(04-23-2015 06:08 PM)7fielder Wrote: (04-23-2015 02:39 PM)Lou_C Wrote: I have no idea of these are upgrades or not, you NEVER do with coaches or ADs or anything like that.
However, I am encouraged at the attempt to upgrade at least by Pitt and Syracuse. Both of those guys were in over their heads in the ACC.
True, we don't know how this will turn out. However, they have increased Narduzzi's budget for assistants dramatically compared to Chryst's and began serious upgrades to the facilities. So at least there is an appearance that they are putting forth for of an effort.
1) there is $13.4 million more revenue in the FY2015 athletic budget than our last year of the Big East. That is all ACC money. That is why Narduzzi is getting more money for his staff. That money is there because the prior admin expended a tremendous effort to get us into the ACC, and we didn't go there for hoops and soccer.
2) Serious upgrades? There were far, far, far more replacements and upgrades of athletic facilities that occurred during the prior administration than during any period in university history. There was a total replacement and renovation of
all athletic facilities in just about a decade's time, facilities that had sat largely unattended for 30-40 years prior, or longer, and had deteriorated to the point that the athletic physical plant was ones of the worst in Division 1 (and that is not hyperbole). Particular to football, the UPMC Sports Performance Complex, which was obtained by prior admin, underwent a much more extensive renovation under Todd Graham than this most recent renovation. Perhaps more renovations are to come, as there is more money, but it is way too early to say what we'll see over the next decade.
It is highly doubtful that we get into the ACC with our facilities in the state they were circa 1998, and like it or not, if we are saddled trying to bring Pitt Stadium up to snuff, than the time frame of getting things to an acceptable level takes decades longer than it did. Even given the power to do some arm chair quarterbacking, I'm not rolling the die on that meeting the timeline which essentially struck midnight in 2011. Fundraising to modernize Pitt Stadium failed miserable in the 80s and early 90s, and that was at the height of interest in Pitt athletics. In the late 90s, booster support was worse, and $10s of millions in state money for the basketball arena was tied up in a political quagmire that was loosed by playing ball with Plan B. The athletic department was a dumpster fire. Had to dump the albatross to move forward, especially with realignment locomotive barreling down the tracks at us.
As I stated, it is completely fallacious to have the opinion football had been shortchanged for basketball. Absolutely no motive to do so. Absolutely no truth to it.