solve attendance woes?

[Redbird007]

This should kill any of the "WIU is shutting down football" rumors. Another great step for the FCS and MVFC.

Where were those rumors circulating? There must have been confusion with Eastern Illinois as the only discussion I heard/read in the news had to do with Chicago State and Eastern Illinois being candidates for closure if Illinois was going to consider closing one university.

[Redbird 4th & short]

Congrats to WIU .. Lawson must be proud. Speakign from experience at ISU, renovating half the stadium made a big diffference both initiallty with fan interest, and in other less direct ways. Some of those dividends are immediate in terms of fan support .. people just like newer and nicer, and are more willing to show up to games .. simply improves the enthusiasm gap. But more importantly is the clear message it sends to coaches, players, recruits, donors, community, alumni, etc .. that WIU is committed to football. ISU wrestled with this exact same decision, and how to fund it .. in the end, we got it done largely thru student fees, which was controversial .. but we got it done. It's just one of those things that will keep paying dividends in many ways down the road. We spent 25m and have zero additional seating capacity if you go back a few years to when we had the erector set bleachers in south end zopne combined with the old eastside, which was an embarrasment sitting out front of campus on Main St for all the world to see driving thru town. But now we have much nicer face to Main St, much nicer seating and facilities, including suites, plus banquet rooms for both games and special events. It shows very well to recruits, donors, even new students.

Bottom line .. it helped us on many fronts. No substitute for winning, but a nice stadium sure helps.

Good for WIU and good for MVFC.

p.s. given circumstances, the track is a small price to pay in cost-benefit analysis for this renovation. get er dun is all that matters.

[ST_Lawson]

Looks nice, but honest question: why bother? Do they think a nicer stadium will solve attendance woes?

Solve them?...probably not, but they might help some. Personally, I'd like to see them build in a section specifically for alcohol sales...I think that would help bring in some of students who wouldn't come into the stadium (because then they might have to stop drinking). It likely will also have a big impact on recruiting...both with football players, and with the general student population. I don't know if you've ever taken a good look (or seen a photo of) the backside of those stands currently, but they are UUUUUUGGGGGGLLLLLYYYYY!!! (I'll see if I can dig up a photo) There's a reason why they hid it with tall trees so you don't see the stadium. The stadium is right in the middle of campus, right next to where a TON of students walk by every day, including any potential students on tours or visiting with their parents. Having something like what you see in the renderings instead of what is currently there would improve the appearance of that whole section of campus immeasurably.

As for the rumors of the demise of WIU and/or WIU football...I think it goes back to an article that was written maybe 9 months ago or so that for some reason equated Western with Eastern and Chicago State in terms of financial stability, even though we were on much better footing than those schools (not as good as U of Illinois, but better than a lot of people were thinking). At that point, I saw a lot of activity on twitter and facebook with people talking about the football program shutting down, athletics moving to D2, or even the university shutting down, and things just kinda blew up from there. As for closing schools, probably Chicago State would be the first one to go (they had a total freshman class of under 100 this fall...and they're a DI school), then maybe Eastern, although they likely wouldn't get closed...just restructured in some way.

[Go...gate]

Looks great! Going to be a very fine facility.

[kalm]

Looking great, STL! Those suites will help defray the financing at least a little as well.

Excited for you guys!

[UNIFanSince1983]

As for the rumors of the demise of WIU and/or WIU football...I think it goes back to an article that was written maybe 9 months ago or so that for some reason equated Western with Eastern and Chicago State in terms of financial stability, even though we were on much better footing than those schools (not as good as U of Illinois, but better than a lot of people were thinking). At that point, I saw a lot of activity on twitter and facebook with people talking about the football program shutting down, athletics moving to D2, or even the university shutting down, and things just kinda blew up from there. As for closing schools, probably Chicago State would be the first one to go (they had a total freshman class of under 100 this fall...and they're a DI school), then maybe Eastern, although they likely wouldn't get closed...just restructured in some way.

I don't think it helped those rumors when Nielson left for what at the best was a lateral move inside the conference.

[NorthChuckSouth]

If we could afford to, we would. That, unfortunately, would be a MUCH bigger project than what is possible at this time.

We feel your pain on that

[Mayville Bison]

Where were those rumors circulating? There must have been confusion with Eastern Illinois as the only discussion I heard/read in the news had to do with Chicago State and Eastern Illinois being candidates for closure if Illinois was going to consider closing one university.

random places with nothing to back them up, so I always went past them without much of a thought. I know with the whole UND to the MVFC, some were wondering if YSU was going to the CAA or OVC, MSU going FBS, or WIU shutting down. Just happy to see unsubstantiated rumors put to rest with this.

[ASU33]

Nice!

[Sycamore62]

ST_Lawson

Are the plans to build the new press box and add the club seating to the existing West side bleachers, or totally level and rebuild the West side? Looks like from the renderings and the current pictures of Hanson that the press box and club seating will be built behind the existing seats, with a concourse being added between the existing seating and the club seats/press box.

At any rate, looks good. Now if we can just get Indiana State to do something to their stadium. LOL

We are a way off from a new stadium. They are putting in new lights which will be a band aid. the next thing they will be doing with athletics is a $75M upgrade to Hulman Center making it a convention center also and I think I heard indoor track. if someone comes along and donates $10M they would probably start building an on campus football stadium which wont have a track around it.

the good news is that when the next financial crisis hits, they wont be talking about closing the school. the bad news is that I live in a town that has a school that im sure will again be up for discussion.

[leatherneck177]

About time, glad to see it is coming! That west side has just been an eyesore for WAY too long.

[Catbooster]

Looks nice.

How's it affect seating capacity?

[Longhorn]

Very nice. Too bad the track remains, but understand why that's not possible.

[ST_Lawson]

Looks nice.

How's it affect seating capacity?

As near as I can tell from the photos, the lower section of the new stuff pretty much is a copy of the existing seating, although might be a few less if they give people a bit more space/leg room (it's kinda tight in the middle "premium" section). But then you add in the small upper section and a few rental suites and stuff....I think it'll be roughly the same seating capacity or slightly more. The stadium currently holds "officially" 16,368 fans (although the hillsides around the field also double as seating sometimes...our record is just under 20k, and from what I've heard from people who were there in 1973, not just the stands, but all of the hillsides were jam-packed with people).

Right now, our problem isn't not having enough seats, it's having a very old, falling apart, and unsafe "home" side. Maybe we can get to the point where we're filling the stadium up again with a nice stadium, although that would essentially require everyone in town showing up at the stadium.

[ngineer]

Glad to see improvements underway. Things were pretty drab when we visited in 2000 in the playoffs. Plans look great, and are remindful of UNH's new stadium. Same architect, or a copyright infringement?xsmiley_wix

[ST_Lawson]

Glad to see improvements underway. Things were pretty drab when we visited in 2000 in the playoffs. Plans look great, and are remindful of UNH's new stadium. Same architect, or a copyright infringement?xsmiley_wix

It does look similar, I don't know who it was who designed it though. I know we've actually had those renderings since at least 2014. Probably UNH's was designed before that though, since theirs is done now.