My dad sent me this photo from an old media guide. I was just hoping some older Hokies can provide some insight of what happened with the construction/expansion of Lane. Also share if you have any Hokie pictures from the past.
Seemed like Lane could have been U shaped in some way.
Old Media Guide Picture
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They decided to construct the separate decks in the South End Zone, with the club seats and additional boxes there since there was limited expansion room on the west side. Prob ended up with similar number of seats in what is there compared to the pic.
Plus, with the tunnels and existing underground structure, they built where they could get a good foundation.
Thanks! History nerd here.
I mentioned this on twitter last night, and I know it's way unrealistic unless we go all Texas A&M and get $450 Million to upgrade lane... but it's fun to dream. Anyways, I'd love to see the East Bleachers be a two-deck bleachers and put that "HOME OF THE FIGHTING GOBBLERS" on the front of the top deck like this:
I also think it would be neat to connect the lower deck of south with east and west. Most may disagree but I feel like Lane is like a giant puzzle that no one could put together correctly.
I would love to see this too. But not everyone is as die hard as the fans on TKP. Our sell-out streak ended this season and last time I checked there are still seats for sale through the athletic department for Senior Day for a winning football team competing for a shot at a coastal title. Before we top 100K seats, I think the school wants to fill the 66K we have. Not trying to be the wet blanket here; I for one hope we expand and fill that trick each weekend. I got two future hokies, one of which is already talking about the grades he is going to need to earn to get into VT and he is 10.
Go Hokies
Parenting. You're winning.
I agree, I don't think the next level should be 100k, but more like 80k.
And in case my connecting the lower ends wasn't clear enough, this is what I meant:
Legend has it that the person who owned the land that Lane Stadium was built on donated the land for the stadium to be built, but with one stipulation: that it could never be an enclosed stadium, so that visitors to the stadium could see the mountains from their seats.
it is a nice touch
Another legend says that the person who donated the land foretold of a man who would "walk on" the field with the thunderous steps of a gargantuan and would pancake players from a university that had yet to be founded. The stadium would never be closed in because an enclosed stadium would never be able to contain this man. He foretold of such a player, deemed that we would recognize him by his "four fives" and would always keep calm in the face of danger. No one knew of whom the landowner spoke until early in 2013...
Prior to the SEZ addition, there was discussion about enclosing that end, but apparently VA building code (I think it was this; could have been the fire code) prohibited enclosures of more than X thousand people, and an enclosure would have exceeded that number.
Lane stadium is actually based on a somewhat standard plan. Wake and Indiana have the same basic stadium. I don't think Wake has made many modifications (Why would you add seats? It's Wake Forrest, for goodness sake!) Interestingly, Indiana has enclosed one end of their stadium. The design works that way, and it was envisioned that Lane would eventually be enclosed, but it ain't happening now.
Not that I am trying to be the grammer police, but my middle name is Forrest, (thanks dad), but its Forest. I just don't want to be associated with them. Turkey leg for you though.
Edit: Grammar. Can't even type apparently.
uhhh - while we're correcting, it's grammar, not "grammer". Turkey leg for you, though!
EDIT: crap - didn't see the edit!
Yup. Corrected myself, but thanks though. I am edjumacated.
From what I've heard, West stands aren't up to the current code, so modifying them in any way is out because they'd have to be brought up to code and that would be too expensive... so that nixes making Lane a horseshoe or a bowl.
This could be completely incorrect, it's just the explanation I've always heard.
I think the current configuration will be here for a long while.
Well I wouldn' t want a bowl anyways. Too much like the Hoos
Where at Lane are there D-bags in ties sitting on a hill and hoping for a once a decade upset?
Irony that a hokie designed the Hoos stadium. Put a vt in it too.
For those who don't know:
link to the story
(Via TSL)
Thanks for back up. Even better to come from history hokie. Leg at cha.
The term "artistic license" applies here. You couldn't have horseshoe'd it with any efficiency.
first thing I thought of when looking at that pic- something the cadavaliers would do
lets
First thing I thought was "Hokies fans could sell out the stadium expansion if UF fans can sell out the swamp"
If we played Florida's schedule full of SEC schools and FSU, which also includes a couple night games.
*sigh*
that too
Side note: When UF fails to make a bowl game, does VT not take the #2 slot in the consecutive bowl streak behind that other school from Florida that I refuse to acknowledge
That is correct.
Actually I saw something on ESPN the other day that had UF #1 and VT #2-
I saw it in a couple places. UF needs at least one upset to make a bowl.
FSU is ahead of both UF and VT. UF is definitely fighting an uphill battle to get to a bowl.
FSU is 1st on that list.
I thought so - they are WAY ahead too- like 30+
I'm happy with 21 and counting though...
KEEP GOING!
As HOKIE football fanatic as well as an architect, the expansion of Lane over the past
15 years has been of incredible interest to me. I have countless photos and even time lapses
of the webcam during construction. In the photo below, there's shots of the 'old scoreboard' construction
and the installation of the turf system (circa 2001). Lane's come a long way ~ Thanks Frank, Charles, and Jim!
This is a great resource too:
http://archive.techsideline.com/lane/laneexp.htm