All Things New BBALL Practice Facility

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Nebraskas facility looked nice but i didn't think it blew me away. It was a so so gym with some lockers with iPad docking stations. I believe we can do better and at reasonable cost.
The facility that continues to blow my mind is the Michigan football practice facility. That sucker is beautiful.
 

per Sid:

Gophers expansion

The University of Minnesota athletic department has a company studying what new or remodeled facilities the school needs, and if new ones are needed, where they should be built.

The new facilities include the much-needed basketball practice building, which in the past had been planned to be built near Williams Arena. However, now one of the sites being talked about for the basketball facility and other new ones is the current site for the outdoor track behind the Bierman Building and the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex. In favor of that site is the fact that there is a lot of space available.

One of the sites talked about for a new track would be on the farm campus, where room is available. Another reason to move the track is that the cost of modernizing the present track is $10 million.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/196714011.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
per Sid:

Gophers expansion

The University of Minnesota athletic department has a company studying what new or remodeled facilities the school needs, and if new ones are needed, where they should be built.

The new facilities include the much-needed basketball practice building, which in the past had been planned to be built near Williams Arena. However, now one of the sites being talked about for the basketball facility and other new ones is the current site for the outdoor track behind the Bierman Building and the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex. In favor of that site is the fact that there is a lot of space available.

One of the sites talked about for a new track would be on the farm campus, where room is available. Another reason to move the track is that the cost of modernizing the present track is $10 million.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/196714011.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Go Gophers!!
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Interesting thoughts the track site.

Makes me wonder about the new baseball field. Some schools seems to share facilities with pro teams i.e. Nebraska new BB arena. Seems to me the Gophers sharing a field with the Saints would have made sense. Glad we didn't do it with Vike stadium though.
 

Q&A: Up Close with Norwood Teague

Talk more about the facilities plan.

Part of it will be a football support facility that will have new offices, a weight room, and a training room. There's also going to be an academic advising building for use by all student-athletes. We'll also have a basketball practice facility for our men's and women's programs. Women's gymnastics needs a building; wrestling needs a facility. We'd like to make enhancements to existing facilities for volleyball and golf. The list goes on. We want to be as comprehensive as we can be.

What role will philanthropy play?

It will probably rely 100 percent on philanthropy. We've got to show a compelling reason why we need these things. Often in college athletics, the facilities I'm talking about tend to be "wants" rather than "needs," but here at Minnesota they are needs. We need them to enhance both the athletic and academic performance of our student-athletes, and also to improve the overall student-athlete experience here.

What are donors telling you?

There are common themes. There's a strong desire for Gopher football to succeed. Of course, there's a strong desire for all of our programs to succeed. There's a desire to have women's athletics remain strong, and we've got to maintain and build in that area. The U is a fascinating place because it's the only school in the state that competes at the Division I level in every sport. It is the flagship in many ways, unlike any other place that I've been. There's a lot of passion out there for the Gophers, not just in the Twin Cities, but in the outstate area too.

http://www.giving.umn.edu/news/teague.html

Go Gophers!!
 

good thing the Kentucky Wildcats have one of the best practice facilities in the whole country, otherwise they might trail Robert Morris by 10 to nothing........ oh yeah
 


Minnesconsin fan said:
good thing the Kentucky Wildcats have one of the best practice facilities in the whole country, otherwise they might trail Robert Morris by 10 to nothing........ oh yeah
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So you're saying Minnesota doesn't need a practice facility?
 



per Amelia's Q&A:

Comment From Gary
What is the reaction from the boosters over the hiring? Is there momentum for a practice facility?


Amelia:
I think the practice facility will happen. I think it would have happened regardless, because I think people surrounding the program are starting to understand that a practice facility is simply necessary to lure the best recruits and compete in this league. The Boosters I have spoken with are perhaps less enthused than the younger generation – it’s been very interesting to see the difference between the below-40 Gophers fans and the above-40 Gophers fans – but I feel like most are pleased or open-mindedly maintaining the “Wait-and-see” stance.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/201829711.html

Go Gophers!!
 




Comment From Gary
Did other practice facilities get state money? Or were they all fundraising? (we know that Tubby's buyout didn't go over well with the House Higher Ed chair)
12:45


Amelia:

Lots of times facilities will get state money for the construction costs – sometimes for more than that. It doesn’t always happen, and Minnesota hasn’t specifically asked for it yet, but that is a possibility.

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Comment From Gary
Did other practice facilities get state money? Or were they all fundraising? (we know that Tubby's buyout didn't go over well with the House Higher Ed chair)
12:45


Amelia:

Lots of times facilities will get state money for the construction costs – sometimes for more than that. It doesn’t always happen, and Minnesota hasn’t specifically asked for it yet, but that is a possibility.

Go Gophers!!
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It would be nice to have legislators that knew wtf they were talking about.
 




Saving about a million in salary with Pitino, I suppose that is going to the Tubby buyout though, to bad it couldn't be used to float a bond, start building today, and use the savings to finance the building.
 

@sgarvey03: @MNCoachPitino anyway you can have your practice earlier on Sun? We want to have our intramural championship at the barn @ 7!!

@sgarvey03: @CoachBalado anyway you can change practice on sunday? We really wanted to have our intramural championships at the barn at 7

#NoPracticeFacilityProblems
 

GopherInPittsburgh said:
@sgarvey03: @MNCoachPitino anyway you can have your practice earlier on Sun? We want to have our intramural championship at the barn @ 7!!

@sgarvey03: @CoachBalado anyway you can change practice on sunday? We really wanted to have our intramural championships at the barn at 7

#NoPracticeFacilityProblems
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Um. How many different ways are there to say absolutely not?
 


scher215 said:
Um. How many different ways are there to say absolutely not?
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You don't understand the priorites at the U. It's not like we're Michigan or Indiana. If it had been a women's event, I bet they don't even have to ask. You don't have the worst facilities in the B1G if somebody, somewhere doesn't want it to be that way.

As I have previously posted, our best chance to get a new practice facility, is if the Louisville fans build one for us.
 

howieramone said:
You don't understand the priorites at the U. It's not like we're Michigan or Indiana. If it had been a women's event, I bet they don't even have to ask. You don't have the worst facilities in the B1G if somebody, somewhere doesn't want it to be that way.

As I have previously posted, our best chance to get a new practice facility, is if the Louisville fans build one for us.
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Are you also saying that Texas Tech will not chip in? :)


Something I have wondered about for awhile...The NFL will float loans to teams like the Vikings to help build new stadiums. Why can't the Big Ten float loans to their member schools to update facilities?
 

Dr.Don said:
Are you also saying that Texas Tech will not chip in? :)


Something I have wondered about for awhile...The NFL will float loans to teams like the Vikings to help build new stadiums. Why can't the Big Ten float loans to their member schools to update facilities?
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The state and the U can float a loan. It is called bonding. The athletic department will have to have a debt service plan in place before the bonds can be sold.
 

Don't expect a lot of help from the state legislature. From what I hear, there are a lot of questions about the administrative salaries, benefits and retirement packages being handed out. Add that to the Tubby buyout, the North Carolina FB buy-out, and the "secret" contact extensions, and I don't see the legislature doing anything to help the U with athletic facilities.
 

The basketball and football team will receive enough support to remain in the B1G and not two cents more. You can't fight the power.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Don't expect a lot of help from the state legislature. From what I hear, there are a lot of questions about the administrative salaries, benefits and retirement packages being handed out. Add that to the Tubby buyout, the North Carolina FB buy-out, and the "secret" contact extensions, and I don't see the legislature doing anything to help the U with athletic facilities.
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The legislature might not help if there is not a payback plan for the bonds. If they come in and say we have backers for the 1.5 million annual payment for 20 years, 20 million in bonds will be approved.

If they want to go ala carte, $12 million at 4% would be an approximate $900K annual payment. That would pay the interest and redeem some bonds every year.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Don't expect a lot of help from the state legislature. From what I hear, there are a lot of questions about the administrative salaries, benefits and retirement packages being handed out. Add that to the Tubby buyout, the North Carolina FB buy-out, and the "secret" contact extensions, and I don't see the legislature doing anything to help the U with athletic facilities.
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And yet they can fund a third of the vikes stadium, and in effect put x amount of millions in zygy's pocket. I don't get the priorities.
 

They don't have to fight the perception of spending money on athletics over acedemics. If only the "educationally" minded people realized good sports teams build coomunity, pride and lead to people funding educational programs at a much higher level. This is why other schools continue to pass us in acedemic excellence, because thier sense of pride starts on the athletic field and carries over to other areas. It is one of the few ways institutions can get money from people who are not alumni.
 


spackler said:
And yet they can fund a third of the vikes stadium, and in effect put x amount of millions in zygy's pocket. I don't get the priorities.
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The Vikings had the option to move the team. The Gophers are not going anywhere. I'm not saying it's right, but it is something that must be considered. They are not even able to raise the money that they projected. E-pull tabs was the most half-assed idea I ever heard.
 



Parski1 said:
Tubby did most of the footwork on this, Pitino will just take the baton to the finish...we should thank Tubby when this gets built.
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And if they make the Elite Eight this year, Tubby deserves the credit. Stop it.

Yes, Tubby kept advocating for the practice facility, ad nauseum. However, the word was the big donors didn't want to donate with Tubby as the coach. So, if that is true, which I have heard from very reliable people, then how do we have Tubby to thank? The person the donors are working with is the AD.
 

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