[LUFlamesNation]

Following months of speculation, Flames Nation has learned that the second phase of Williams Stadium's expansion is scheduled to begin following the 2012 football season. Coming off of the fifth highest attendance game in school history, with a crowd of 18,239, Liberty will be boosting the seating capacity on what has traditionally been known as the student side of the stadium. The second deck, which will be similar in size to the one built in Phase 1 of the expansion, is expected to boost capacity to around 25,000.

http://luflamesnation.blogspot.com/2012 ... ase-2.html

Remember to follow us on twitter @Flames_Nation and also on facebook http://www.facebook.com/LUFlamesNation

[TDDance234]

The student body better pick it up. The student section looked awful last Saturday on TV, with it being 1/4 empty. I supposed that it had something to do with being down big, 0-4, and looking at another loss.

[From the class of 09]

The student body better pick it up. The student section looked awful last Saturday on TV, with it being 1/4 empty. I supposed that it had something to do with being down big, 0-4, and looking at another loss.

I don't blame the students for leaving last week. 99% of student bodies across america would have been leaving too. I considered leaving after that 2nd half kick off.

[Chippy]

The student body better pick it up. The student section looked awful last Saturday on TV, with it being 1/4 empty. I supposed that it had something to do with being down big, 0-4, and looking at another loss.

I don't blame the students for leaving last week. 99% of student bodies across america would have been leaving too. I considered leaving after that 2nd half kick off.

It's not so much that they left as it was it was never filled up. I'm sure that's the 1/4 TDD was referring to. I've seen it where not only were the seats completely filled but they were on the grassy hills.

[flameslinger]

Yeah, the student side was a little thin on the north end, and this was before thinning out at the half. I wondered if it had something to do with nice weather and an afternoon game. The students really packed it out for the two night games. Does anyone know if historically we have had better attendance at evening or afternoon games?

[BJWilliams]

As someone who has been on the student side a good bit, I would say that night games are better turnouts than the 3:30 games. The nights do get cooler as we go along in the season so as much as Id prefer having 3 or 4 night home games during the season, we may have to bite the bullet so to speak and have 1 or 3:30 kickoffs. Course I think the students would come out even if it was 40 degrees at kickoff (at least I would hope)

[Cider Jim]

If my math is correct, that's 5,800 extra seats. Any word on skyboxes (for the rich students)?

[GillsHill2013]

As a student that is always in the front row of the student section every game. Take that for what its worth. We really cant expect students to show in massive amounts to a game, when at the time we were 0-4. Also when we are down 21-3, to Gardner Webb, arguably one of the worst teams in the big south, that people will leave. I stayed for the whole game but i looked at many friends that were leaving the game and I wished I was leaving with them but I would stay faithful to the team. Thankfully they pulled it out. It comes down to one thing. If the team is winning then there will be butts in the seats, if not, then we can forget it. Its like this everywhere.

[jbock13]

I despise anyone who leaves football games early as a student. I never have.

[Rooster Cogburn]

With you Jbock. I never leave ANY game early!

[BJWilliams]

Last Saturday was the second time (first since 09) I had to leave a game early (covering a hockey game). Definitely don't like seeing people leaving before its over (then you miss out on things like we saw in the second half)

[jcmanson]

Last Saturday was the first time I had to leave a game early (covering a hockey game). Definitely don't like seeing people leaving before its over (then you miss out on things like we saw in the second half)

From a quick 30 second search:

Ive only left one game early in the last (now) 8 seasons and that was JMU in 09 because it was a deluge and I was soaked to the skin

[libertyfan4life]

I despise anyone who leaves football games early as a student. I never have.

+1

I'm sorry, but I also have to agree.

I can think of possibly one or maybe two games that I missed as a student and then living 10 years in the Liberty and Lynchburg community. Those games attended were also mostly a majority of them in the [dark ages of] Karcher era.

Fan's need to stick around for the full game. The team, coaches and players need fan's to show their support for all four quarters. Look at the outcome of the last game. Liberty struggled early, fans gave up and left, but LU worked through it's problems and pulled out a win and dominant second half.

LU fans missed a great second half.

[SuperJon]

Following months of speculation, Flames Nation has learned that the second phase of Williams Stadium's expansion is scheduled to begin following the 2012 football season. Coming off of the fifth highest attendance game in school history, with a crowd of 18,239, Liberty will be boosting the seating capacity on what has traditionally been known as the student side of the stadium. The second deck, which will be similar in size to the one built in Phase 1 of the expansion, is expected to boost capacity to around 25,000.

http://luflamesnation.blogspot.com/2012 ... ase-2.html

Remember to follow us on twitter @Flames_Nation and also on facebook http://www.facebook.com/LUFlamesNation

We already knew this.

[BJWilliams]

Thanks for the fact check manson...I had forgotten about that game.

Really that was the biggest comeback I can remember outside of the VMI game in 2003 and it stinks that a lot of people were so quick to give up the ship after we got down like we did (will see if G-W goes into a similar downward spiral that VMI did after that game)

[libertyfan4life]

BJ,

You're genius. If people don't think that their team can score 20-30 points with 3 to 5 minutes to win a game, I've always come to remember the Liberty vs. VMI game in 2003.

This past game and battle against GWU actually totally reminded me of the same game (with VMI in 2003 at Homecoming) before you had posted. Good catch! Both games were very similar.

Back in the day, LU's Eugene Goodman (RB) was on my residence hall one year. He was a great guy and football player. In that VMI game in 2003, he scored those three final touchdowns in I think about 3-5 minutes in the final minutes of the game.

I am a closet nerd, so I have actually replayed the final minutes of that game in the past (especially the final touchdown to win the game), as it is just sheer amazing to watch. To this day, I still cannot figure out just how exactly he managed to score that touchdown to win the game... because on the replay (he obviously scores the touchdown, but), it looks near impossible or daunting in how he actually did it.

I told Eugene once, that those five minutes of football, were some of the best five minutes of football I have ever seen come out of a player on the field. The Flames players and remaining fans in the stands were electric.

[Dr. Sheh]

BJ,

You're genius. If people don't think that their team can score 20-30 points with 3 to 5 minutes to win a game, I've always come to remember the Liberty vs. VMI game in 2003.

This past game and battle against GWU actually totally reminded me of the same game (with VMI in 2003 at Homecoming) before you had posted. Good catch! Both games were very similar.

Back in the day, LU's Eugene Goodman (RB) was on my residence hall one year. He was a great guy and football player. In that VMI game in 2003, he scored those three final touchdowns in I think about 3-5 minutes in the final minutes of the game.

I am a closet nerd, so I have actually replayed the final minutes of that game in the past (especially the final touchdown to win the game), as it is just sheer amazing to watch. To this day, I still cannot figure out just how exactly he managed to score that touchdown to win the game... because on the replay (he obviously scores the touchdown, but), it looks near impossible or daunting in how he actually did it.

I told Eugene once, that those five minutes of football, were some of the best five minutes of football I have ever seen come out of a player on the field. The Flames players and remaining fans in the stands were electric.

That VMI game gets my vote of the best game I've seen in person at the 'Bill, even with the expansion and better performance of the Flames in recent years. Pandemonium after that winning touchdown, absolutely unreal! Gus Condon for Heisman!

[phoenix]

I despise anyone who leaves football games early as a student. I never have.

+1

I'm sorry, but I also have to agree.

I can think of possibly one or maybe two games that I missed as a student and then living 10 years in the Liberty and Lynchburg community. Those games attended were also mostly a majority of them in the [dark ages of] Karcher era.

Fan's need to stick around for the full game. The team, coaches and players need fan's to show their support for all four quarters. Look at the outcome of the last game. Liberty struggled early, fans gave up and left, but LU worked through it's problems and pulled out a win and dominant second half.

LU fans missed a great second half.

I've only ever left one game early as a student. The band was headed to New York to play halftime for the Giants and Cowboys the next day, so we left a little into the third quarter, IIRC.

[rogers3]

I despise anyone who leaves football games early as a student. I never have.

Years ago I left an LU game early to meet friends at Shakers. It was the fourth Q and we were up something like 31-3 over Delaware State. We lost 38-37. You just never know what might happen in the latter part of a game

[libertyfan4life]

[/quote]That VMI game gets my vote of the best game I've seen in person at the 'Bill, even with the expansion and better performance of the Flames in recent years. Pandemonium after that winning touchdown, absolutely unreal! Gus Condon for Heisman![/quote]


Actually, if I am not mistaken I do believe that Gus Condon did win a Heisman for Liberty that year.

At least I've got a red dorm t-shirt that says so.

But, we should probably end the rabbit trail right here though. Good memories. All of that is to say that it's a shame when fans leave a game early. Liberty U has accomplished so much in it's being 40 years young history. From NAIA to D1 to now 25,000 seat stadium. It's incredible.

Does anybody know stat wise if there is a D1 NCAA school equivalent to something like Liberty's 40 year rise to where we are now today? I have my doubts of a pound for pound parallel. But maybe I am wrong.

[flameslinger]

That's a really nice write-up LUFN. I appreciate the insight into the more recent vision of the original expansion plans. I would assume that the rosy financial atmosphere on campus has led to some upgrades. I look forward to that new east side tower helping project all that student volume toward the playing field on third downs!

[BJWilliams]

I think we ought to mount a decibel meter on the student side tower if we are going to have that much noise projection

[logic]

Forget not CFAW weekends and what that does to the student side.

[TDDance234]

As a student that is always in the front row of the student section every game. Take that for what its worth. We really cant expect students to show in massive amounts to a game, when at the time we were 0-4. Also when we are down 21-3, to Gardner Webb, arguably one of the worst teams in the big south, that people will leave. I stayed for the whole game but i looked at many friends that were leaving the game and I wished I was leaving with them but I would stay faithful to the team. Thankfully they pulled it out. It comes down to one thing. If the team is winning then there will be butts in the seats, if not, then we can forget it. Its like this everywhere.

No excuse for leaving. I suffered through a 1-10 season, and never left.

[thepostman]

that VMI game in '03 was amazing....