Track & Field Facility Construction

[MRSGDG]

Started yesterday...

 

 

 

http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Danes-on-the-right-track-4500782.php

http://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=207594061&DB_OEM_ID=15800

[Dane96]

The thing that has been unsaid, how many seats...are they even DOING seating...or are they using the grass berm (which will be very cool!!!)

[madDOG]

I got the impression they were renovating the seating that is already there, in front of the Phys Ed building.

[danefan]

The thing that has been unsaid, how many seats...are they even DOING seating...or are they using the grass berm (which will be very cool!!!)

 

No seating other than the Phys Ed is my understanding.

 

The grass berm will be absolutely perfect for track meets. In fact, for high school meets its a great place for teams to place their tents, blankets, etc...

 

The NYS Championship might warrant some temporary bleachers, but by and large high and college track is not a spectator sport in the US (outside Eugene Oregon, the major relays (Penn, Drake) and national championships..)

[Dane96]

Yeah, I think that's what I meant (Rehab the old seats on the steps). So basically, we will have seating for 4,000...plus another 6,000 on the Berm. I think the BERM is awesome and will provide a fun atmosphere as Danefan pointed out.

[Clickclack]

I'm not a track fan...but I do wish the teams much success...glad this is being built. It's badly needed and will only help the "wow" factor when recruits are on a visit...show them this, the football stadium and it may get us a few more kids regardless of sport.

[TruthbeTold]

My only question is ... When does the WORLD CLASS INDOOR Track and Field facility start it's construction for Coach Vives, his assistant coaching staff, and all the Track and Field interested parties that are part of the UAlbany Sports community?!?

 

28 years as Head Coach at UAlbany developing SIX...not ONE, but SIX...Sports programs, 26 America East Conference championships since 2002 in just Indoor and Outdoor Men's and Women's Track and Field programs, 16 America East staff honors / awards, 141 All America athletes, 14 individual NCAA Champions.... I could go on and on!

Just recently, NINTH STRAIGHT America East Outdoor Track and Field championship for the Men's team and FIFTH STRAIGHT for the Women's team.

 

You want to bet what sports program and coach will bring the most "national" sports attention and notoriety to the UAlbany sports culture, I will definitely go "all in" on Coach Vives now that he will have his WORLD CLASS Outdoor facility... heck, he has already proven he has the programs to develop the mental attitude and the physical stature that is required for an elite cross country / indoor / outdoor track and field athlete!

 

$6 Million lousy dollars to finally see UAlbany be able to SHOWCASE it's campus and athletic facilities to the entire nation where it can spotlight it's PREMIER Outdoor Track and Field program that Coach Vives has established as one of the elite on the East Coast... all the while producing these results COMPLETELY ON THE ROAD!.

 

So, again I ask, when does the INDOOR WORLD CLASS facility start it's construction?

[Clickclack]

So, again I ask, when does the INDOOR WORLD CLASS facility start it's construction?

 

Should be at the VERY end or CLOSE TO THE VERY END of any facilities upgrade list. Cross country had nothing and how has a GREAT facility...or will soon have a great facility. Time to get to the back of the line...When cross country at the college level regularly brings in any kind of endorsement dollars, or ticket sales or to ESPN then we can talk. Sorry if that's the cold hard truth...While I'm all for continuing to build up the track and field program...for me and most other people it's about FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL and then everything else. With all due respect of course....

Edited May 9, 2013 by Clickclack

[Patch]

....$6 Million lousy dollars to finally see UAlbany be able to SHOWCASE it's campus and athletic facilities to the entire nation where it can spotlight it's PREMIER Outdoor Track and Field program that Coach Vives has established as one of the elite on the East Coast... all the while producing these results COMPLETELY ON THE ROAD!. - TBT

 

Why don't you come up with $15 million lousy dollars for a World Class Indoor facility

[GreatDane87]

It is great that additional facilities are being upgraded. When do we get to baseball and softball?

[Clickclack]

It is great that additional facilities are being upgraded. When do we get to baseball and softball?

 

Right before the track and field indoor facility?

[GreatDane87]

Click...that is frankly bs......those teams have suffered with inferior facilities probably as long as the football team has. I realize that most on here care about football and basketball and then couldn't really care less about the rest of the sports but I pose the following to you.....I have read numerous posts that call for Albany to be the University of Florida or the University of Michigan (as an example) of New York. Folks have begged for a sports program with the necessary spending to get us out of the low mid major group to a university with top end sports programs. With that being said, why should these student athletes be treated like second class citizens? So much has been said about how the multi sport facility is such a boom for recruiting.....the first place that we should take any recruit when they are on a visit. So I guess the baseball and softball programs should just hope that the star player that is considering one or our programs doesn't really care that he or she has to walk a half of mile to get to their field.....that there are no bathroom facilities there....that there are no designated hitting facilities......that there are no clubhouse facilities......check other programs, they have those things.....check d2 and d3 programs and many of them have them. Take those facilities away from the football and basketball team and everyone here would freak out because we were not acting like a top d1 program which we are trying to be.

Edited May 9, 2013 by GreatDane87

[Clickclack]

Click...that is frankly bs......those teams have suffered with inferior facilities probably as long as the football team has. I realize that most on here care about football and basketball and then couldn't really care less about the rest of the sports but I pose the following to you.....I have read numerous posts that call for Albany to be the University of Florida or the University of Michigan (as an example) of New York. Folks have begged for a sports program with the necessary spending to get us out of the low mid major group to a university with top end sports programs. With that being said, why should these student athletes be treated like second class citizens? So much has been said about how the multi sport facility is such a boom for recruiting.....the first place that we should take any recruit when they are on a visit. So I guess the baseball and softball programs should just hope that the star player that is considering one or our programs doesn't really care that he or she has to walk a half of mile to get to their field.....that there are no bathroom facilities there....that there are no designated hitting facilities......that there are no clubhouse facilities......check other programs, they have those things.....check d2 and d3 programs and many of them have them. Take those facilities away from the football and basketball team and everyone here would freak out because we were not acting like a top d1 program which we are trying to be.

 

With all due respect, as you know resources are finite...personally speaking for myself, if presented with the option to be exceptional at core sports with exceptional facilities or spread resources to thin thus have average/mediocre facilities across the board I'd vote for the former. It's not that I hate the other sports programs or that I want them to do bad or have terrible facilities, it's simply a matter of allocating resources that will provide the biggest bang for our buck. Northeast baseball simply put matter little/nothing to MOST people, I'm sorry to put it that way. Again, with all due respect to those that do care and enjoy watching those teams compete however those folks are a small minority.

 

Put it another way, pretend I run a business that develops and sells 5 core products...most (85%) of my money is spent to stay competitive in the top three products as that is where I make my bread and butter and the rest of the funds are allocated to support ancillary products which round out my portfolio but do little to increase my profit margin or garner attention. What you are suggesting is that I allocate more funding towards products that will NEVER or at best be marginally beneficial to me just for the sake of being "fare" thus falling behind the arms race of my competitors who are investing heavily in the core three products. Is it fare to the student athletes that play those sports...I'd say yes...no one forced them to come here just like no one forced football players that came here, win NEC titles and play on University Field. "Suffered"...the word suffer doesn't apply to intercollegiate athletics...suffering as a descriptive word is reserved for those in this world who are truly suffering, playing on a sub-par baseball field while your education is payed for is nothing more than a VOLUNTARY inconvenience and even that is probably to strong a word. In a perfect world we'd be flush with cash and everyone would get what they want...but that isn't the world we live in.

 

Focus on the core...Football, M&W basketball, M&W Lacrosse, maybe Volleyball and Track and Field seeing how they perform very well even with terrible facilities (by no means should we invest any more in track only facilities ahead of other core needs) and then adequately fund the rest so that the programs can go on.

Edited May 9, 2013 by Clickclack

[GreatDane87]

I certainly can appreciate your analogy but you are making the case that with a better stadium with more seating and fancy scoreboards that we will have a potentially a better product....that with a multi million dollar renovation to the SEFCU that our basketball teams will now play with top competition because of the money spent. Why could we make that same claim for other sports? Yes, no student athlete was forced to come to UA and play on marginal fields. They chose to come because of the opportunities in education and athletics. With that said, shouldn't they deserve equal access to the funding? Wouldn't that make the sports program as a whole much better? Wouldn't that avail us to greater opportunities in conference choice and potential recruits? You make mention in the Northeast baseball doesn't matter to most people. I would firmly disagree with you. Being in the Northeast poses issues due to the weather but that doesn't mean that there aren't many great players that hail from there or come there to play college ball. Stony Brook shocked the world last year by making it to the college baseball world series and got a tremendous amount of positive press around the country from it. I think that their trip to the FCS playoffs in football took a backseat to those events. Why can't that happen at Albany? Personally, I hope that those 8000 seats are filled come the fall and that there are people standing at the ticket booth wishing they could get in. Nothing would be greater. I can only hope that other supporters don't take such a narrow focus. Sure, funds are finite....its time that they are spread around a bit!

[Clickclack]

With that said, shouldn't they deserve equal access to the funding? Wouldn't that make the sports program as a whole much better? Wouldn't that avail us to greater opportunities in conference choice and potential recruits?

 

- No they don't, they deserve what the school thinks they need relative to their impact on the rest of the athletic department and school as a whole. This is the real world, tough decision have to be made all the time relative to resources invested/benefits. How many people attend baseball/softball games? Please don't tell me the present number would increase significantly if there were bathrooms present...

 

- Would increased investment in ancillary facilities strengthen the athletic department? Probably! How much is debatable. As previously noted all sports are not treated the same by the paying public thus have varying degrees of positive impact. I appreciate the benefit of a well rounded athletic department and would like one as well but not at the expense of being exceptional in the core sports. To be clear I believe diverting resources from key programs will yield marginal positive impact on the athletic department as a whole leading to an average overall department. We are a football/basketball/lacrosse school....voleyball and track are kind of important...the rest...thanks for being here! Your field is a 20 minute walk that way.

 

- Conference shifts are determined by Football/basketball/academic affiliation and then by a LONNNNNGGGG margin the rest of the athletic programs.

 

I understand that my posts on this subject may read like I'm slamming the other programs...I'm NOT! I wish them all the best...but speaking strictly for myself I've never been to a baseball or field-hockey game nor do I plan on going. Looking at the attendance numbers seems like many feel the same. Again, I'm sorry I don't mean to be curt just realistic.

 

What baseball folks should be exploring is taking your games to Bruno stadium...not sure if that's an option. Students don't go anyway and won't go to an on-campus facility anyway and those adults that come to the game can enjoy it in a great facility.

Edited May 9, 2013 by Clickclack