Stadium Funding and UAlbany Flagship

[UA_MA_2000]

of course anyone who's taken a stats course knows that poll is BS.

 

Very true (as are so many of the "studies" reported in the news), but it's funny nonetheless!

[GreatDanes06]

my former partner and former play-by-play man from WCDB made the TU today with his opinion...

 

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...sdate=4/20/2008

[scrabbleship]

my former partner and former play-by-play man from WCDB made the TU today with his opinion...

 

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...sdate=4/20/2008

 

And one day after the TU published that great letter, they balance it out with this anti-stadium rubbish, courtesy of Dan Egan of Albany who calls himself a UA supporter!!!

 

Nixing $35M for new stadium the right move

 

If only someone could make a movie about how the area would be without UAlbany. Nobody realizes that Albany as a city would be screwed without it even being the state capital.

[GreatDanes06]

i think the best defense against this garbage is telling them "hey it is ok. Instead of spending $35 million on a stadium that will help your community, you are paying $20-$30 to Stony Brook to fix their less then 10 year old football stadium and rebuild a basketball arena that is only two years older then the arena UA plays in." Let's see them defend that.

[uofalbany]

Dan Egan must be a pansy... and he certainly isn't a UAlbany supporter or any kind of FAN. Who knows if he's a traitor (alumnus).

 

The problem is... they print all of the negative pieces and maybe one positive.

And we can't do a damn thing about it. They won't print the articles we write.

 

But we are sensative. If this issue wasn't so near to our souls, then these articles wouldn't really make any REAL difference to anyone reading them. The issue probably makes no difference to people who don't read them either.

 

Fortunately, The Times Union, aka The Times Useless, was worthless before they began supporting Loudonville Community College and before the bought the Naming Rights of Albany's Arena. It's a rinky dink paper that wouldn't be missed if they closed down the printer. They really are nothing.

 

What I'm happy about, is that we have some television station in the area that really cover UAlbany athletics like we should be covered. People watch tv. I don't think people give a rats blaster about the times useless.

 

The Stadium would have been passed if we had people, other than Castrari, fighting for it... meaning if we had leaders of the University rubbing noses with the big wigs, having beers with the decision makers, we would be constructing the stadium as we write.

 

We need another President who sees the huge importance and value of a Nationally competetive AD... similar to the way Kermit thought.

 

What happened to City of Albany support? Or Albany County support?

Don't they have 750million in a development fund somewhere?

Would a little gratitude to the University that keeps Albany alive be in order?

[uofalbany]

What we really need is to start compiling emails, phone calls, and hand written letters to all of the important people that will be making the stadium decision next year, or people who have the power to put it on the front burner, and get it passed.

 

It's a great time to list all of the facts that we have been discussing... example: how Stony Broke is getting BIG money to upgrade a new stadium and BIG money to upgrade its arena. It's a great time to counter all of the arguments against the stadium in terms of a tight fiscal year for NY... because the other schools are getting their requests.

 

We also need everyone in our University, including Presidents and Provosts, Deans and Chairs, to start creating a funding request for their departments/for the University now for next year. We need to think BIG, and we need to request BIG $ from the State EVERY YEAR.

 

Look at the other colleges involved... they think massively and they are getting.

 

 

UAlbany Interim President George M. Philip

presmail@uamail.albany.edu

 

UAlbany Interim Provost Susan D. Phillips

sdphil@uamail.albany.edu

 

Governor Patterson:

 

Assemblyman Ron Canestrari:

canestr@assembly.state.ny.us

 

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver:

speaker@assembly.state.ny.us

 

Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco:

tediscj@ assembly.state.ny.us

 

Assemblyman John McEneny

mcenenj@assembly.state.ny.us

 

NYS Senator Hugh Farley

farley@senate.state.ny.us

 

NYS Senator Neil Breslin

breslin@senate.state.ny.us

 

NYS Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno:

bruno@senate.state.ny.us

 

NYS Senate Minority Leader Malcom Smith:

masmith@senate.state.ny.us

 

City of Albany: Mayor Jennings

mayor@ci.albany.ny.us

 

President of The University of the State of New York (USNY) and Commissioner of Education: Richard P. Mills

 

Interim SUNY Chancellor: Dr. John B. Clark

 

NYS Commission on Higher Education

hecomm.sm.web@nysemail.state.ny.us

[uofalbany]

Does anyone have this information handy from the actual State Budget that was passed? Or point me to where it was posted or where I can find it...

 

 

1.Total $ allocated for each University Center in this year's State Budget: (including everything)

 

(I pulled this out from somewhere - but I don't think its accurate)

SBU - $1,515,100,000

UB - $703,151,000

UAlbany - $347,923,000

Bing - $234,577,000

 

 

2.Total $ allocated for each University Center's Athletic Department: (including all AD funding)

[danefan]

Does anyone have this information handy from the actual State Budget that was passed? Or point me to where it was posted or where I can find it...

 

 

1.Total $ allocated for each University Center in this year's State Budget: (including everything)

 

(I pulled this out from somewhere - but I don't think its accurate)

SBU - $1,515,100,000

UB - $703,151,000

UAlbany - $347,923,000

Bing - $234,577,000

 

 

2.Total $ allocated for each University Center's Athletic Department: (including all AD funding)

 

I think we should try and get "official" numbers from the University. They should be able to provide them to us rather easily (maybe Dr. McElroy or his staff). Especially if they know they are being used in to help persuade members of the Legislature for funding.

[ATL_DANE]

For what it's worth, I wrote the TU this morning. I'm hoping my luck continues. They've printed three of the half dozen letters I've written.

[GODANESGO]

Some anti-UB ammo for everyone...

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/bask...n.ap/index.html

[MRSGDG]

Article about LaValle and Stony Brook athletics...............

 

 

LOCAL COLLEGES: Can't build winner without building

Newsday

 

By: Steven Marcus

 

April 20, 2008

 

State Sen. Kenneth LaValle is not without ego, a requisite ingredient in his business. He wants credit for his achievements and he deserves it, big time, for securing multi-million-dollar funding for Stony Brook University during the last three decades.

 

Now he wants results. With LaValle's impetus, Stony Brook has $20 million to renovate Stony Brook Arena in what the university expects will elevate its moribund Division I men's basketball program.

 

It started in 1999, and Nick Macarchuk was 64-108 in six seasons. Steve Pikiell is 20-67 in three seasons.

 

This time LaValle will not settle for his name on a building, as the Republican senator from Port Jefferson did when he came though with a $22-million appropriation for LaValle Stadium. He wants a less personal but ultimately more rewarding outcome: a winning basketball program.

 

"This last year was so hurtful, I went to only one game. It was just too painful," he said of Stony Brook's 7-23 finish.

 

LaValle is the longtime chairman of the Higher Education Committee. He wields the financial power to steer all state university projects. He likes to call himself the father of Division I athletes for the SUNY system. [I believe that might make some people on the board puke] From Buffalo to Stony Brook, the schools look to him for funding. He said Stony Brook is the economic engine of this region and that its "educational, cultural and athletic opportunities" play an integral role around the state.

 

"I have been told across the board that by improving the arena, coach Pikiell will be able to recruit better players and begin to move the program as coach [Chuck] Priore has moved our football team," LaValle said. "I have been told over and over again that the stadium is an attraction. So what we are doing with basketball is what we've done in football: improve the facility."

 

Once that is accomplished - the expectation is that it will be ready for the 2009-10 season - LaValle said positive results should follow. "There are no excuses," he said. "This is the last excuse - the facility's not good enough, we can't attract good players. This new arena eliminates the last excuse of why we can't play better and win games. Hopefully, coach Pikiell, who is a wonderful, wonderful coach, will be able to get the players he needs to bring the program forward."

 

LaValle has no specific authority over the athletic department, but he does control purse strings for future endeavors.

 

"What the senator has done is give them what they need to win," said Mike Russell, a member of the SUNY board of trustees and a fervent supporter of Stony Brook athletics. "What he is saying is all of the reasons that we were mediocre at best have now been overcome. The reason why we haven't done well in the past has been addressed."

 

Pikiell is in full accord with LaValle. "I thank him for what he is doing," he said. "I know the world I live in is 'win basketball games.'I have to win here, new facility, old facility. Basketball coaches have expiration dates on them, and nobody cares about anything else. It doesn't matter, I have to win. There has been pressure from Day 1."

 

Athletic director Jim Fiore stands firmly behind Pikiell and said he will be given every opportunity to succeed once the new arena is completed. "Everybody has buildings already; this [renovation] gets us into the game," he said. "We haven't been in the game.

 

"Steve is raising the Titanic, and part of the raising is building the right ship. That doesn't automatically mean wins. Now we will be able to bring a recruit to campus and not hide the arena, which is what we've been doing. We've been bringing kids to campus and not showing them the locker room, the arena or Pritchard Gymnasium. We've been taking them from the office to the campus and not even showing them the basketball part of it."

 

Pikiell, Fiore said, has no problems with job security. "Steve Pikiell will be our coach as long as I am AD at Stony Brook," he said. "We must show patience as we grow and build a legitimate Division I program. He will not be a sacrificial lamb as we go through our growth spurt, transition and growing pains. He is a star person and coach."

 

That endorsement notwithstanding, Pikiell knows the new facility will heighten expectations. "To whom much is given," he said, "much is expected."

 

 

http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/n...,6454828.column

 

 

-This article pretty much sums up what many of us have been posting about LaValle and the power he has.

[Clickclack]

This is an INFURIATING piece to read. LaValle should come see our football "field"! I love beating the "empires" a$$ at basketball, not sure what our cumulative record is against them in football.

[danefan]

I want to forward the article to every Senator and Assemblymen that represents the CR.

 

The TU should also get a clue from this article.

 

"I have been told across the board that by improving the arena, coach Pikiell will be able to recruit better players and begin to move the program as coach [Chuck]Priore has moved our football team," LaValle said. "I have been told over and over again that the stadium is an attraction. So what we are doing with basketball is what we've done in football: improve the facility."

 

Argh...........

 

And we are 10-4 versus SBU all-time in football.

[UAalum72]

I want to forward the article to every Senator and Assemblymen that represents the CR.

 

The TU should also get a clue from this article.

Should include the number of championships each school has won, compared to the amount spent on facilities.

 

"From Buffalo to Stony Brook, the schools look to him for funding. " s/b "but only Buffalo AND Stony Brook get the most significant funding"

[uofalbany]

I want to forward the article to every Senator and Assemblymen that represents the CR.

 

The TU should also get a clue from this article.

 

"I have been told across the board that by improving the arena, coach Pikiell will be able to recruit better players and begin to move the program as coach [Chuck]Priore has moved our football team," LaValle said. "I have been told over and over again that the stadium is an attraction. So what we are doing with basketball is what we've done in football: improve the facility."

 

Argh...........

 

And we are 10-4 versus SBU all-time in football.

 

If you don't tell our CD legislators, I will... I may anyways.

 

It is such blatant favortism, that it seems almost immoral.