Binghamton Facilities

[BestDaneSinceHamlet]

Just announced a 60 MM anonymous gift to build a baseball complex.  Wow. 

[reeder]

$60 million is a lot of money.  For perspective, our endowment is only $71 million, our football stadium was $24 million and I’d guess good minor league stadiums are probably less than $30 million. 

 

What can they possibly build for that much money?  $60 million would probably satisfy our wishlist for football and basketball.

 

That said, congratulations and good for them. 

 

[dslyank]

5 hours ago, reeder said:

$60 million is a lot of money.  For perspective, our endowment is only $71 million, our football stadium was $24 million and I’d guess good minor league stadiums are probably less than $30 million. 

 

What can they possibly build for that much money?  $60 million would probably satisfy our wishlist for football and basketball.

 

Also; IF MLB plan for the minors comes to fruition {and I know there is a lot of opposition and government involvement now}, Binghamton is one of the minor teams scheduled for the ax. So you would think there would be NO combined plan or purpose for such a facility. What the heck would an AmEast team need with such a thing?? IMHO bingo would be better off building a covered field house for that amount--upgrading their lacrosse, track field & soccer programs. But its NOT my money so all the BEST to them I guess.

[Jammaster]

This page offers a video tour and renderings: https://www.binghamton.edu/baseball-complex/.  It looks insane, but I can't imagine it not being severely underused. 

And here's an article mocking the indulgence...

Edited February 12, 2020 by Jammaster

[Dane96]

Look, I applaud the ability to get the single largest public school athletic gift in NYS history.  However, this is a waste of funds.  I don't care how great your facilities are...no one wants to live in Vestal for 10 months a year from areas they would need to recruit to become a legit national powerhouse on a yearly basis, e.g. the deep south.

These facilities are quite frankly better than MANY Power 5 facilities, including that of the SEC, Big 12, and ACC...regular baseball powerhouse leagues.

If this gift was restricted to baseball only, i get it...not much they can do.  But if not, this is a joke.  If I were the soccer and lacrosse teams I would be pissed.  They could have broken this up and made themselves a powerhouse, facility wise, in lax / soccer / baseball / softball / track and field, and built an indoor practice facility.

Even bigger roadblock to get to consistent national prominence: academics.  Coming off the heels of the basketball fiasco, no way are they lowering their standards that they would require to do what is necessary to become a power.

I dunno...again, I applaud the ability to secure the gift...but I feel it is a waste of $$$.

[alum73]

5 hours ago, dslyank said:

Also; IF MLB plan for the minors comes to fruition {and I know there is a lot of opposition and government involvement now}, Binghamton is one of the minor teams scheduled for the ax. So you would think there would be NO combined plan or purpose for such a facility. What the heck would an AmEast team need with such a thing?? IMHO bingo would be better off building a covered field house for that amount--upgrading their lacrosse, track field & soccer programs. But its NOT my money so all the BEST to them I guess.

The current arena has the indoor track and field facilities in it.

[godanesgo99]

I don't know why, but this feels like the movie "My Blue Heaven"

 

[UA1882]

7 hours ago, godanesgo99 said:

I don't know why, but this feels like the movie "My Blue Heaven"

 

Probably 1 of my top 5 favorite movies.

[B9j2j6s]

How would we feel if this happened to our baseball team?  

[Dane96]

I’d still call it a huge waste of money 

[B9j2j6s]

Wondering if some of this money would endowe the baseball team.  Also didn't Bing update their baseball and softball facilities back when we built the football stadium?

[madDOG]

What Bing alum has that kind of money to drop on baseball facilities of all things?