CORVALLIS — Steve Fenk retired last year. The former Oregon State associate athletic director has a boat, loves the open ocean, and I figured he’d be out fishing on Saturday.
Nope.
“No fishing,” he told me, “too rough.”
Oregon State fished alone on Saturday. The Beavers converted Fenk’s old office on the second floor of Gill Coliseum a virtual-reality studio. They etched “Completing Reser Stadium Experience Center” into the frosted glass on the door. Behind it are VR headsets, four leather recliners and a HD projection screen used to sell high-end donors on premium-seating experiences in the upcoming $152 million Reser Stadium renovation.
“You don’t have to imagine it,” athletic director Scott Barnes said. “This makes it tangible.”
Oregon State whipped Idaho 42-0 across the way at Reser Stadium. That felt tangible, too. The Beavers were dominant and improved to 2-1, above .500 for the first time in Jonathan Smith’s tenure. But the quiet trolling being done behind the wood and frosted-glass door of that old office felt just as big.
Seven appointments — 30 minutes each — were booked on Saturday. Ashton Miller, who leads OSU’s premium sales team cued up an extended hype video featuring big moments from Oregon State’s football past. Then, Miller gave cozy groups of VIP donors a video walkthrough of the project.
Near the end, Miller held up a virtual reality headset and said, “Slip this on and take a look around.”
I couldn’t help but think about the correlation between Smith’s trajectory and the enthusiasm with which Oregon State is busy selling the new stadium experience. The Beavers are going to level the west side of Reser Stadium at the end of this football stadium, and in its place they’re going to build a stadium experience that they believe is unmatched in the Pac-12 Conference.
Yes, more swanky than anything Autzen Stadium.
Some selling points:
♦ Premium seating at Reser Stadium will be the closest to the field in the conference, located 100 feet from the playing field.
♦ “Beaver Street” will be a fan-friendly streetscape built inside the stadium that will offer concessions, views of the field, and a 360-degree concourse.
♦ “Living Room Boxes” and “Loge Boxes” will give fans in groups of four seats an opportunity to enjoy a game with leather seats, personal television sets, storage, and digital concession service at their box. There’s also club seating and a Founder’s Box with marble floors, a dark wood-paneled bar and a high-end restaurant feel.
The cost for premium seats?
Oregon State won’t say. I asked on Saturday and the administrators in the room mostly looked at their shoe tops, mumbled and told me they’d get back to me. It left me thinking they’re going to sell it for they can get for it. It won’t be cheap, either.
It became evident on Saturday that Oregon State is utilizing the new VIP seating options to generate gifts and commitments toward the football stadium project. Also, it’s apparent they’re keeping the guest list short as they feel out interested donors.
I’ve long criticized Oregon State for making small plans. The Beavers have played not to lose at times. But this isn’t one of them. Barnes and his team are taking a shot at the Moon. They may hit a lamppost on the way up, but I’m good with that because the stadium project dovetails nicely with the encouraging trajectory of Smith’s program.
The Beavers have two wins and nine conference games left on the schedule. Smith’s team will need only four more victories to be bowl eligible for the first time since Mike Riley left. Do that and the rubble outside the home football stadium this summer will look less like wreckage and more like a hopeful new beginning.
Flop and it’s going to be a tough sell, isn’t it?
Oregon State’s football players stand on the home sideline, facing the 1950s-style eyesore that is the old west side of Reser Stadium. For years, I’ve wondered about the psychological impact of that. Now, I’m interested to see whether OSU’s home stadium might help shift the athletic department narrative into a more vibrant one.
I sat in the leather seats. I put on the headset. I looked around the stadium and saw the Beavers football players on the field, and VR families in the stands, and if I reached over my right shoulder I could press a button that would summon service to my seat.
I reached for that button on Saturday.
I got a fistful of air. But the Beavers are reaching for something bigger.
We’ve heard a lot in the last year about deficits and budget cuts. Fenk’s departure from that office was a sobering development, because it signaled the end of a remarkable career by a gifted administrator. He was well regarded and tuned in. Oregon State didn’t give his office to a replacement. In fact, it hasn’t replaced him at all.
Instead, amid a pandemic that caused a $55 million shortfall in their athletic department budget, they’ve decided to try to pull a renovated stadium out of their hat. They are now using high-tech to fill the seats and make the project sing. And I hope they pull it off.
Saturday’s game was a big one for OSU‘s bottom line.
The Beavers put up 440 yards of offense and didn’t let Idaho score. It was a knockout win over a Big Sky Conference opponent. Smith shook hands with Idaho’s coaches at midfield, then took his team to the locker room. But it was the second floor of Gill Coliseum across the way I wondered about at the final gun.
”All I can control is what we do over here,” Smith told me from his side of the street. “But yeah, these things are connected.
“Win here and winning over there becomes a little easier.”
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