Lots more here: http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=Rice-Eccles&ei=UTF-8&fr=fp-tab-img-t&cop=mss&tab=3
I liked this photo best: You don't really get a sense of what the stadium looks like, but it partially answers a question from another thread: "What's an inversion?" Here's a link to another great image which is a slightly brown, but beautiful fall photo of the geography surrounding the stadium and the University of Utah campus: University in Fall
Small photo of Ireland vs. USWNT in Rice Eccles on 6-14-2003. Shows the fieldturf with the grid iron football lines subdued. I was at the game, the field looked great that day.
It seems to me that for playing in a football stadium, it could be worse. It looks like a nice mid-size stadium. Here are some diagrams, one with the field dimensions. I believe the playing surface (not including the synthetic turf in the diagram) is 124yds x 73yds. By comparison, Spartan Stadium is 110yds x 70yds which means that the field at Rice-Eccles will be pretty narrow. I say for soccer games, the team can block off and not sell ticket for the blue sections. The would help keep the fan attendance compact. There's also no upper deck to look empty which is good.
True! That south end has banners and jersey flag written all over it!! The elevation of the stadium looks as if the supporters are "on top" of the action.
ya thats correct. it was natural grass, but the olympics ruined that, thank you to the people who paved it over for the opening and closing ceremonies they decided to put turf in after the olympics i believe it was.
Yeah, supporters club has to be in section 83. Make 81-85 all GA tickets costing ~ $ 13- 15 each, and section 83 is standing only. Talk to the team brass and make sure that the team is coming towards you in the second half. This helps.
definetly put the supporters section right across from the cameras as its done by DC United, thank you
#1 - I'm sure the supporters will end up behind the goal, or wherever they like. I don't really care either way. #2 - Doesn't a coin flip have some say in who attacks what goal in which half? #3 - 45K+ is a nice size. They'll have enough for an occasional US men's game, yet the crowd won't be swallowed up, ala KC and Colorado. #4 - Let's hope Checketts does something about the field turf. Isn't this the first year with no plastic, and we're gonna have it next year? Hopefully they'll put out the grass trays. Yeah, they're ugly the first few games, but at least it's real grass.
NY still has turf. It will be the best non SSS location so far with maybe RFK the one exception. It looks like sight lines will be good too. I guess I will find out next year when the Riot Squad shows up to welcome the Utes to MLS!
I was the assistant athletic field manager for the University of Utah for 2 years, and, I'd like to address a couple of things. 1)The field diagrams that are posted here are incorret. Those diagrams are from the 2000-2001 foootball season, when the field was natural grass with synthetic surrounding it. The entire surface is now FieldTurf, which makes it about 137 yards long and 77 yards wide. 2)The FieldTurf was put in because the stadium is used for so many events, especially in the fall and winter, and, natural grass struggled to survive. It's difficult to use it on 3 consecutive weekends for 28 marching bands, then 2 HS football games, then the Utah-BYU game..the field just couldn't take it. SLOC picked up the tab for the FieldTurf after the paved over the field, that was just a bonus. 3)Checketts will have absolutely no say over the surface at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The MLS team will be the #2 tennant in the stadium to the Utah Football team, it's a temporary situation, one that's expected to last 2-4 years. At the same time the Utah Blitzz plan on continuing to play their games there as well. A couple of side notes, the stadium played host to the Colorado Rapids in an exhibition game against the Blitzz in their first season. It also hosted the MWC Women's Soccer Championship last year. The games were originally scheduled for Ute Field, however snow made grass fields unplayable, and, the FieldTurf allowed the games to be played, rather than having to be postponed. I know soccer fans don't like the synthetic surface, but, having maintained a soccer field for the Blitzz, it's not that bad of a surface....obviously once the SSS gets built, it will be natural grass, but RES isn't a bad place to play for a few years while you're in the process of getting a home. If you have any questions, ask away...I spent a lot of time with the Blitzz their first year, and, know Rice-Eccles Stadium and Salt Lake well.
But, sir, you don't understand....it could be a great surface, but people here are just conditioned to whine.
I've been reading through the board today, and, I've noticed the whine thing...I'm starting to wonder if there are a lot of closet BYU fans on this board, the whining sounds familiar
By the way, if you want to seem some better pictures of RES (As we call it), check out this link...it shows some of the non-field areas, including the Olympic Legacy Park, something that's rather unique to our stadium http://www.utefans.net/home/sevans/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album07
Looks like a fine MLS home. Hope the pitch is as wide as can possibly be permitted. That's my only concern...that the matches end up "skewed" ala San Jose/Spartan Stadium because of a narrow pitch. The setting and facility look great.
Yeah, but for those of us whose Kitchen Pass depends on entertaining a 2-year-old, will the the Utah Rockchucks/Utah International/Deportivo Lago Salado have a Bouncy House behind the south end like the Blitzz did?
beautiful pictures, thanks for posting I read that they plan to pain over the football lines for the soccer games, do you see that to be a real possibility or wishful thinking ?