Anything new with Stadium Rennovation?

[BobCatFan]

I do not understand the quite period. Heck, when I am out asking for money, I let everyone know and ask them to tell their friends too.

Why is this all hush hush. Announce the plan, Get people involved. Have a tote board showing the progress. If the big donors are happy cat fans, then have a press conference once they have made the commitment. Hey, let the average guy know. $20 here, a $100 there can add up to a lot of cash.

[BozoneCat]

I was hoping for an announcement as much as everyone else on this board, but I trust the people who are in charge of this project. The main man (forget his name, but very nice guy) in charge was a key fundraiser for Oklahoma State, who by the way announced the largest ever private donation just a year or two ago. I would say that the people in charge are much smarter than any of us when it comes to raising money for a capital campaign, and I fully trust things are being done the right way. This will get done, and I still have an optimistic feeling that we won't have to wait too much longer...

[BobcatBulldog]

Question
Does anyone know who is heading this committee, who is on this committee, does anyone even really know that this committee exists. It seems like everyones information is from a brothers cousins barbers sons friends dog. Maybe I am way off base but Just wanted to know if anyone actually had any real information.

Also just because someone is in charge does not mean they know what they are doing. example: THE Bowl Championship Series.

I know thats harsh but I would just like some information, no news does not always mean good news.

[GavinDonos]

I have a family member on the committee.

And just as an aside I would argue that the heads of the BCS committee know exactly what they are doing... Making billions of dollars for a small amount of schools to share.

[Catfan2030]

Question
Does anyone know who is heading this committee, who is on this committee, does anyone even really know that this committee exists. It seems like everyones information is from a brothers cousins barbers sons friends dog. Maybe I am way off base but Just wanted to know if anyone actually had any real information.

Also just because someone is in charge does not mean they know what they are doing. example: THE Bowl Championship Series.

I know thats harsh but I would just like some information, no news does not always mean good news.

Walkon is on the board, he posts in a lot of threads. He was the one who was going to give us the lowdown on whats happening but he is not authorized. Im sure he might be able to tell you who is on the committee, but he cant give us much information....not sure if he can even say that. Just look back through the posts on here and see what he wrote.

[BobcatBulldog]

Question
Does anyone know who is heading this committee, who is on this committee, does anyone even really know that this committee exists. It seems like everyones information is from a brothers cousins barbers sons friends dog. Maybe I am way off base but Just wanted to know if anyone actually had any real information.

Also just because someone is in charge does not mean they know what they are doing. example: THE Bowl Championship Series.

I know thats harsh but I would just like some information, no news does not always mean good news.

Walkon is on the board, he posts in a lot of threads. He was the one who was going to give us the lowdown on whats happening but he is not authorized. Im sure he might be able to tell you who is on the committee, but he cant give us much information....not sure if he can even say that. Just look back through the posts on here and see what he wrote.

I am just looking for rock solid info, I get easily frustrated by playing telephone, thanks for any info you got.

[webdav]

You honestly think this will be an "advantage" over UM? UM has tradition and a pretty decent stadium.

Don't know why you don't realize this, but we have quite a tradition, too. After all, we have one more national championship than the Griz.

Unfortunately, we don't have Uncle Dennis footing the bill for anything we want.

[vike_king]

You honestly think this will be an "advantage" over UM? UM has tradition and a pretty decent stadium.

Don't know why you don't realize this, but we have quite a tradition, too. After all, we have one more national championship than the Griz.

Unfortunately, we don't have Uncle Dennis footing the bill for anything we want.

One more football, and one more basketball national championship!

[catamaran]

You honestly think this will be an "advantage" over UM? UM has tradition and a pretty decent stadium.

Don't know why you don't realize this, but we have quite a tradition, too. After all, we have one more national championship than the Griz.

Unfortunately, we don't have Uncle Dennis footing the bill for anything we want.

One more football, and one more basketball national championship!

And a basketball named one of the greatest in the history of the sport

[Platinumcat]

guys, guys, please remember that Griz fans history only goes back 20 years.

I know I know

[kstack]

I'm a student at the school and walking around campus, I notice deteriorated conditions in Linfield Hall, Reid Hall, Cheever Hall, and other academic buildings across campus. Unless the stadium improvements and maintenance are entirely privately funded, who gives a damn about the curvature of the stadium or whether the seats look more like bleachers than stands? This institution has to be careful about placing athletic improvements as a higher priority than academic improvements.

[Eastcoastgriz]

I'm a student at the school and walking around campus, I notice deteriorated conditions in Linfield Hall, Reid Hall, Cheever Hall, and other academic buildings across campus. Unless the stadium improvements and maintenance are entirely privately funded, who gives a damn about the curvature of the stadium or whether the seats look more like bleachers than stands? This institution has to be careful about placing athletic improvements as a higher priority than academic improvements.

BRAVO!!

[SonomaCat]

I'm a student at the school and walking around campus, I notice deteriorated conditions in Linfield Hall, Reid Hall, Cheever Hall, and other academic buildings across campus. Unless the stadium improvements and maintenance are entirely privately funded, who gives a damn about the curvature of the stadium or whether the seats look more like bleachers than stands? This institution has to be careful about placing athletic improvements as a higher priority than academic improvements.

Don't you fret ... the athletic department improvements will be financed by private donations ... as has been discussed at length on this board. In addition, investments in athletic department facilities also generate revenue.

And we alums will also be asked to contribute to fundraising campaigns for other departments on campus as well.

Perhaps you can rally the ASMSU to assess additional student fees for renovations to the buildings you noted so as to be proactive on the improvements that you want to see done.

[bozbobcat]

I'm not too worried about shouldering the load for athletic upgrades right now, if they all come from private donations. I agree about the academic buildings though. They already charge a building fee and levying another fee at this time would not be a good idea. The SUB renovation fee that we pay is not going to the SUB right now. I'd like to see some of the state money go toward maintaining more of their own classroom buildings. That's the first priority of the university: educating students. And properly maintained buildings with proper equipment are a part of that mission.

[GOKATS]

I'm a student at the school and walking around campus, I notice deteriorated conditions in Linfield Hall, Reid Hall, Cheever Hall, and other academic buildings across campus. Unless the stadium improvements and maintenance are entirely privately funded, who gives a damn about the curvature of the stadium or whether the seats look more like bleachers than stands? This institution has to be careful about placing athletic improvements as a higher priority than academic improvements.

I can't argue with your last sentence, but the rest of what you said has me wondering if you should be the Sports Editor for the Exponent. You may be better suited to run for Pres. of ASMSU so you can take your concerns to the Board of Regents and the state legislature where the problem with academic facilities really lies.

[WalkOn79]

I'm a student at the school and walking around campus, I notice deteriorated conditions in Linfield Hall, Reid Hall, Cheever Hall, and other academic buildings across campus. Unless the stadium improvements and maintenance are entirely privately funded, who gives a damn about the curvature of the stadium or whether the seats look more like bleachers than stands? This institution has to be careful about placing athletic improvements as a higher priority than academic improvements.

Don't you fret ... the athletic department improvements will be financed by private donations ... as has been discussed at length on this board. In addition, investments in athletic department facilities also generate revenue.

And we alums will also be asked to contribute to fundraising campaigns for other departments on campus as well.

Perhaps you can rally the ASMSU to assess additional student fees for renovations to the buildings you noted so as to be proactive on the improvements that you want to see done.

Okay, one more post on the subject, to address concerns of students, faculty and parents paying for education. The Universtiy is also looking at a similar fundraising effort, that ultimately will dwarf this one in comparison.

And by the way, there have been numerous studies documenting that athletic success has a direct and positive impact on charitable giving in other areas of a public University. In other words, this won't be a competition for the private $, it will be an enhancement.

Finally, athletic success has a direct and positive impact on enrollment, and I've seen the numbers to prove it.

[kstack]

The comments about athletic success providing revenue and contributing to an increase in enrollment sounds great, but MSU students are very exasperated with what's going on, on campus.
I'm not against the Blackbox Theatre but most students could care less.
The Health & PE Complex is at least a year behind schedule.
The University is now looking into making students pay for maintenance costs of what was supposed to be a privately-funded and maintained Chemistry Research building because the University didn't do its homework on the costs of maintaining a building full of laboratories.
Pawning off the multi-million dollar construction of an indoor practice facility, and renovation of a stadium which already was renovated less than 10 years ago, as a positive asset to the University will be a tough sale to the students. If it is privately funded and will be maintained with private funds, then so be it. But if student money is brought into the mix, students may become fed up.

[SonomaCat]

It will be privately financed ... so the students will only benefit from the enhancements with zero cost to them.

So when the time comes ... you can write nothing but favorable things about any facilities upgrades that are eventually announced ... and proactively assure students of the funding realities so that nobody misunderstands where the money is coming from and subsequently writes angry, but uninformed, letters to the Exponent complaining.

I remember my time in school all too well ... and it always bugged me when students would complain about privately financed improvements to campus ... but somebody always will.

[kstack]

Certain students are skeptical of privately-funded projects when they have already experience having to pay for what was once supposed to be an entirely privately-funded project (see Chemistry Research building). I am not ignorant. I will accept a project if donations are made. I'm just saying that we, as students, have a right to be skeptical because we've been screwed before and we can be screwed again. It's amazing that people feel that they can just toss around the phrase "privately-funded" and everybody is just supposed to automatically accept it and not ask any questions.

[SonomaCat]

You surely also can understand how the many selfless contributors might be a bit discouraged when their donations result not in apprecation by many students, but instead are greeted with proactive skepticism and criticism.