The Drive: Texas State's Campaign To 1-a

FirefightnRick · May 24, 2008

From TxStBobcat's post on another thread.

As many of you know, Texas State has announced their intentions to move their football program to FBS.

Here is a link to a recently launched site that will show the progress TxSt has made and will continue to make over the next few years...

http://www.athletics.txstate.edu/thedrive/

One of our main road blocks we need to tackle is facility improvement. A brand new baseball and softball complex is set to begin construction this summer. Football Stadium expansion will follow soon after. Here is a link to a PDF that shows a lot of the facility improvements we'll be making.

http://www.athletics.txstate.edu/thedrive/...raft_042107.pdf

Rick

untphd · May 24, 2008

From TxStBobcat's post on another thread.
As many of you know, Texas State has announced their intentions to move their football program to FBS.
Here is a link to a recently launched site that will show the progress TxSt has made and will continue to make over the next few years...
http://www.athletics.txstate.edu/thedrive/
One of our main road blocks we need to tackle is facility improvement. A brand new baseball and softball complex is set to begin construction this summer. Football Stadium expansion will follow soon after. Here is a link to a PDF that shows a lot of the facility improvements we'll be making.
http://www.athletics.txstate.edu/thedrive/...raft_042107.pdf
Rick

Thanks for the info, it is interesting to see how a campaign develops. It looks like they are very serious. I hope to see something like this being sent out to us from NT. I like the name they came up with, I hope ours looks as good or better.

MeanGreen61 · May 24, 2008

one would think UNT would already have a plan up and posted somewhere
seeing as TxState has theirs posted several years before they will be able to move up a division one would think UNT would have had their plan posted two or three years back since everyone is "banking" on ground being broken on a stadium and a new hotel in 2009
the reality is UNT has no plan for athletics or the university as a whole and UNT has no plan for a student fee on a progressive scale like TxState and UNT has no plan to even have a vote on one
just about every major university in Texas has a plan to move their university forward with a capital campaign or they have just completed a capital campaign and several smaller schools have a plan or just completed one
several schools also have firm published plans for athletics as well
UNT has not ever had a plan like that public or private since the "move up" from 1-AA.....and I have never even seen UNT talk about raising money for academics

Turning this into another UNT suxs thread ?

Edited May 24, 2008 by MeanGreen61

DeepGreen · May 24, 2008

Checklist has my vote. He is dead on in his assessment of UNT and it's athletics.

Nothing has come out of the AD's office for some time now. Fact is, he has nothing to report. Now we are into the summer and UNT and the athletic department get a pass for 2-3 months. Nothing to report anyway.

I tell you people, we are getting the same old merry-go-round year after year.

untphd · May 24, 2008

the reality is UNT has no plan for athletics or the university as a whole and UNT has no plan for a student fee on a progressive scale like TxState and UNT has no plan to even have a vote on one

Wasn't part of the plan to acquire the land where Liberty Christian was located?

SUMG · May 24, 2008

that was solely to get UNT out from their title 9 issue
and one needs to go beyond steps in different directions to have a plan......just taking a step is not a plan
if UNT had a plan we would all know where the baseball fields would be located.....and what they would cost.....and when they would be built...and how many people it would hold
if UNT had a plan we would know how much it will cost and when a center court will be installed at the tennis facility
if UNT had a plan there would be a dollar amount out there somewhere in writing for the stadium, baseball, tennis court completion, ect.
if UNT had a plan we would all already know what the Raddison was going to be used for
if UNT had a plan we would all already know how far along UNT is to reaching those set goals
if UNT had a plan we would all already know in writing how many people the stadium would hold
it is my opinion and only my opinion that the biggest mistake UNT made was moving across I-35 (actually I have seen others express this as well on this forum)......UNT should have dumped that land and the golf course and the hotel years ago when real estate was sky high and called TWU and ask them to share a golf course....that land has WAY more value as a development being between tWo MaJoR InTeReStAtEs than it does for UNT
then UNT would take the money from that land and immediately purchase (take with eminent domain) the remaining crappy parts of cement city and use that area for academics since it is so close to many of the dorms
then UNT should have built a stadium near the existing one and a parking garage to serve students in the week day and events at the stadium and the Pit at night or weekends (possibly even the lupe Dillo)
there is ZERO need for that land west of 35.....it is too far from campus, it is needless sprawl of the campus when there are plenty of other properties UNT could have purchased and made an area around campus much nicer
show me a comprehensive plan for anything at UNT with one glaring exception.....the south dallas campus and the potential law school to go with it
show me a plan for the former TI facility that spells out what goals UNT has for it (another unneeded purchase at least as UNT has "utilized" it so far)......with the exception of a quick sketch......show me a plan UNT has to actually reach the goals of that sketch for the property west of 35....show me a dollar amount it will take for a stadium and a center court and a baseball facility and team.....show me a plan to progress in those goals
why is everyone beating around the bush here.....read the other threads......look at the real reason Fire Extinguishing Richard started a second thread about TxState.....look at what 3 Florida schools have DEVELOPED A PLAN FOR and funded on their campuses since UNT has moved west of 35....look at the concerns people have when they start thread after thread about what other schools are doing....and who is talking about going to what conference
then come to UNT and see the crickets in front of the library (should get a few chickens the crickets would be gone in no time and students would love it)......but the fountains were a major step for an extremely formerly ugly area

Sounds to me like a lot of these plans of yours, are the responsibility of the Athletic Director. Maybe the next time he has a Quarterly Meeting you can ask him how things are progressing.

Speaking of crickets........

SUMG · May 24, 2008

the AD (with the exception of probably 10 schools in the USA) does not decide if and when a university dumps a large tract of land or when they make a major move of campus facilities of any type across a major interstate.....the BOR and the administration do
the AD (with the exception of probably 10 schools in the USA) does not decide on his own to start raising funds for athletics and what amount will be raised
the AD (with the exception of probably 10 schools in the USA) does not decide to start up a major mens sport that will possibly require the addition of another womens sport
the AD (with no exceptions) does not decide when to level athletics fees on students
most would think highly of an AD that has brought in 2 of the largest donations in the history of the school and a third that allowed a tennis facility to be started
most would think highly of an AD that got a school off of title 9 issues with nearly the same budget the school has had for years
most would think highly of an AD that hired a coach that got basketball to the NCAAs for the first time in decades
most would think highly of an AD that was able to finally dump a womens B-Ball coach that clearly had uncompromising pictures of Bobby Ray and others and used them for 10 years to stay in her job
that is how I see it.....there is only so much an AD can do especially when his goals cost more than the entire endowment of a university

First of all, RV had nothing to do with Mattress Mac's donation. (MM was Darrell Dickey's boy). That donation was the one, remember that allowed the athletic center to be finished. Oh, that and the bailout from the BOR, because your hero couldn't even raise $6.7 million. Yet, you bring up the thing again and again, about how RV had plans to raise $90 million for Athletics. But somehow when it came to nut crunching time...he couldn't even raise $6.7 million.

Also, from what I understand...Mr.Waranch contacted the school wanting to make a donation. The school, referred him to Athletics...where they then cultivated him and he made his donation for the tennis facility.

Anyway, this was supposed to be a thread about TSU...which you decided to turn into a RV suckoff. Call me an ingrate, but I don't worship him like you and countless others do.

Edited May 24, 2008 by SUMG

untphd · May 24, 2008

that was solely to get UNT out from their title 9 issue
and one needs to go beyond steps in different directions to have a plan......just taking a step is not a plan

Wasn't part of the plan to build the Athletic Dorms.

SUMG · May 25, 2008

they are not athletic dorms....it is illegal to have dorms strictly for athletes in Texas
and again I have an idea if it is part of a "plan"
but I have seen no time line for completing any of the facilities
I have seen no dollar amount for what it will cost to complete the "plan"
I have seen no "plan" on where those dollars will come from
if there was a "plan"....UNT would have know what they were going to do with the hotel when the Raddison deal was ended
if there was a "plan" we would have known the university was planning to take control of the Raddison property long before the deal was done
the Raddison management had been looking to sell the lease on the property of at least a year possibly more......so UNT was not "planning" anything with that facility until recently....and now that a deal has been done....there are only rumors of what will be done with the property....again with no timeline, cost, or discussion of where the funding will come from
so maybe it is a non-plan plan......sort of like silence about the silent phase of fund raising

Only at North Texas...is an inefficient Athletic Department....absolutely not the fault of the leader. None at all. But, he should get the credit for everything good that has happened.

Maybe at a game next year, you can touch his clothing as he walks by. It might cure the brain tumor that you obviously have.

SUMG · May 25, 2008

actually there is very little that is "inefficient" about athletics at UNT......that is where you are 100% wrong
you have replaced 3 coaches recently......you field more sports than a number of schools with a larger budget......and basketball has even won recently
you fail to see what an AD can and can't possibly do at a school especially a school like UNT
RV can step up and start any campaign he wishes.....and state that he will raise any dollar amount he wants
but in the end he can not ACT without approval of administration and the BOR.....unless he wants to be out of a job
RV can not do what happened at SMU.....because the administration will not allow it......if the administration would allow it do you really think RV would just sit there and do nothing
hard to call the athletics "inefficient" when the athletics department holds the record for the largest donation ever given to a university in its 118 year history
I guess in your world there are hundreds of people out there waiting to give millions to UNT......but for some reason RV has decided against taking their money or those people do not like RV personally so they are waiting until he is replaced before they give......and all this in light of the fact that RV has brought in 1.3 million from people in no way related to UNT and those same people actually offered to underwrite baseball, but it was not do able at the time....it would have been a mistake for RV to take money for baseball when he knew UNT would not take that money and field a team because UNT was not going to start another womens sport
you seem to feel RV has the same authority that Deloss Dodds has at UT or Dr. Tom has at Nebraska........when that is far from the truth
RV works within the parameters he is allowed to work in.....which is no student fee increase.....limited ability to raise funds....and limited ability to put forth a concrete plan

I do know that I gave the Mean Green Club a donation of $5,000 last year. What did you give, superstar?

And for that $5,000...I didn't receive one of the benefits that I was promised. When I brought it up to the AD...he twice (via e-mail) promised to "make it up to me."

That was 7 months ago....he hasn't "made up" anything.

And so, I lowered my donation for this season (to $1500).

WWRVD? Not much.

Oh, and I let that one slide. But the next time I get F'd over by him and his Athletic Department....I'll request a visit with Dr. Bataille.

Edited May 25, 2008 by SUMG

May 25, 2008

What's going on here? Check Facts may be new and not know anything about our plans but the old nestors should. Did no one know that UNT has a Master Plan? We do, and it includes athletics.

We had one drawn up maybe ten years ago by an architectural firms which I believe was Paul Giglio & Associates. It was followed for a while but was outdated when we acquired the Research Park and College of Engineering from TI and even more so when we acquired the Eagle Point Golf Course and the Liberty Christian School property. We then commissioned Sasaki Associates to draw up a new Five Year Master Plan which was completed in 2005. I'd suggest that everyone go to unt.edu and search for the UNT master plan or the Sasaki master plan. It makes for interesting reading; all 138 pages of it. The problem is that part of it is now outdated since it does not include the acquisition of the Radisson.

That might have something to do with why RV is not very communicative. Do you remember a bullet-point presentation that he made about the new athletics center? It was to be in the Services Building (just north of Fouts Field). Well, the ball hardly started rolling on that one when suddenly we had the Eagle Point acreage so scrap the original athletics center site. It seems to me that about the time for the next meeting was when we acquired the Liberty Christian site but were stymied for six or eight months while they found another site. So what is the point in having quarterly meetings if much of what you discuss isn't going to happen?

As to fund raising, it's been rather recent that the AD could even solicit funds. All fund raising was done under the Office of Development although some solicitation was done by them on behalf of athletics. However, we had to develop our own donors so as not to reduce donations, legacies and trusts to the University. At this point I'd like to tell Check Facts that at that time we were just completing a $150 million campaign for the University of North Texas. It was to be a five-year campaign and was completed in three. Considering the apathy that had been present before we attempted fund-raising, I thought that was pretty impressive.

At one time we had stadium plans and even put out a video to present to possible donors (although the video was more ideas than actual final plans). It included environmental studies as well. I don't understand why we licked that calf over again, using the Goldfield donation. I'm guessing that it had something to do with revised plans based on the acquisition of the Radisson.

None of us on this board has a direct line to the Athletics Department administration. I'll be glad to offer my services to convey any inside information to the august members of this forum if they need a mouthpiece. At least Check Facts did point out some of the accomplishment that has happened under Rick's watch. I'd say those things are true. No one can touch him when it comes to new facilities or funds raised. He has had some failings during his tenure but far less than his predecessors. He should have investigated a large donor's complaint although I'd wager that the error was not his.

I've fought this fight longer than any of you who post on this board and I want a new stadium to enjoy before I die but I'm not half as antsy as many of you. Unless this recession gets really bad, I believe that the stadium will be built in the next two years and I'm much more of a realist than an optimist.

Texas State is at the point that we were years ago when we were allowed by our administration to return to Division 1-A. I know that they are enthused and I wish them well.

greenminer · May 25, 2008

Is a stadium by 2010 even realistic? We're talking about building a huge venue from the ground up. If we break dirt even this August (not likely unless there is something going on we don't know about), that's 2 years to put up a 30K structure....I just don't see it.

Not a good comparison, but it just took UTEP about 3 years to complete a freakin parking garage. Seriously...

A stadium by 2010 is a lot of green koolaid for me, and I'm having to mix more and more vodka in it with each passing month.

Edited May 25, 2008 by greenminer

NT80 · May 25, 2008

the reality is UNT has no plan for athletics or the university as a whole and UNT has no plan for a student fee on a progressive scale like TxState and UNT has no plan to even have a vote on one

They do, but just because you don't know about any of them, doesn't mean they don't. Check-your-Facts. :blink:

Edited May 25, 2008 by NT80

untphd · May 25, 2008

they are not athletic dorms....it is illegal to have dorms strictly for athletes in Texas

Then why do all of the athletes {football} live in the dorm. Wasn't part of the plan to build the tennis courts.

untphd · May 25, 2008

They do, but just because you don't know about any of them, doesn't mean they don't. Check-your-Facts.

Agree

CheckFacts · May 25, 2008

Then why do all of the athletes {football} live in the dorm. Wasn't part of the plan to build the tennis courts.

they can not be ONLY for athletes

and even if they were only for athletes....it is still a terrible place for dorms especially for a university attempting to shed a commuter school image that some still hold and build a more "campus" feel

even though the dorms are not "commuter" distance away.....the whole idea of building university functions of any type on that piece of land is a poor choice of what to do with it....especially student living facilities

and again I would welcome a link to answers for any or all of the above questions

Edited May 25, 2008 by CheckFacts

untphd · May 25, 2008

[quote name='CheckFacts' date='May 24 2008, 11:20 PM' post='35087

So you do see some plans.

GrandGreen · May 25, 2008

This thread has been obviously hijacked to a discussion relative to NT's athletic program development. It is obvious we have two extremes represented, those that believe that everything is rosy and preceding ahead and some who believe that NT is one of the worst managed universities in the country. Some look at the present AD as a savior and other greatly question his accomplishments.

My view, is that the communications have been handled so badly that it is difficult to determine what in the heck is going on. It appears and I certainly hope I am wrong that very little has been accomplished in the construction of a new stadium. It seems that lack of real progress is covered by intermittent glimpses of favorable information either in official releases or apparently leaked. This kind of keeps the ball rolling without really committing to anything. Relative to the AD, it still amazes me the number of fans that seems to credit RV with every success but excuse away the failures. If you want to give the AD credit for title IX compliance, Eagle Point, tailgating and the successful coach hires, you should weight the negatives also.

The thing that NT is missing is a strong commitment to big time college athletics. Long term plans are cheap and make interesting reading but mean very little unless there are commitments and resources to bring those to fruition. In general, NT's academic goals are eventually met through allocations from state funds. Athletics are a total different manner. Just about everyone familiar with this site can name the handful of major donations to NT athletics. Since returning to 1a football there by my count have been 3 gifts announced over a million dollars. Not exactly awe inspiring when you are trying to build an athletic program inclusive of a new stadium.

I still have confidence in the new administration and they really have accomplished a lot in their short tenure. However, I do feel that if NT is in danger of blowing another chance in substantially upgrading NT's athletic program.

NT80 · May 25, 2008

so how much will the football stadium cost
how many will it seat
when will ground be broken
how will it be paid for....what percentage donors and what percentage other monies
does UNT have a date to try and raise a students athletics fee.....if so when is it and how much are they looking to raise
what is the time line to finish the tennis center what is the cost
what is the time line for adding baseball
what will it cost
where is the funding coming from
what additional womens sports will need to be added if any
what is the cost for that
funding source
http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle...p;ATCLID=115275
that link last mentions money in 2004.....4 years ago
we have seen this posted before
http://www.meangreensports.com/pdf7/48475....;DB_OEM_ID=1800
I believe this sent Plummy into a multicolor-font diatribe about how he knew between 2 interstates meant something and it had perfect alignment of Chi which meant the Feng Shui was there to get it done by 2009 like the power point says
http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle...p;ATCLID=655037
thanks in advance for finally getting answers to some of those questions

Patience Grasshopper!

May 25, 2008

Is a stadium by 2010 even realistic? We're talking about building a huge venue from the ground up. If we break dirt even this August (not likely unless there is something going on we don't know about), that's 2 years to put up a 30K structure....I just don't see it.
Not a good comparison, but it just took UTEP about 3 years to complete a freakin parking garage. Seriously...
A stadium by 2010 is a lot of green koolaid for me, and I'm having to mix more and more vodka in it with each passing month.

It's doable. There have been five new stadiums built in this millenium. Four were completed in two years or less. The lone exception was Gerald Ford at SMU which was started in 1997 and completed in 2000. The shortest was the new Stanford Stadium. The old stadium, which was much larger, was torn down after the 2005 season and the new 50,000 seat stadium was ready to open their 2006 season. This may not be relevant now but RV said at the opening of the Athletic Center that a stadium could be built on that property in eighteen months.

NT80 · May 25, 2008

It's doable. RV said at the opening of the Athletic Center that a stadium could be built on that property in eighteen months.

Aug. 2010 completion - 18 months = Feb. 2009 groundbreaking. I guess we'll find out within 8 months where we stand.

MeanGreenEagle · May 25, 2008

I do know that I gave the Mean Green Club a donation of $5,000 last year. What did you give, superstar?
And for that $5,000...I didn't receive one of the benefits that I was promised. When I brought it up to the AD...he twice (via e-mail) promised to "make it up to me."
That was 7 months ago....he hasn't "made up" anything.
And so, I lowered my donation for this season (to $1500).
WWRVD? Not much.
Oh, and I let that one slide. But the next time I get F'd over by him and his Athletic Department....I'll request a visit with Dr. Bataille.

I will gladly repay you Tuesday (2010) for a 5K cheeseburger donation today.

GreenBat · May 25, 2008

Aug. 2010 completion - 18 months = Feb. 2009 groundbreaking. I guess we'll find out within 8 months where we stand.

I think it has been established by SUMG what RV's word is worth!!!

Danish42 · May 25, 2008

What about Texas A&M Kingsville. I would love to see them have a program like in the 80's?

one would think UNT would already have a plan up and posted somewhere
seeing as TxState has theirs posted several years before they will be able to move up a division one would think UNT would have had their plan posted two or three years back since everyone is "banking" on ground being broken on a stadium and a new hotel in 2009
the reality is UNT has no plan for athletics or the university as a whole and UNT has no plan for a student fee on a progressive scale like TxState and UNT has no plan to even have a vote on one
just about every major university in Texas has a plan to move their university forward with a capital campaign or they have just completed a capital campaign and several smaller schools have a plan or just completed one
several schools also have firm published plans for athletics as well
UNT has not ever had a plan like that public or private since the "move up" from 1-AA.....and I have never even seen UNT talk about raising money for academics

FirefightnRick · May 25, 2008

My view, is that the communications have been handled so badly that it is difficult to determine what in the heck is going on.

Very true. Which is why so many see a correlation between donation levels and progress. As one....ONE time 5 figure donor told me in New Orleans, "People are not going to donate if you can't tell them what it's going to be used for".

Communication with fans and donors...hmm???? Now who's feet does that lie at?

Rick