Facilities

[NativeCheesehead]

[vu84v2]

Presidents generally get too much credit for a stronger economy and too much blame for a weak economy. I guess it is a human nature to simplify things and attribute outcomes to a singe person or cause, rather than consider the complexities.

That said, the stated intention of the President and the Republican majority Senate and House to lower the corporate tax became a more probable reality after the November 2016 election, causing the market to rise. The realities of passing this are rising up now, because of broader problems with dramatic increases in the national debt, perceptions (right and wrong) about wealth inequalities, etc. My guess is that the markets may be a little overvalued given how tax reform (which, in this case, is tax reduction) may ultimately pan out. Fortunately, I think that the people managing the VU endowment are pretty good at not being too aggressive and will hopefully manage this pretty well.

By the way, national real GDP grew from $14.36T to $16.85T (per the Federal Reserve and using a basis of 2009 dollars) and unemployment went from 7.8% to 4.7% (per the Bureau of Labor Statistics) during the Obama administration. I would not apply a majority of the credit for that to the Obama administration, but claiming that there were 8 straight years of economic decline during the Obama administration is false.

[VU2014]

The economy is cyclical, but the market is up because of regulatory reforms & the market has priced in some form of tax cuts. If Congress doesn't achieve some kind of tax cut the markets will probably regress, but honestly who really knows. It's sort of a moot point because any ARC reno won't use the endowment funds, nor should it be.

Lets not get too far into weeds on economics & politics on this thread. Let's all just hope the economy stays strong. A strong economy means it's more likely we'll find a few of those lead donors for the Student Rec Center & ARC Reno.

[vu84v2]

VU2014 - I apologize for going further into the weeds and agree that a strong economy is good for everyone - including VU endowment. I just couldn't let a unjustified and false statement like "eight years of economic decline under Obama" go unchecked.

By the way, one part of the proposed tax plan that could greatly hurt Valparaiso and other universities is dramatically raising the standard deduction. This will reduce the incentive to donate money to universities, churches, etc. and will decrease overall donations.

[NativeCheesehead]

Sometimes with Presidents it's a little too much "Post hoc ergo propter hoc" on both sides of the aisle.

[bbtds]

Why does it matter what any pundit says or does not say. I do not blame Bush for any of the economic troubles this country has had in the past. Each president, past and present, does not have enough influence to change the economy one way or the other enough to  cause economic ruin or prosperity. Not a Democratic or Republican, even Hoover, who was blamed for the Depression. So even though he takes credit for it Trump doesn't have enough influence to shape the economy that much.

On the other hand what Trump has accomplished to a great degree is make himself look like an @ss by tweeting hatred filled responses that nobody appreciates. Even the other Republicans. His approval numbers are so low no president has ever been lower. He seems to be covering up a scandal that involves the Russians influence over the election and he seems to have us on the brink of nuclear war with North Korea. B

[VULB#62]

I originally was gonna add this to the SIUE thread, but rather than hijack it a bit, I am sticking this here.

When I first tuned into the stream, the first impression was "where are the fans?" 

But the second was about the facility.  Even though it is smaller (~4,000), the configuration and seating (colorful chairbacks around the entire lower bowl - including the corners - except for the base line student sections) looked much more "college-looking" than our ARC.  It is a good example of how just a little attention to the cosmetics of a venue can change perception.  Even the upper level bleacher seats pop out at you.

From the SIUE Athletics website:  "Originally opened December 5, 1984, the Sam M. Vadalabene Center lends itself to the students, faculty, staff and alumni of SIUE for the purposes of education, health, recreation and wellness. The facility is the home to SIUE men's and women's basketball, volleyball and wrestling, and has a capacity of slightly above 4,000. It also serves as the indoor practice facility for baseball and track.

Following spring commencement exercises in 2008, the facility underwent a $6 million renovation, nearly tripling the number of chair back seats as well as adding new locker room, class room and office space."

http://www.siuecougars.com/facilities/vadalabene_center_basketball

[VU2014]

Check out the 360 view of their arena: http://www.youvisit.com/tour/panoramas/siue/80709?module=panoramas&id=39254&pl=v

It looks like a nice arena but I don't like how they have that fence separating the grand stands and the court side seats though. The one thing I love about the ARC is how its almost as if the fans are on top the court on all sides, besides the side where the concessions are at which ideally I'd want to see chairbacks on that side one day. I think thats one home court advantages of the ARC. It's a awkward place to play and the fans are on top of you and it can get loud in there at times.

[oklahomamick]

maybe that tort lawsuit against the HL will help cover some of the costs of renovating the gym. 

[VUGrad1314]

Although we can all agree that some improvements to the ARC are necessary sometimes it's a good idea to take stock and be thankful for what we do have. After all, our arena could look like this:

https://twitter.com/TXStateMBB/status/936986405317824517

[valpotx]

I just don't know how Houston Baptist is D-1 FCS in football.  They are a smaller school than Valpo, and can't have a larger endowment.

[UNIFTW]

If faculties didn't matter the large programs wouldn't be spending hundreds of millions on student athlete centers. Wouldn't have pool tables, 80" TVs, lockers with 42" flat screens in them, wouldn't have the video boards, suites, etc...

Yes most of that is over the top to prove the point, but the belief that facilities don't matter works when you are playing against programs in a conference where everyone thinks that. That's not the case in the MVC. UNI is in the midst of fundraising a 2 level basketball practice and training facility. Just spent a couple million in a tennis facility.

There's a reason Valpo had to spend 600k to reach minimum AV standard for the MVC. It's a different world. Will facilities win you games? No. Will they make a dramatic average attendance impact? Nope. It does make it easier to attract better talent and attract fans when the team is winning.


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[VU2014]

Although we can all agree that some improvements to the ARC are necessary

I think President Heckler begs to differ. 

[oklahomamick]

What makes a program D1?  Number of sports offered or number of scholarships?

[VULB#62]

What makes a program D1?  Number of sports offered or number of scholarships?

Certainly not the former. There are D-I colleges with only a handful of sports and those with 30+. The number of scholarships, therefore would vary by the number of sports offered and, remember, not all sports are required to fully fund to NCAA maximums, therefore, the latter is also not a factor. Doesn't it come down to formally applying for and being designated by the NCAA as D-I and, as a requirement fulfillment, schedule a minimum number of games/matches with other D-I programs across all offered sports programs?

[VULB#62]

I just don't know how Houston Baptist is D-1 FCS in football.  They are a smaller school than Valpo, and can't have a larger endowment.

Exhibit 1:  It is football
Exhibit 2:  It is Texas
Exhibit 3:  In Texas they spend $60 million for HS football stadiums   

[ml2]

D1 schools are required to field a minimum of 14 different teams. There are no scholarship minimums only maximums, this is why Valpo can offer no football scholarships but still be in D1. Maximum scholarship allotment is per sport, there is no requirement Department wide for total scholarships.
Outside of MBB and WBB and WVB it is pretty common for mid major schools to offer less than the D1 maximum for scholarships in some or all of their sports. FBS football membership does have some additional requirements above and beyond FCS or non-football D1 membership.

[VULB#62]

Matt, still wondering what the answer to Mick's basic question: What makes a program D1?

[VU2014]

If we ever get ARC renovations during this millennium, I'm hoping the Athletics Department will consider getting one of the projectors that play video on the court during the pre-game intro hype video. They are becoming way more common then they were even 2-3 years ago and I've seen other Mid-Major schools have them as well. It's cool things like this that enhance the paying customers experience, impress recruits and could help general admission/student attendance. Shouldn't be the priority item for the athletics department but it would be a very cool touch to the Valparaiso Gameday experience that I think we all can agree could use a revamp or at least some investment in.

https://twitter.com/MichaelOsipoff/status/937427981131272193

[VU2014]

vufan75 did a nice write up on his visit to newly renovated Gentile Arena. How Loyola renovated Gentile could be a blueprint for a future ARC renovation. I saw it on TV and it looked pretty nice. I'm not a fan of how they have the tunnels right behind the hoop. I like how the ARC has the student section right on top of the court and close to the opposing bench. I actually think it makes the ARC a tough place to play because it makes it feel like the crowd is right on top of you. I actually think the best setup is Hinkle Fieldhouse how they have fans completely encapsulating the court and then on then they have that 2nd deck behind the hoops that is pretty much on top of the court. That has to be one of the toughest places to play when they sell the thing out when they have a good opponent.

Do you think the Athletics Department has blueprints of how they'd like to renovate the ARC? I know Mark LaBarbera mentioned he has the blueprints ready for the student rec center but they don't have the lead donor for the project yet. Someone mentioned that they have been working on a particular individual who is thinking about funding the student rec center which would be huge for Valpo Athletics to finally have a dedicated space solely for the athletes. Not only that but it would be huge for recruiting new students to the University. It baffles me that a University like Valparaiso doesn't have a Student Rec Center. Once we get the Rec Center then the idea of renovations becomes more realistic from the sound of it.

Loyola crushed uic by 24.  Something wrong at uic

Went to Loyola-UIC game today. My 1st Loyola game day experience. Will post thoughts later.

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First trip to renovated Loyola's Gentile Arena yesterday. A few things I noticed that have been discussed on the forum.

Game ticket posted prices were $25/$20/$12. Event parking in nearby parking garage was $10. Saw 2 concession areas on lower level concourse. Noticed beer and wine sold from tables set up in several areas around concourse. Rest rooms accessed from concourse or in larger hallway outside arena.

One of my daughter's works for Loyola Medicine in Maywood in the Ortho Dept. Yesterday was sponsor day at the game, so we rec'd complimentary game tickets and were hosted in a stadium area called Lions Den. Had a nice sandwich, dessert, drink spread for sponsor guests. It was an area up above general admission seats about midcourt. Someday they hope to have suites there.

Had opportunity to speak awhile with recently hired Assistant AD/ Director of Development for Athletics, which he said was a new position for Loyola. He is a fundraiser for athletics. He previously was at DePaul. Nice guy. One bit of info he shared was he said he coached the Jenkins twins when they were younger. He joked that he takes a little credit for the Valpo win vs. Ole Miss and the Jenkins play. [emoji6]

I asked about the pep band. He said at Loyola in order to participate you had to take one music class. Regarding pay, he said he thought they received maybe $8-$10 per event played from something he called the student services fund. It looked like the pep band had a director, as one person not in the band definitely was leading the band.

I am a bit confused by marketing at Loyola though. The official team nickname is Ramblers, the mascot is dressed in a wolf head,  and we sat in what was known as the Lion's Den area?

As far as the game itself, Loyola looks pretty good. Look forward to the Valpo games against them! UIC has talent but just doesn't play well together it seemed.

[VULB#62]

Spot on 2014.  It's about attracting applicants and closing the deal.  My son's alma mater (D-III Colby College in Maine with just over 2,000 students and no graduate programs to speak of in the wilds of Waterville, ME) just began construction on a $200+ million athletic rreplacement of their old facilities (old facilities that even today make Valpo's look aenemic -- except for the basketball arena).  Face it, even dorks and students uninterested in competitive athletics view the opportunity to stay fit and have some receational activities as positives. Valpo does not offer that option. As an aside, I walked around Butler a year ago and was so impressed with the student facilities outside of Hinkle.  Beautiful. No doubt if I was a HS senior, I'd go there if that was a deciding factor.

Reguarding blue prints:  Maybe if Valpo released for public consumption what their facilities  aspirations were, Valpo alums would get the picture and respond.  But they do not.

Personally, I am a retired alum with modest resources.  I love Valpo Athletics.  I want to donate.  But I refuse to just throw my hard-earned retirement nest egg $$$ into a nebulus "general" fund or a "basketball" bucket. I want my $$$ to build something I can actually look at and say I helped to build that --- for instance, new chairbacks in the arena.

[vu72]

Colby (according to Google) has an endowment equal to $395,000 per student.  Valpo has one equal to $45,000 per student.

[VULB#62]

72, we've covered the Colby endowment in past posts. That is not my point, so let's get past that. I used that to make another point. My point is that other colleges are recognizing that building a student recreation and athletics facility (for that matter any freaking "amenities" facility)  that attracts future students  is a positive investment given the competitive environment we face. Anything less is adhereing to the status quo and that puts Valpo on the downward escalator in today's competitive educational market.  Valpo can sit on its ass or it can be aggressive. IMO, the institutions that choose to be conservative  or rely on the successes of the past are rapidly losing ground to those who attack the future.

Do the dorms need upgrading? Yes. Does the endowment need expansion? Certainly. ........And that 18 year old potential student is closely following that endowment growth and that will determine their choice. Right! The dorms are old but today everything is digital so who cares if things are not hard wired? That student wants to see a campus that meets their immediate needs.

[VU75]

Ramblers, the mascot is dressed in a wolf head

I don't know when they changed the mascot, but as late as the  80's the mascot was a guy in a hobo outfit.

[VU2014]

Ramblers, the mascot is dressed in a wolf head

I don't know when they changed the mascot, but as late as the  80's the mascot was a guy in a hobo outfit.