"If only we had invested in football when..."

"Football drives the bus..."

"Expansion is all about football..."

"This may be the last chance..."

Why does every other school's leadership "see what's coming" but ours? We're building student unions on a campus that needs a reason to bring its alumni back to campus and stay relevant in the race to a P5 invite.

(08-23-2014 10:00 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Why does every other school's eadership "see what's coming" but ours? We're building student unions on a campus that needs a reason to bring its alumni back to campus and stay relevant in the race to a P5 invite.

I think some of our past administrations have been very content NOT to have alumni around the campus.

I don't know the current cast of characters.

(08-23-2014 10:00 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Why does every other school's eadership "see what's coming" but ours? We're building student unions on a campus that needs a reason to bring its alumni back to campus and stay relevant in the race to a P5 invite.

Yep.

(08-23-2014 11:14 AM)Claw Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 10:00 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Why does every other school's eadership "see what's coming" but ours? We're building student unions on a campus that needs a reason to bring its alumni back to campus and stay relevant in the race to a P5 invite.

I think some of our past administrations have been very content NOT to have alumni around the campus.

I don't know the current cast of characters.

Our alumni giving percentage has always been a significant strike against the University of Memphis as it tries to elevate itself in stature. Nothing would give the school the opportunity to raise that percentage like an on-campus football stadium.

(08-23-2014 11:53 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 11:14 AM)Claw Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 10:00 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Why does every other school's eadership "see what's coming" but ours? We're building student unions on a campus that needs a reason to bring its alumni back to campus and stay relevant in the race to a P5 invite.

I think some of our past administrations have been very content NOT to have alumni around the campus.

I don't know the current cast of characters.

Our alumni giving percentage has always been a significant strike against the University of Memphis as it tries to elevate itself in stature. Nothing would give the school the opportunity to raise that percentage like an on-campus football stadium.

No stadium. No arena. No concert venue. No place for graduation.

The most common shared experience of our students is freshman orientation.

This is why we have no alumni involvement and so little student involvement.

(08-23-2014 12:23 PM)Claw Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 11:53 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 11:14 AM)Claw Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 10:00 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Why does every other school's eadership "see what's coming" but ours? We're building student unions on a campus that needs a reason to bring its alumni back to campus and stay relevant in the race to a P5 invite.

I think some of our past administrations have been very content NOT to have alumni around the campus.

I don't know the current cast of characters.

Our alumni giving percentage has always been a significant strike against the University of Memphis as it tries to elevate itself in stature. Nothing would give the school the opportunity to raise that percentage like an on-campus football stadium.

No stadium. No arena. No concert venue. No place for graduation.

The most common shared experience of our students is freshman orientation.

This is why we have no alumni involvement and so little student involvement.

Yep. We gladly outsource it all and our graduates ultimately embrace other schools more than they do their own.

(08-22-2014 01:51 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(08-22-2014 01:08 PM)homefry20 Wrote:  

(08-22-2014 01:02 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(08-22-2014 12:06 PM)homefry20 Wrote:  lets start being good at football before we demand big stadiums

Wow, you sure are a genius. Signed, Akron, FIU, UCF, North Texas...

Most, if not all of those teams went to a bowl game the season before or a couple before

Bowl Games/Beginning Of Construction
SMU
1997/1984

Akron
2008/2005 (the only bowl game in it's history) 9-15 the two years prior

FIU
2012/2011

North Texas (8-39 from 2005-2008)
2009/2004

1 out of 4 Fryboy; shockingly accurate by your bottom of the barrel standards.

There you go again. Getting negative with people. You can prove a point without insulting folks. Good job using Google though! You see, I just told you good job!

Louisville built their Papa Johns stadium (with at the time 42,000 seats) for $63,000,000. The seats have been expanded to 52,000 I think.

The liberty bowl is not the reason we've fallen behind. Plenty of P5 programs are doing just fine with older stadiums.

(08-23-2014 01:18 PM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  

(08-22-2014 01:51 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(08-22-2014 01:08 PM)homefry20 Wrote:  

(08-22-2014 01:02 PM)Stammers Wrote:  

(08-22-2014 12:06 PM)homefry20 Wrote:  lets start being good at football before we demand big stadiums

Wow, you sure are a genius. Signed, Akron, FIU, UCF, North Texas...

Most, if not all of those teams went to a bowl game the season before or a couple before

Bowl Games/Beginning Of Construction
SMU
1997/1984

Akron
2008/2005 (the only bowl game in it's history) 9-15 the two years prior

FIU
2012/2011

North Texas (8-39 from 2005-2008)
2009/2004

1 out of 4 Fryboy; shockingly accurate by your bottom of the barrel standards.

There you go again. Getting negative with people. You can prove a point without insulting folks. Good job using Google though! You see, I just told you good job!

(08-23-2014 05:53 PM)justballen Wrote:  The liberty bowl is not the reason we've fallen behind. Plenty of P5 programs are doing just fine with older stadiums.

No, the Liberty Bowl is a reason we'll stay behind.

(08-23-2014 06:00 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 05:53 PM)justballen Wrote:  The liberty bowl is not the reason we've fallen behind. Plenty of P5 programs are doing just fine with older stadiums.

No, the Liberty Bowl is a reason we'll stay behind.

The reasoning behind wanting to stay in the LBS is what will keep us left behind again.

(08-23-2014 08:40 PM)eltigre Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 06:00 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 05:53 PM)justballen Wrote:  The liberty bowl is not the reason we've fallen behind. Plenty of P5 programs are doing just fine with older stadiums.

No, the Liberty Bowl is a reason we'll stay behind.

The reasoning behind wanting to stay in the LBS is what will keep us left behind again.

eltigre is a wise man.

The stadium is too big. We need 40k seats or less with an option to expand to around 60 to 65 in the far off future

(08-21-2014 01:45 AM)Claw Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 01:34 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 01:30 AM)Claw Wrote:  

Quote:Each project showcases ways Populous is helping schools to lure fans to their next-generation stadiums in an era where good seats are not enough: enhanced Wi-Fi, better video boards and party decks for socializing. The results are twofold: The flashy facilities offer a better game-day experience while also generating more revenue than their predecessors.

There is something wrong with the Liberty Bowl.

It isn't making us enough money.

It isn't losing us money, either...our tiny rent (35k per game) is offset by not having to pay for maintenance or renovations.

Winning, and selling lots of season tickets would take care of the money situation.

No, it would not. In order to compete, we are going to have to offer the amenities that other schools have. They have multiple levels of suites, party decks, different seating options... It's in the article.

Quote:"The thing about college football is it's this big event where you're rooting for your alma mater," Spear said, "and now your alumni are returning to campus and spending money."

Our competition is making money on football. We aren't. The stadium is by far the biggest reason why. It has been for a long, long time. It still is. It always will be.

I would say our lack of winning is the reason we are losing money. If we can at least start winning consistently then the other stuff can be done. As much as I would like an on-campus stadium, those are the facts. If we start winning and/or competing, we could get a Big 12 invite and then we would have more $.


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(08-23-2014 09:16 PM)UM_TOM Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 01:45 AM)Claw Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 01:34 AM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 01:30 AM)Claw Wrote:  

Quote:Each project showcases ways Populous is helping schools to lure fans to their next-generation stadiums in an era where good seats are not enough: enhanced Wi-Fi, better video boards and party decks for socializing. The results are twofold: The flashy facilities offer a better game-day experience while also generating more revenue than their predecessors.

There is something wrong with the Liberty Bowl.

It isn't making us enough money.

It isn't losing us money, either...our tiny rent (35k per game) is offset by not having to pay for maintenance or renovations.

Winning, and selling lots of season tickets would take care of the money situation.

No, it would not. In order to compete, we are going to have to offer the amenities that other schools have. They have multiple levels of suites, party decks, different seating options... It's in the article.

Quote:"The thing about college football is it's this big event where you're rooting for your alma mater," Spear said, "and now your alumni are returning to campus and spending money."

Our competition is making money on football. We aren't. The stadium is by far the biggest reason why. It has been for a long, long time. It still is. It always will be.

I would say our lack of winning is the reason we are losing money. If we can at least start winning consistently then the other stuff can be done. As much as I would like an on-campus stadium, those are the facts. If we start winning and/or competing, we could get a Big 12 invite and then we would have more $.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Winning would help a lot. But, it isn't going to fill the Liberty Bowl.

As long as there thousands of empty seats, we won't be able to raise ticket prices. We don't have the seating options like club level seating, loges, and comfy chair back groupings to differentiate ticket prices.

A winning team can add another 10 to 15 thousand fans at cheap ticket prices. That's not a lot of money, but it is about the top end for things today. It's just where we are.

we can't raise enough money to build an indoor football practice facility, no less a 40,000-45,000 seat stadium

(08-23-2014 10:55 PM)OneShiningMoment Wrote:  we can't raise enough money to build an indoor football practice facility, no less a 40,000-45,000 seat stadium

That's true. However, I would do things for a stadium that I will not even consider for anything else. I suspect there are many others like me.

(08-23-2014 11:02 PM)Claw Wrote:  

(08-23-2014 10:55 PM)OneShiningMoment Wrote:  we can't raise enough money to build an indoor football practice facility, no less a 40,000-45,000 seat stadium

That's true. However, I would do things for a stadium that I will not even consider for anything else. I suspect there are many others like me.

I hope you're right.