Practice Facilities

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Block M

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I happened to be at a boys basketball tourney at UW-Platteville this weekend, and THEY have a practice facility conjoined to the Bo Ryan Court. If a DIII team enjoys such facilities, then we had better get moving. Tubby is absolutely right about the negative impacts of not having such facilities at the U.
 

Block M said:
I happened to be at a boys basketball tourney at UW-Platteville this weekend, and THEY have a practice facility conjoined to the Bo Ryan Court. If a DIII team enjoys such facilities, then we had better get moving. Tubby is absolutely right about the negative impacts of not having such facilities at the U.
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If anyone caught the BTN Journey this week, they showed some premium footage of Nebraska's new practice facility. It is unreal. Anyone who says that it won't impact a young man's decision in regards to recruiting is crazy. Nebraska's locker room was nicer than most NBA teams. Each player had a huge locker, complete with built-in I-pad, etc. Reports are Michigan's new facility is even nicer than Nebraska's. And, Iowa's is sweet, too. We are behind the times, no doubt.
 

Whatever happened to shoveling off the tennis court so we could play basketball when we couldn't sneak into the HS gym?
 

Dr.Don said:
Whatever happened to shoveling off the tennis court so we could play basketball when we couldn't sneak into the HS gym?
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Some of us 'acquired' some keys for the gym.
 






Block M said:
I happened to be at a boys basketball tourney at UW-Platteville this weekend, and THEY have a practice facility conjoined to the Bo Ryan Court. If a DIII team enjoys such facilities, then we had better get moving. Tubby is absolutely right about the negative impacts of not having such facilities at the U.
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Platteville is only 9-8 this year, 3-5 in conference... but they'd probably be 3-14 without the practice facility.
 



Would all those "activity centers" and "community gym centers" built inside all the high schools be considered a practice facility? It seems in all 5A and 4A high schools there is an "activity center" or something to that nature with between 3 and 6 basketball courts/gyms and a track connected around it. I've seen weight rooms attached to the "activity centers" too. Is this basically what the U would be building? Except more advanced because we're a D1 basketball team not an athletic association/high school.
 

How about we take the ice out of Ridder Arena and replace it with a basketball court. Upgrade the locker rooms, and voila, practice facility.

Why do we need a separate arena for women's hockey again? It's absurd that Minnesota has 4 arenas in a 200 foot radius but no practice facility.
 

UNLV just unveiled their new practice facility yesterday, the Mendenhall Center. They did a piece about it on the local news. Pretty impressive, and the message throughout was the impact on recruiting. Dave Rice, the new UNLV coach, said the first thing recruits ask is if you have a practice facility.

$13M, ENTIRELY built with private donations (including $7M from the Mendenhall family). No public money, no University money.

Players all have a key, joked about putting beds in there and just living and sleeping there it was so nice. If I cared more about it, I'd make the attempt to go down and take a look personally when they open it up to the public next weekend. I doubt I will.
 

NateDawgUM said:
How about we take the ice out of Ridder Arena and replace it with a basketball court. Upgrade the locker rooms, and voila, practice facility.

Why do we need a separate arena for women's hockey again? It's absurd that Minnesota has 4 arenas in a 200 foot radius but no practice facility.
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This. Absolutely ridiculous, and what I've been saying since they put Ridder in.
 



Ridder Arena is basically a practice facility for the Men's and Women's hockey teams. Ice time is incredibly valuable, especially having the different size rinks, both programs benefit from it.

It also houses the Baseline center for the Men's and Women's Tennis teams. It's a pretty well used arena that was paid for with about 50% donations. If you're not a fan of hockey, I can understand the angst, but the arena supports both teams.
 

;)

Gopher Warrior said:
Platteville is only 9-8 this year, 3-5 in conference... but they'd probably be 3-14 without the practice facility.
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The big recruits come after its built, two-four years from now they will probably go undefeated/national champions.
 

I'm sure if we want a practice facility like Platteville, we could get one. Let's face it, football revenue helps get these things built. That's why UConn doesn't have one.

I know one thing. You don't need one to win. It just makes it harder.
 


Wasn't sure where to post this (Can we get an "All things practice facility" thread?), but here are some tweets on the relating to the practice facility

Nebraska Facility
RT @STollackson50: Team locker room... yes those are iPads http://twitpic.com/8g80be

RT @STollackson50: They have TVs in the poopers http://twitpic.com/8g7y7q

RT @STollackson50: Film/meeting room http://twitpic.com/8g7xy2

Neb practice facility, more retweets coming. RT @STollackson50: Boys side of the gym http://twitpic.com/8g7xr5

If you can look at that and tell me that's not impressive to recruits, I don't know what else to say.
 

Maturi's greatest flaw was not having strategic plan for the revenue sports...when he took his office ten years ago we needed to put in place a plan for facilities and the fundraising structure to generate the necessary funds...don't ramp up and turn off...always have a plan.

Now the U is implementing higher ticket prices at the barn for BB for next year without a true plan for facility enhancement? WTF - the donations for seats should be part of a new facility that includes replacing the barn with a modern BB center that houses all things BB...we will NEVER win another Big Ten Title or consistently win in the NCAA tourny without competitive facilities.
 

GopherinPhilly said:
Maturi's greatest flaw was not having strategic plan for the revenue sports...when he took his office ten years ago we needed to put in place a plan for facilities and the fundraising structure to generate the necessary funds...don't ramp up and turn off...always have a plan.

Now the U is implementing higher ticket prices at the barn for BB for next year without a true plan for facility enhancement? WTF - the donations for seats should be part of a new facility that includes replacing the barn with a modern BB center that houses all things BB...we will NEVER win another Big Ten Title or consistently win in the NCAA tourny without competitive facilities.
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Granted as a Gopher fan I am a little skewed by this, but Nebraska just replaced their old arena built in 1976 ... that seems really soon to me.

Also, I was thinking, how can Nebraska afford this!?!?! And you'd think it is just great fundraising, but IMO, a lot of it has to do with their football program. This is where Maturi lost his way. He said, I'll raise money and split it between all sports of equal importance. The correct strategy, is I will make football specifically, but basketball and hockey too, the biggest cash cows in the state and fund every sport at the school and get great facilities for all of them. As well as the academic portion of the school. That's why other schools have just as many sports as the U, but great facilities and winning for most of them.
 

scher215 said:
Granted as a Gopher fan I am a little skewed by this, but Nebraska just replaced their old arena built in 1976 ... that seems really soon to me.

Also, I was thinking, how can Nebraska afford this!?!?! And you'd think it is just great fundraising, but IMO, a lot of it has to do with their football program. This is where Maturi lost his way. He said, I'll raise money and split it between all sports of equal importance. The correct strategy, is I will make football specifically, but basketball and hockey too, the biggest cash cows in the state and fund every sport at the school and get great facilities for all of them. As well as the academic portion of the school. That's why other schools have just as many sports as the U, but great facilities and winning for most of them.
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The on campus BB arena at NE was a dump when they built it...the new arena is actually in downtown Lincoln and will also host a ton of other events, concerts, etc and was built as a city/school cooperative effort to enhance both.
 

Nebraska will just be a tenant in the new arena. It is owned by the City of Lincoln and paid for largely by a new tax that was passed by voters.

I don't think the University or Athletic Dept. is paying for any of the construction. I haven't looked at the details but I believe they'll be paying rent every year and receive credits based on revenue goals.
 

I just bought a few Powerball tickets. So when I win the $250 million jackpot this Wednesday, I'll donate $20 million for a new practice facilty. Problem solved!
 

NateDawgUM said:
Nebraska will just be a tenant in the new arena. It is owned by the City of Lincoln and paid for largely by a new tax that was passed by voters.

I don't think the University or Athletic Dept. is paying for any of the construction. I haven't looked at the details but I believe they'll be paying rent every year and receive credits based on revenue goals.
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It was built without public money and included over $30 million in private donations primarily from University supporters...and has a long term deal with the University including signage, etc. and I think the USHL hockey team that plays in Lincoln. The entire Haymarket project includes office and retail space, a parking garage and 100 residential condos.
 

Just to display my obdurate fiscal conservatism -- how about this? Convert Williams Arena into the practice facility and play at Target Center since it already exists. Same for baseball -- why build a new U of M baseball stadium when the Metrodome can be an all-weather stadium for them. Yeah, I know, the Metrodome, the newest Big10 stadium until we built the newest new Big10 stadium for U football, has been deemed a dump. Have you ever seen a town so stadium-crazy? Our stadium amortization cost per win in all sports has to be the highest in the galaxy. I know this is the wrong forum for such thoughts, but I feel better after posting them. Be kind, friends.
 

GopherinPhilly said:
It was built without public money and included over $30 million in private donations primarily from University supporters...and has a long term deal with the University including signage, etc. and I think the USHL hockey team that plays in Lincoln. The entire Haymarket project includes office and retail space, a parking garage and 100 residential condos.
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Everybody in Lincoln is a University supporter. The private donations aren't really Husker-oriented, they're more downtown development oriented. The whole goal of the project from the outset wasn't to replace the Devaney Center, it was to replace Pershing Auditorium in downtown Lincoln. It's tiny, and a dump. The pro-Arena group had to convince Nebraska to join since they knew their project wouldn't be viable without an anchor tenant.

Also, the Lincoln USHL team won't be leaving their current home.


Show us the money
And where will the money come from?
Most of it -- $194 million over 30 years -- would come from increased taxes on hotel rooms, bar and restaurant tabs and car rentals.
Another $95 million is projected in arena revenue -- ranging from naming rights to premium seating.
The rest of the money to pay off bonds over 30 years would come from:
$33 million in private donations, including $20 million from 2015 Vision -- a group of business leaders -- and $13 million in mostly private money for the Breslow Ice Center.
$24 million in state turnback taxes (70 percent of the sales tax revenue collected from the arena and nearby hotels is "turned back" to the city).
$19 million in revenue from two new parking garages and surface parking.
$17 million from the sale of land to developers for offices, shops and stores and tax increment financing.
$16.4 million in interest income from the bond proceeds.
Federal funds to assist with environmental remediation, $800,000.


Read more: http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_6ecf11c2-0dfa-11df-9025-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1lfCmHkiz
 

>'.'< said:
I just bought a few Powerball tickets. So when I win the $250 million jackpot this Wednesday, I'll donate $20 million for a new practice facilty. Problem solved!
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And Gopherhole is holding you to that!
 

FanSinceTheFifties said:
Just to display my obdurate fiscal conservatism -- how about this? Convert Williams Arena into the practice facility and play at Target Center since it already exists. Same for baseball -- why build a new U of M baseball stadium when the Metrodome can be an all-weather stadium for them. Yeah, I know, the Metrodome, the newest Big10 stadium until we built the newest new Big10 stadium for U football, has been deemed a dump. Have you ever seen a town so stadium-crazy? Our stadium amortization cost per win in all sports has to be the highest in the galaxy. I know this is the wrong forum for such thoughts, but I feel better after posting them. Be kind, friends.
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For as many sports teams as this town has, going over the history gives me a clear picture that this town has gotten by extraordinarily cheap. Consider.........

The Twins have had 3 stadiums. Met Stadium was built for $47 in the late 50s, then they built the Metrodome for $55 million in 1982 - DIRT CHEAP. Finally, a couple years ago, they built a stadium that will last at least 40 years for $520. Total for 90 years: $575,000,047. CHEAP.

The Vikings have had 2 stadiums. Both were built for the baseball team (just work with me here). Total cost for 50 years: ZERO.

The Gopher football team has had 3 stadiums since like 1908. The first one was built for 50 cents. The second one was built for the Twins - cost == ZERO. The third one just opened and will last at least 50 years and cost $289 million. Total cost for 105 years: $289,000,000.50.

Siebert field was built using by prison inmates (lie) and an old set of White Bear Lake high school grandstands (another lie). Total cost: ZERO (a lie, but not far off).

Excel is an awesome hockey arena and replaced one that shouldn't have been knocked down (at least that's the going story). Point FanSinceTheFifties. In any event, it wasn't that expensive.

Target Center sucks and needs to be renovated every 15 minutes because they are so hopelessly behind. If the Gopher basketball team ever plays there, just shut the program down. THEY WILL NEVER, EVER PLAY AT TARGET CENTER. EVER. (Or Excel, for that matter.)

Which brings us to The Barn. Built in 1928, it cost a team of horses and a mid-sized stagecoach - and free tuition for life for the guys that built the roof. CHEAP.
 

>'.'< said:
I just bought a few Powerball tickets. So when I win the $250 million jackpot this Wednesday, I'll donate $20 million for a new practice facilty. Problem solved!
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We'll call it the >'.'< Center
 


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