(04-17-2014 09:33 PM)jmu@uva Wrote:  Looks like campaign for the new convo is under way. Seems like the campaign is set to really kick off in July!

http://www.jmusports.com/ViewArticle.dbm...=209471160

And a specific goal to boot! 12M of commitments and 3M of received contributions.
There's a big step in the right direction... Actual defined goals.

Building facilities. It's what we do best.

They'd raise so much more $$$ if they announced this in collaboration with a football move. That's all I'm going to say on this.


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(04-17-2014 10:12 PM)brizzock Wrote:  They'd raise so much more $$$ if they announced this in collaboration with a football move. That's all I'm going to say on this.


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Yes we get it. We get it

Finally! Do you think this decision has anything to do with trying to impress FBS conferences that want us to upgrade our convo?

(04-18-2014 06:29 AM)jmu-fan-1981 Wrote:  Finally! Do you think this decision has anything to do with trying to impress FBS conferences that want us to upgrade our convo?

That's part of it. The FBS folks have identified our arena as something that needs to be upgraded. We really need it for recruiting for both the MBB and WBB teams. The Convo is not a great venue any longer for a number of reasons. We also need an arena that can be used by the community for events. There is nothing nice north of Roanoke in the western part of the state. We could have concerts and a number of other events in a growing area in the valley.

(03-27-2014 03:02 PM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  

(03-27-2014 02:36 PM)HolyCityDuke Wrote:  JMU dropped 15% in attendance last year... and we didn't consistently sell out.

We also went 6-6 with arguably the lamest 7-game home schedule of opponents in a decade. Our attendance decline last year has virtually no bearing on our conference.

I would wager that even if there is no conference announcement prior to kickoff at Maryland this year our attendance will be higher based on Wither's football style (If they play they way they hype it right now football will be exciting this fall) and the fact that there's 2 less games to attend than last year.

We also started 5-2 (with 2 close losses) and since we have to play the likes of Elon, Albany and Stony Brook, our lame schedule does have to do with our conference.

http://www.jmusports.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml...ID=1123682 - THESE are the people that are making the FBS decision happen. The big guns!

Interesting that JMUsports posts an event like this a week after the event happened (coinciding with BOV meetings in the Burg). Did JMU put this out there as damage control? While this is a long overdue project, the Convo is bigger than Bball. Our top 3 sports' coaches were there - this is to drum up support and dollars and I highly doubt that this audience of people are getting together to just drink some fine wine.

Somethings happening.

This event occurred Friday, April 11. We turned down the SBC the next day.

Nothing is happening. We're done.

(04-18-2014 08:02 AM)JMU2004 Wrote:  This event occurred Friday, April 11. We turned down the SBC the next day.

Nothing is happening. We're done.

cheer up bro, you're incorrect. We never had an invite from the sun belt.

Glad to see there's some conceptual drawings out there. Hope to see and hear about some of this at upcoming coaches caravan events over the next month.

(03-27-2014 08:41 PM)HooDukeVooDuke Wrote:  

(03-27-2014 03:02 PM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  

(03-27-2014 02:36 PM)HolyCityDuke Wrote:  JMU dropped 15% in attendance last year... and we didn't consistently sell out.

We also went 6-6 with arguably the lamest 7-game home schedule of opponents in a decade. Our attendance decline last year has virtually no bearing on our conference.

I would wager that even if there is no conference announcement prior to kickoff at Maryland this year our attendance will be higher based on Wither's football style (If they play they way they hype it right now football will be exciting this fall) and the fact that there's 2 less games to attend than last year.

These numbers may not be "official", but I have our attendance per games as...

2011 = 25,002
2012 = 22,783
2013 = 21,011

This is not the trend you want.

I have not seen the detailed Duke Club numbers, but I think donations to the athletics department were flat last year after several years of ~10% growth. It's going to take a while to raise $15 million dollars for the Convo when we average just over $2 million in donations per year.

We may be able to tap some large donors for "special gifts", but I've never seen a year with more than $4 million in total (operating + capital) contributions.

Does anyone know the donation $ raised specifically for the BFS expansion?

Found this on the Duke Club site

http://issuu.com/jmusports.com/docs/2014...M_ID=14400

In the middle of the brochure it shows Duke Club numbers from years past:

2007 = $1.10M
2008 = $1.19M (+8.1%)
2009 = $1.37M (+14.3% - Year After Semi-Final Appearance)
2010 = $1.42M (+3.6%)
2011 = $1.80M (+26.8% - New BFS Opens)
2012 = $1.82M (+1.1%)
2013 = $1.91M (+4.9 %)

While it's not fair to say the Duke Club numbers are flat, I don't think the latest round of bad PR is going to allow for a double digit percentage increase. It would be nice to finally get over that $2M hump.

(04-18-2014 07:54 AM)jmu-fan-1981 Wrote:  http://www.jmusports.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml...ID=1123682 - THESE are the people that are making the FBS decision happen. The big guns!

Interesting that JMUsports posts an event like this a week after the event happened (coinciding with BOV meetings in the Burg). Did JMU put this out there as damage control? While this is a long overdue project, the Convo is bigger than Bball. Our top 3 sports' coaches were there - this is to drum up support and dollars and I highly doubt that this audience of people are getting together to just drink some fine wine.

Somethings happening.

EW's wife is kinda yummy. That is all.

(04-18-2014 07:54 AM)jmu-fan-1981 Wrote:  http://www.jmusports.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml...ID=1123682 - THESE are the people that are making the FBS decision happen. The big guns!

LOL .... wow.

(04-18-2014 10:36 AM)DoubleDDuke Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 07:54 AM)jmu-fan-1981 Wrote:  http://www.jmusports.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml...ID=1123682 - THESE are the people that are making the FBS decision happen. The big guns!

LOL .... wow.

A lot of old white people. Not that there's anything wrong with being old and white.

(04-18-2014 07:13 AM)HotHamandCheese84 Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 06:29 AM)jmu-fan-1981 Wrote:  Finally! Do you think this decision has anything to do with trying to impress FBS conferences that want us to upgrade our convo?

That's part of it. The FBS folks have identified our arena as something that needs to be upgraded. We really need it for recruiting for both the MBB and WBB teams. The Convo is not a great venue any longer for a number of reasons. We also need an arena that can be used by the community for events. There is nothing nice north of Roanoke in the western part of the state. We could have concerts and a number of other events in a growing area in the valley.

Hammy,

You have been really quite these past couple of months. What are your thoughts on our immediate and long term athletic outlook? You buying or selling stock in JMU Athletics?

We need the facility no question but I'm not really sure about the concert thing due to the proximity of JPJ. I realize we'd be building a smaller facility so maybe we'd be in the running for acts that aren't going to draw to a place as large as JPJ but not sure how that'll really play out. BTW, I noticed there were some renderings in the background of some of those photos. Are they available online anywhere?

(04-18-2014 11:42 AM)Rock House Duke Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 07:13 AM)HotHamandCheese84 Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 06:29 AM)jmu-fan-1981 Wrote:  Finally! Do you think this decision has anything to do with trying to impress FBS conferences that want us to upgrade our convo?

That's part of it. The FBS folks have identified our arena as something that needs to be upgraded. We really need it for recruiting for both the MBB and WBB teams. The Convo is not a great venue any longer for a number of reasons. We also need an arena that can be used by the community for events. There is nothing nice north of Roanoke in the western part of the state. We could have concerts and a number of other events in a growing area in the valley.

Hammy,

You have been really quite these past couple of months. What are your thoughts on our immediate and long term athletic outlook? You buying or selling stock in JMU Athletics?

Hammy was at that event. Wish he would share some insight.

I don't understand why we are getting a new convo when we barely fill half of it? The stadium expansion was necessary. This reminds me of China building ghost cities just because they had the money to spend. If I were a major stakeholder, I would have a hard time justifying a new arena that is larger or more expensive than what Towson just built.

(04-18-2014 11:48 AM)JMU2004 Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 11:42 AM)Rock House Duke Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 07:13 AM)HotHamandCheese84 Wrote:  

(04-18-2014 06:29 AM)jmu-fan-1981 Wrote:  Finally! Do you think this decision has anything to do with trying to impress FBS conferences that want us to upgrade our convo?

That's part of it. The FBS folks have identified our arena as something that needs to be upgraded. We really need it for recruiting for both the MBB and WBB teams. The Convo is not a great venue any longer for a number of reasons. We also need an arena that can be used by the community for events. There is nothing nice north of Roanoke in the western part of the state. We could have concerts and a number of other events in a growing area in the valley.

Hammy,

You have been really quite these past couple of months. What are your thoughts on our immediate and long term athletic outlook? You buying or selling stock in JMU Athletics?

Hammy was at that event. Wish he would share some insight.

That's why I asked.

(04-18-2014 11:51 AM)DBJMU2006 Wrote:  I don't understand why we are getting a new convo when we barely fill half of it? The stadium expansion was necessary. This reminds me of China building ghost cities just because they had the money to spend. If I were a major stakeholder, I would have a hard time justifying a new arena that is larger or more expensive than what Towson just built.

It's a chicken/egg thing. Part of the reason we're not filling half of it is because we lack the facilities to attract high level recruits and potential new conference members. Also, it's not a good basketball facility to begin with and is in decay.