[MVCard]

For the record, 
ASU took away seats in their recent renovation.  Capacity was above 70K until 2013, but after a major renovation it was reduced to 53,599.
USC (really the City of LA) did too.  It was 92,000 when Tavita did his thing.   But after their major renovation it now sits at 77,500
Husky stadium's major 2013 renovation took away more than 2,000 from the prior capacity.   72,500 down to 70,138.
The Rose Bowl was above 100K back when Willingham took the 1999 team to Pasadena.   It has been getting smaller with each renovation.   For a Rose Bowl game capacity is now just above 90K, but official capacity for UCLA games is now just under 70,000 thanks to semi-permanent tarps.
Stanford fans have been there and done that with the tarp strategy.  :(
Though in 2024 maybe they will be able to replace the tarps with 20,000+ screaming midwestern fans cheering on the road team.
Arizona's stadium had a range between 56,000 and 58,000 until 2019.  Now after a renovation capacity is at 50,800

So the majority of the other Pac-10 programs also reduced capacity.
FWIW - Like at Stanford most of the renovations included adding more luxury suites.

Stanford could fix the attendance problem if they were serious about improving the game day experience:
- Take hard line with the conference re: game times... 5 PM kickoffs to get out of the afternoon youth sports slots and get done before kids turn into pumpkins.  Gotta do more to get more families able to attend.
- Free parking... someone write a check and/or sponsor it.  I'm ok with "Game Day Parking brought to you by Google Or Any Other Successful Stanford Startup"
- Return the LSJUMB to Incomparable status - admit more musicians, and fewer people who do the truly stupid things that we've seen in the papers.  Free housing from the week before football season starts until the normal start of undergrad housing; multiple fully funded road trips as carrots.  Winning football team also helps with Band recruiting.  Revisit show format & do some serious introspection on what the audience actually wants to see/hear.  Band is the soundtrack to the stadium experience - must recover ASAP from the COVID and culture impacts, and do better.
- Change the pricing structure for tickets. Lower bowl sidelines can still be where the money is made - perhaps even more-so - but price the upper deck and end zones to sell.  Must appeal to a wider fan base.  I think the university has gone way too deep into the "we're elite" thing and it's turning people off.  Feels like when we channel blue collar in all aspects, stuff works (on and off the field).

Fill the stadium, and I think you take away one of the big critiques that sends athletes to other schools.

[MVCard]

For the record, 
ASU took away seats in their recent renovation.  Capacity was above 70K until 2013, but after a major renovation it was reduced to 53,599.
USC (really the City of LA) did too.  It was 92,000 when Tavita did his thing.   But after their major renovation it now sits at 77,500
Husky stadium's major 2013 renovation took away more than 2,000 from the prior capacity.   72,500 down to 70,138.
The Rose Bowl was above 100K back when Willingham took the 1999 team to Pasadena.   It has been getting smaller with each renovation.   For a Rose Bowl game capacity is now just above 90K, but official capacity for UCLA games is now just under 70,000 thanks to semi-permanent tarps.
Stanford fans have been there and done that with the tarp strategy.  :(
Though in 2024 maybe they will be able to replace the tarps with 20,000+ screaming midwestern fans cheering on the road team.
Arizona's stadium had a range between 56,000 and 58,000 until 2019.  Now after a renovation capacity is at 50,800

So the majority of the other Pac-10 programs also reduced capacity.
FWIW - Like at Stanford most of the renovations included adding more luxury suites.

Stanford could fix the attendance problem if they were serious about improving the game day experience:
- Take hard line with the conference re: game times... 5 PM kickoffs to get out of the afternoon youth sports slots and get done before kids turn into pumpkins.  Gotta do more to get more families able to attend.
- Free parking... someone write a check and/or sponsor it.  I'm ok with "Game Day Parking brought to you by Google Or Any Other Successful Stanford Startup"
- Return the LSJUMB to Incomparable status - admit more musicians, and fewer people who do the truly stupid things that we've seen in the papers.  Free housing from the week before football season starts until the normal start of undergrad housing; multiple fully funded road trips as carrots.  Winning football team also helps with Band recruiting.  Revisit show format & do some serious introspection on what the audience actually wants to see/hear.  Band is the soundtrack to the stadium experience - must recover ASAP from the COVID and culture impacts, and do better.
- Change the pricing structure for tickets. Lower bowl sidelines can still be where the money is made - perhaps even more-so - but price the upper deck and end zones to sell.  Must appeal to a wider fan base.  I think the university has gone way too deep into the "we're elite" thing and it's turning people off.  Feels like when we channel blue collar in all aspects, stuff works (on and off the field).

Fill the stadium, and I think you take away one of the big critiques that sends athletes to other schools.