Some pretty funny stuff here. Marshall's AD get on the radio giving the speech about how they plan to start a 30 million dollar fundraising campaign.

Later in the interview a local sports journalist tears the athletic department a new a***** for inaction. Apparently Marshall hasn't built anything in the way of facilities since Joan Edwards 20 years ago.

http://www.wvmetronews.com/marshall.cfm?...ryid=50997

Ohio in the last 10+ years built a new soccer stadium, softball, baseball, field hockey....basically everything an athletic department requires. An Indoor Practice Facility will be built in 2013.

Herd fans are too hung up on the 1 million dollar TV paycheck from CUSA to not understand what really counts its the total financial situation of the program.

Think about your own personal finances is it just what you are making or is what you are spending also important? How about other things you already have in place like owning a home outright?

Its everything. When it comes to the full package Ohio is head and shoulders above Marshall University.

MU is tearing down Veteran's Memorial Field House and a new soccer stadium will be built there. Furthermore, you'll see a new indoor practice facility going in where Sam Hood Soccer Field is now (right beside "the Joan").

The only thing that MU really lacks is a baseball stadium, but the gears are turning with that as well. MU is trying to acquire the ACF property and plans to build a stadium there as well as a hotel and law enforcement training complex. (However, I think maybe that the city is going to either subsidize or buy outright and then let MU buy the property that the stadium will be on-I can't recall right off of the top of my head).

I think you'll see all of this come to fruition in the next 2-4 years. Will it happen overnight? No, but it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Also, MU's recreation facility is state of the art along with several other non-athletic projects. It's not the same MU of yore...Not saying that we're better or worse than X, Y, or Z, I'm just saying it's a different than what 'most' MAC fans would remember.

Frankly, I'd have a lot more respect for Marshall if they were NOT spending tons of money on sports facilities. The higher ed bubble is crashing, and frivolous expenditures are going to be for naught.

(02-17-2012 09:23 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Frankly, I'd have a lot more respect for Marshall if they were NOT spending tons of money on sports facilities. The higher ed bubble is crashing, and frivolous expenditures are going to be for naught.

I don't know, in the past few years, we've added a new bio-tech building, the rec center, and new dorms (really needed), and I can't remember if the parking garage across from the Henderson Center was in place when we were in the MAC or not, but that was needed too.

It seems as though MU see-saws. One year they'll do this (non-athletic), and the next they'll do that (athletic).

But you're right, it seems as though funds are lacking a bit. Did you get a load of our uni's at the BO'B Bowl??? TATTERED AND TORN.

(02-17-2012 09:30 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:23 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Frankly, I'd have a lot more respect for Marshall if they were NOT spending tons of money on sports facilities. The higher ed bubble is crashing, and frivolous expenditures are going to be for naught.

But you're right, it seems as though funds are lacking a bit. Did you get a load of our uni's at the BO'B Bowl??? TATTERED AND TORN.

They should be.. Those special Black out uniforms some schools have is a total waste *especially* when they include helmets..

When I played as a kid you wanted stick marks on your helmet towards the end of the year...

(02-17-2012 09:35 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:30 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:23 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Frankly, I'd have a lot more respect for Marshall if they were NOT spending tons of money on sports facilities. The higher ed bubble is crashing, and frivolous expenditures are going to be for naught.

But you're right, it seems as though funds are lacking a bit. Did you get a load of our uni's at the BO'B Bowl??? TATTERED AND TORN.

They should be.. Those special Black out uniforms some schools have is a total waste *especially* when they include helmets..

When I played as a kid you wanted stick marks on your helmet towards the end of the year...

I'm not so sure how much of a waste it really is.
We don't have an alternate uniform (we just switch out jerseys and pants to create a different look (all green, etc.) The MU powers that be are traditionalists and don't subscribe to the "alternate uniform", but I kind of think of it as a recruiting tool (see Oregon, Okie State, etc). Kids like the outlandish look that some schools are going toward. I really think this has helped Oregon lure 'some' recruits that they wouldn't otherwise have gotten.

Just a thought. But I do agree with you about the stick marks.

(02-17-2012 09:42 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:35 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:30 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:23 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Frankly, I'd have a lot more respect for Marshall if they were NOT spending tons of money on sports facilities. The higher ed bubble is crashing, and frivolous expenditures are going to be for naught.

But you're right, it seems as though funds are lacking a bit. Did you get a load of our uni's at the BO'B Bowl??? TATTERED AND TORN.

They should be.. Those special Black out uniforms some schools have is a total waste *especially* when they include helmets..

When I played as a kid you wanted stick marks on your helmet towards the end of the year...

I'm not so sure how much of a waste it really is.
We don't have an alternate uniform (we just switch out jerseys and pants to create a different look (all green, etc.) The MU powers that be are traditionalists and don't subscribe to the "alternate uniform", but I kind of think of it as a recruiting tool (see Oregon, Okie State, etc). Kids like the outlandish look that some schools are going toward. I really think this has helped Oregon lure 'some' recruits that they wouldn't otherwise have gotten.

Just a thought. But I do agree with you about the stick marks.

Ummm if you don't have alternate helmets I might just not have been talking to you Also don't get me wrong *if* Nike starts dropping free, or near free, uniforms on UB yea go for it... Oregon is a special case..

(02-17-2012 10:28 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:42 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:35 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:30 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:23 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Frankly, I'd have a lot more respect for Marshall if they were NOT spending tons of money on sports facilities. The higher ed bubble is crashing, and frivolous expenditures are going to be for naught.

But you're right, it seems as though funds are lacking a bit. Did you get a load of our uni's at the BO'B Bowl??? TATTERED AND TORN.

They should be.. Those special Black out uniforms some schools have is a total waste *especially* when they include helmets..

When I played as a kid you wanted stick marks on your helmet towards the end of the year...

I'm not so sure how much of a waste it really is.
We don't have an alternate uniform (we just switch out jerseys and pants to create a different look (all green, etc.) The MU powers that be are traditionalists and don't subscribe to the "alternate uniform", but I kind of think of it as a recruiting tool (see Oregon, Okie State, etc). Kids like the outlandish look that some schools are going toward. I really think this has helped Oregon lure 'some' recruits that they wouldn't otherwise have gotten.

Just a thought. But I do agree with you about the stick marks.

Ummm if you don't have alternate helmets I might just not have been talking to you Also don't get me wrong *if* Nike starts dropping free, or near free, uniforms on UB yea go for it... Oregon is a special case..

lol Okay. Actually, we did have alternate helmets (in 2008, I think). The green ones. I really liked them, but most MU fans didn't. I really thought Ohio's alternate uni was bangin'. It's a really sharp look. I wish MU would take a page out of their book for that.

But, I tend to agree with you about expenses. If we can get a good deal, then great.

The reason we haven't built any athletic facilities recently is because we have been pumping all of our money into academic programs/buildings. I'm not complaining as I feel it was time we did this. I also agree that now is the time to start pumping money back into athletic facilities.

Sad, but the fact is, we don't have money to both at the same time. I will say this though, all the things we are building are top notch first class facilities.

The irony is this is that the Herd fans routinely (and still do today) blast MAC schools for "being content" with our lot in life in the rustbelt, and do not invest nor upgrade our athletic facilities, which is patently untrue. (not to let facts get in the way). Given the limited budgets of MAC schools, there have been plenty of upgrades..>I can't do justice to all of them but I know Miami's best: In the last 5-6 years Miami has: 1) built a new, $32MM hockey arena for periennally nationally ranked program; 2) new Fieldturf was installed, and three sides of the football stadium were torn down and completed replaced, along with a jumbotron and the Crade of Coach's Plaza, and 3) a new, state of the art softball diamond was built between Millett Hall and Yager Stadium. A couple years prior to that a new baseball field was built adjacent to the old baseball diamond site.

Others I can think of: NIU and BG's new b-ball arenas (and EMU's is fairly recent as well). Significant upgrades and expansions to various MAC stadiums (Kent, BSU, NIU, OU, WMU, CMU come to mind). And of course Akron's beautiful new footbal stadium. Standing stilll..hardly.

(02-17-2012 11:25 AM)exCincy Kid Wrote:  Others I can think of: NIU and BG's new b-ball arenas (and EMU's is fairly recent as well). Significant upgrades and expansions to various MAC stadiums (Kent, BSU, NIU, OU, WMU, CMU come to mind). And of course Akron's beautiful new footbal stadium. Standing stilll..hardly.

Yea when is Akron going to start to play football in that stadium?

Hiyooooooooo

(02-17-2012 11:25 AM)exCincy Kid Wrote:  Others I can think of: NIU and BG's new b-ball arenas (and EMU's is fairly recent as well). Significant upgrades and expansions to various MAC stadiums (Kent, BSU, NIU, OU, WMU, CMU come to mind). And of course Akron's beautiful new footbal stadium. Standing stilll..hardly.

Toledo renovated Savage Arena a few years back, and then put in an indoor practice facility for multiple sports about a year and a half ago. I've heard the Larimer Athletic Complex (football) will be renovated soon too.

Marshall has upgraded athletics as well. We have built a new softball field, a new state of the art weight room, new locker rooms in the basketball arena, new score boards and sound system at the Football Stadium along with other more minor things. Planned for immediate future, New Indoor Practice Facility that includes a full length football field with a track around the field, Hall of Fame, Offices and athletic medical research. New score board and sound system in the Henderson Center along with other upgrades, Soccer Facility and then after these things have been completed and land acquired a new Baseball Facility.

Also, this thread is started and then with 2 posts puts Marshall in a no win situation. The first post makes fun of Marshall for not putting money into athletic facilities even though we have and then a few posts later puts Marshall down for putting money into athletic facilities instead of academic facilities, which we have. So which is it?

From Louis Kitton:

"Apparently Marshall hasn't built anything in the way of facilities since Joan Edwards 20 years ago."

"Ohio in the last 10+ years built a new soccer stadium, softball, baseball, field hockey....basically everything an athletic department requires. An Indoor Practice Facility will be built in 2013."

From DrTorch:

"Frankly, I'd have a lot more respect for Marshall if they were NOT spending tons of money on sports facilities."

So DrTorch do you have less respect for all the MAC programs such as Ohio who have fans on here bragging about spending tons of money on sports facilities? and do the others on here really think that we haven't spent money on sports facilities in the last 20 years? or that we haven't also spent major money on academics?

I have no issue with what Marshall is doing with their money, be it academic or athletic. I take umbrage at the constant harping of Marshall (just peruse their boards if the subject of any MAC school comes up) and C-USA posters that MAC schools do not invest in facilities and their athletic programs. They do, within fiscal responsible bounds as they should. No, the MAC doesn't have decent TV money nor great attendance, so funds are limited...I grant you that. But to constantly snipe that MAC schools are content to do nothing about their facilities is a big fat lie!

exCincy Kid, I understand where you are coming from. I agree that MAC schools continue to put money into athletics. In a lot of ways MAC schools are in the same boat as CUSA schools in that there are major programs in the same state and the fans that have no affiliation with a particular school will root for the bigger school. This keeps fan support down and donations down. That is where CUSA is able to do a little better is in fan support, however as someone stated in another thread, if you take out ECU, then the difference in fan support is not by much, but it is still there.

The only reason I responded to this thread is that the OP took one statement from in interview, one I have not listened to, and came to the wrong conclusion that Marshall has not built any athletic facilities in 20 years and responded how funny it was. Will MAC and the Marshall fan bases ever get along, probably not, but not all Marshall fans have ill will toward the MAC. I think the MAC is a solid, stable league that have competitive teams, I mean BG and Ohio has beat us the last 2 years in football and Akron and Ohio beat us this year in Basketball, MAC teams can play. I just hope that Marshall has a little payback in the coming years, but I respect both the programs and the Fans of the MAC, or at least most of the fans. Just not when you are playing Marshall.

GO HERD

(02-17-2012 01:36 PM)donavanb Wrote:  exCincy Kid, I understand where you are coming from. I agree that MAC schools continue to put money into athletics. In a lot of ways MAC schools are in the same boat as CUSA schools in that there are major programs in the same state and the fans that have no affiliation with a particular school will root for the bigger school. This keeps fan support down and donations down. That is where CUSA is able to do a little better is in fan support, however as someone stated in another thread, if you take out ECU, then the difference in fan support is not by much, but it is still there.

The only reason I responded to this thread is that the OP took one statement from in interview, one I have not listened to, and came to the wrong conclusion that Marshall has not built any athletic facilities in 20 years and responded how funny it was. Will MAC and the Marshall fan bases ever get along, probably not, but not all Marshall fans have ill will toward the MAC. I think the MAC is a solid, stable league that have competitive teams, I mean BG and Ohio has beat us the last 2 years in football and Akron and Ohio beat us this year in Basketball, MAC teams can play. I just hope that Marshall has a little payback in the coming years, but I respect both the programs and the Fans of the MAC, or at least most of the fans. Just not when you are playing Marshall.

GO HERD

+1
What he said.

(02-17-2012 09:30 AM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  

(02-17-2012 09:23 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Frankly, I'd have a lot more respect for Marshall if they were NOT spending tons of money on sports facilities. The higher ed bubble is crashing, and frivolous expenditures are going to be for naught.

I don't know, in the past few years, we've added a new bio-tech building, the rec center, and new dorms (really needed), and I can't remember if the parking garage across from the Henderson Center was in place when we were in the MAC or not, but that was needed too.

It seems as though MU see-saws. One year they'll do this (non-athletic), and the next they'll do that (athletic).

But you're right, it seems as though funds are lacking a bit. Did you get a load of our uni's at the BO'B Bowl??? TATTERED AND TORN.

Maybe Ohio University should have taken a lesson from Marshall and NOT built built a new soccer stadium, softball, baseball, field hockey....basically everything an athletic department requires and spent that money on maintenance for the buildings they already have instead of requesting $2.5 BILLION from the state of Ohio. You do not need an Indoor Practice Facility when you need $2.5 billion for upkeep on what you already have.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/...t-fix.html

(02-17-2012 12:47 PM)donavanb Wrote:  So DrTorch do you have less respect for all the MAC programs such as Ohio who have fans on here bragging about spending tons of money on sports facilities?

Yes. I've been very supportive of Vedder's ideas. I've also been critical that the MAC has not distinguished itself by being more rigorous with its standards and more useful with its course/major offerings. Hiring 3rd rate professors and establishing irrational degree programs in order to follow dubious, 15 year old academic trends and put up a facade of being academically superior is foolish. It is part of the problem of the higher ed bubble.

[quote='THUNDERGround' pid='7569630' dateline='13294882

The only thing that MU really lacks is a baseball stadium, but the gears are turning with that as well. MU is trying to acquire the ACF property and plans to build a stadium there as well as a hotel and law enforcement training complex. (However, I think maybe that the city is going to either subsidize or buy outright and then let MU buy the property that the stadium will be on-I can't recall right off of the top of my head).

I
[/quote]

The hotel/baseball stadium at the ACF property is never going to happen.

(02-17-2012 03:58 PM)Pulltown Falcon Wrote:  Maybe Ohio University should have taken a lesson from Marshall and NOT built built a new soccer stadium, softball, baseball, field hockey....basically everything an athletic department requires and spent that money on maintenance for the buildings they already have instead of requesting $2.5 BILLION from the state of Ohio. You do not need an Indoor Practice Facility when you need $2.5 billion for upkeep on what you already have.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/...t-fix.html

From what I understand, the multi-million dollar donation was simply for building a new Indoor Practice Facility and nothing else.