Forever Valpo Fundraising Campaign

[crusader05]

I'd actually prefer if it wasn't all for athletics cause I think growing the endowment for scholarships and professorship chairs is way more important

That said, My guess is that they have some more donors for endowment based stuff in the works and also maybe 10 million or less for athletic things. The campaign was supposed to go into 2021 so I see no reason why people have been making comments they anticipate it will be done a year early if they don't have too.

[VUGrad1314]

Maybe that's what Elgin was there to hear about\discuss. Maybe we do have some athletics donations. I sure hope so.

[M]

Patience...patience.

[valpo64]

Amen, Brother M!

[VUGrad1314]

So, if and when we finally get a great new conference approrpiate ARC who's up for getting Butler to come christen it? Or in an homage to when the facility originally opened how about Notre Dame?

[bbtds]

So, if and when we finally get a great new conference approrpiate ARC who's up for getting Butler to come christen it? Or in an homage to when the facility originally opened how about Notre Dame?

I say at least ask. Mike Brey will have the say but maybe not LaVall Jordan. Marquette or maybe even Ohio U would make some sense if the Big Indiana schools shut us out.

[VUGrad1314]

Mike Brey has shown a willingness to go on the road against mids. As I recall as one example they recently went to Delaware to play a game. Marquette would be great but I think above all else (not saying the ARC wouldn't be full loud and rocking no matter who they convinced to come) Butler would really get the fans amped up. A return to the old rivalry? Yes please even if just for one night! We should try to capitalize on that and make it a series so that we can get more games against them if it ever happens!

[bbtds]

Mike Brey has shown a willingness to go on the road against mids. As I recall as one example they recently went to Delaware to play a game. Marquette would be great but I think above all else (not saying the ARC wouldn't be full loud and rocking no matter who they convinced to come) Butler would really get the fans amped up. A return to the old rivalry? Yes please even if just for one night! We should try to capitalize on that and make it a series so that we can get more games against them if it ever happens!

Just don't see where Notre Dame or Butler see any advantage except by jamming the ARC with their fans and taking away the home court advantage which neither one would be able to do. Maybe it would be more of a neutral court with many of their fans there. You don't gain any advantage by beating Valpo on the road. If the NCAA would ever truly reward a big to go on the road and beat a mid major (that term almost in itself is so patronizing, major but not quite) would go a long way in helping many teams both major and mid-major fill out their schedules.

[talksalot]

Matt painter?  Scott Drew?  maybe bring their players, too.

[bbtds]

Matt painter?  Scott Drew?  maybe bring their players, too.

Scott Drew, after his father and brother are gone, seems like it would be a no brainer but to Scott it seems he's lost total interest in playing at Valpo and he also must deal with his AD.

[vu72]

Although the official site is still stuck on $220 million, this article indicates that the current balance is in excess of $238 million!  With no announcements, one has to wonder about whether or not a big donation perhaps dedicated to ARC improvements may have been committed.  At least one can dream!

http://valpoathletics.com/baseball/news/2019-20/19655/bauer-field-renovation-off-to-strong-start/

[crusader05]

So while not as large donation as I had speculated about it's definitely nice to see movement on athletic facilities towards the end of this campaign. It's also nice to see that parents of young alums are stepping up to help in this way.

Also since they're marked as the lead donors my assumption is they are hoping to raise more money from others still.

Also that $238 million number is a quite a jump from before and definitely keeps up with the timeline that ends the campaign a year earlier than anticipated.

[crusadermoe]

You make $12 million sound like a "gimme."       Maybe you are sitting on $7 or $8 million?

I am not sure that finishing the goal in 9 years by 2020 instead of in 10 years by 2021 would be "early." The May 2011 chapel gift of $15m was counted in the campaign. 

[crusader05]

all of the endowment gifts are large if compared to my income

However, I just was referencing that I had made a prediction for a large gift towards athletics thinking multimillion dollars, not half a million. Granted more could be on the way.

Also, If you set a deadline to complete something and complete it before the deadline what would you call it?

[GoldenCrusader87]

With the sheer number of cuts that seem to be occurring I've lost interest or motivation on this topic. Just doesn't appear we're treading in the right direction. Hope I'm wrong or that these cuts pay off down the road.

I was surprised to see the baseball stadium announcement and am excited about that. The renditions look good.

As for the ARC, it seems like we've now got bigger fish to fry than renovating the ARC. Again I hope I'm wrong. But night in and night out a half full arena doesn't seem to add to our case that an updated facility would make a difference.

Under Bryce we had an identity. Same crappy arena. Same academic standards. Same funding if not less. Same city. Worse conference. But an identity.

That place during the NIT was rocking and rolling. Best experience I've had in porter county to date and one of the better sporting environments I've been a part of.

Had Bryce stuck around we would've built on that success ... we would've gotten back to the NCAA tournament.

We would've sustained student interest and fan support. We would've maintained an identity. Now we're floundering ... or just getting by at best. Really sad.

We're satisfied with moral victories and the thought of possibly not having to be in a play in game to advance in the MVC tournament or being in the top half of the league but sitting In 8th??

I just don't see it. Again I hope I'm wrong

[loschwitz]

But is the $238 million figure accurate?  Could it be a typo?  Why would there be a lengthy press release about $550,000 for Bauer prior to an announcement of a multi-million gift?   

[crusader05]

The 238 million figure is accurate from what I've now heard. it's just a function of what gets announced. Some of it maybe is in estate planning so they don't have the money on hand immediately or they are  endowments for general scholarship funds that don't really generate a new announcement. If you added up the total amount of money just from what announcements are specifically made I don't think they would add up to 238 million because  many people are just giving into the general valpo fund or other less clear cut areas or are going into already established funds or endowments rather than making a new one.

It seems only new areas of funding or larger donations get the full announcement.

[vu72]

Finally an official updated number:  $238,189,548!  That roughly a $38 million dollar increase in 12 months. Seems reasonable to expect the final
amount to be raised this year.

[valpo64]

Since when do campaigns that reach their goal a year early end the campaign a year early?  I have never heard of anything like that.  Example: I believe that Youngstown State is nearing the end  of their most successful capital campaign ever and have already exceeded their goal of I believe $100,000(?) so now they are increasing their goal and continuing the campaign.  Why wouldn't we do the same?

[VUGrad1314]

Who says we aren't or won't do just that? The campaign is after all called Forever Valpo. What's stopping them from say trying to get it up to $300million by 2025 with a goal of $500million by say 2035 and $1billion by 2050 or something?

[VUGrad1314]

With the sheer number of cuts that seem to be occurring I've lost interest or motivation on this topic. Just doesn't appear we're treading in the right direction. Hope I'm wrong or that these cuts pay off down the road. I was surprised to see the baseball stadium announcement and am excited about that. The renditions look good. As for the ARC, it seems like we've now got bigger fish to fry than renovating the ARC. Again I hope I'm wrong. But night in and night out a half full arena doesn't seem to add to our case that an updated facility would make a difference. Under Bryce we had an identity. Same crappy arena. Same academic standards. Same funding if not less. Same city. Worse conference. But an identity. That place during the NIT was rocking and rolling. Best experience I've had in porter county to date and one of the better sporting environments I've been a part of. Had Bryce stuck around we would've built on that success ... we would've gotten back to the NCAA tournament. We would've sustained student interest and fan support. We would've maintained an identity. Now we're floundering ... or just getting by at best. Really sad. We're satisfied with moral victories and the thought of possibly not having to be in a play in game to advance in the MVC tournament or being in the top half of the league but sitting In 8th?? I just don't see it. Again I hope I'm wrong

As much as I've harped on athletic facilities being a priority (and they should be). Valpo is first and foremost a university tasked with educating and shaping succeeding generations. Of course they have bigger fish to fry than athletics but that would be the case regardless of any cuts or surpluses or any circumstances. The basketball team may be searching for its identity right now but the university certainly isn't. It has one and it's solid. The Drews were and are Valparaiso basketball they are not Valparaiso University.

[bbtds]

Who says we aren't or won't do just that? The campaign is after all called Forever Valpo. What's stopping them from say trying to get it up to $300million by 2025 with a goal of $500million by say 2035 and $1billion by 2050 or something?

Maybe the coronavirus if it gets too out of hand in China.

[VUGrad1314]

As for GoldenCrusader's point about half empty gyms. I think this post from Valpo LI in the MVC Hoops thread will prove instructive. In terms of overall seating capacity we are right on par with our conference peers as this data will show. The problem for us is on the margins because we have a smaller gym. I think renovations will help attract more people but so will winning. Look at the surge in attendance Evansville had when that program had some hope before the McCarty era cratered in the most unceremonious way possible. Attendance shot WAY up. What this fanbase needs is hope and meaningful games in conference. That game late in the year against Loyola Bradley or UNI has to MEAN something. THAT will get people in the door regardless of what the gym looks like and the NIT and some of the games while we were in the HL (even post-Butler era) are examples of that. We drew at or near 5000 for games against Wright State and Green Bay if my memory serves. Why? Because we were winning and those games mattered. Winning is the best and surest cure. Win and make the games matter and people will come. It's that simple.

As I watch our Crusaders battle at home in the ARC this season I have to wonder where we stand with our attendance for the 2019-20 season and how does that compare with the rest of the Valley. With non conference games behind us, 4 conference home games played and 5 left here is the total average number of spectators attending MVC Home Games for this season. School. Home record. Avg. in attendance. Bradley (11-1) 5,700 Evansville (5-5) 5,232 IllSt. (6-4) 4,521 SIU (9-1) 4,114 MoSt. (7-3) 4,081 UNI (11-0) 3,894 ISUb (8-0) 3,554 Valpo (7-1) 2,878 Drake (11-0) 2,870 Loyola (9-2) 2,789 Average home attendance in the MVC 3,963 Now it is only fair to compare the average attendance to the capacity of each arena. UNI McLead Ctr. Holds (6,650) and is filling at an average of 59% capacity. Valpo ARC (5,100) 57% Loyola Gentile Ctr. (4,963) 57% Evansville Ford Ctr. (10,000) 53% Bradley Carver Arena (11,060) 52% ISUb Hulman Ctr. (10,200) 52% SIU Banterra Ctr. (8,284) 50% IllSt. Redbird Arena (10,200) 45% Drake Knapp Ctr. (7,152) 40% MoSt. JQH Arena (11,000) 37% *for our good friend 1314 here is Murray State. **and while I am at it let's include Belmont a school that plays in a similar size arena to Valpo. Murray St. (10-0) 4,307 avg. attendance at the CFSB Ctr. which holds 8,600 fans 51% full. Belmont (8-1) 1,990 avg. attendance at the Curb Event Ctr. which holds 5,000 fans at 40% full. With 5 home games left Valpo needs a strong showing to stay ahead of Drake and Loyola in overall attendance.

[crusader05]

I mean it's not like they are going to stop trying to get money for different things just cause this campaign is ending but $250 million in mostly endowment focused funds is a nice chunk of change and there's nothing wrong with putting a bow on it and moving on to the next fundraising focus. The next president will probably have new ideas about the direction of the university and will most likely want to have input into the next campaign. I'd personally love to see one focused on Athletics and Student Life. Let's get some endowments for the student newspapers and radio stations. Let's work to bring restaurants and other stuff closer to campus or even on campus. Lord knows the university owns tons of property they should really work to make the most of that.

[loschwitz]

It is very good news that the $238 million figure is correct.   A remarkable $18 million increase in just a couple of months.  What we need now is an announcement telling us where the money is coming from and for what it is intended.