Long Q&A per STrib: Lou Nanne Q&A: There's no reason U of M can't compete

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per a really well done and long Q&A per Dennis Brackin:

Q: Where do you think Minnesota ranks in athletic facilities in the Big Ten?

A: [Big Ten Commissioner] Jim Delaney was just in town and met with my leadership council and he told us we’re last, which we knew. I’m not making it up. … I’m embarrassed by it, I’m embarrassed by the fact that we have so much going on in the state of Minnesota and we have great facilities for professional sports — which I love, I’m happy for that — but at the same time I see our students go and study in the hallways of Bierman, they don’t have enough room in the study hall, they’re eating on card tables and training tables, compared to the plush places these other schools have got. I see Northwestern raising $200 million for better facilities now. I see Texas A&M has [2012 Heisman Trophy winner] Johnny Manziel one year and they raise $550 million. I say, ‘What is this? We’re the state of Minnesota. This is our jewel.’

Q: So how did this happen? It didn’t happen overnight.

A: It was complacency. For too long, too often, we just took things as they are and no one really focused on the fact that we were falling behind. We just took things for granted and people don’t really realize when you’re successful in athletics, you raise more money for academics.

Q: There are going to be people that say Minnesota has competed well in many sports, especially the non-rev sports, and the key is the coach, not facilities. Why do we need it now?

A: First of all, non-rev sports are not going to drive the university. They’re not going to be able to exist if this continues. … We want to get to the position where we maintain what we’ve got in non-rev sports and continue to compete. … I’m a hockey guy but I’m not an idiot. I love hockey, but I know football is the most important athletic team at the University of Minnesota. The more successful they are, the more successful we are.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/240210971.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Go Gophers!!
 


Lou Nanne: There's No Reason the U Can't Compete

Q: So you’re not just focused on the usual suspects, the alumni? You’re trying to expand the base of donors?

A: I don’t care if you went to Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Robert Morris, North Dakota State, whatever it is. If you’re living in the state of Minnesota, you’re benefiting from the University of Minnesota in some way … [Athletics] creates emotions, and it touches a lot of people. So you have all the different athletic things that we have here, sports that we have here, that makes it a better place for students to come. If you have better students, then you have better faculty, you get better educated people, you get better output from the total university and it makes the whole state benefit from it…

Q: Where do you think Minnesota ranks in athletic facilities in the Big Ten?

A: [Big Ten Commissioner] Jim Delaney was just in town and met with my leadership council and he told us we’re last, which we knew. I’m not making it up. … I’m embarrassed by it, I’m embarrassed by the fact that we have so much going on in the state of Minnesota and we have great facilities for professional sports — which I love, I’m happy for that — but at the same time I see our students go and study in the hallways of Bierman, they don’t have enough room in the study hall, they’re eating on card tables and training tables, compared to the plush places these other schools have got. I see Northwestern raising $200 million for better facilities now. I see Texas A&M has [2012 Heisman Trophy winner] Johnny Manziel one year and they raise $550 million. I say, ‘What is this? We’re the state of Minnesota. This is our jewel.’.

Q: There are prominent people who say that money is out of control in major college athletics, and will be the death of major sports. What’s your reaction to that?

A: Well first of all, I have to tell you one thing, they have been saying that for 20, 40 years, it doesn’t change. Everything goes up. … You don’t compete in the league and not give your athletes the opportunity to win. We are never going to be at the top of the spectrum for facilities and coaching salaries, etcetera. We don’t have 100,000-seat stadiums like Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, so we’re never going to have as much revenue. But there’s no reason for us to be at the bottom, and we’re at the bottom.



Q: Do you worry about major college athletics, where football coaches like Nick Saban make over $5 million?

A: But they take in $150 million [in revenue]. Be realistic. Why do a lot of salesman make more than the president of a company? Because they bring in business.

 

Q: Do you run into people who say why aren’t you raising money for academics?

A: Athletic success raises money for academics. The people have to start correlating that.



Q: How is it that in this state, with so many big corporations, raising money, at least athletically, has always been so difficult?

A: That’s the question that I think we’re trying to address. … I go to that little town in Ann Arbor and I see everything they got and I say, ‘What the hell is going on here?’… I personally think that the focus got away from the university when those pro sports teams came here, and we never got it turned back.
 

Iceland12 said:
Q: Do you run into people who say why aren’t you raising money for academics?

A: Athletic success raises money for academics. The people have to start correlating that.



Q: How is it that in this state, with so many big corporations, raising money, at least athletically, has always been so difficult?

A: That’s the question that I think we’re trying to address. … I go to that little town in Ann Arbor and I see everything they got and I say, ‘What the hell is going on here?’… I personally think that the focus got away from the university when those pro sports teams came here, and we never got it turned back.
Click to expand...

Seems as though several GHers disagree with Lou on this.
 


I like how Lou isn't sugarcoating it. People need to realize how terrible our situation is compared to our fellow B1G counterparts.
 

Iceland12 said:
Q: Do you run into people who say why aren’t you raising money for academics?

A: Athletic success raises money for academics. The people have to start correlating that.


Q: How is it that in this state, with so many big corporations, raising money, at least athletically, has always been so difficult?

A: That’s the question that I think we’re trying to address. … I go to that little town in Ann Arbor and I see everything they got and I say, ‘What the hell is going on here?’… I personally think that the focus got away from the university when those pro sports teams came here, and we never got it turned back.
Click to expand...

Seems like a bit of a chicken and egg argument. People say we need money to be competitive, but its hard to raise money when you aren't competitive. I think we really need a coach to give us one or two big seasons with what we've got to get the fundraising ball rolling. If we could get to a New Year's Day bowl or make a Sweet 16/Elite 8 type run in the tourney, I think that changes the potential donors' mindset from "jeez, they squander what they have so I'm not going to give them more to squander" to "look at what they did with the facilities they have, imagine what they could do with better facilities".
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Seems like a bit of a chicken and egg argument. People say we need money to be competitive, but its hard to raise money when you aren't competitive. I think we really need a coach to give us one or two big seasons with what we've got to get the fundraising ball rolling. If we could get to a New Year's Day bowl or make a Sweet 16/Elite 8 type run in the tourney, I think that changes the potential donors' mindset from "jeez, they squander what they have so I'm not going to give them more to squander" to "look at what they did with the facilities they have, imagine what they could do with better facilities".
Click to expand...

We've been attempting that approach for nearly 50 years. It's time for the fundraising to happen.
 

station19 said:
We've been attempting that approach for nearly 50 years. It's time for the fundraising to happen.
Click to expand...

Not to mention there will be a mindset locally (hopefully not a majority view) that says "Well, Minnesota just had two big seasons, they demonstrated they can win without facilities."

The bottom line is that the casual fan won't care about practice/training facilities. It's hard to give to something that they'll never see, feel, touch. We get the issue, we're die-hards. We follow recruiting, we know it impacts our ability to hire/retain coaches, get the top in-state kids, etc. Many casual fans see hot tubs, flat screen TVs, pool tables, academic centers, etc. as excess. We struggled to raise private funds for two tangible stadiums, attempting to do it for facilities that 95% of the donors may never see, is a challenging task in our market. One or two big seasons will help, but we're facing decades of obstacles here.

Lou is a great public face/leader for the campaign. It's also time for Teague to flex his fundraising prowess. We're going to need some big corporate dollars to make it happen, but that's a big challenge as well.

Go Gophers!!
 



station19 said:
We've been attempting that approach for nearly 50 years. It's time for the fundraising to happen.
Click to expand...

Its one thing to say "it's time", but we still need to convince the people to give the money. Just focusing on fundraising doesn't mean that the money is going to come. The stadium was special, because it was such a large and visible project, and everyone likes being able to, on their way into a game, say "hey! there's my name on the wall".

Don't get me wrong, I am glad we are trying to raise some money, I am all for bringing money in and building better facilities, and I can't think of a better guy to do it than Lou Nanne. I just think the level of success we have will be modest until our teams start putting better results together.
 

In the past, have Target/Daytons, 3M, Honeywell, Wells Fargo, US Bank, General Mills, and Cargill been contributors? You think with this small list of big employers, we could get the ball rolling. These companies are great for the local economy, AND they benefit from having a great University in their back yard.
 

I'd love to see the evidence that says sporting success=academic success. I'm extremely skeptical of such remarks.

The University of Chicago got rid of sports. They were an original Big Ten member. I think they're doing just fine academically. I doubt adding sports would improve the situation.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
I'd love to see the evidence that says sporting success=academic success. I'm extremely skeptical of such remarks.

The University of Chicago got rid of sports. They were an original Big Ten member. I think they're doing just fine academically. I doubt adding sports would improve the situation.
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It's brought up in another thread, but the book "The System" talks about Boone Pickens donation of $200 million to Oklahoma State athletics. That donation resulted in about $1 billion total being raised in donations to the school as a whole - not just sports.
 



WorkingMyTailOff said:
In the past, have Target/Daytons, 3M, Honeywell, Wells Fargo, US Bank, General Mills, and Cargill been contributors? You think with this small list of big employers, we could get the ball rolling. These companies are great for the local economy, AND they benefit from having a great University in their back yard.
Click to expand...

This isn't the 1960's when Harvey Mackey and Sid could talk about the big suits at the big companies putting up money for civic pride. CEO's are focused on shareholder return, and many have little or no ties to the community/state.

And even when there is a big donation, like Dick Schulze of Best Buy gave, it's more likely to go to a school like St. Thomas than it is the U (as Schulze did.)
 

discochris said:
This isn't the 1960's when Harvey Mackey and Sid could talk about the big suits at the big companies putting up money for civic pride. CEO's are focused on shareholder return, and many have little or no ties to the community/state.

And even when there is a big donation, like Dick Schulze of Best Buy gave, it's more likely to go to a school like St. Thomas than it is the U (as Schulze did.)
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But that's kind of the point Nanne is making. If Shulze is a St. Thomas grad, then ignore what I'm going to say (I don't know his history). But, the U is much more important to the Twin Cities and Minnesota than St. Thomas, though a fine University. I guarantee you Best Buy has more U of M grads working for it than St. Thomas grads. As Lou points out in his article, nobody from the U probably asked Shulze for money, totally U's fault.

I think Maturi is a decent guy, and his help getting TCF built is commendable, but I think is biggest failure was the lack of a long-term, broad-basded facility plan. Everything was patchwork based on critical need at the time (like a roof leaking). You can probably go back before Joel to put similar blame on the other AD's.
 

TNGophfan said:
But that's kind of the point Nanne is making. If Shulze is a St. Thomas grad, then ignore what I'm going to say (I don't know his history). But, the U is much more important to the Twin Cities and Minnesota than St. Thomas, though a fine University. I guarantee you Best Buy has more U of M grads working for it than St. Thomas grads. As Lou points out in his article, nobody from the U probably asked Shulze for money, totally U's fault.

I think Maturi is a decent guy, and his help getting TCF built is commendable, but I think is biggest failure was the lack of a long-term, broad-basded facility plan. Everything was patchwork based on critical need at the time (like a roof leaking). You can probably go back before Joel to put similar blame on the other AD's.
Click to expand...

Shulze never went to college.
 

Someone asked about what was included in the facilities, so here it is:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/240210821.html

Lou’s to-dos

These are the major projects included in the University of Minnesota’s $190 million athletic facilities campaign:

• Cutting-edge academic excellence center
• Nutrition center
• Football complex
• Men’s and women’s basketball complex
• Women’s gymnastics center
• All-sport indoor performance facilities and track
• Wrestling development center
• Outdoor track
 

Nate said:
Shulze never went to college.
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Correct. He started with one music store in St. Paul and built it into Best Buy.
He could have donated that money to anyone. He chose UST.
 

Richard Schulze has also given $40 million to the U. I could be wrong, but I think he only donated $50 million to St Thomas.
 

Nate said:
Someone asked about what was included in the facilities, so here it is:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/240210821.html

Lou’s to-dos

These are the major projects included in the University of Minnesota’s $190 million athletic facilities campaign:

• Cutting-edge academic excellence center
• Nutrition center
• Football complex
• Men’s and women’s basketball complex
• Women’s gymnastics center
• All-sport indoor performance facilities and track
• Wrestling development center
• Outdoor track
Click to expand...
You'd think they'd put them in order of importance:
1A: Men’s basketball complex
1B: Football complex
2: avoid Title IX lawsuits.
 

Here's the other thing about Minnesota.

More than probably any other Big Ten school, a lot of students live off-campus (and I don't mean just not in the dorms, but rather around the metro area) and commute. Those students aren't involved in campus life as someone in a smaller city like Iowa City or Lincoln would be where the college is the center of everything. The U also has a large number of international students who aren't going to be involved in traditional campus activity.

For those students, college is like a job - somewhere you go during the day to do your work, and then you leave it behind at the end of the day. If you view your college like that, you're not going to be likely to donate significantly to the school after graduation, either to athletics (which you didn't care about) or even the school as a whole. There isn't that deep seated identity with your school that exists at somewhere like Michigan, PSU, Notre Dame, or many SEC schools. At places like that, tens of thousands of alumni come back EVERY WEEKEND in the fall for football games. Some from thousands of miles away. That will never, ever happen here.

Combine that with the view among many high school kids that Gopher sports are not "Cool." That was the view when I was in high school 20 years ago (nobody wore Minnesota stuff - it was always USC, Duke, UNC, Florida State etc.) and from talking to people, that hasn't changed. If people don't grow up loving a program, it won't be ingrained in them to care enough to donate should they become wealthy.
 

Why no buzz on this fundraising goal?

So, I have asked many times why there has been no buzz, no mention of progress, no hope regarding this goal?
Answer:

Q: When did you start this?

A: Three weeks ago.

Q: That’s all?

A: Yeah I haven’t even been at the meetings yet. We had one meeting before Christmas just to welcome everybody, get some thoughts, have Delaney speak to everybody to bring us up to date with where we are in relation to other universities. He said, very frankly, two teams have not made it in 20-some years, us I think and Indiana, to the Rose Bowl, and they’re at the bottom of the pack in facilities and you’re at the bottom of the pack.

So, Nanne is named head of the committee. Organizes a meeting which is publicized and the project finally has some visibility. Prior to that Lou is basically saying nothing has happened regarding raising money from all that has been shared and Lou is referencing in the article. So, other than planning what has Norwood done? Is his only action enlisting Lou and possibly hoping Sampson would pay for it all?

It doesn't really matter I guess. I am confident Lou will now get it done! He is putting himself out there and taking responsibility. To me that's leadership! Norwood has been hiding since he took the job. Might he be brilliant? Might be. He did hire Pitino and now Lou, but it certainly appears to me to this date in time without Lou Nanne the fundraising goal has no hope of success.
 

discochris said:
Here's the other thing about Minnesota.

More than probably any other Big Ten school, a lot of students live off-campus (and I don't mean just not in the dorms, but rather around the metro area) and commute. Those students aren't involved in campus life as someone in a smaller city like Iowa City or Lincoln would be where the college is the center of everything. The U also has a large number of international students who aren't going to be involved in traditional campus activity.

For those students, college is like a job - somewhere you go during the day to do your work, and then you leave it behind at the end of the day. If you view your college like that, you're not going to be likely to donate significantly to the school after graduation, either to athletics (which you didn't care about) or even the school as a whole. There isn't that deep seated identity with your school that exists at somewhere like Michigan, PSU, Notre Dame, or many SEC schools. At places like that, tens of thousands of alumni come back EVERY WEEKEND in the fall for football games. Some from thousands of miles away. That will never, ever happen here.

Combine that with the view among many high school kids that Gopher sports are not "Cool." That was the view when I was in high school 20 years ago (nobody wore Minnesota stuff - it was always USC, Duke, UNC, Florida State etc.) and from talking to people, that hasn't changed. If people don't grow up loving a program, it won't be ingrained in them to care enough to donate should they become wealthy.
Click to expand...

The vast majority of students now live on campus or immediately next to campus, which would still be walking or biking distance.

The U of M is no longer the commuter campus that you remember.
 

discochris said:
Here's the other thing about Minnesota.

More than probably any other Big Ten school, a lot of students live off-campus (and I don't mean just not in the dorms, but rather around the metro area) and commute. Those students aren't involved in campus life as someone in a smaller city like Iowa City or Lincoln would be where the college is the center of everything. The U also has a large number of international students who aren't going to be involved in traditional campus activity.

For those students, college is like a job - somewhere you go during the day to do your work, and then you leave it behind at the end of the day. If you view your college like that, you're not going to be likely to donate significantly to the school after graduation, either to athletics (which you didn't care about) or even the school as a whole. There isn't that deep seated identity with your school that exists at somewhere like Michigan, PSU, Notre Dame, or many SEC schools. At places like that, tens of thousands of alumni come back EVERY WEEKEND in the fall for football games. Some from thousands of miles away. That will never, ever happen here.

Combine that with the view among many high school kids that Gopher sports are not "Cool." That was the view when I was in high school 20 years ago (nobody wore Minnesota stuff - it was always USC, Duke, UNC, Florida State etc.) and from talking to people, that hasn't changed. If people don't grow up loving a program, it won't be ingrained in them to care enough to donate should they become wealthy.
Click to expand...

Gopherguy0723 said:
The vast majority of students now live on campus or immediately next to campus, which would still be walking or biking distance.

The U of M is no longer the commuter campus that you remember.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I don't know the numbers to say vast majority though. But the immense growth in student apartments the past few years is crazy. There was no where need the options when I started at the U in 2003. For anything quality, it was U Village, Melrose, Dinnaken/Argyle - which doesn't say much about the quality. Jefferson Commons (now University Commons I think) was brand new. Now there's probably 10 more in the area. Much better for keeping kids on campus and engaged. There is a VERY nice new dorm on 4th/University as well.
 

discochris said:
Here's the other thing about Minnesota.

More than probably any other Big Ten school, a lot of students live off-campus (and I don't mean just not in the dorms, but rather around the metro area) and commute. Those students aren't involved in campus life as someone in a smaller city like Iowa City or Lincoln would be where the college is the center of everything. The U also has a large number of international students who aren't going to be involved in traditional campus activity.

For those students, college is like a job - somewhere you go during the day to do your work, and then you leave it behind at the end of the day. If you view your college like that, you're not going to be likely to donate significantly to the school after graduation, either to athletics (which you didn't care about) or even the school as a whole. There isn't that deep seated identity with your school that exists at somewhere like Michigan, PSU, Notre Dame, or many SEC schools. At places like that, tens of thousands of alumni come back EVERY WEEKEND in the fall for football games. Some from thousands of miles away. That will never, ever happen here.

Combine that with the view among many high school kids that Gopher sports are not "Cool." That was the view when I was in high school 20 years ago (nobody wore Minnesota stuff - it was always USC, Duke, UNC, Florida State etc.) and from talking to people, that hasn't changed. If people don't grow up loving a program, it won't be ingrained in them to care enough to donate should they become wealthy.
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with any of this, but the majority of donors are going to be way too old for much of this to be relevant anyway. This explains why attendance is low, but few people in their 20s and 30s donate to any college anywhere (in large part because they are way too busy searching for a job and paying student loans)
 

Gopherprof said:
I don't disagree with any of this, but the majority of donors are going to be way too old for much of this to be relevant anyway. This explains why attendance is low, but few people in their 20s and 30s donate to any college anywhere (in large part because they are way too busy searching for a job and paying student loans)
Click to expand...

I suspect colleges will see a major drop off in donations in a decade because people who went to college post 2000 cannot afford it, and the baby boomers will be almost fully retired with their parents almost fully in the grave. None of that bodes well for donations. It is up to the Gen-Xers who no one seems to hold in high regard.
 

60's Guy said:
Prior to that Lou is basically saying nothing has happened regarding raising money...So, other than planning what has Norwood done?

I am confident Lou will now get it done! He is putting himself out there and taking responsibility. To me that's leadership! Norwood has been hiding since he took the job. Might he be brilliant? Might be. He did hire Pitino and now Lou, but it certainly appears to me to this date in time without Lou Nanne the fundraising goal has no hope of success.
Click to expand...

If you're interested, shoot me a PM and I'll hook you up with Mr. Nanne so you can be more involved. I'm sure Norwood would appreciate someone making sure he isn't "...in hiding", and actually trying to raise money.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
I suspect colleges will see a major drop off in donations in a decade
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They already have. Not just universities. Pretty much everything (except for political PAC...those seem to be swimming in money)
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
The vast majority of students now live on campus or immediately next to campus, which would still be walking or biking distance.

The U of M is no longer the commuter campus that you remember.
Click to expand...

Now that may be true, but the students living there today aren't the ones that they are looking to get a lot of money out of.
 

AO54 said:
You'd think they'd put them in order of importance:
1A: Men’s basketball complex
1B: Football complex
2: avoid Title IX lawsuits.
Click to expand...

You have your priorities all screwed up! It should be:

1A: Football complex
1B: Men's basketball complex
2: the other thing you mentioned.
 

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