[NU Sports] Phillips eyeing Chicago venues, Yankee Stadium and 7-win requirement

[Tom Maycock]

> But I think the fans of a 7 win team are just as vulnerable to ticket fatigue as 

> a 6 win team as long as the team doesn't do much better than 7 wins every 
> season.  

Probably true--I was just wondering about whether Phillips was thinking more about a "we're not that good this year" factor versus "year after year" fatigue. Haven't read the article yet, so maybe it's more clear about what he was thinking. 

> It will be interesting to see if NU engages in the athletic facilities 

> "arms" race that we see at other institutions, particularly when the 
> whole business model of higher education is being seriously questioned.


I do hope they don't go nuts along those lines--i.e. the endless facilities war targeted mostly at impressing potential recruits. But I think a significant expenditure to improve the fan experience would be a good idea. 

I don't really dislike Welsh-Ryan that much--I like the intimate feel, and it's a great atmosphere when packed with home fans. But, realistically, the bleacher seats are really narrow, a lot of the higher-level seats aren't great, and amenities are lacking. A significant upgrade (especially one that could handle relatively large concerts) would be nice. 

The same is true of Ryan Field I guess--I really like the way it looks inside, and I think the overall vibe is about right for NU. But those northeast seats are just a joke, the south end-zone seats are set back way too far, the PA system is a disaster, and the concession stands and walkways are pretty much completely overwhelmed anytime there is a big turnout. It's a pretty far cry on the fan comfort front from, say, Minnesota's new stadium in terms of similarly-scaled venues.

Tom