New Basketball Practice Facility or New Baseball Stadium?

[Reserve]

you'd say the baseball stadium

I'd still stay basketball. Why? The baseball team plays, according to this years schedule, 14 home games that one would think would be reasonably playable for weather.

http://www.gophersports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8400&SPID=3298&SPSID=38639

This year it appears they're taking the dome as their home field. I'm not sure if Siebert is unusable or they just prefer to have a certain schedule with no possible rainouts or otherwise.

The practice facilty is going to be utilitlized year around for the the mens and womens teams besides used as a recruiting tool.

Again, the revenue sports pay for everyone else, certainly including the road trips, spring training trips that the baseball team is taking.

Basketball, hockey, football, all come first.

 

[Monty519]

What we need is a uber-wealthy alum to just pony up and pay for the damn thing himself, demanding groundbreaking as soon as feasibly possible. A la Oklahoma State and T.Boone Pickens.

Anybody out there with a hundred mil to donate? Would that I could afford it...

^This, well, maybe not ALL by themselves, but like really invest in this project and get it moving. You're not gonna just find U dollars to pay for this thing, some boosters are gonna have to pitch in some bucks to get it moving, the money just isn't there. It's not like the State is providing a lot of funds to the U right now.

 

[Rouser]

There's a little "forest through the trees" debate going on here; one team is looking for a facility to hold competition in...the other is a recruiting tool that will benefit 15 players X 2 teams per year, and a few other perks for recruiting purposes. One team has waited literally since the last decade, being promised and being told to wait, while the other became a "priority" just about two years ago.

If you were completely unbiased, you'd say the baseball stadium, and it wouldn't be close if you balanced it on a fairness scale. Then again, life is not fair...if it had been, Henry Sibley would have knocked off Hopkins tonight.

I don't see this as forest for the trees at all. The baseball team does not make any money for the school....period. The hoops team used to make the most money for the school..probably second fiddle to football now that TCF is here. Hoops is critical to long term viability of the U athletic department. The brand was eroded for 8 years under Monson and Tubby is helping to build the brand. The school must invest in the brand. A practice facility, Tubby or not, will allow the U to attract top talent and more importantly keep top coaches. Top coaches win games. Winning games keeps seats filled. Filled seats pays for the bats and balls for the baseball team.

I feel for coach Anderson. My preference would be to get both done immediately. Two capital projects are not impossible..especially since the baseball team will be 100% paid for by donors (or majority). While maturi says the hoops facility will be 100% by donors...I think that should not be the case. Donors could get it started but the U needs to shift funds to take care of its crown jewel programs. Period.

 

[jovs]

I think you have to look at the health of the Athletic department as a whole. Not sure of the financial issues but the based on other schools that have dropped baseball, it has to be a drain on resources. Fairly significant expenses with little income. Basketball on the other hand can give the department an economic boost. I would think it would be a fairly easy decision and it isn't just basketball and baseball that would be impacted.

 

[bga1]

I think you have to look at the health of the Athletic department as a whole. Not sure of the financial issues but the based on other schools that have dropped baseball, it has to be a drain on resources. Fairly significant expenses with little income. Basketball on the other hand can give the department an economic boost. I would think it would be a fairly easy decision and it isn't just basketball and baseball that would be impacted.

This is a no brainer. Basketball is a huge income producer. We are trying to keep a premier coach who could elevate the program such that the income keeps rolling in for 20 more years. If Tubby stays until he retires and he remains successful it will be easy to get another great coach in here.
Keep Tubby happy and there will be plenty of money for baseball in the future. Don't kill the cash cow- build the practice facility first.

 

[Rouser]

Even if Tubby leaves now..we still need a practice facility to ensure we can attract a top coach. I thank Coach Smith for pointing out what a top program needs to be honest.