Southern Miss and the recruiting war

[Tech XXIX]

If we are going to battle Southern Miss for recruits, we need to get with the program. Interesting article about their facility improvements and thoughts that went behind their decision.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pb...0334/1001/NEWS

[SummaCumDoggie]

I know their Assoc. AD. Tech is lightyears behind USM facilities & $$$ wise. Dooley is a BIG step in the right direction. Hopefully we will reinvest the dollars he brings into the football and basketball programs to get our program on better financial footing.

[bayourant]

USM is a pretty nice school and your right their sports mentality is great. The fact they have dones this while having both Ole Miss and Miss State there is quite an feat and shows it can be done.

[CorinthEagle]

Our AD came from Southern Miss and is doing the same things at North Texas. Our athletic village along with the new training center is getting a lot of interest from the recruits. Hopefully things will stay on track and the new football stadium will be here as planned by 2009.

[rangerdawg]

I know their Assoc. AD. Tech is lightyears behind USM facilities & $$$ wise. Dooley is a BIG step in the right direction. Hopefully we will reinvest the dollars he brings into the football and basketball programs to get our program on better financial footing.

One thing about USM is that they always have something on the drawing board...it may just be an architechts drawing, but they have something to show recruits. Right now, they have plans to horseshoe the south end zone and they play it up. They have several new facilites to show folks and they are impressive.

Tech has new facilities to show recruits, but none of them have to do with athletics. Hopefully, that is going to change. Lots of talk about things being re-done and built new.

[bigtex]

When it comes to potential, I cannot think of a single reason why Tech COULD not be a more attractive school that SoMiss for prospective recruits. If the new AD, whoever and whenever, follows Dooley's lead thus far we could prove to be a more successful program than theirs. Obviously, they have a BIG head start on us, but I do feel that we could surpass them if we manage this thing right. Only time will tell.....

[Cool Hand Clyde]

Southern Miss gets revenue from a hotel/motel tax to use for capital for athletic projects. How does TECH do something similar? Bonds?

[rangerdawg]

Southern Miss gets revenue from a hotel/motel tax to use for capital for athletic projects. How does TECH do something similar? Bonds?

Is this a statewide tax split between the 3 schools, or is it a Hattiesburg tax? If it is a local tax, would the residents of Lincoln Parish not vote in a small tax to generate funds for the athletic program at Tech?

[Cool Hand Clyde]

Is this a statewide tax split between the 3 schools, or is it a Hattiesburg tax? If it is a local tax, would the residents of Lincoln Parish not vote in a small tax to generate funds for the athletic program at Tech?

Hattiesburg

[Brian96]

Southern Miss gets revenue from a hotel/motel tax to use for capital for athletic projects. How does TECH do something similar? Bonds?

One more reason we should be tied heavily to S'port.

Universities of significance either have unbelievably large amounts of cash flowing in from a variety of sources, or they are anchored to a growing city, or both. S'port is where Tech's growth is. S'port should be viewed as Tech's home city, and Tech should be viewed as S'port's home university. The administration needs to pursue this full on before it is completely too late.

[bulldog_in_baton_rouge]

When it comes to potential, I cannot think of a single reason why Tech COULD not be a more attractive school that SoMiss for prospective recruits. If the new AD, whoever and whenever, follows Dooley's lead thus far we could prove to be a more successful program than theirs. Obviously, they have a BIG head start on us, but I do feel that we could surpass them if we manage this thing right. Only time will tell.....

One more reason we should be tied heavily to S'port.

Universities of significance either have unbelievably large amounts of cash flowing in from a variety of sources, or they are anchored to a growing city, or both. S'port is where Tech's growth is. S'port should be viewed as Tech's home city, and Tech should be viewed as S'port's home university. The administration needs to pursue this full on before it is completely too late.

All the more reason JO's sole responsibilities should include little more than washing the TAC.

[okiealdawg]

Tech is a better school than S. Miss. so we have that much going for us at least.

[rangerdawg]

One more reason we should be tied heavily to S'port.

Universities of significance either have unbelievably large amounts of cash flowing in from a variety of sources, or they are anchored to a growing city, or both. S'port is where Tech's growth is. S'port should be viewed as Tech's home city, and Tech should be viewed as S'port's home university. The administration needs to pursue this full on before it is completely too late.

Great idea Brian, but for an example, let's use Oklahoma State. They are the same distance from OKC as Tech is from S'port...70 miles. Stillwater has 40k folks in it. I would bet that they have no financial support from OKC, but that Stillwater has some kind of taxation on hotels to support OSU. It is what keeps that town going. Now I know that OSU is different because they have T. Boone Pickens giving them $100 million gifts.

Ruston should realize that Tech is the THE major industry in town and create some type of tax zone, hotels, if they do not already have them. If you put a hotel tax in for say football only finances, then it will give money to football, obviously. New facilites could be built bringing in new athletes, having winning seasons, bringing in more fans for games spending more money in Ruston!!!

Simple economics. On home weekends, I would bet that Stillwater brings in a ton of tax revenue, which, in turn, would offset the taxes raised and given to the school.

By the way, if anyone thinks that Hattiesburg is some really cool town...it ain't! To me, the town is the major drawback for USM.

[Dirtydawg]

Great idea Brian, but for an example, let's use Oklahoma State. They are the same distance from OKC as Tech is from S'port...70 miles. Stillwater has 40k folks in it. I would bet that they have no financial support from OKC, but that Stillwater has some kind of taxation on hotels to support OSU. It is what keeps that town going. Now I know that OSU is different because they have T. Boone Pickens giving them $100 million gifts.

Ruston should realize that Tech is the THE major industry in town and create some type of tax zone, hotels, if they do not already have them. If you put a hotel tax in for say football only finances, then it will give money to football, obviously. New facilites could be built bringing in new athletes, having winning seasons, bringing in more fans for games spending more money in Ruston!!!

Simple economics. On home weekends, I would bet that Stillwater brings in a ton of tax revenue, which, in turn, would offset the taxes raised and given to the school.

By the way, if anyone thinks that Hattiesburg is some really cool town...it ain't! To me, the town is the major drawback for USM.

Good points, ranger, but here are the problems as I see it. There are many older, and shall we say, relaxed people living in Ruston. I honestly don't believe that the majority of them care about more money in Ruston if it's going to affect their "lazy" atomosphere. That's why there hasn't been much done from the community in years past to help Louisiana Tech. For the many years I was there, I always got the feeling that the Ruston community tolerated Tech and its students, and wasn't really happy it was there. They did nothing to make us feel welcome.

[LaTechRandy]

All the more reason JO's sole responsibilities should include little more than washing the TAC.

He has proven he cannot even tackle that "monumental undertaking"!:bigcry: