I don't know if this information is readily available or not, but I was wondering if Duke Club membership and alumni giving has increased significantly since the official announcement of the Carr hire. Perhaps there is a trend up in giving going back a year to all the rumors of a move to FBS? I ask because I know that all this has prompted me to more active giving, and I hope to do more in the future. I didn't feel like I could complain about us not moving forward if I was not at least trying to put $ behind it.

I wish more took the mentality that you have. Failing to give your money and buy tickets is only showing that we and our fan base are small time.

It's not going to get a blade of turf named after me but I gave $100 to the Vision Fund the day the Carr announcement was made...I saw that as a pulse, some attempt to try, or a hand being forced by GMCC.

I'd immediately up my annual athletic giving by $500. In numbers, $500 adds up.

(05-13-2013 12:32 PM)Potomac Wrote:  I wish more took the mentality that you have. Failing to give your money and buy tickets is only showing that we and our fan base are small time.

I am appealing to Bourne and Alger via email that there are many others out there like me- just waiting for a reason to get on board and more involved. But I was wondering if the numbers to this point show more getting involved. (I have always been on board in the sense of attending games and following, just wasn't actively giving- sad to say)

(05-13-2013 12:32 PM)Potomac Wrote:  I wish more took the mentality that you have. Failing to give your money and buy tickets is only showing that we and our fan base are small time.

I agree but I don't understand how any of us can go after a single fan for lack of or pulling support after years of begging for a vision from the admin that we still have not gotten. Is Championship Drive a two way street or a dead end?

The JMU fan base is not small time, the opposite. If I believed the JMU fan base was small time I could give as **** if JMU plays fcs ball or not. JMU fans deserve continued improvement, onward, the best. Status quo is small-time.

Here we go again.... the age old "pay before we get it" or "pay when we get it" argument.

(05-13-2013 01:00 PM)fanofallthatisjmu Wrote:  Pretty sure the Duke Club numbers for this year are going to be bad. Very little to no growth, same $$ as about last year but that is never the goal.

I can't be the only one that thinks the $ is out there already. If you are correct, that is truly sad considering all the moving up talk.

(05-13-2013 01:10 PM)jmutoml757 Wrote:  [quote='fanofallthatisjmu' pid='9318809' dateline='1368468033']
that is truly sad considering all the moving up talk.

Do you mean the moving up talk by the VA Pilot, ODU's AD, Miami (Oh-yea) and the hopeful posters on this board? Serious question, what moving up talk?

(05-13-2013 03:57 PM)Purplehazed Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 01:10 PM)jmutoml757 Wrote:  [quote='fanofallthatisjmu' pid='9318809' dateline='1368468033']
that is truly sad considering all the moving up talk.

Do you mean the moving up talk by the VA Pilot, ODU's AD, Miami (Oh-yea) and the hopeful posters on this board? Serious question, what moving up talk?

This.

Our admin's lack of communication and vision has taken its toll on me and has done nothing to excite the fan base and/or the average alum that has no interest in FCS football.

Made my donation and ticket purchase today. Wasn't waiting until the last minute for any reason other than my own laziness. Looking forward to the games this fall.

I'll get around to donating some money to the DC at some point this year, but no rush since I'm not getting football tickets. Also haven't decided how much yet. I may just wait until July and see if any announcements are made at that point. I'm extremely sad to say this is the most ambivalent I've ever been towards JMU sports.

purplehazed: by "talk" I am referring to all that you mention; in addition, the Carr report stoked the move to FBS talk too. I don't have new or inside info, but I suppose i have consumed much too much of the hopeful JMU fan kool aid on this forum. I assumed other fans were jumping on board as a way to encourage the admin and build momentum, but that does not seem to be the case. atl was a buzz-kill, but I understand and agree in part with his frustration. Another forum member described himself as "ambivalent." I don't want to be ambivalent, so I am trying to be proactive in giving and emailing admin and encouraging other JMU grads to get involved.

(05-13-2013 08:19 PM)jmutoml757 Wrote:  purplehazed: by "talk" I am referring to all that you mention; in addition, the Carr report stoked the move to FBS talk too. I don't have new or inside info, but I suppose i have consumed much too much of the hopeful JMU fan kool aid on this forum. I assumed other fans were jumping on board as a way to encourage the admin and build momentum, but that does not seem to be the case. atl was a buzz-kill, but I understand and agree in part with his frustration. Another forum member described himself as "ambivalent." I don't want to be ambivalent, so I am trying to be proactive in giving and emailing admin and encouraging other JMU grads to get involved.

Did not mean to be a buzz-kill, but I have been doing the things you are doing now for years and am fed up at this point. I've increased my giving levels substantially, told the major donors director in person on many occasions, as well as the AD and Pres via e-mails, that I would more than double my giving if we went FBS, etc. However, I am tired of the lack of communication and vision that this administration has displayed over the past couple of years while we've watched all the schools around us move on to bigger and better things while we play the likes of SFU, CCSU, etc. and share a conference with the likes of Albany, Stony Brook, and who knows who else in the future.

It's time for the admin to take a note from the university's tagline and Be the Change rather than being so risk-averse and irresponsible by pouring $75M into a half-built stadium to stay in FCS and a watered down version of the CAA.

(05-13-2013 08:29 PM)atljmualum Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 08:19 PM)jmutoml757 Wrote:  purplehazed: by "talk" I am referring to all that you mention; in addition, the Carr report stoked the move to FBS talk too. I don't have new or inside info, but I suppose i have consumed much too much of the hopeful JMU fan kool aid on this forum. I assumed other fans were jumping on board as a way to encourage the admin and build momentum, but that does not seem to be the case. atl was a buzz-kill, but I understand and agree in part with his frustration. Another forum member described himself as "ambivalent." I don't want to be ambivalent, so I am trying to be proactive in giving and emailing admin and encouraging other JMU grads to get involved.

Did not mean to be a buzz-kill, but I have been doing the things you are doing now for years and am fed up at this point. I've increased my giving levels substantially, told the major donors director in person on many occasions, as well as the AD and Pres via e-mails, that I would more than double my giving if we went FBS, etc. However, I am tired of the lack of communication and vision that this administration has displayed over the past couple of years while we've watched all the schools around us move on to bigger and better things while we play the likes of SFU, CCSU, etc. and share a conference with the likes of Albany, Stony Brook, and who knows who else in the future.

It's time for the admin to take a note from the university's tagline and Be the Change rather than being so risk-averse and irresponsible by pouring $75M into a half-built stadium to stay in FCS and a watered down version of the CAA.

You have been actively doing your part for a long time; I am surprised more like myself are not stepping up. I guess they are waiting to see, which is maddening to me. But I can't judge.

(05-13-2013 08:29 PM)atljmualum Wrote:  Did not mean to be a buzz-kill

Huh? You take shots at the admin in almost every single thread that involves donating money or changes conferences.

(05-13-2013 09:02 PM)JMUDuke25 Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 08:29 PM)atljmualum Wrote:  Did not mean to be a buzz-kill

Huh? You take shots at the admin in almost every single thread that involves donating money or changes conferences.

I would need more than 60 posts to take shots at the admin and conference change every chance I get. I have been extremely unpleased with them the last couple of years, so I have voiced that displeasure on these forums from time to time and with the admin directly, as I stated. Just like you continue to defend the admin every chance you get. We can't all be as awesome as you.

(05-13-2013 09:08 PM)atljmualum Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 09:02 PM)JMUDuke25 Wrote:  

(05-13-2013 08:29 PM)atljmualum Wrote:  Did not mean to be a buzz-kill

Huh? You take shots at the admin in almost every single thread that involves donating money or changes conferences.

I would need more than 60 posts to take shots at the admin and conference change every chance I get. I have been extremely unpleased with them the last couple of years, so I have voiced that displeasure on these forums from time to time and with the admin directly, as I stated. Just like you continue to defend the admin every chance you get. We can't all be as awesome as you.

I'm sure there were 600 posts on the old board doing the exact same thing but you know that already.

And I don't think I'm defending our admin. I've stated we need to move up to FBS. Just because I feel they need to do it correctly and negotiate the best deal behind the scenes doesn't mean I'm defending them but I see no need to bash them in the process. You complain about public statements. Well they gave you an 18-24 month timeframe. Give them the 24 months before spending every post here bashing them.

I understand as a fan we want access to the inner details of every discussion. But as fans (and educated JMU grads) we need to also understand that these deals are not done in the public eye. The schools that are doing it publicly are pathetic schools begging for whatever the hell they can get.

I damn sure don't understand real, true, passionate JMU fans that are discontinuing their support of the program when reading the tea leaves suggests we will be moving up sometime this calendar year. We aren't doing the Carr study for no reason!

If you want to accuse me of anything accuse me of being positive about my school and where it's going. I just don't understand all the negativity especially from the same handful of guys that seem to want everyone else to be negative towards JMU with them. What, exactly, does that accomplish and who does it help? And sorry man but you're one of those guys. You hate on everything JMU sports related.

This "Admin" we speak of has been in place less than 1 year. Are we really that impatient?

(05-13-2013 10:05 PM)JMUDuke25 Wrote:  I understand as a fan we want access to the inner details of every discussion. But as fans (and educated JMU grads) we need to also understand that these deals are not done in the public eye.

You know, sometimes you bug the living sh!t out of me. No, no, make that ALL the time! atljmualum didn't say he wanted "access to the inner details of every discussion."

You obviously missed it while you were foaming at the mouth, drooling all over your keyboard, in a frenzy to bash him for being anti-JMU, but what he said was, "I am tired of the lack of communication and vision that this administration has displayed over the past couple of years." BIG DIFFERENCE!

Get it yet? I haven't seen anyone here want any "details." Just a vision, a direction, a damned clue, a friggin' hint at where the hell we are headed. We get nothing but silence! It is not too much to expect, regardless of what you think. And Dunk is right. The current admin deserves some time to let the transitional dust settle and I think, by and large, they are getting that. Most of the negative comments I have seen are in relation to the previous admin. Obama is gay!

(05-13-2013 10:05 PM)JMUDuke25 Wrote:  I damn sure don't understand real, true, passionate JMU fans that are discontinuing their support of the program ....

If you want to accuse me of anything accuse me of being positive about my school and where it's going. I just don't understand all the negativity...

+1