Official news on Stadium & Track

[Phoenix]

Fair enough..I guess I didn't know/believe there many passionate UAlbany fans out there who are specifically withholding gifts to their alma mater because there hasn't been a press conference to announce a fundraising campaign for the stadium that everyone is already talking about the need for.

 

I believe you have mentioned that you've already sent emails asking questions on the subject..but I wonder what type of response you would get if you emailed Don Ostrom or Mary Johnson and told them you pledge to contribute X dollars to the stadium (the amount you said you're actively withholding) if some sort of public announcement was made..I'd be interested in seeing his/her reply.

[Dane96]

Excuse typos if they occur (drugged up from my surgery). Phonex to answer your quesiton (or to your statement), I personally know of 5 donors (including myself) that have withheld significant donations because of the mishandling of the project.

 

Only so many times you can cry wolf. And as stated before, it has handicapped the great Fund Raising team that I like so much.

[MRSGDG]

Only so many times you can cry wolf. And as stated before, it has handicapped the great Fund Raising team that I like so much.

 

I've read the 6 pages of this thread and can't figure out where the school has ever lied or cried wolf. It would be easier for me to be a mad alum then to try to justify in my own head whats been going on, but I don't know if I think they've blatantly lied. If by cry wolf you mean the stadium 'plans' the school has come out with haven't come to fruition, I don't think thats lying/crying wolf just poor planning on the school's part..which def disappoints me.

 

I'll add I haven't follow the stadium stuff very closely, just wanted to put my 2 cents in.

[Dane96]

The crying wolf is more personal to some of us...and we can leave it at that. Let's just say there are a couple of monster donors out there who should have been sitting in their "box" at this point. Believe me on this.

 

Again, I must emphasize that this is not from our ADevelopment people; they are as honest as honest can be.

 

I have never, ever liked the way this was run by certain people in the Athletic Dept., and frankly, it is quite shocking to see how this has played out.

[MRSGDG]

The crying wolf is more personal to some of us...and we can leave it at that. Let's just say there are a couple of monster donors out there who should have been sitting in their "box" at this point. Believe me on this.

 

 

Thanks for that insight. I def didn't realize we had huge donors out there willing to put $$ into it, I can see now why you guys are mad.

[danefan]

Worse then alienating the large donors is the alienation of the guys that are small-time now, but could very well be the large donors of tomorrow. These are people that have been hearing about this stadium for years now. People who were recruited to the program with drawings and models of the stadium.

 

Regardless of whether we think the AD mishandled this situation or intentionally "backburnered" it (both valid, IMO), I think we can all agree that something needs to be done and it needs to start moving yesterday.

 

I ask again. Why can't the AD put together a website fundraising drive? We have to have 6 models to chose from to put a picture up.

 

West Georgia (a public school) just built a stadium with almost all private funds. http://www.westga.edu/~stadium/campaign.html

 

This is important to get people interested outside the scope of the athletic department. For example, I work with two alumni who both make loads of money. They also both donate loads of money to different organizations including sports organization as they are avid sports fans. Until I started working here these guys didn't even know UA was DI. Now they are starting to get interested although it takes a lot of persuasion. I'd love to be able to bring them to this website and say "Hey - look your alma mater is trying to doing something good here." Maybe they'll bite, maybe they won't. I'm sure there are countless exampes of this same situation.

 

Its not always about getting the guys with big money. Its also about getting the folks who are willing to spread the word that makes a fundraising drive successful.

 

 

[Clickclack]

Worse then alienating the large donors is the alienation of the guys that are small-time now, but could very well be the large donors of tomorrow. These are people that have been hearing about this stadium for years now. People who were recruited to the program with drawings and models of the stadium.

 

Regardless of whether we think the AD mishandled this situation or intentionally "backburnered" it (both valid, IMO), I think we can all agree that something needs to be done and it needs to start moving yesterday.

 

I ask again. Why can't the AD put together a website fundraising drive? We have to have 6 models to chose from to put a picture up.

 

West Georgia (a public school) just built a stadium with almost all private funds. http://www.westga.edu/~stadium/campaign.html

 

This is important to get people interested outside the scope of the athletic department. For example, I work with two alumni who both make loads of money. They also both donate loads of money to different organizations including sports organization as they are avid sports fans. Until I started working here these guys didn't even know UA was DI. Now they are starting to get interested although it takes a lot of persuasion. I'd love to be able to bring them to this website and say "Hey - look your alma mater is trying to doing something good here." Maybe they'll bite, maybe they won't. I'm sure there are countless exampes of this same situation.

 

Its not always about getting the guys with big money. Its also about getting the folks who are willing to spread the word that makes a fundraising drive successful.

 

What are the compelling reasons to withhold information at this point...do they NOT have a plan in place? The state money isn't coming now or any time soon, turn your attention to the large alumni community.

 

I assume they have some form of fund raising campaign planned...what is taking so long? I joined this board in February of '06, this project hasn't moved AN INCH as far as I can tell.

[UBBulls]

This is not meant to deride UA, nor show off UB. It's an example of what UB is doing, and what UA should, too. We have an IPF project. Our AD's goal is to build it with no public funding. There has been no offical announcement and no fundrasing page, only descriptions in interviews, and images. No one knows how fundraising is going. Then the following piece on the project was placed in the weekly UB athletics show.

 

"Bullseye" Fieldhouse Piece

 

 

This video makes me laugh at times. I suspect most of you will laugh and groan. They try to say we are held back without an IPF. That is true to some extent as they have to drive to off-campus facilities sometimes. But at least UB has local facilites to drive to that many schools do not have access to at all. The Bills give UB football access to their IPF when it's free. The baseball team is shown practicing at the "too low for fly balls" former Buffalo Destroyers small IPF, less than 5 miles from campus. Tennis has most matches at an indoor facility closeby. But that just shows how you market through slanting the full story. For UA, no slanting is needed. Why wouldn't UA do something similar?

[danefan]

This is not meant to deride UA, nor show off UB. It's an example of what UB is doing, and what UA should, too. We have an IPF project. Our AD's goal is to build it with no public funding. There has been no offical announcement and no fundrasing page, only descriptions in interviews, and images released through both forums. No one knows how fundraising is going. Then the following piece on the project was placed in the weekly UB athletics show.

 

"Bullseye" Fieldhouse Piece

 

 

This video makes me laugh at times. I suspect most of you will laugh and groan. They try to say we are held back without an IPF. That is true to some extent as they have to drive to off-campus facilities sometimes. But at least UB has local facilites to drive too that many schools do not have access to at all. The Bill's give UB football access to their IPF when it's free. The baseball team is shown practicing at the "too low for fly balls" former Bufflo Destroyers small IPF, less than 5 miles from campus. Tennis has most matches an indoor facility closeby. But that just shows how you market through slanting the full story. For UA, no slanting is needed. Why wouldn't UA do something similar?

 

Your guess is as good as ours.

[Clickclack]

Something that crossed my mind...how is HVCC able to build like they are? I mean seriously, they have some incredible facilities for a CC.

[danefan]

Something that crossed my mind...how is HVCC able to build like they are? I mean seriously, they have some incredible facilities for a CC.

 

 

They were in Joe Bruno's territory.

[MRSGDG]

Something that crossed my mind...how is HVCC able to build like they are? I mean seriously, they have some incredible facilities for a CC.

 

HVCC is not a state entity, it's county. (They are affiliated with SUNY, but are considered county from how I understand it) Not sure how Rensselear County is doing in these economic times..but my guess is that HVCC is one of the largest revenue generator for the County, as for them sinking funding into the school it seems like a very easy decision. Unfortunately, UA is just one of many state entities the state runs....might not be an equal comparison.

 

Oh yeah.. and as danefan pointed out Mr. Bruno might have had something to do with their success...

[UAalum72]

In an article mainly on the renovation of the Campus Center, this:

 

• Athletic field repairs and improvements are planned, including relocating the football field to a location next to the SEFCU Arena so that someday a larger vision for an athletics plaza can be realized. Once relocated, the number of lanes on the track will be expanded from seven to nine to meet NCAA standards. Design work will begin in 2010.

[Clickclack]

In an article mainly on the renovation of the Campus Center, this:

 

• Athletic field repairs and improvements are planned, including relocating the football field to a location next to the SEFCU Arena so that someday a larger vision for an athletics plaza can be realized. Once relocated, the number of lanes on the track will be expanded from seven to nine to meet NCAA standards. Design work will begin in 2010.

 

someday = put a fork in it!

[DanesRGood]

Unreal. This whole thing has been a FAILURE.