Its time for a practice facility

[ncoffer]

If us and northwestern are the only two in the big ten, without a practice facility, we are doomed! I say keep tubby , get a practice facility, and give him four years after that. I think we would see a big improvement. Also, why do we keep letting these kids like brew from wisconsin leave the state, if we took all the kids, tubby has passed on and let go to becky we would be 12-6 instead of 6-12

 

[sec105]

Meturi Memorial Stadium

If us and northwestern are the only two in the big ten, without a practice facility, we are doomed! I say keep tubby , get a practice facility, and give him four years after that. I think we would see a big improvement. Also, why do we keep letting these kids like brew from wisconsin leave the state, if we took all the kids, tubby has passed on and let go to becky we would be 12-6 instead of 6-12

now that Maturi has got his baseball stadium ( what do you want to bet it will be Maturi Memorial Stadium)squared away maybe he can find a little extra time to promote the basketball facility. He certainly does have his priorities and it isn't basketball.

 

[bga1]

now that Maturi has got his baseball stadium ( what do you want to bet it will be Maturi Memorial Stadium)squared away maybe he can find a little extra time to promote the basketball facility. He certainly does have his priorities and it isn't basketball.

Get down to the legislature and get it carved into the stadium bill. No one will even notice another 15 million.

 

[GophersInIowa]

If us and northwestern are the only two in the big ten, without a practice facility, we are doomed! I say keep tubby , get a practice facility, and give him four years after that. I think we would see a big improvement. Also, why do we keep letting these kids like brew from wisconsin leave the state, if we took all the kids, tubby has passed on and let go to becky we would be 12-6 instead of 6-12

I agree that we need a practice facility. But if we don't see improvement next year, then it might just be time to part ways with Tubby.

 

[Holy Man]

At some point, the university has to look at the infrastructure of sports, and not just buildings (I am in favor of a practive facility to be built yesterday!). Failure cannot be totally the coaches fault when it repeats itself over and over. As much as we want to believe how good we are or could be, the only real success in basketball since the 80's we have had was directly related to cheating. The culture needs to change in a way that sports and the academic mission of the U can be complimentary and not at odds with one another. Count me as one who, while frustrated, does not believe a coaching change will do much good without an attitude shift at the university. Kaler may be our man. We'll see. But he does have a pretty thick and entrenched bureaucracy that will fight sports every step of the way.

 

[Moonlight]

At some point, the university has to look at the infrastructure of sports, and not just buildings (I am in favor of a practive facility to be built yesterday!). Failure cannot be totally the coaches fault when it repeats itself over and over. As much as we want to believe how good we are or could be, the only real success in basketball since the 80's we have had was directly related to cheating. The culture needs to change in a way that sports and the acadmeic mission of the U can be complimentary and not at odds with one another. Count me as one who, while frustrated, does not believe a coaching change will do much good without an attitude shift at the university. Kaler may be our man. We'll see. But he does have a pretty thick and entrenched bureaucracy that will fight sports every step of the way.

Excellent post, Holy Man.
I was on campus for a post-dissertation defense gathering just after the scandal hit (attended by faculty), and the hostility was mammoth - and for good reason. At the risk of sounding like Wren, the cheating directly involved academics, which shamed the entire university (not just the athletic dept) and increased the huge divide you speak of.

Its almost like ongoing self-imposed sanctions - if we really suck, it just proves we cannot possibly be cheating. So even when we lose, we win. No one was arrested this year, so there goes another significant check in the plus column.

Perhaps then we should welcome the reseating of Williams. It legitimately raises the level of expectations of the fans regarding what they get for their money...

 

[GophersOnTheRise]

If us and northwestern are the only two in the big ten, without a practice facility, we are doomed! I say keep tubby , get a practice facility, and give him four years after that. I think we would see a big improvement. Also, why do we keep letting these kids like brew from wisconsin leave the state, if we took all the kids, tubby has passed on and let go to becky we would be 12-6 instead of 6-12

Bruesewitz? Would you rather have him than Rodney? The guy who averages 6 points and shoots under 40% from the field? No way he was more deserving of a scholarship than any of the guys we got in that class. If you were referring to someone else I apologize. Agreed on the need for a practice facility though.

 

[Clem's Gophers]

I'm ready for an all things practice facility thread.

 

[BOUNDOUTPASSDUNK]

Recall in another thread I spoke of a $15 million rider tied to private matching funds as a part of the Viking Stadium bill. I did in fact email Pres. Kaler, proposing the $15 mil state funded rider with a 1 year sunset provision if the matching funds were not pledged. I did receive a cordial reply, praising me for my enthusiasm for U of M athletics but without an acknowledgement of a plan responsive to my suggestion. We will have to wait and see what we get for the $468 k 1 year transitional, fundraising contract for Maturi and whether it translates into action. We will see.

 

[matt]

Recall in another thread I spoke of a $15 million rider tied to private matching funds as a part of the Viking Stadium bill. I did in fact email Pres. Kaler, proposing the $15 mil state funded rider with a 1 year sunset provision if the matching funds were not pledged. I did receive a cordial reply, praising me for my enthusiasm for U of M athletics but without an acknowledgement of a plan responsive to my suggestion. We will have to wait and see what we get for the $468 k 1 year transitional, fundraising contract for Maturi and whether it translates into action. We will see.

Sounds like Maturi should be making some meetings with some congressmen in the near future.

 

[savagerube]

If us and northwestern are the only two in the big ten, without a practice facility, we are doomed! I say keep tubby , get a practice facility, and give him four years after that. I think we would see a big improvement. Also, why do we keep letting these kids like brew from wisconsin leave the state, if we took all the kids, tubby has passed on and let go to becky we would be 12-6 instead of 6-12

Do you mean Berrgren?

 

[tjgopher]

If us and northwestern are the only two in the big ten, without a practice facility, we are doomed!

I know I've mentioned this before, but Northwestern DOES have a separate practice area. While it isn't nearly as glamorous as some of the new ones being built around the country, it is a practice gym with the coaches offices overlooking, etc. It does give the NW players an opportunity to go shoot on their own whenever they want. They also got new locker rooms, player lounges, film room, weight room, etc., in 2008.

 

[THE SCOUT!]

Maybe set up donation stands at Gopher Games, or a surcharge on game tickets, or some other fundraising method. Or maybe raise taxes or divert revenue from education, social services, or infrastructure to build a basketball court for a multimillion dollar coach and 15 players

 

[GophersOnTheRise]

Maybe set up donation stands at Gopher Games, or a surcharge on game tickets, or some other fundraising method. Or maybe raise taxes or divert revenue from education, social services, or infrastructure to build a basketball court for a multimillion dollar coach and 15 players

Unless they decided to build the practice facility and then tear it down after exactly one season, it would be used by much more than 15 players. The program would benefit greatly from a practice facility and would ultimately bring in a lot more money. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money.

 

[GophersInIowa]

What's the estimated cost of a practice facility?

 

[savagerube]

Maybe set up donation stands at Gopher Games, or a surcharge on game tickets, or some other fundraising method. Or maybe raise taxes or divert revenue from education, social services, or infrastructure to build a basketball court for a multimillion dollar coach and 15 players

This is the same stubbornness that Viking Stadium opponents have. First of all, the practice facility is used by the men's and women's basketball teams. Secondly, the practice facility is used to for basketball camps,banquets, and a wide array of other events throughout the year. Do you think that its beneficial when the likes of Tyus Jones attend a basketball camp at a state-of-the-art facility when growing up the metro area? By no means am I saying that it would alone persuade a player to attend the U of M, but there is no denying that it would help.

Just to name a few, these are programs that just recently opened a facility, or are in the blueprint stage: Arizona State, Arkansas, Clemson, Connecticut, Drake, Georgetown, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, LSU, Mississippi State, Purdue, Richmond, Rutgers, South Florida, SMU, Texas A&M, Tulane, Washington and Washington State.

You have to look at the big picture. It's like when Minnesotan's oppose a Viking's stadium because it will only be used 10 days a year and it would only be occupied by the Vikings.

 

[matt]

What's the estimated cost of a practice facility?

$15 million is the oft quoted figure in articles and is a lower end price for a major D1 practice facility. I don't know if Maturi or anyone with the U has ever said that it would cost $15 million, but it would likely be around there.

 

[CrocShots]

Although 15 Mil seems a bit steep, i think that it is good that (Some) universities and pro teams have stopped going cheap on facilities and materials.

I think, especially in athletics, the age of the "cookie cutter" stadiums around the country severely hurt the long term viability of those facilities and that the ones that are taking time to be built, with pricier materials are built to last more than 20-30 years.

 

[jovs]

If us and northwestern are the only two in the big ten, without a practice facility, we are doomed! I say keep tubby , get a practice facility, and give him four years after that. I think we would see a big improvement. Also, why do we keep letting these kids like brew from wisconsin leave the state, if we took all the kids, tubby has passed on and let go to becky we would be 12-6 instead of 6-12

Tubby hasn't lost anybody to Wisconsin yet, I sure hope it doesn't start with Washington or Vaughn. It will be hard to compete with Wisconsin if that happens. If they decide not to be a Gopher i hope it isn't to attend wisconsin.