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First visit to Doak

BeepBeepInMyJeep

HR Legend
Jun 28, 2010
11,109
4,201
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Was there this past Saturday

The in stadium atmosphere is terrific (of course)

a few takeaways I had:

The all brick look on the exterior makes it look truly impressive.

The people who sit in the sun (south end zone upper deck and the east side) have it rough for 3:30 kickoffs. Accordingly, this is where the empty seats were, and there were plenty of those for a team that was getting a lot of hype in the build up (which obviously ended up fusing out anyway). Hurricane may have factored in a bit.

I was tailgating in the parking lot just outside gate C, but I walked around most of the stadium. It seemed like the big grass field to the east is where most of the action is, but otherwise it seemed a little more subdued than most Big Ten schools. Again, hurricane probably didn’t help.

concessions & bathrooms: so much more to offer here than Kinnick and way more efficient

But most of all, gameday “production” inside the stadium is night and day different. Everything from 30 minutes pre-kick through the game is done to build up the crowd. The PA isn’t just running ads non-stop. Advertising seems WAY less intrusive. It seems like every time some momentum builds inside Kinnick and there’s a brief pause it’s “Hey, Hawkeye fans….” And then something about insurance or farm implements…or a burrito lift.
 
Was there this past Saturday

The in stadium atmosphere is terrific (of course)

a few takeaways I had:

The all brick look on the exterior makes it look truly impressive.

The people who sit in the sun (south end zone upper deck and the east side) have it rough for 3:30 kickoffs. Accordingly, this is where the empty seats were, and there were plenty of those for a team that was getting a lot of hype in the build up (which obviously ended up fusing out anyway). Hurricane may have factored in a bit.

I was tailgating in the parking lot just outside gate C, but I walked around most of the stadium. It seemed like the big grass field to the east is where most of the action is, but otherwise it seemed a little more subdued than most Big Ten schools. Again, hurricane probably didn’t help.

concessions & bathrooms: so much more to offer here than Kinnick and way more efficient

But most of all, gameday “production” inside the stadium is night and day different. Everything from 30 minutes pre-kick through the game is done to build up the crowd. The PA isn’t just running ads non-stop. Advertising seems WAY less intrusive. It seems like every time some momentum builds inside Kinnick and there’s a brief pause it’s “Hey, Hawkeye fans….” And then something about insurance or farm implements…or a burrito lift.
Does Iowa run ads on screen during games? Wierd.
 
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Ok. Neither belong at a sporting event. Place banners on the walls, sell ads next to the scoreboards, have planes fly banners overhead, even pass out flyers at the gate.
No way the PA should run ads. That is bush league.

It takes a lot of money to run a big-time college football program
 
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Was there this past Saturday

The in stadium atmosphere is terrific (of course)

bathrooms: so much more to offer here than Kinnick and way more efficient

Glad you got to experience Doak, if the game would have played out differently the atmosphere would have been much better

Interesting that you felt concessions were efficient. There is a new vendor this year and I have heard many complaints about the level of service.
 
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Glad you got to experience Doak, if the game would have played out differently the atmosphere would have been much better

Interesting that you felt concessions were efficient. There is a new vendor this year and I have heard many complaints about the level of service.

I used the self order terminal and then walked right up and grabbed my food. But these aren’t at all the concession booths
 
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