RE: State of the state
Clarifications for you folks:
1. The funding for the fine arts center was a done deal. It's been at #1 on the state's funding priorities for ETSU for at least 3 years, maybe more. Those lists are determined years in advance (subject to adjustments as needs changed, etc.), and are acted upon strictly by availability funding monies due to revenue income for the state. Very little has been done in the last 4 years because of the economic downtown, and TN's outdated reliance on sales tax for most of their revenue. Noland got reassured on this many months back - it was just a matter of time before it was made official.
2. The state does not completely say "we will not give money to athletics". What they've said, and reaffirmed over time, is that it's a partnership thing. The state wants to see the level of commitment of each state college entity by 'asking' (to put it nicely) whatever university wants something to kick in a huge chunk of the costs for such things, because frankly the state about 20+ years ago quit being able to afford to solely finance large spending projects. They've even intimated such about a basketball arena, I've been told. So, for example, if ETSU wants to build a basketball arena that costs $30 million, the state will look at it's finances at that time, and tell ETSU something like "ok, we hear you, and approve the project, *pending* you raising $20 million (or $25 million, or whatever) of it "on your own". The ratio of such projects depends, not only on the level of the TN treasury, but on the ranking that capital project has achieved (see point 1 above), AND upon the full range of uses the project will involve. For a hypothetical example, if the city of JC wants in on the action, to be able to use it for concerts, etc., then the state would possibly kick in less $$. If it were eventually to include stuff like a new training room (let's say for the eventual demise of the Dome, still just hypothetically speaking), then the state might kick in a bit more. But all that's getting the cart before the horse - but maybe not by much.
Also, importantly, I *don't* think this concept applies to giving money to help support a football team on an ongoing basis. It's just for facilities. Hard assets.
Also, one last point about one scenario (JC involvement). We all know quite well there hasn't been a smooth working relationship between JC and ETSU; in fact, almost the opposite. This is one thing Noland has said he'd like to improve. The downtown improvements in the direction of ETSU lend themselves to that, as does the fact that ETSU has a presence on the PBA (Public Building Authority), semi-dysfunctional though it may be. I'm not aware on any concrete agreements along these lines at all, but I know the "climate" of cooperation has been warming slowly the last couple of years.
All that being said, I also can't imagine $4.5 million for the baseball FIELD. (I thought I heard "$5.1 million" yesterday, but maybe I mis-heard.) (Almost sounds like they *do* want to make it a stadium.) slappy's theory sounds more realistic with that number being there, but I can't believe something quid pro quo is already in place. That would seem implausible at this point in time.
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