UAlbany to build Football Stadium

[alum73]

Got this email the other day:

 

"On behalf of Coach Ford and the UAlbany Football family, thank you to all who made it back for the annual football alumni weekend. Congratulations go out to Bruce Dey ’80, Steve Dey ’82, Ed Sellers ’80 and Albany football friend Chuck Hunt for taking home the team title in the golf outing. They edged out a foursome of former Great Dane coaches including Rick Kopp, John Crea, Dennis O’Malley and Gary Reynolds and the group of Anthony Sciarra ’04, James Ducharme ’04, Geir Gudmundsen ’05 and Receivers Coach Eric Evans.

For those who missed the Friday night mixer, Heery & Associates from Atlanta, GA made a power point presentation for the new multi-purpose football facility. The University through the State of New York is investing $15 million to build the new multi-purpose facility, a new track and a new turf recreation field. In conjunction with the presentation, the University announced that we’re $2 million towards our goal of raising $4 million in private dollars for the naming of “Bob Ford Field”. This facility will start with a capacity of 6,000 and has a target completion date of September 2012 with the ability to grow in size and scope as additional funding becomes available. Since the presentation was made, a donor has also stepped forward willing to match all new gifts in, up to a total of $1 million. If you’ve yet to make a gift commitment or are in a position to make another gift, your support is now more important than ever. Pledge commitments can be made over a 4-5 year period.

As this drive continues to move forward, please note Paul Norcross will be taking the lead on all athletic development projects including the push to name “Bob Ford Field”. Paul can be reached by e-mail: pnorcross@uamail.albany.edu or his direct line is: (518) 437-4998. Paul worked previously in athletic development at Syracuse University and brings a wealth of experience in Division I athletics.

In closing, for those that aren’t aware, I’ll be leaving the University in the next couple of days to take a new position with Michigan State University. Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of the “Purple Fam” these past 10 years. - Don Ostrom"

 

I am not a football player and I do not golf. So I was not at the event. I have NOT been contacted about a "Bob Ford Field" fund raising project and matching donation. I know if I reach out they will gladly accept my money, but it concerns me that they seem to be still trying to keep the project quiet and even fund raise in secret. I just received my online copy of Alumni news with highlights of fall activities--NO MENTION OF THE STADIUM. I will make a 4/5 year pledge when UA opens up and starts promoting the thing or when I see shovels in the ground. I get a feeling a lot of others feel the same way, and I hope it we do not lose out on a million matching dollars while many are simply waiting to be asked?

This was for the football alumni who were at the reunion. I believe the former players and coaches were contacted first for funds to name the field for coach Ford. Making your pledge will assure it gets matched, so why wait to make it? I've made several donations for the new stadium project even before anything was certain. Athletics is way underfunded, and it's apparent by results vs, the other SUNYs, we spend more on onthe field results than off the field results. This has hurt us on the facilities front promotion, fan creation, for sure. Hopefully when our facilities are upgraded, they'll do a better job in these other areas. At least, that's my hope.

[dslyank]

Got this email the other day:

 

"On behalf of Coach Ford and the UAlbany Football family, thank you to all who made it back for the annual football alumni weekend. Congratulations go out to Bruce Dey ’80, Steve Dey ’82, Ed Sellers ’80 and Albany football friend Chuck Hunt for taking home the team title in the golf outing. They edged out a foursome of former Great Dane coaches including Rick Kopp, John Crea, Dennis O’Malley and Gary Reynolds and the group of Anthony Sciarra ’04, James Ducharme ’04, Geir Gudmundsen ’05 and Receivers Coach Eric Evans.

For those who missed the Friday night mixer, Heery & Associates from Atlanta, GA made a power point presentation for the new multi-purpose football facility. The University through the State of New York is investing $15 million to build the new multi-purpose facility, a new track and a new turf recreation field. In conjunction with the presentation, the University announced that we’re $2 million towards our goal of raising $4 million in private dollars for the naming of “Bob Ford Field”. This facility will start with a capacity of 6,000 and has a target completion date of September 2012 with the ability to grow in size and scope as additional funding becomes available. Since the presentation was made, a donor has also stepped forward willing to match all new gifts in, up to a total of $1 million. If you’ve yet to make a gift commitment or are in a position to make another gift, your support is now more important than ever. Pledge commitments can be made over a 4-5 year period.

As this drive continues to move forward, please note Paul Norcross will be taking the lead on all athletic development projects including the push to name “Bob Ford Field”. Paul can be reached by e-mail: pnorcross@uamail.albany.edu or his direct line is: (518) 437-4998. Paul worked previously in athletic development at Syracuse University and brings a wealth of experience in Division I athletics.

In closing, for those that aren’t aware, I’ll be leaving the University in the next couple of days to take a new position with Michigan State University. Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of the “Purple Fam” these past 10 years. - Don Ostrom"

 

I am not a football player and I do not golf. So I was not at the event. I have NOT been contacted about a "Bob Ford Field" fund raising project and matching donation. I know if I reach out they will gladly accept my money, but it concerns me that they seem to be still trying to keep the project quiet and even fund raise in secret. I just received my online copy of Alumni news with highlights of fall activities--NO MENTION OF THE STADIUM. I will make a 4/5 year pledge when UA opens up and starts promoting the thing or when I see shovels in the ground. I get a feeling a lot of others feel the same way, and I hope it we do not lose out on a million matching dollars while many are simply waiting to be asked?

This was for the football alumni who were at the reunion. I believe the former players and coaches were contacted first for funds to name the field for coach Ford. Making your pledge will assure it gets matched, so why wait to make it? I've made several donations for the new stadium project even before anything was certain. Athletics is way underfunded, and it's apparent by results vs, the other SUNYs, we spend more on onthe field results than off the field results. This has hurt us on the facilities front promotion, fan creation, for sure. Hopefully when our facilities are upgraded, they'll do a better job in these other areas. At least, that's my hope.

 

73, I have been donating to the Great Danes Athletic Fund through the UA foundation for forty years (since 1971). I am a recently retired school teacher, so obviously my contribution has not been huge $s. However I assure you my yearly contribution has always been considerably MORE than average. I have also been a season ticket holder in all sports, so let us say I send to UA over $1000 per year in some form or other. I am also prepared to make an additional "stadium only 4 to 5 year" pledge; but I WILL NOT DO IT, until UA publicly announces and starts to promote the project.

I am not writing this to pat myself on the back (I know I am only small potatoes in the scheme of things), but my point is I feel there are a lot of small or mid level donors out here who feel as I do. We have contributed and waited long enough and would like to see something concrete, positive and University promoted.

[Dane96]

You, my friend, just stated what many alumni feel...including former football players. People are pissed off at the secretness of this. 3 years ago, when I had some big coin, I was ready to make a serious donation over a 4 year period...and though Don worked hard and was honest, I did not trust the rest of the administration.

 

Sometimes I think they forget that they are looking for donations from people who are far from stupid, who understand politics and who understand business. Be open, honest...and deal with the recourse. Anything other will lead to a currently disillusioned base to grab donations from.

[Phoenix]

"Cuomo says he'd "have to see the plan" before he could say whether a new UAlbany football stadium is worthwhile or not."

 

http://twitter.com/#!/TUCapCon/status/100979930631909376

[danefan]

"Cuomo says he'd "have to see the plan" before he could say whether a new UAlbany football stadium is worthwhile or not."

 

http://twitter.com/#...979930631909376

 

 

The question was whether UAlbany could include a football stadium in its request for SUNY 2020 money. He said he'd have to see the plan to avoid having to answer that non-Academic projects would in fact qualify.l

 

But its moot, because the money isn't coming from a SUNY 2020 grant.

[Dane96]

Who asked the question? I don't tweet...so I can't read it.

[Phoenix]

Who asked the question? I don't tweet...so I can't read it.

 

A twitter account isn't needed to read it..just click the link. Doesn't say who actually asked the question..but the Times Union's political blog (Capitol Confidential) posted it.

[danefan]

Not sure who asked the question,but I bet you can guess who reported on it:

 

http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/77528/cuomo-brings-rationality-to-suny-–-for-now/

 

Btw the tweet is very misleading when taken out of context as the writer of the tweet did.

 

The question was only asked in the context of obtaining funding through SUNY2020.

[Dane96]

Figures!

 

Oh...how the first thing I would do (after taking care of my family) if I won PowerBall would be to fund another 14,000 seats...and banish the Times Union from all UA activities.

 

Oh...and I would start a campaign to destroy that rag.

[Phoenix]

As much as I don't wish to defend the TU..that article was actually from Capital Tonight's Liz Benjamin.

 

http://www.capitaltonight.com/2011/08/cuomo-brings-rationality-to-suny-for-now/

[madDOG]

Figures!

 

Oh...how the first thing I would do (after taking care of my family) if I won PowerBall would be to fund another 14,000 seats...and banish the Times Union from all UA activities.

 

Oh...and I would start a campaign to destroy that rag.

 

No need. Their circulation has dropped over 40% in 5 years to @ 60k. Thats horrendous for a market the size of Alb/Schdy/Troy.

[danefan]

http://www.therepublic.com/view/photos/419e2fcec008431dbc748ce2d55829a7/110812041108/

 

Now that's a stadium to be proud of.

[uofalbany]

http://www.therepublic.com/view/photos/419e2fcec008431dbc748ce2d55829a7/110812041108/

 

Now that's a stadium to be proud of.

 

You got that right. Nice stadium.

 

I don't know if this has been discussed since getting closer to actually building something...

Will having a 6k seat facility get us closer to an opportunity to join the CAA?

Any word floating around regarding the CAA and their future plans?

[danefan]

http://www.therepublic.com/view/photos/419e2fcec008431dbc748ce2d55829a7/110812041108/

 

Now that's a stadium to be proud of.

 

You got that right. Nice stadium.

 

I don't know if this has been discussed since getting closer to actually building something...

Will having a 6k seat facility get us closer to an opportunity to join the CAA?

Any word floating around regarding the CAA and their future plans?

 

Nothing has been floated except UNH and Maine "complaining" about travel costs.

 

The stadium gets us on the way, but 6,000 is way too small to be consisted a complete CAA stadium. It's certainly not goin to attract the CAA.

[Clickclack]

I'm in Harrisonburg right now visiting inlaws...went to see the new digs. WOW! Unreal!