I thought the scene was fine.
I realize some people sit close to a speaker, and for them things might be tough. I recall one year I started to watch from seats right at the top of the first level, and decided that was a mistake because the speaker right above my head was too much for me. So I understand there are locations that are challenging.
However, I don't think the music is louder at Stanford Stadium than any other venue I have visited in the last decade.
USC, UW, ASU, Oregon all have music volume cranked up to much higher levels and at UW and Oregon that's nothing compared to what the crowd can do at key moments. I really don't go to pro sports now, but I used to feel that every pro sporting event had PA levels way above your average college venue.
And that last observation is key because I suspect most colleges want to create an environment similar to what fans experience at pro venues, if possible. So large TV screens, lots of current popular music at crazy volumes, and a number of gimicks to try to entertain people during the TV timeouts. The noise adds some hype for the fans and the players which can be important if the venue is largely empty or the crowd is quiet.
If the venue didn't have PA noise then Stanford Stadium would be called a library by media types.
I did have one observation related to music selection though.
I am all for playing whatever the players and recruits enjoy. Today typical 5-star recruits want hip-hop with a real rough edge. Fine! Whatever. However, the AD also decided to have the kids' fan fest inside the stadium, and I thought some of the musical choices were awful for young kids. The music played for the players before the pre-game countdown clock gets below 45 minutes or so includes loads of explicit lyrics. Again, no problem for me if that is what recruits expect or players request, but perhaps the version for radio play would be more appropriate if the fan fest is hosting young kids inside the stadium.
I realize some people sit close to a speaker, and for them things might be tough. I recall one year I started to watch from seats right at the top of the first level, and decided that was a mistake because the speaker right above my head was too much for me. So I understand there are locations that are challenging.
However, I don't think the music is louder at Stanford Stadium than any other venue I have visited in the last decade.
USC, UW, ASU, Oregon all have music volume cranked up to much higher levels and at UW and Oregon that's nothing compared to what the crowd can do at key moments. I really don't go to pro sports now, but I used to feel that every pro sporting event had PA levels way above your average college venue.
And that last observation is key because I suspect most colleges want to create an environment similar to what fans experience at pro venues, if possible. So large TV screens, lots of current popular music at crazy volumes, and a number of gimicks to try to entertain people during the TV timeouts. The noise adds some hype for the fans and the players which can be important if the venue is largely empty or the crowd is quiet.
If the venue didn't have PA noise then Stanford Stadium would be called a library by media types.
I did have one observation related to music selection though.
I am all for playing whatever the players and recruits enjoy. Today typical 5-star recruits want hip-hop with a real rough edge. Fine! Whatever. However, the AD also decided to have the kids' fan fest inside the stadium, and I thought some of the musical choices were awful for young kids. The music played for the players before the pre-game countdown clock gets below 45 minutes or so includes loads of explicit lyrics. Again, no problem for me if that is what recruits expect or players request, but perhaps the version for radio play would be more appropriate if the fan fest is hosting young kids inside the stadium.