Casey Stadium Turf

[Dane96]

1 hour ago, BestDaneSinceHamlet said:

But we all want to know!!! 

There was nothing to know...just questions. 

[cwdickens]

8 hours ago, dslyank said:

Whatever happened to Chobani Field House???😉

Also, wasn't there a rumor a few years ago about some sort of deal/lease arrangement with Afrim's putting up a facility on UA campus???? Maybe I just dreamt this one; but the Chobani appeared to have substance at one time?

As I recalled, a poster had a "what if moment."  No more, no less.  The Afrim concept is something that I have no recollection even coming up in the past. Interesting, no idea if Afrim is interested wants to get involved with UAlbany.

[UA1882]

I will post what I know. Haha.  It comes from people much more important than I am when it comes to UA. 

It really simple, we know D1 sports is a disaster.  Benson sees it as either put up or shut up. The schools willing to invest resources into athletics will continue to be D1. 

He is trying to put pressure on the big alumni as well as the state to help advance UA athletics. We are not moving up but we do want to stay D1.

Also remember, Benson is a D1 athletic director making hundreds and thousands of dollars.  He does not want to lose his job with that pay if we fall behind.  

We are on the right path funding wide but Benson is trying to get ahead of the curve.  

 

 

[BestDaneSinceHamlet]

2 hours ago, UA1882 said:

I will post what I know. Haha.  It comes from people much more important than I am when it comes to UA. 

It really simple, we know D1 sports is a disaster.  Benson sees it as either put up or shut up. The schools willing to invest resources into athletics will continue to be D1. 

He is trying to put pressure on the big alumni as well as the state to help advance UA athletics. We are not moving up but we do want to stay D1.

Also remember, Benson is a D1 athletic director making hundreds and thousands of dollars.  He does not want to lose his job with that pay if we fall behind.  

We are on the right path funding wide but Benson is trying to get ahead of the curve.  

 

 

Not moving up to fulltime CAA? or to FBS?

[UA1882]

To my knowledge, which is very little, there are absolutely no plans to go anywhere.  I have been told before, however we always keep our options open. 

Moving up costs money that we really don't have right now.  There would need to be a major commitment from the state. 

Edited August 12 by UA1882

[cwdickens]

6 hours ago, UA1882 said:

I will post what I know. Haha.  It comes from people much more important than I am when it comes to UA. 

It really simple, we know D1 sports is a disaster.  Benson sees it as either put up or shut up. The schools willing to invest resources into athletics will continue to be D1. 

He is trying to put pressure on the big alumni as well as the state to help advance UA athletics. We are not moving up but we do want to stay D1.

Also remember, Benson is a D1 athletic director making hundreds and thousands of dollars.  He does not want to lose his job with that pay if we fall behind.  

We are on the right path funding wide but Benson is trying to get ahead of the curve.  

 

 

I agree with much you have stated, however, outside the Casey donation and the SEFCU/Broadview commitment, my view is that there are few other significant donations.

As we approach a new academic year, I have asked myself: Is UAlbany on the right path for day-to day operations and capital funding?  If we are relying on the governor and state legislature that funding, we could find ourselves on the short end, if the political winds change.

I am certain anything comments out of the athletic department smells like roses.  

[HOF2013]

By the way, The athletic dept bought the machine to line the field - the company they contrated with were not answer calls etc.  Today the little robot machine was out there re-doing side line lines, hashmarks etc.  Probably adding the yard line numbers too.   I did not hang around.

[DanesRGood]

On 8/12/2024 at 10:41 AM, UA1882 said:

To my knowledge, which is very little, there are absolutely no plans to go anywhere.  I have been told before, however we always keep our options open. 

Moving up costs money that we really don't have right now.  There would need to be a major commitment from the state. 

I'll never understand why the state of NY is the only large states that do not have big time college athletics at their state schools.  Buffalo is the closest but still not bigtime and too far from NYC. I'm always told that part of it is that no one cares about college sports much in NY when we have so many pro teams but I think that is garbage.  If we had a team at the top of D1 in several sports like football and basketball, people would show up and support it.  Even if it was in Albany, a lot of people down state in NYC and LI would support it and drive up for games. 

Sorry, off topic.  Turf looks great. 😁

[cwdickens]

4 hours ago, DanesRGood said:

I'll never understand why the state of NY is the only large states that do not have big time college athletics at their state schools.  Buffalo is the closest but still not bigtime and too far from NYC. I'm always told that part of it is that no one cares about college sports much in NY when we have so many pro teams but I think that is garbage.  If we had a team at the top of D1 in several sports like football and basketball, people would show up and support it.  Even if it was in Albany, a lot of people down state in NYC and LI would support it and drive up for games. 

Sorry, off topic.  Turf looks great. 😁

So, Syracuse sports programs and St. John's MBB do not qualify as Big Time?

[UAalum72]

1 hour ago, cwdickens said:

So, Syracuse sports programs and St. John's MBB do not qualify as Big Time?

Not State (public) Universities, regardless of how much NYS helped build and renovate the former Carrier Dome

[Michigan_Dane]

My wife is a professor at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in West Michigan.  D2 GVSU has better facilities than UAlbany.  
 

In Michigan, GVSU athletically falls behind a long list of better equipped state schools and STILL has better facilities 

 

Michigan

Michigan State

West Michigan

Central Michigan

East Michigan

GVSU (Still has 12,000 attendance)

 

I could do the same thing for another former state I lived in, Georgia.  Kennesaw State is better and it trails all sorts of sister state schools.
 

New York is a $iena show.  Full stop.  My family arrived in New Rochelle in 1698.  The last of our family is reluctantly leaving for NC in 2024.  Our family left Europe in 1698 due to a repressive king then and leaving now for much the same reason now!

 

GVSU Football

https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/pxYifNbgP8eWC

[jimbo]

I think there are multiple factors why NY does not have big time state college sports. Three that come to mind are: SUNY wasn’t created until 1948….one of the last state university systems. Cornell, our state land grant college, was once a national power in sports and has the student body and endowment to be big time now…but sports were deemphasized in favor of academics and the Ivy League didn’t keep up with the rest of major college athletics. As others have mentioned, NYS is a genuine @#$& show in terms of politics and infighting. Controlled pretty much entirely by NYC metro area liberal politicians, I see little chance that anything will change in terms of the trajectory for big time sports.

 

NYU was once a national power in some sports, but then deemphasized athletics. It’s a massive school with a massive endowment…but went in another direction. Not a state school I know…just another missed opportunity for a big time university in the state. 
 

So much of what makes big time athletics work comes from tradition, passed down through generations. My three siblings were all born before SUNY was even created. And I’m a senior, but not ancient (except for some mornings when I question that). Go to Columbus, Ohio…you cannot escape the Buckeyes. Go to Albany…I’m surprised when I see UA logo apparel. Just the way it is. No family memory, no tradition. Other states had a huge head start. 

[DanesRGood]

18 hours ago, cwdickens said:

So, Syracuse sports programs and St. John's MBB do not qualify as Big Time?

I didn't realize those were state schools.

Apologize for my sarcasm.  

Edited August 15 by DanesRGood

[UAlbany09]

2 hours ago, jimbo said:

I think there are multiple factors why NY does not have big time state college sports. Three that come to mind are: SUNY wasn’t created until 1948….one of the last state university systems. Cornell, our state land grant college, was once a national power in sports and has the student body and endowment to be big time now…but sports were deemphasized in favor of academics and the Ivy League didn’t keep up with the rest of major college athletics. As others have mentioned, NYS is a genuine @#$& show in terms of politics and infighting. Controlled pretty much entirely by NYC metro area liberal politicians, I see little chance that anything will change in terms of the trajectory for big time sports.

 

NYU was once a national power in some sports, but then deemphasized athletics. It’s a massive school with a massive endowment…but went in another direction. Not a state school I know…just another missed opportunity for a big time university in the state. 
 

So much of what makes big time athletics work comes from tradition, passed down through generations. My three siblings were all born before SUNY was even created. And I’m a senior, but not ancient (except for some mornings when I question that). Go to Columbus, Ohio…you cannot escape the Buckeyes. Go to Albany…I’m surprised when I see UA logo apparel. Just the way it is. No family memory, no tradition. Other states had a huge head start. 

It seems like state universities in general in this state have been treated as an afterthought compared to the private universities. Compare that to states in the Midwest or the South where the legislatures established large flagship universities that were considered a source of state pride and prestige. Football and athletics evolved out of that. 

[DanesRGood]

1 hour ago, UAlbany09 said:

It seems like state universities in general in this state have been treated as an afterthought compared to the private universities. Compare that to states in the Midwest or the South where the legislatures established large flagship universities that were considered a source of state pride and prestige. Football and athletics evolved out of that. 

It helps that the P5 schools are bringing over or close to $4B a year in revenue.  Not sure if all that goes to the schools or to into the state school system as a whole but that's a lot of dough.

Edited August 15 by DanesRGood