McGuirk Upgrade

Get ready for some MACtion
TruBluMaroon
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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by TruBluMaroon » Sun Feb 06, 2022 4:25 pm

Quann wrote: Mon Jan 31, 2022 6:52 pm
Floyd wrote: Mon Jan 31, 2022 4:39 pm
InnervisionsUMASS wrote: Mon Jan 31, 2022 8:22 am Image

I think I see Berkie in that pic :)

Is it really that the water table is that high or is the soil really bad for drainage, like clay or something? You'd think with all the engineering they can do these days vs back then, that something could be designed
Thank you for the pic! That’s exactly what I’m talking about, the stadium would be a hell of a lot better with those front rows added back in.
Except for those sitting in them, since you wouldn’t be able to see the field with the players directly in front. Did you consider there were reasons why they got rid of those seats?

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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by Berkman » Sun Feb 06, 2022 4:54 pm

My seat was under the press box, section 6 row BB seat 3.

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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by McKinney » Sun Feb 06, 2022 6:04 pm

I think the architects were trying to be somewhat innovative and build something that could accommodate the growing university of the 1960s. Stadiums that could adapt were all the rage back then with many of the NFL/MLB mixed-use stadiums being built at that time.

Unfortunately, the temporary bleachers in front are too low. The permanent grandstands are a good height, but too far back. Yet not tall enough to fill in down front without very wide/shallow rows. So even if there was a capacity need, McGuirk is a bit of an albatross.
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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by LS71 » Sun Feb 06, 2022 6:17 pm

We sat in the low wooden grandstands for a UMass-UConn game on school visit for seniors when I was in high school.

I will say that if plans to upgrade McGuirk ever do come to fruition, they better include a good bathroom solution.
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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by McKinney » Sun Feb 06, 2022 6:22 pm

Have you not been? The new bathrooms are very nice.
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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by DeeDeeBee » Sun Feb 06, 2022 9:51 pm

Re: the new bathrooms....I am very disappointed in the design!!!
If the Stadium gets banged out (hopefully!?), there are way too few urinals...maybe 8 in each building!!!
Also, there is only one entrance to the men's room in each new building!!!?? No consideration for flow!
Awful, awful design!!
The old men's old men's rooms ( :D :D !) in the building on the south end of the stadium are at least way more capable of handling a crowd of pissers!

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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by McKinney » Sun Feb 06, 2022 11:33 pm

Hopefully we never have to go back to porta-potties :shock:
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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Mon Feb 07, 2022 8:30 am

The top rows of those bleachers could see the field without issue. The lower rows wouldn't be able to, but you also don't have to sell those seats.
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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by UMass1991 » Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:00 am

Wow, 104 pages dedicated to a topic that truly won’t or can’t happen unless the state or the school or some very wealthy alum kicks in 80-100 mil

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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:23 am

UMass1991 wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:00 am Wow, 104 pages dedicated to a topic that truly won’t or can’t happen unless the state or the school or some very wealthy alum kicks in 80-100 mil

You're referring to a brand new stadium. "McGuirk Upgrade" doesn't necessarily need to be that, though I think we all agree that a new stadium would be ideal.
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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by ZooMass84 » Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:53 am

InnervisionsUMASS wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:23 am
UMass1991 wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:00 am Wow, 104 pages dedicated to a topic that truly won’t or can’t happen unless the state or the school or some very wealthy alum kicks in 80-100 mil

You're referring to a brand new stadium. "McGuirk Upgrade" doesn't necessarily need to be that, though I think we all agree that a new stadium would be ideal.
A totally new stadium that will replace McGuirk probably will never happen in our lifetime or our kids' lifetimes, but I can see more seating to expand around 25k. Updates etc.

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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Mon Feb 07, 2022 10:08 am

^

That might be a bit of an exaggeration... The concrete is already falling apart, so that might force the hand of the school/state to get it done sooner rather than later.

And if we all of a sudden start having some success and people go to games and donate to the program, you might get that one wealthy donor that can put up enough to get it done.
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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by Quann » Mon Feb 07, 2022 11:04 am

Oh ok, thank you! That’s cool to see. I do like the incremental improvements they’ve made over the years. Kids soccer on Saturdays in the fall makes it tough to get out to Amherst for a game. Hopefully can make it out to one this fall.

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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by Quann » Mon Feb 07, 2022 1:14 pm

McKinney wrote: Sun Feb 06, 2022 6:04 pm I think the architects were trying to be somewhat innovative and build something that could accommodate the growing university of the 1960s. Stadiums that could adapt were all the rage back then with many of the NFL/MLB mixed-use stadiums being built at that time.

Unfortunately, the temporary bleachers in front are too low. The permanent grandstands are a good height, but too far back. Yet not tall enough to fill in down front without very wide/shallow rows. So even if there was a capacity need, McGuirk is a bit of an albatross.
If you look at a stadium like Gillette, aren't the front rows there at a much lower height than our current front row height level? I'm guessing the red wall around the Gillette field is 8' high max. There has to be room to put rows back in front if it was initially designed like that by the stadium architects while still maintaining enough height to see over the players onto the field.

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Re: McGuirk Upgrade

Post by DeeDeeBee » Mon Feb 07, 2022 4:00 pm

A drone video of the Bubble....
At about 12 sec into this video you can see what has happened to the south end of the stadium.
They have two tents for the Commonwealth club positioned right under the new scoreboard.
It's hard to make out but just behind the end zone is a 4' high fence with small high tables for
eating/drinking. Kinda cool....
You can see the new Press Box and a little of the Performance Center tucked back there.

https://youtu.be/OcQ5iIqsV3s

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