For those who don't think the U needs a practice facility ...

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scher215

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“@Al_Nolen: watching schools on all access on espn is really crazy because the U of M is so far behind as far as facilities go seriously”

As well as many tweets on how facilities help recruit. They don't necessarily help the players play better, but they do bring in better recruits.
 

I fear this is going to become a bigger and bigger issue because I don't see us getting a new practices facility for a looooong time. Unless I win the powerball when it's at like 300 mil, then we are good to go.
 

Trevor tweeted about wanting to hoop, but The Barn was closed. Inexcusable that high major D1 athletes can't have 24 hr access to the gym.
 

I remember Blake talking about that last year too. It's pretty sad. Our players can't even always practice on campus when they want.

KyGopherfan said:
Trevor tweeted about wanting to hoop, but The Barn was closed. Inexcusable that high major D1 athletes can't have 24 hr access to the gym.
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Maybe the U can provide memberships to the top Lifetime located in Minneapolis ... Might be a violation though
 


There are courts at Bierman, not sure if they were being used for something else or what. I was on the Women's Basketball scout team when I was at the U and we'd have practice there when there was a conflict at Williams.
 

There is no doubt in my mind that a practice facility is becoming a must. Anyone who doesn't think a first rate practice facility isn't important for recruiting is kidding themselves. It will also be critical if the Gophers are looking to replace Tubby as the coach when he does decide to retire at some point in the future.
 

MadtownGopher said:
There are courts at Bierman, not sure if they were being used for something else or what. I was on the Women's Basketball scout team when I was at the U and we'd have practice there when there was a conflict at Williams.
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I don't think it is so much we need it to improve the team and their ability to practice more (that is part of it though), the main thing I think is because kids go on recruiting visits and see the awesome weight room, the awesome practice courts, basketball facilities, etc. and are impressed. When recruits are impressed, they sign. When better recruits sign, the team is better. When the team is better ... well, you all get the point.

IMO, the barn is perfect, but any upgrade of other things is absolutley needed if we want to have a top basketball program. The fact the U is where it is despite all that, I think speaks volumes to Tubby Smith as a coach and recruiter, even though he does get a lot of flack at times.
 

scher215 said:
I don't think it is so much we need it to improve the team and their ability to practice more (that is part of it though), the main thing I think is because kids go on recruiting visits and see the awesome weight room, the awesome practice courts, basketball facilities, etc. and are impressed. When recruits are impressed, they sign. When better recruits sign, the team is better. When the team is better ... well, you all get the point.

IMO, the barn is perfect, but any upgrade of other things is absolutley needed if we want to have a top basketball program. The fact the U is where it is despite all that, I think speaks volumes to Tubby Smith as a coach and recruiter, even though he does get a lot of flack at times.
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I wasn't trying to argue that our situation is fine or that we only need a practice facility for practice. In my post above I said it is going to be more and more of a problem over the next few years. A NEW practice facility is expeically needed when you don't have a state of the art arena and instead have an older (but historic and cool) arena like the Barn.
 



Don't worry guys our main man Joel is on the job. He understands what it takes to run a top flight D1 Athletic Department, especially the high revenue sports like basketball and football.

He is working tirelessly to...guh.

Sorry, I puked all over myself before i could finish. Reason #94565 why Maturi should have been out on his ass 4 years ago. THIS SHOULD BE DONE! Why don't they get it?
 

Another thread cites Shooter as saying Tubby still hasn't signed his contract extension. Should these two threads be combined? No extension without a practice facility?
 

KyGopherfan said:
Trevor tweeted about wanting to hoop, but The Barn was closed. Inexcusable that high major D1 athletes can't have 24 hr access to the gym.
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That is such a simple fix, Maturi should have a process set up that when a player wants access he calls a number in building services. That might happen one time it should never happen a second time.

They need a practice facility, no doubt about that.

For just shooting around what about Cook, for basic leisure practice and shooting around I always loved it, i can't think of another place I liked better than that.
 

GoGoGophers said:
Don't worry guys our main man Joel is on the job. He understands what it takes to run a top flight D1 Athletic Department, especially the high revenue sports like basketball and football.

He is working tirelessly to...guh.

Sorry, I puked all over myself before i could finish. Reason #94565 why Maturi should have been out on his ass 4 years ago. THIS SHOULD BE DONE! Why don't they get it?
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They're not even trying to raise money for it. First priority is desperately trying to get enough to break ground on the baseball stadium they've been pathetically trying to get for 10 years. The current leaders are so incompetent they should tell Anderson sorry, strike up as good a deal as possible for Target Field and focus on the practice facility. Otherwise it will be 2025 before they get one, making a whole new arena more likely.
 



Come on 3M, step up to the plate.

Same goes for The Wilfs and Pohlads.
 

CDH27 said:
There is no doubt in my mind that a practice facility is becoming a must. Anyone who doesn't think a first rate practice facility isn't important for recruiting is kidding themselves. It will also be critical if the Gophers are looking to replace Tubby as the coach when he does decide to retire at some point in the future.
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Nebraska just opened their new practice facility, the current players say it is amazing. Article about it in today's Lincoln paper.

http://huskerextra.com/sports/mens-basketball/article_25ceac8b-e63b-5bf2-a459-3cdb27df6ce6.html
 

The one hope is Mr. Kaler.

From what I have read, he values and understands the importance of sports and the impact they have on a university. A successful AD benefits the university as a whole.

The mindset and vision at the top at the UM must change if the sports environment is to improve. IMO, The AD must be a cornerstone of the UM.

It will interesting to see what, if anything, Mr. Kaler does to make this happen. If he decides to pursue a new vision for the UM, he will have a difficult time winning over the Regents and self-centered profs.
 

station19 said:
Come on 3M, step up to the plate.

Same goes for The Wilfs and Pohlads.
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I always felt the Pohlads should offer to build the Gopher baseball stadium if the Legislature would pass the stadium bill. To their credit they are the only major donor so far. Wilf and a basketball practice facility aren't as natural of a fit, but it is an option.
 

howeda7 said:
I always felt the Pohlads should offer to build the Gopher baseball stadium if the Legislature would pass the stadium bill. To their credit they are the only major donor so far. Wilf and a basketball practice facility aren't as natural of a fit, but it is an option.
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Best buy could also be a good one. Someone mentioned this idea before, but have best buy fill it with their products as well would be pretty cool.

I doubt any pro owner contributes to the gophers. We are essentially their competition.
 


Lincoln gopher said:
Nebraska just opened their new practice facility, the current players say it is amazing. Article about it in today's Lincoln paper.

http://huskerextra.com/sports/mens-basketball/article_25ceac8b-e63b-5bf2-a459-3cdb27df6ce6.html
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This just highlights how poorly the AD has done at fundraising of late. The U is one of the largest universities in the country with tons of alumni in a major metro area surrounded by their alumni and still cannot get a practice facility or baseball field built. In the time since Maturi promised Tubby a practice facility, Nebraska has designed and completed a practice facility for basketball and wrestling. Designed and gotten funding for a brand new basketball arena, and construction in progress on a significant upgrade to their football stadium adding more seats and luxury boxes. Also completed an addition to their strength and conditioning facilities. A school with half the student enrollment can fund all of that in the time Joel cannot even fund a baseball stadium.
 


I still don't understand why we are building a $15 million baseball stadium for a team that loses money every year...makes no sense. First priority has to be the revenue teams like fb and bb.

The basketball practice facility is important for more than just practices and access, it is a player union with academic support staff, recreation areas, lounges and storage. It adds to the college experience and benefits the coaches by having a place for their athletes to congregate under the supervision of the coaching and support staff.

While I don't support paying stipends to players...they do get a scholarship, etc. I do think that if we are going to use these kids to generate millions of dollars a year for our athletic programs...the ones that help generate that money should be treated as such. So no, I don't give a crap if the BB team or the Golf team or the Rowing team have great facilities...they don't make money so they are lucky to get scholarships. But FB, MBB and MH all make money so the rest of them have a place to play...take care of the ones that matter.
 


True that a new basketball practice facility would be a better return on investment; however the venerable, mostly successful baseball program deserves something. Ironic that State school goes begging for private funding for sports facilities while private sports enterprises are publicly subsidized.
 


GoodasGold said:
True that a new basketball practice facility would be a better return on investment; however the venerable, mostly successful baseball program deserves something..
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Baseball should be cut along with Softball and both golf teams. Put the savings back into the Football program and the basketball practice facility. Kill is begging for more academic support and weight training staff. Take the raised funds towards the baseball stadium and transfer as much as possible to the basket ball practice facility...and get the damn thing built.
 

U Fundraising of late

GopherGod said:
This just highlights how poorly the AD has done at fundraising of late. The U is one of the largest universities in the country with tons of alumni in a major metro area surrounded by their alumni and still cannot get a practice facility or baseball field built. In the time since Maturi promised Tubby a practice facility, Nebraska has designed and completed a practice facility for basketball and wrestling. Designed and gotten funding for a brand new basketball arena, and construction in progress on a significant upgrade to their football stadium adding more seats and luxury boxes. Also completed an addition to their strength and conditioning facilities. A school with half the student enrollment can fund all of that in the time Joel cannot even fund a baseball stadium.
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I find it really hard to find fault with the U's fundraising as of late given that most resources are tapped out with TCF Bank Stadium and the poor economy. The Athletic Dept is fortunate that this years football schedule included North Dakota St, Nebraska, Iowa & Wisconsin to put fannies in seats this year. Next years attendence could drop 10,000 per game and put a real hurt on the budget.
 

I consider myself a Gopher basketball basketball fan, but I say this with 100% honesty. ... IF push comes to shove and ONE MUST COME BEFORE THE OTHER, I'd rather see John Anderson get his baseball stadium before Gopher basketball gets its practice facility. The man (Anderson) deserves the stadium before Gopher hoops deserves a practice facility, and yes, I fully understand the need to keep up with the Jones' in the football/men's basketball arms race.

There's the easy thing to do (men's basketball precedence over baseball), but there's also the right thing to do. The right thing to do is get the baseball stadium for Anderson first. A class man who has respresented this state and this university for a long, long time, long before the "we have to have a new practice facility right now in order to compete" excuse became a yet another convenient crutch for Gopher basketball followers. I want to see Gopher hoops become truly relevant again, but I'd rather see John Anderson rewarded first. If there's a line to stand in with regards to getting new toys, Anderson first, Tubby 2nd (and I'm a Tubby guy).
 

SelectionSunday said:
I consider myself a Gopher basketball basketball fan, but I say this with 100% honesty. ... IF push comes to shove and ONE MUST COME BEFORE THE OTHER, I'd rather see John Anderson get his baseball stadium before Gopher basketball gets its practice facility. The man (Anderson) deserves the stadium before Gopher hoops deserves a practice facility, and yes, I fully understand the need to keep up with the Jones' in the football/men's basketball arms race.

There's the easy thing to do (men's basketball precedence over baseball), but there's also the right thing to do. The right thing to do is get the baseball stadium for Anderson first. A class man who has respresented this state and this university for a long, long time, long before the "we have to have a new practice facility right now in order to compete" excuse became a yet another convenient crutch for Gopher basketball followers. I want to see Gopher hoops become truly relevant again, but I'd rather see John Anderson rewarded first. If there's a line to stand in with regards to getting new toys, Anderson first, Tubby 2nd (and I'm a Tubby guy).
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The problem is that Baseball exists because of the Football and Basketball programs. Take away those two and you no longer have a baseball team, don't think for a second that funding would come from general revenue for a sport like baseball. A new fancy stadium is nice if there aren't other priorities, but there are.
 

I understand that. Football, men's hoops and men's puck carry the freight.

My point is more about doing what's right (Anderson vs. Tubby) than what would easily be more popular. I certainly understand & respect the majority's point of view.
 

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