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Marriott Center Changes

by tmoney35 · 4/13/2012

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T
tmoney35
I just got an email from BYU outlining the official changes to the Marriott Center this year. I can't remember if this was common knowledge on this forum or not, so incase you missed it:



-Entire lower bowl will now have chairs (capacity decreased from 22,700 to 20,900)

-New sound system

-renovated locker rooms



oh yeah, and the student section is being moved behind the basket :angry:



BYU even sent a "student specific" email about the new student section. They included hyperlinks to the seating charts for Florida State, Louisville and Texas A&M, which all have the student sections behind the rims. It's like, "hey, it may seem like we're screwing you over, but look! These other great schools do it too."



I got a laugh from this quote in the email:


After the university made the decision to add chair seating on the north side, our challenge has been to make the right changes for all our basketball fans. In the end, we have developed a solution that best serves the needs of all involved


Those are nice words and all, but let's just call it what it is. You want to give your best seats to the people paying the most money.



I apologize for sounding cranky, but after spending the football season stuck behind the goal posts, not being able to see what's going on most of the game, I always loved finally getting really good seats for the basketball games. Now they've taken that too. Also, finals are coming up and that may be adversely effecting my mood.
Y
Yndian
That sucks for the students; even the worst student seats were really good.
K
kjjson
So it looks like they are switching where the teams/press sit and the "floor seats", is that correct?
G
Guest
It was a move that was a long time in coming. I'm glad for it. It makes far more sense for the students to be behind the visitor basket in the 2nd half. And it means more money for the school, and blue chairs.



I'm sold!
E
EM_Puma
Now I won't have any incentive to sneak into the student section. I loved standing for the games.
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E
EM_Puma
I couldn't understand from the seating chart in the email why the same tickets on the side of Pres. Samuelson are a couple hundred dollars more than the new ones they are putting up in the old student section.
G
Gunk
I can see why they did and I can see why students would be upset.



If I were a student, I'd be mad. But, this will allow students to "distract" teams shooting free throws better. Plus, as the games are broadcast this will give more TV time to the student section as opposed to being behind the cameras.



Lastly, when watching games on television we now won't see alumi sleeping in the chairs 10 rows back behind our own basket.
S
SpiffCoug
HUGE props to BYU for expanding the leg room and putting in nice padded seats!
S
snoscythe
What's funny is that the fans who were clamoring loudest for such upgrades will now be those most upset by the change in seating arrangement to pay for the upgrades.



bittersweet much?
M
Mars
hawkwing wrote:
It was a move that was a long time in coming. I'm glad for it. It makes far more sense for the students to be behind the visitor basket in the 2nd half. And it means more money for the school, and blue chairs.



I'm sold!

Same. Great changes.
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C
CougarClaw
The students can still sit where they did before. They just have to pay market price for it and not freebie All-Sports Pass.
B
BroncoBot
Don't like it. Understand why BYU is doing it, but feel it is breaking up what was one of the greatest things about BYU basketball. The student section had that place rocking.



Now, like at LES, BYU basketball will have people on both sidelines demanding people to sit down and be quiet. The student section will be obliterated, and instead of a raucous crowd, it will be quiet enough to meditate and do some scripture reading. (I've sometimes wondered if that's what some of the people in the LES crowd are trying to get down with all the complaining they do about the noise and people standing).



Oh well. Money is everything these days I guess.
S
SpiffCoug
The LES and MC will still be rocking when BYU is winning and playing well. The location of the students has little effect on the atmosphere and play of the team.
M
Mars
BroncoBot wrote:
The student section will be obliterated, and instead of a raucous crowd, it will be quiet enough to meditate and do some scripture reading.

This argument makes little sense to me. The student section isn't getting smaller, and it isn't being moved farther away from the floor. The crowd atmosphere shouldn't be changed in the slightest.
S
Sammich
The new "BYU" seats in LES are full of the lamest fans in the stadium (sorry if you're one of them). They never stand up or get loud, disappear at halftime to get their fancy lunch and don't start to appear again until mid-3rd quarter, and they're the first section to empty under any circumstances. Sure, they're paying nicely for those seats, but the team is definitely not better off with them come game-time. I'm worried about the same thing happening with these premium seats at the Marriott.
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BroncoBot
Mars wrote:
The student section will be obliterated, and instead of a raucous crowd, it will be quiet enough to meditate and do some scripture reading.

This argument makes little sense to me. The student section isn't getting smaller, and it isn't being moved farther away from the floor. The crowd atmosphere shouldn't be changed in the slightest.

We'll see.
M
Mars
Sammich wrote:
The new "BYU" seats in LES are full of the lamest fans in the stadium (sorry if you're one of them). They never stand up or get loud, disappear at halftime to get their fancy lunch and don't start to appear again until mid-3rd quarter, and they're the first section to empty under any circumstances. Sure, they're paying nicely for those seats, but the team is definitely not better off with them come game-time. I'm worried about the same thing happening with these premium seats at the Marriott.

One time, I waited for some old people to go home at halftime. Then I walked down and sat in their seats. They never came back, and I got brought free ice cream. It was like stealing, and it was delicious!
S
Stirfry
Sammich wrote:
The new "BYU" seats in LES are full of the lamest fans in the stadium (sorry if you're one of them). They never stand up or get loud, disappear at halftime to get their fancy lunch and don't start to appear again until mid-3rd quarter, and they're the first section to empty under any circumstances. Sure, they're paying nicely for those seats, but the team is definitely not better off with them come game-time. I'm worried about the same thing happening with these premium seats at the Marriott.


Hey if I had access to the chocolate fountain I'd struggle getting back on time too.....
S
SpiffCoug
Sammich wrote:
The new "BYU" seats in LES are full of the lamest fans in the stadium (sorry if you're one of them). They never stand up or get loud, disappear at halftime to get their fancy lunch and don't start to appear again until mid-3rd quarter, and they're the first section to empty under any circumstances. Sure, they're paying nicely for those seats, but the team is definitely not better off with them come game-time. I'm worried about the same thing happening with these premium seats at the Marriott.

I certainly hope our team's performance is not tied to what fans are sitting where in the stadium. I hope our guys aren't waiting until the stadium fills up to really start playing.
B
BroncoBot
SpiffCoug wrote:
The new "BYU" seats in LES are full of the lamest fans in the stadium (sorry if you're one of them). They never stand up or get loud, disappear at halftime to get their fancy lunch and don't start to appear again until mid-3rd quarter, and they're the first section to empty under any circumstances. Sure, they're paying nicely for those seats, but the team is definitely not better off with them come game-time. I'm worried about the same thing happening with these premium seats at the Marriott.

I certainly hope our team's performance is not tied to what fans are sitting where in the stadium. I hope our guys aren't waiting until the stadium fills up to really start playing.
[sigh] Can't hurt. If what your hypothesizing is true, why do so many BYU fans complain about the crowd being late, not wearing blue, not knowing when to cheer, paying attention to their date or friends date or hair instead of the game, etc etc etc. That stuff does matter. To the team and the fans. I think it's called home-field-advantage.



We have a huge chunk of fans sitting from the 35-35 yard lines on the east side who for the most part buy those tickets for who knows why. The food? The ice cream? The social status? Often, based on their disposition, I wondered if they even cared who won the game. Oh well. At least those blue seats are "pretty".
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