MTSU unveils three-phase, $100 million-plus athletic facilities upgrades

[meangreen11]

Middle Tennessee State University has announced the first of a three-phase, $100 million-plus plan to upgrade athletics facilities, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

The first phase, for which the university has secured $66 million in funds, will include the new Student-Athlete Performance Center behind the north end zone at Floyd Stadium and additional improvements to the stadium.

Design of the new facility will begin immediately, with project completion expected before the start of the 2024 football season. The state building commission recently approved MTSU’s plans for the project.

read more:  https://amp.dnj.com/amp/6400368001

[Cr1028]

2025 CUSA champs, let those 10-win seasons and trophies roll in like a warm summer breeze.

[UNTLifer]

 “The decision we made to remain with Conference USA aligns squarely with our desire to bring about meaningful change in our athletics campus.”
 

Odd statement. 

[Cr1028]

Just now, UNTLifer said:

 “The decision we made to remain with Conference USA aligns squarely with our desire to bring about meaningful change in our athletics campus.”
 

Odd statement. 

That is code for the other conferences said no because we didn’t invest enough in athletics.

[outoftown]

Its weird. Rumor (but seems fairly realistic and decently supported) is that MTSU wasn't willing to pay entry and exit fees. The next week they want to put big money into facilities.

[VideoEagle]

3 hours ago, outoftown said:

Its weird. Rumor (but seems fairly realistic and decently supported) is that MTSU wasn't willing to pay entry and exit fees. The next week they want to put big money into facilities.

 

5 hours ago, Cr1028 said:

That is code for the other conferences said no because we didn’t invest enough in athletics.

I think that's it. They are broke, but they can't spend exit and entrance fees AND do the facilities upgrades they need to do. They had NOT been doing ongoing upgrades as we have. When realignment came, they weren't ready and you can't start a building program and then join a new conference. You need to have already built facilities when conference realignment happens. THAT was the reason we got passed over for CUSA by UTEP back in 2005 - according to multiple media reports CUSA needed ONE more member and it came down to UTEP, LaTech and NT. UTEP had the facilities and La Tech and NT didn't. 

This time around, the President of SMU and the Commissioner of the AAC both comment that NT didn't have to promise to upgrade facilities, we are already doing that continuously. Spending on facilities shows other schools commitment to athletics and that is what other University Presidents look for! 

[MeanGreen_MBA]

7 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

 “The decision we made to remain with Conference USA aligns squarely with our desire to bring about meaningful change in our athletics campus.”
 

Odd statement. 

Sounds like they want to be a BIG fish in a small pond. 

[Wag Tag]

When is our Athletic facility going to be completed??

[wardly]

3 hours ago, Wag Tag said:

When is our Athletic facility going to be completed??

If athletics remains strong at North Texas, which except for football it is, the answer is probably not for a long time. Future projects could include a new basketball arena, new softball park, perhaps the addition of baseball  which will require a ball park. If we do add baseball, which makes no sense to me, then we must add woman's programs which may require some type of facilities.

[outoftown]

2 minutes ago, wardly said:

If athletics remains strong at North Texas, which except for football it is, the answer is probably not for a long time. Future projects could include a new basketball arena, new softball park, perhaps the addition of baseball  which will require a ball park. If we do add baseball, which makes no sense to me, then we must add woman's programs which may require some type of facilities.

If NT wants to add baseball, likely also needs to add a womans sport for title IX reasons. Say Beach volleyball. That too would necessitate some fields.

[wardly]

11 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

 “The decision we made to remain with Conference USA aligns squarely with our desire to bring about meaningful change in our athletics campus.”
 

Odd statement. 

I think MTSU made a major mistake in not moving to the MAC. If they can raise $100 million you would think they could  raise just a few million to buy out of CUSA and into the MAC. CUSA's future is probably shorter than mine [79 years old].

[GrandGreen]

16 minutes ago, outoftown said:

If NT wants to add baseball, likely also needs to add a womans sport for title IX reasons. Say Beach volleyball. That too would necessitate some fields.

 

20 minutes ago, wardly said:

If athletics remains strong at North Texas, which except for football it is, the answer is probably not for a long time. Future projects could include a new basketball arena, new softball park, perhaps the addition of baseball  which will require a ball park. If we do add baseball, which makes no sense to me, then we must add woman's programs which may require some type of facilities.

They don't have to add any women sports.   The NCAA to my knowledge has never sanctioned any school for non-compliance.   NT even with baseball would be in better shape than most schools. 

It is an administrative decision at NT not to add men's sports.   The average cost of a baseball program in CUSA  in a 5 year period ending in 2017 was $1.2m.  So I would estimate at least $1.5m now. 

Not a great amount of expense, now just find the donations to build a facility.   

Edited November 15, 2021 by GrandGreen

[outoftown]

15 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

 

They don't have to add any women sports.   The NCAA to my knowledge has never sanctioned any school for non-compliance.   NT even with baseball would be in better shape than most schools. 

It is an administrative decision at NT not to add men's sports.   The average cost of a baseball program in CUSA  in a 5 year period ending in 2017 was $1.2m.  So I would estimate at least $1.5m now. 

Not a great amount of expense, now just find the donations to build a facility.   

Crazy. I was not aware that nobody ever got sanctioned. In that case i really don't understand what is in the way.

[Mean Green 93-98]

35 minutes ago, wardly said:

If athletics remains strong at North Texas, which except for football it is, the answer is probably not for a long time. Future projects could include a new basketball arena, new softball park, perhaps the addition of baseball  which will require a ball park. If we do add baseball, which makes no sense to me, then we must add woman's programs which may require some type of facilities.

Based on comments Wren has made, the updated and expanded AC comes before probably all those other projects, and certainly before baseball.

[golfingomez]

I spoke with a coworker who used to play RB for MTSU, he said they included all of this in his pitch when he was being recruited in 2013

[Mean Green 93-98]

12 minutes ago, golfingomez said:

I spoke with a coworker who used to play RB for MTSU, he said they included all of this in his pitch when he was being recruited in 2013

In fairness, we were pitching our impending new football stadium to recruits during the Dickey years.

[El Paso Eagle]

2 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

 

They don't have to add any women sports.   The NCAA to my knowledge has never sanctioned any school for non-compliance.   NT even with baseball would be in better shape than most schools. 

It is an administrative decision at NT not to add men's sports.   The average cost of a baseball program in CUSA  in a 5 year period ending in 2017 was $1.2m.  So I would estimate at least $1.5m now. 

Not a great amount of expense, now just find the donations to build a facility.   

Do you honestly think UNT would not add a women's sport? 

[keith]

By staying in C-USA, what will be MTSU's take on all the exit and entrance fees coming in to the conference coffers? 

[PlummMeanGreen]

I think for what Wren Baker would really like to do with the expansion of the Athletic Center combo End Zone Facility could be close to $100 million If he goes all out.  
 

Wonder if the State of Texas would kick in since students training & sports medicine training would be involved?  They’ve been involved with financial assistance with other venues in decades past if memory serves me well.  
 

🦅

Edited November 15, 2021 by PlummMeanGreen

[VideoEagle]

9 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

 

They don't have to add any women sports.   The NCAA to my knowledge has never sanctioned any school for non-compliance.   NT even with baseball would be in better shape than most schools. 

 

It's not the NCAA but the Justice Department that might do something. Or, NT get's sued by women students who feel they don't have equal opportunities in athletics. Fresno State is in the middle of a case brought by their former women's lacrosse team. Fresno won the first round - sort of, at least they didn't lose - but the case continues. 

[Mike Jackson]

9 hours ago, golfingomez said:

I spoke with a coworker who used to play RB for MTSU, he said they included all of this in his pitch when he was being recruited in 2013

Promised it for his 10 year class reunion?   😂  Hell they flirting with missing that too.  I assume he is class 2017 or 2018.  

Edited November 16, 2021 by Mike Jackson

[GrandGreen]

8 minutes ago, VideoEagle said:

It's not the NCAA but the Justice Department that might do something. Or, NT get's sued by women students who feel they don't have equal opportunities in athletics. Fresno State is in the middle of a case brought by their former women's lacrosse team. Fresno won the first round - sort of, at least they didn't lose - but the case continues. 

No, I highly doubt the Justice Department will get involved.

Suits by individual women do happen and the women are usually bought off.

I would actually like to see a suit brought by a male about lack of opportunities.  Title 9 covers both sexes, but seems to be interpreted only one way.  Men who play sports other than football are obviously discriminated against. 

Title 9 should be repealed, but no politician is going to touch it.   I am all for sport equality between the sexes, but believe that there should be some recognition of the financial and fan interest factors.   

[wardly]

3 hours ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

I think for what Wren Baker would really like to do with the expansion of the Athletic Center combo End Zone Facility could be close to $100 million If he goes all out.  
 

Wonder if the State of Texas would kick in since students training & sports medicine training would be involved?  They’ve been involved with financial assistance with other venues in decades past if memory serves me well.  
 

🦅

I may be wrong, but I don't Texas allows university funds provided by the state to be used in the construction of athletic facilities. The "Super Pit' was not funded by the state as a basketball arena but as a center for student activity, such as graduations, etc. This is why it is controlled by the University, not the Athletic Department, and both our basketball programs must schedule time thru its director as does all other departments. I may be a little fuzzy on the dot to dot but this should be good enough for government work. Please feel free to jump in and correct if I have my facts wrong.

[TheColonyEagle]

There were two types of programs in this latest round of shuffling: those that have already begun investing and those that talk about investing. We thankfully had already begun investing.