What to do after fence project?

[DONW]

This one is pretty easy IMO.

These are some things I think a long term plan should include and they will only deal with facilities since that is the topic of this thread and not attendance, season ticket sales, etc.

These are in the order we should attempt to get this done but #1 &2 could be going on at the same time.

#1) Rip out all the old faded blue stadium seats at JAS and replace them with new reflex blue seats and add MORE seats. There is a waiting list for these seats so you up the price and charge more and you get more money! I'd put them all on the press box side. Myabe even add some white seats to spell Tech when no one is in the stadium, would look cool for recruits and nice. Gramblings seats are tiger stripes and spell out GSU when no one is in stadium and they look nice. Just like the baseball seats, this project could pay for itself and greatly improve the looks of JAS. And after a year make money over and over for Tech football! Get rid of the fake stadium seats, give them to the softball team or something and put them in some new stands?

#2) Rip down the old score boards in JAS and the video boards and score boards in TAC. Upgrades are past due for these projects. I think one large nice scoreboard would be adequate in JAS, I don't think there is a need for 2 scoreboards but there is a BIG NEED for a new nice Jumbotron where we could also make more money for Tech by selling advertising. This would be an added feature in the TAC also and improve the atmosphere of game events for basketball and football.

#3) A MAJOR addition to the football facilities. I mean a $10-15 million building. This would house an educational facility for athletes, a really nice and big weight room facility, and an indoor practice facility all in one. I am not sure where this would go but I would suggest as close to the fieldhouse as possible maybe even connected somehow. I am not an architect but I am sure it can be done and look nice.

I don't think we should worry about adding seats until these things are done, we have not had over 25k in Ruston in almost 10 years anyway-we could if we played Grambling or ULM though but that would be the exception and not the rule as far as attendance.

Believe it or not these may sound far fetched but This is exactly what other sunbelt schools like UNT, ASU, Troy and ULL are doing or have already done!USM just finished a big project and ULM will be on board next and here we are looking like podunk U with nada.

These could be done for probably $15-20 million. Tech has spent 5X that in the past few years on campus apartments, new buildings, student center, etc. I am not sure where that money comes from but not all of it is state moeny so 20 million isn't that much. People will give and give generously if there is a need and a plan to meet the need of new facilities upgrades, etc.

You have got to be kidding if you think Tech can raise 20 million for improvements to athletic facilities. We can't even raise 10,000 for a very worthy fence project and we are the diehard fans. Tech couldn't raise 20 million if a big donor promised to donate 10 million if we could match it. All of those projects on campus are state funded and the state is not going to give funds to athletic facilities. Our biggest need right now is a football coach that can put a team on the field that can win and that will also reach out to the alumni to get them to come to the games. Until we get rid of Bicknell and hire a real coach, we are not going to make any progress. Throwing money at facilities is not going to help our football program as long as Jack Bicknell is the coach.

[Appledog]

The number one need is to get an organization in place to facilitate the fund raising and deliver the specific project.

Right now CHAMPS does not appear to be that vehicle.

My guess is that Ronnie Walker is in the closest type of position that can be used to get it going.

Looking at LSU (TAF) they have fund raised thru the good and bad times to improve and build their facilities. However, it goes without saying that certainly appears easier to raise money with Coach Saban winning than with Coach DiNardo losing.

The TAF may be a good model to get started with and modify to reflect our needs at this point in time. One reason to have a separate Foundation from the Athletic Department is "flexibility" in getting capital projects done and donated to the University, that going through the conventional State procurement process makes for additonal time and money and limits creativity. In any event a seperate Foundation would need to work closely with the Athletic Director and University President to succeed. The second part of the Foundation is the need for a board and directors - CHAMPS apparently does not have this feature. This group is what effectively determines what the needs are and prioritizes, then decides how best to raise the money.

Something else to observe from the TAF is how much they are involved in contributing to supplement the total $$$ paid to the LSU coaching staff.

How does Tech get it going? Simply by putting a date on the calender and having a group of people show up in Ruston and decide to start a Foundation - including inviting Mr Oakes and Mr Walker. The most likely supporters will be those that are members of CHAMPS and members of BBB.

[Gooddawg]

You have got to be kidding if you think Tech can raise 20 million for improvements to athletic facilities. We can't even raise 10,000 for a very worthy fence project and we are the diehard fans. Tech couldn't raise 20 million if a big donor promised to donate 10 million if we could match it. All of those projects on campus are state funded and the state is not going to give funds to athletic facilities. Our biggest need right now is a football coach that can put a team on the field that can win and that will also reach out to the alumni to get them to come to the games. Until we get rid of Bicknell and hire a real coach, we are not going to make any progress. Throwing money at facilities is not going to help our football program as long as Jack Bicknell is the coach.

You have been listening to JO too much, if UNT, ULL, ASU, Troy, USM and almost every other school in the WAC can do it, why can't we? If you mean JO can't get this project done you may be right but it could be done if we knew what we were doing. If the DR and JO made up their minds that this is what they wanted, it would get done. Granted that isn't likely but it is necessary to get a major project done. It just won't happen on DR and JO watch probably.

Tech has not tried to raise money for the fence project, BB&B has and the capital area champs group has but not Tech athletics, no one even knows about this fence project except for this board and the CAC.

Not all of that money for on campus projects was state money, I am sure some of the $100 million had to be raised from private donations.

You are wrong, a recent survey listed one of the top three reasons recruits choose a school was facilities, throwing money will help Tech football guaranteed.

[Gooddawg]

The number one need is to get an organization in place to facilitate the fund raising and deliver the specific project.

Right now CHAMPS does not appear to be that vehicle.

My guess is that Ronnie Walker is in the closest type of position that can be used to get it going.

Looking at LSU (TAF) they have fund raised thru the good and bad times to improve and build their facilities. However, it goes without saying that certainly appears easier to raise money with Coach Saban winning than with Coach DiNardo losing.

The TAF may be a good model to get started with and modify to reflect our needs at this point in time. One reason to have a separate Foundation from the Athletic Department is "flexibility" in getting capital projects done and donated to the University, that going through the conventional State procurement process makes for additonal time and money and limits creativity. In any event a seperate Foundation would need to work closely with the Athletic Director and University President to succeed. The second part of the Foundation is the need for a board and directors - CHAMPS apparently does not have this feature. This group is what effectively determines what the needs are and prioritizes, then decides how best to raise the money.

Something else to observe from the TAF is how much they are involved in contributing to supplement the total $$$ paid to the LSU coaching staff.

How does Tech get it going? Simply by putting a date on the calender and having a group of people show up in Ruston and decide to start a Foundation - including inviting Mr Oakes and Mr Walker. The most likely supporters will be those that are members of CHAMPS and members of BBB.

Oakes and DR are not behind this sort of organization so you will have to do it in spite of them. I am sure Ronny Walker would would work with a foundation if it meant bringing in more money to Tech and would help to improve things.

[Dwayne From Minden]

There is only one catch to an outside Foundation to benefit TECH Athletics -

It has to have the BLESSING of the powers that be - and with the current duo in place right now that is not going to happen -

However, if someone in the next four to five years becomes President of our university and that someone realizes how beneficial an outside foundation dedicated to one cause can truly be - say someone like Dr Les Guice with his understanding of how the Engineering Foundation has benefitted that school -

Then I think that is the time to explore such options - until then, it is basically a pipe dream - because right now the thinking is CHAMPS is fine and thats all we need -

And if anyone can remember back to 1994 and the Centennial Campaign - the Tech Foundation was suppose to raise $100 million for the corpus of the trust by 2004 - I think as of last fall there is less than $47 million that comprises the corpus - ya'll can draw your own conclusions on how successful that has been -

[markay714]

[QUOTE=Dwayne From Minden]However, if someone in the next four to five years becomes President of our university and that someone realizes how beneficial an outside foundation dedicated to one cause can truly be - say someone like Dr Les Guice with his understanding of how the Engineering Foundation has benefitted that school -
QUOTE]

Glad to hear Dr. Guice's name mentioned as a likely successor - definitely think he'd be a GREAT leader!

[Cool Hand Clyde]

"There is only one catch to an outside Foundation to benefit TECH Athletics -

It has to have the BLESSING of the powers that be "

Not exactly.