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re: SEC Ballpark Rankings
Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:27 am to PlaySomeHonk
Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:27 am to PlaySomeHonk
Lsu packs the box. Its a fantastic place to play. However, the majority of the seating is aluminum bleachers without much else around it (down the lines and in the OF). Didn't Lsu redo Alex Box for like 20 M ~15 years back? Even with inflation that's only like 30 M. Places like Bama, Florida, UK, etc are doing new ballparks for 50, 60, 70 M. They're not giant capacity-wise but very nicely done and well thought out. Even nicer ballparks like Baum are kind of behind them due to the lack of planning when expanding. They have some terrible sight lines down the line with evenly spread seating instead of having more in the infield.
Blue Bell is in a similar spot as Alex Box. Its nice enough, but the extra seating are bleachers or berms and not a well-thought-out OF. We're probably about a year or two away from adding some player facilities (playing catch-up) and then more fan facilities to finish out our OF.
Blue Bell is in a similar spot as Alex Box. Its nice enough, but the extra seating are bleachers or berms and not a well-thought-out OF. We're probably about a year or two away from adding some player facilities (playing catch-up) and then more fan facilities to finish out our OF.
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Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:35 am to ThoseGuys
No doubt LSU set the bar in 2009.
This post was edited on 2/16/24 at 7:37 am
Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:35 am to PlaySomeHonk
All I ask for is a middle of the pack SEC baseball stadium.
I can't tell you shite about OU or Texas's baseball stadiums but I'm sure they're better than Foley.
It isn't a wonder UGA can't take advantage of the plethora of prep baseball talent in this state.
I can't tell you shite about OU or Texas's baseball stadiums but I'm sure they're better than Foley.
It isn't a wonder UGA can't take advantage of the plethora of prep baseball talent in this state.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:39 am to PlaySomeHonk
The Box as a facility is in the bottom half of the conference. As a gameday experience, it is on par with Baum Walker as 1A and 1B.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:40 am to WildcatMike
quote:
Kentucky Proud Park
Is incredibly bland.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:41 am to PlaySomeHonk
Yeah they kind of automatically put the largest at the top which I don't necessarily agree with. I do agree on #1 though.
This post was edited on 2/16/24 at 7:50 am
Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:47 am to Murph4HOF
This is not a troll.
Auburn has 10 baseball and 5 basketball players from the state of Georgia. Pearl plays yearly at State Farm arena just to recruit the Atlanta area.
The university has invested heavily in all sports not just football. Facilities, program dedication does in fact make a difference.
Auburn has 10 baseball and 5 basketball players from the state of Georgia. Pearl plays yearly at State Farm arena just to recruit the Atlanta area.
The university has invested heavily in all sports not just football. Facilities, program dedication does in fact make a difference.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:47 am to Farmer1906
quote:
Blue Bell is in a similar spot as Alex Box.
A&M with its vast resources, in-state talent and relatively recent construction of Blue Bell should be embarrassed that it is in a similar spot to the Box.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:50 am to WildcatMike
You may be right in its niceness and be top 5 in that. New stadiums have amenities and a feel that old stadiums often don't.
But the comparisons usually partially include size and crowd when full.
Baylor's new football stadium is probably 'nicer' than SEC football stadiums, but no one tries to compare it to the big boys.
Dudy Noble has both. New, and designed by the architect who designed Baltimore's Camden Yards, so it has that old timey baseball park look and feel. And because it is new the seats are wide, the legroom is long, there are plenty of bathrooms, and a lot of concessions.
And it has record college baseball crowds with large outfield sections with open grilling. There is an open concourse so one can walk all the way around the stands and outfield and stop and watch the game anywhere.
My season ticket seats are lower level under cover about even with third base. Always in the shade and out of any rain. One row down from the concourse and about 30 feet from the closest bathroom. Love them.
But the comparisons usually partially include size and crowd when full.
Baylor's new football stadium is probably 'nicer' than SEC football stadiums, but no one tries to compare it to the big boys.
Dudy Noble has both. New, and designed by the architect who designed Baltimore's Camden Yards, so it has that old timey baseball park look and feel. And because it is new the seats are wide, the legroom is long, there are plenty of bathrooms, and a lot of concessions.
And it has record college baseball crowds with large outfield sections with open grilling. There is an open concourse so one can walk all the way around the stands and outfield and stop and watch the game anywhere.
My season ticket seats are lower level under cover about even with third base. Always in the shade and out of any rain. One row down from the concourse and about 30 feet from the closest bathroom. Love them.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 7:51 am to BigTastey
quote:
The university has invested heavily in all sports not just football. Facilities, program dedication does in fact make a difference.
I think the right coach makes the biggest difference, but all the things you list will help to attract the best coaches.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 8:00 am to PlaySomeHonk
The top 4 of the SEC are also the top 4 of the nation
Posted on 2/16/24 at 8:41 am to riverhampton
quote:
A&M with its vast resources, in-state talent and relatively recent construction of Blue Bell should be embarrassed that it is in a similar spot to the Box.
It was done pre SEC by people who were not visionaries. They exterior, club, seating, etc is all really nice and well done. It was just too small in scope. Schloss is about to get the ballpark he deserves soon. IDK if it'll be Duty Noble good, but I think it'll be close enough. We're kind of boxed in on location. Train tracks in RF and fire line at the rec center in LF. Just means we gotta build upward, not outward.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 8:42 am to PlaySomeHonk
quote:
Never been to Dudy Noble, but is it a nicer park than the Box?
Much nicer. The Box needs some upgrades.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 8:45 am to MsState of mind
quote:
If LSU did not play in the box it wouldn’t be top 5. It holds a lot of people and a really good team. Other than that it’s not real nice
This is accurate.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 8:47 am to PlaySomeHonk
Terrible list. Founder's is definitely higher than #5.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 8:49 am to Farmer1906
quote:Most of the non-Aggie fans who complain about Olsen do so because of the bench back bleachers in the upper deck. The reason we left most those, rather than put in armchairs throughout, was that we didn't want to reduce capacity any more than we were from constructing the boxes (which knocked out probably 500 seats). In my view, the upper deck at Olsen is on a different level from the bleachers down the line at the Box, but some folks feel differently.quote:It was done pre SEC by people who were not visionaries. They exterior, club, seating, etc is all really nice and well done. It was just too small in scope. Schloss is about to get the ballpark he deserves soon. IDK if it'll be Duty Noble good, but I think it'll be close enough. We're kind of boxed in on location. Train tracks in RF and fire line at the rec center in LF. Just means we gotta build upward, not outward.
A&M with its vast resources, in-state talent and relatively recent construction of Blue Bell should be embarrassed that it is in a similar spot to the Box.
The right field bleachers were the like the cheap arse bleachers down the lines at Dudy Noble before its renovation. They needed to go, but replacing them 100% with berms was not a good idea. Hopefully, we will fix that in the next couple of years.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 9:06 am to twk
Dudy Noble is very nice but it’s a stadium of the have’s and the have not’s.
If you are one of the people fortunate enough to have reserved tickets or know someone with an outfield spot, it’s the best college park in the country.
If you are a casual fan that has to do the general admission thing, it can actually be a pretty miserable experience. There are no GA seats in the park, it’s all standing room only. There are some grass berms but they’re small and they fill up super quick. So for a really big game your view of the game might be standing shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of people and having to look over other people’s shoulders for 3-4 hours in the sun.
I have done the GA experience at Dudy Noble and will never do it again. I’ll either find chairbacks or I won’t go. Which means I usually end up missing a lot of the big games and have to settle for midweeks or Thursday/Friday nights, maybe a rare Sunday afternoon. Saturdays are usually always off the table because of how crowded it gets and what the ticket demand usually is. But so be it.
If you are one of the people fortunate enough to have reserved tickets or know someone with an outfield spot, it’s the best college park in the country.
If you are a casual fan that has to do the general admission thing, it can actually be a pretty miserable experience. There are no GA seats in the park, it’s all standing room only. There are some grass berms but they’re small and they fill up super quick. So for a really big game your view of the game might be standing shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of people and having to look over other people’s shoulders for 3-4 hours in the sun.
I have done the GA experience at Dudy Noble and will never do it again. I’ll either find chairbacks or I won’t go. Which means I usually end up missing a lot of the big games and have to settle for midweeks or Thursday/Friday nights, maybe a rare Sunday afternoon. Saturdays are usually always off the table because of how crowded it gets and what the ticket demand usually is. But so be it.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 9:24 am to PlaySomeHonk
What??... no extra credit for bubbles? 
Posted on 2/16/24 at 9:29 am to twk
quote:
In my view, the upper deck at Olsen is on a different level from the bleachers down the line at the Box, but some folks feel differently.
Agree. Any time you're behind home / in the INF without being in a big league third/4th deck, you're in a premium to semi-premium seat.
No other major ballpark gives students / general seating in a location that we do. It's part of the reason Olsen has a great atmosphere. I hope that never goes away. It's not too dissimilar from the Students at Kyle who get ridiculously good between eh 40s seating (as well as other areas).
This is the type of seating you'd expect to be temporary or at your location high school field behind home. This is how >50% of the seating is at Alex Box. That is one of the main reasons is a step below Baum and the big boys.
Posted on 2/16/24 at 10:28 am to PlaySomeHonk
This is sad for UGA
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