JerryBeeds
08-31-2005, 09:00 PM
CLEMSON — Death Valley has shrunk.
Memorial Stadium’s capacity has decreased by 4,092 seats due to construction and an inaccurate figure of its previous size, Clemson athletics department officials said Tuesday.
Clemson lists the stadium’s 2005 capacity at 77,381. Previously, Clemson said Memorial Stadium seated 81,473 and ranked as the 14th-largest campus stadium in the country.
About 1,300 seats in the west end zone have been lost this season due to construction of the new football facility, associate athletics director Van Hilderbrand said.
And the other 2,792 seats?
“The previous number was wrong,” senior associate athletics director Bill D’Andrea said.
Sports information director Tim Bourret said the discrepancy occurred because Clemson reduced the number of people sitting on the hill from 6,000 to 4,000 in recent seasons.
D’Andrea said the actual capacity in previous seasons was probably 1,000 seats more than it is now, equating to roughly 78,381.
Clemson reported drawing 478,000 fans in 2004. The NCAA ranked the Tigers 17th nationally in average attendance (79,667) and 29th in accumulated capacity (97.78 percent of the stadium).
D’Andrea said the capacity would increase to 80,301 in 2006 when the first phase of the West Zone is completed. That figure takes into account the addition of club-level seats and seats in the west end-zone corners, D’Andrea said.
Memorial Stadium’s capacity has decreased by 4,092 seats due to construction and an inaccurate figure of its previous size, Clemson athletics department officials said Tuesday.
Clemson lists the stadium’s 2005 capacity at 77,381. Previously, Clemson said Memorial Stadium seated 81,473 and ranked as the 14th-largest campus stadium in the country.
About 1,300 seats in the west end zone have been lost this season due to construction of the new football facility, associate athletics director Van Hilderbrand said.
And the other 2,792 seats?
“The previous number was wrong,” senior associate athletics director Bill D’Andrea said.
Sports information director Tim Bourret said the discrepancy occurred because Clemson reduced the number of people sitting on the hill from 6,000 to 4,000 in recent seasons.
D’Andrea said the actual capacity in previous seasons was probably 1,000 seats more than it is now, equating to roughly 78,381.
Clemson reported drawing 478,000 fans in 2004. The NCAA ranked the Tigers 17th nationally in average attendance (79,667) and 29th in accumulated capacity (97.78 percent of the stadium).
D’Andrea said the capacity would increase to 80,301 in 2006 when the first phase of the West Zone is completed. That figure takes into account the addition of club-level seats and seats in the west end-zone corners, D’Andrea said.