🏈 I ran across an off-season rant about seating versus stadium capacity.

[TerryP]

...which fits the bill of off-season banter as much as anything. It means nothing in the end, a mere bragging point that carries a little weight (I assume) but it did make me wonder if there actually is a difference in how these numbers are reported.

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Here's the discussion from TI in linear form.

• Rejoice in the fact we have the largest stadium in the SEC! BATTLE AND SID: ACT! Duckhook 2014-07-24 21:03:02
  Many may not care, but this is becomming a crusade for me. About this time in 2010, the final touches were being put on Bryant-Denny, and the largest stadium in the south was about to be opened. Meanwhile, up in Knoxville, Mike Hamilton and his SID minions came up with a way to use the creation of their Tennessee Terrace (which created zero new seats) to "recount" and publicize a "stadium" capacity of 102,000, holding on falsely to the tag of largest stadium.
  Fact: in the 2009 season, Neylands accepted (and publicized by UT) seating capacity was 100,011. Nothing occurred to change that a year later, other than an obsession with Bama and the notion to count concession workers and the student manager on the sideline. Abracadabra, the new phenomenon of "stadium capacity" took hold. Now, LSU and A&M are following suit. Meanwhile, the UA SID sits idly by, allowing the false notion that B-D is actually the 4th largest in the SEC to simply sit there. How?...because we continue to publicize seating capacity only, while the others inflate with stadium capacity counts. And the media just accepts them the same. This is about marketing your program, and it has never mattered more.
  
  It's time for our AD and SID to accept this change and adjust our count. It matters, starting with recruiting and ending with our bragging rights as fans/alums. The article attached is from 4 years ago. Coach Moore took so much pride in building this palace for our program, with one big piece of that being it's rightful place as the largest in the SEC. Here's an excerpt....
  
  "The $47 million North End Zone opened in 2006. The South End Zone is a virtual mirror image, though the upper deck was built four rows bigger to push the seating capacity past 101,000, past Tennessee's Neyland Stadium (100,011). Arms race, indeed."
  
  June 2010 - Crimson Castle
  
  It is HIGH TIME our University, our Athletic Director, and our SID stops lying down and allowing the truth and Mal's castle to be trampled by our rivals. Use the same calculation methods, and B-D pushes north to 104k plus, and top in the SEC. It matters....just ask those rivals why they are doing it. Must. Beat. Bama.
  • We need to petition the UA Athletics Department to get on the ball! Would it do Todd4UA 2014-07-24 23:08:57
    any good?
  • So let it be written, so let it be done! IM4BAMA 2014-07-24 21:42:19
    
  • Give 'em He!!,big D. forever tider 2014-07-24 21:17:31
    • I'm surprised CNS hasn't already mandated this adjustment. I guarnatee this Duckhook 2014-07-24 21:20:34
      comes up often in recruiting. Rival coaches trumpet the absolute false notion that their stadium is bigger than Bama's. Can't believe CNS would allow a recruiting advantage to simply be turned on its head due to our own inaction.
      • Might not be current on "seating/capacity language. forever tider 2014-07-24 21:29:06
        • A&M-102,500 stadium cap; UT-102,455 stadium cap; LSU-102,321 stadium cap...... Duckhook 2014-07-24 21:34:39
          Bama-101,821 seating capacity
          The stadium capacity inflation has added about 2,400 to each of the other counts.
          • Fairly substantial difference. We would be 104,221? forever tider 2014-07-24 21:44:11
            • Yep, in that lower 104k realm. Largest in SEC, even with their expansions Duckhook 2014-07-24 21:47:47
              The media will run with whatever our SID puts out. See 15 national championships, regardless of criticism.