(05-12-2017 10:09 AM)tribeintexas Wrote:  How about we build a multi-sports practice facility and renovate Kaplan first?

TinT, I don't think it's an either/or situation.

We have to decide (alumni, faculty, & administration) if a more prominent basketball program (Men's & Women's) is a help or hinderance to the overall goal of William & Mary reaching more qualified students across the country.

If the answer is Yes, then we need to work on both aspects, better facilities and looking at the process of a slightly altering the current admissions policy. The fact is, we aren't discussing going to prisons and recruiting from there. We are suggesting that if a kid's coach says "this guy may not have the SAT's, but is a hard worker and is willing to pay the price needed for a W&M education", then let's be able to have our coaches give him a serious look.

Even Harvard has come round to the belief that a competitive athletic program in basketball is worth the effort, for the rewards of reaching a section of potential students they had not been in touch with...and their academic reputation has not been affected at all (they were #1 rated in most/all lists before, they're still #1.)

This is not a deal-breaker for W&M. We are going to be considered one of the best Public Universities in the nation, either way. What it will make a difference in is are we going to try to keep up with the Jones athletically and use that to our advantage to catch the attention of potential students, or are we just going to continue as we have and remain that "Catholic Girl's School back East..." to a majority of the country.

The recent and current hunt for players should have been a definite eye-opener for us. A lot of players decided that there were places better than W&M to spend their next four years. We need to find a way to change that.