David Shama says U's lack of facilities could lead to us being forced out of Big Ten

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Shama:

There might come a time when the Big Ten decides schools that aren’t investing in their athletic programs are also not worthy of membership in the historic conference. “I think that’s a possibility,” Mark Sheffert told Sports Headliners.

“There was a report a couple of years ago that showed Minnesota was second to last (in the Big Ten) in re-investing (in facilities),” Sheffert said. “Purdue was last. We were also second to last in donations to the athletic department.”

That’s the kind of stuff that one day might lead to head scratching in the Big Ten office in Chicago about Minnesota’s future. The Gophers not only are behind in facilities but the football program has mostly been in free fall for decades. Every conference school has been to the Rose Bowl more recently than the Gophers who last visited Pasadena in 1962. Minnesota hasn’t won a Big Ten football championship since 1967.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!
 

:rolleyes:
Dumb.
Amazing that Shama thought this was a well informed and thoughtful article, except that the B1G conference's schools have much more to do with each other than just athletics.
Also the fact that the U of chicago is still a member, regardless of athletics.
I can even appreciate this may be an attempt to light a fire under some donors, but it's misinformed and misinforming to write this article.
 

Hmmm. While I won't dispute that many of our facilities are not on par with other Big Ten schools, this seems a bit overly dramatic on Sheffert's part. Reading Shama's latest post, you'd think because of our facilities, we're in danger of not being competitive in ANY sports (men's or women's), which is simply false. Just look at the U's annual standings in the Leerfield Sports Director's Cup over the past 5 years:

2012-13 #22 (#4 in Big Ten)
2011-12 #22 (#5 in Big Ten)
2010-11 #29 (#7 in Big Ten)
2009-10 #18 (#4 in Big Ten)
2008-09 #14 (#3 in Big Ten)

Obviously the Director's Cup isn't the end all, be all, but it would seem to be a fair indicator of overall athletic achievement. Yeah, we all know that updated practice facilities for FB and BB are a must. In large part, that's what Teague was brought in to do, and progress has come in the unveiling of the master facilities plan back in July. Now he's gotta start pulling in the dollars.

But to suggest that Minnesota, a charter member of the Big Ten, might someday be asked to leave the conference is nothing more than wild speculation at this point, given our current overall competitive level and the fact that plans are in motion to close the gap with our conference brethren in terms of facilities quality.
 

The fact that Maryland just received an invite an doesn't have an indoor practice facility makes his comment about being booted a joke. That and the B1G would need a better reason than just football facilities for that to happen.
 

Yup. Big Ten is going to leave the #15 media market and large population base because our facilities are not on par with Michigan or OSU. Hahahaha. Good one. But maybe, just maybe it strikes fear in the right people and they donate more cash.
 


Ole said:
:rolleyes:
Dumb.
Amazing that Shama thought this was a well informed and thoughtful article, except that the B1G conference's schools have much more to do with each other than just athletics.
Also the fact that the U of chicago is still a member, regardless of athletics.
I can even appreciate this may be an attempt to light a fire under some donors, but it's misinformed and misinforming to write this article.
Click to expand...

No kidding to all of that. :drink:

When he said "There was a report a couple of years ago" I was guessing that it must have been before they built TCF.
 

He's wrong.

Soon the private schools will begin their own athletic divisions. BT at that point, will look in some strange places to add depth. The idea of dumping a school will be absurd.
 

I think he's just introduced wall and crap. I don't think they'll be sticking together for very long though.
 

DLguy said:
Yup. Big Ten is going to leave the #15 media market and large population base because our facilities are not on par with Michigan or OSU. Hahahaha. Good one. But maybe, just maybe it strikes fear in the right people and they donate more cash.
Click to expand...

The article might be garbage and there's no real danger at all, but is the general consensus here that Gopher fans and UM alumni are NOT just plain cheap? I don't know, I'm just asking the question.

It seems kind of strange that a school the size of the U of M, in a Twin Cities market that is home to SOOOO many giant corporations and businesses, is lagging so much in funding and donations.
 



Ogee Oglethorpe said:
The article might be garbage and there's no real danger at all, but is the general consensus here that Gopher fans and UM alumni are NOT just plain cheap? I don't know, I'm just asking the question.

It seems kind of strange that a school the size of the U of M, in a Twin Cities market that is home to SOOOO many giant corporations and businesses, is lagging so much in funding and donations.
Click to expand...

Oh no, they certainly are! :cool:

It was the "but they're gonna throw the Gophers OUT" part that got to people.
 

TCF Bank Stadium
Williams Arena makeover 2012
Mariucci Arena opened in 1993
Ridder Arena
New Siebert Field (project ongoing and to be completed this year)
Elizabeth Robbie Stadium (1999)
University Aquatic Center (1990)
Baseline Tennis Center (2002)
U of M Boathouse (2007)
Recent upgrades to the Gibson-Nagurski training facilities.

Seems like world class facilities for the U are being built all the time over the last 3 decades at considerable expense. Yet, we are not investing. What a fool.
 

After expansion comes contraction.
 

Dean S said:
TCF Bank Stadium
Williams Arena makeover 2012
Mariucci Arena opened in 1993
Ridder Arena
New Siebert Field (project ongoing and to be completed this year)
Elizabeth Robbie Stadium (1999)
University Aquatic Center (1990)
Baseline Tennis Center (2002)
U of M Boathouse (2007)
Recent upgrades to the Gibson-Nagurski training facilities.

Seems like world class facilities for the U are being built all the time over the last 3 decades at considerable expense. Yet, we are not investing. What a fool.
Click to expand...

FACTS? You're using FACTS? G-D-it Dean, that's not playing fair. :mad:

(We're still cheap and need some things but still..)
 




Iceland12 said:
FACTS? You're using FACTS? G-D-it Dean, that's not playing fair. :mad:

(We're still cheap and need some things but still..)
Click to expand...

Basketball facilities are being planned. As if B-ball will determine membership!
 


BleedGopher said:
per Shama:

There might come a time when the Big Ten decides schools that aren’t investing in their athletic programs are also not worthy of membership in the historic conference. “I think that’s a possibility,” Mark Sheffert told Sports Headliners.

“There was a report a couple of years ago that showed Minnesota was second to last (in the Big Ten) in re-investing (in facilities),” Sheffert said. “Purdue was last. We were also second to last in donations to the athletic department.”

That’s the kind of stuff that one day might lead to head scratching in the Big Ten office in Chicago about Minnesota’s future. The Gophers not only are behind in facilities but the football program has mostly been in free fall for decades. Every conference school has been to the Rose Bowl more recently than the Gophers who last visited Pasadena in 1962. Minnesota hasn’t won a Big Ten football championship since 1967.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

With all due respect Bleed, the thread title is very misleading. Actually it is incorrect and misleading.
 

station19 said:
Did anyone actually read the article?
Click to expand...

Yeah, take away the hyperbole and it makes a good case for Teague's $190 million upgrade. Didn't you come away with the same thought?
 

^
[video]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDcQuAIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DC9f 1TYyvEx8&ei=GSgeUon-BoKEygGGgYHYDQ&usg=AFQjCNENk93hxsN1BFnJtmp5P71LoY-4qg&bvm=bv.51156542,d.aWc[/video]
 

Iceland12 said:
Yeah, take away the hyperbole and it makes a good case for Teague's $190 million upgrade. Didn't you come away with the same thought?
Click to expand...

Some hyperbole by Sheffert yes, but that was a very minor part. Sheffert pointing out how far behind we are in facilities(even Teague agrees to the tune of 190 mill) and thin skinned posters piss and moan about someone they haven't heard of taking pot shots at our Gophers.

I seriously doubt many read the entire article and Bleed's thread title was really bad..(sorry Bleed)
 

School with newest football stadium in Big Ten kicked out for underinvestment in athletic facilities...
 

Fuzzy Rumpton said:
The fact that Maryland just received an invite an doesn't have an indoor practice facility makes his comment about being booted a joke. That and the B1G would need a better reason than just football facilities for that to happen.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. Plus, they do have a plan (if not funding) and the they did just spedn money to improve (signage) at the hockey & BB arenas.
 


station19 said:
Some hyperbole by Sheffert yes, but that was a very minor part. Sheffert pointing out how far behind we are in facilities(even Teague agrees to the tune of 190 mill) and thin skinned posters piss and moan about someone they haven't heard of taking pot shots at our Gophers.

I seriously doubt many read the entire article and Bleed's thread title was really bad..(sorry Bleed)
Click to expand...

To be fair with Bleed and to shake my head at Shama, Shama did lead with it. Completely unnecessary too, he had a good story without it.
 

station19 said:
Some hyperbole by Sheffert yes, but that was a very minor part. Sheffert pointing out how far behind we are in facilities(even Teague agrees to the tune of 190 mill) and thin skinned posters piss and moan about someone they haven't heard of taking pot shots at our Gophers.

I seriously doubt many read the entire article and Bleed's thread title was really bad..(sorry Bleed)
Click to expand...

Huh? People are just pointing out how absurd it is to even mention that possibility. Then again, Don Beaver really was going to move the Twins to North Carolina and the Vikings are going to play in a stadium in LA that doesn't exist.
 

Ole said:
:rolleyes:
Dumb.
Amazing that Shama thought this was a well informed and thoughtful article, except that the B1G conference's schools have much more to do with each other than just athletics.
Also the fact that the U of chicago is still a member, regardless of athletics.
I can even appreciate this may be an attempt to light a fire under some donors, but it's misinformed and misinforming to write this article.
Click to expand...

For the record, Chicago is not a member of the B1G. They are a member of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation which is an academic consortium composed of the B1G schools and Chicago. It is a separate entity, though it's run by mostly the same people (since both are run by the presidents of the member schools). It is distinctly possible that the presidents of the soon to be 14 universities of the B1G (I believe Johns Hopkins will not have a vote) could decide to remove a team athletically while the 16 (assuming Johns Hopkins is accepted to the CIC) universities of the CIC decide to keep a school academically even though they are no longer an athletic member of the B1G.

That being said, I agree the likelihood of any team getting forced out is close to zero. At some point there might be formal requests to increase investment, but I don't see it getting to a force out simply based off level of investment unless it's literally a very small fraction of other schools' investment.
 

they won't force anybody out exactly. But I could see some of the big $$$$ schools in the B1G arguing for something other than an equal distribution of B1G Network $$$$. There will be no free-riders.
 

People in this state better wake up or we will be on the bottom of the heap forever. Norwood has a plan and he needs support.
 



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