The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Older folks get to dictate everything about the atmosphere at ODU. And they have Dr. Trevino's music to boot. The students have voted with their feet and we have happy gray-haired viewers all around the lower court. And we're even hospitable enough to allow the opponents to have seats right behind the rim.

The students are just doing their part in providing more available seats at the other end. Teamwork.

(01-19-2018 11:20 AM)FearTheLion Wrote:  Older folks get to dictate everything about the atmosphere at ODU. And they have Dr. Trevino's music to boot. The students have voted with their feet and we have happy gray-haired viewers all around the lower court. And we're even hospitable enough to allow the opponents to have seats right behind the rim.

The students are just doing their part in providing more available seats at the other end. Teamwork.

Maybe we're just trying to replicate the game day experience for the players that they see on the road.

It's got to be difficult finding a game day experience that balances the needs of students and gray hairs (of which I am one).I'm 69 and still think the game day experience is way to stodgy. I hate rap and hip-hop, but certainly understand it's what the kids respond to so I have no issue with the music. As said before, the Pep Band leader needs to lose the coat and tie and let the band loosen up some. Not sure how you encourage spontaneity, but we need lots more of it. Dustin was great but got shot down, Monarch maniacs disbanded, cheerleaders routines are straight out of the 60's, band plays broadway show tunes (s/). All very choreographed and lifeless. Big Blue runs out to a prerecorded intro and shoots t shirts that land in the big donor sections. Yawn.
It's all very formulaic and routine. Somebody please do something different, unpredictable and fun!!

(01-19-2018 12:55 PM)Old Dominion Wrote:  It's got to be difficult finding a game day experience that balances the needs of students and gray hairs (of which I am one).I'm 69 and still think the game day experience is way to stodgy. I hate rap and hip-hop, but certainly understand it's what the kids respond to so I have no issue with the music. As said before, the Pep Band leader needs to lose the coat and tie and let the band loosen up some. Not sure how you encourage spontaneity, but we need lots more of it. Dustin was great but got shot down, Monarch maniacs disbanded, cheerleaders routines are straight out of the 60's, band plays broadway show tunes (s/). All very choreographed and lifeless. Big Blue runs out to a prerecorded intro and shoots t shirts that land in the big donor sections. Yawn.
It's all very formulaic and routine. Somebody please do something different, unpredictable and fun!!

Bingo... and I'd add edgy. That VCU pep band, while crass, is a lot of fun and takes the lead in creating the exciting atmosphere. Id go so far as to say they draw people to the games to see what crazy mess the come up with next. The band can be the ones to set the tone. Take the reins off and get crazy. Have the old folks (and Im getting closer to that every day) leave shaking theirs heads at the crazy antics of the college kids these days.

(01-19-2018 01:37 PM)monarx Wrote:  

(01-19-2018 12:55 PM)Old Dominion Wrote:  It's got to be difficult finding a game day experience that balances the needs of students and gray hairs (of which I am one).I'm 69 and still think the game day experience is way to stodgy. I hate rap and hip-hop, but certainly understand it's what the kids respond to so I have no issue with the music. As said before, the Pep Band leader needs to lose the coat and tie and let the band loosen up some. Not sure how you encourage spontaneity, but we need lots more of it. Dustin was great but got shot down, Monarch maniacs disbanded, cheerleaders routines are straight out of the 60's, band plays broadway show tunes (s/). All very choreographed and lifeless. Big Blue runs out to a prerecorded intro and shoots t shirts that land in the big donor sections. Yawn.
It's all very formulaic and routine. Somebody please do something different, unpredictable and fun!!

Bingo... and I'd add edgy. That VCU pep band, while crass, is a lot of fun and takes the lead in creating the exciting atmosphere. Id go so far as to say they draw people to the games to see what crazy mess the come up with next. The band can be the ones to set the tone. Take the reins off and get crazy. Have the old folks (and Im getting closer to that every day) leave shaking theirs heads at the crazy antics of the college kids these days.

It is great that the ODAF raised 20M in 2017, however because of the new tax laws, I feel most of that money was raised in December. If big donors itemize their taxes, they know that they can not use that gift in 2018. Big givers know that if they did not give that money in 2017 taxes, then they can't use it in 2018 itemized. By giving the 2018 donation in December they can use it on their 2017 tax returns, and the money will count as their 2018 pledge. I am a member of ODAF, however my amount is too small to claim. Congratulations to the big givers (good Idea). I will be doing my taxes for 2018 on standard, vice itemize for 2018. With people giving in late 2017, I feel the actual 2018 donations will be down. I use to carry 21K for itemize but will have to switch to standard in 2018. I wonder how many ODAF members, are in the same boat?

(01-18-2018 11:08 PM)bit_9 Wrote:  ODU total for education+athletic was 57.3 million. So, our total isn't too far off. Pulled that from April 2017 BOV minutes.

That $57.3 includes the onetime gift by the Barrys of $35M.

(01-19-2018 08:32 PM)Mr.BigBlue Wrote:  

(01-18-2018 11:08 PM)bit_9 Wrote:  ODU total for education+athletic was 57.3 million. So, our total isn't too far off. Pulled that from April 2017 BOV minutes.

That $57.3 includes the onetime gift by the Barrys of $35M.

Yikes. Then we aren't as solid as it first appeared. :( We really need a top tier business school and a law or medical school to get some better salaried alumni.

Thank god for the arts and the Barry's! That will be a nice museum but even that is gonna pale to the new art center at VCU.

You football folks need to open your wallets if you want the stadium so bad.

Was just talking with a bud who works in fundraising at CNU. They were raving about how much success they were having in fundraising. Said the whole place was inspiring since they’ve only really been beyond a community college for 20 years. In their words “CNU is killing it in fundraising, academics and athletics”. I wish our students and employees spoke of ODU with the same pride and passion this person did. Then again, we haven’t had that type of progress that quickly. Perhaps Broderick could sit with Trible and learn some things from him. I always thought we should have tried to get him when Runte left anyway. Now we probably wouldn’t stand a chance. Perhaps he could mentor Broderick though and show him what he’s doing.

(01-20-2018 08:51 AM)monarx Wrote:  Was just talking with a bud who works in fundraising at CNU. They were raving about how much success they were having in fundraising. Said the whole place was inspiring since they’ve only really been beyond a community college for 20 years. In their words “CNU is killing it in fundraising, academics and athletics”. I wish our students and employees spoke of ODU with the same pride and passion this person did. Then again, we haven’t had that type of progress that quickly. Perhaps Broderick could sit with Trible and learn some things from him. I always thought we should have tried to get him when Runte left anyway. Now we probably wouldn’t stand a chance. Perhaps he could mentor Broderick though and show him what he’s doing.

Their capital campaign started in 2011 and concluded in 2017. They raised 66 million. Great for them;
http://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-n...story.html

ODU just raised 57.3 in a single year.

We all know that that the numbers will be skewed by large one time donations. What I’m interested in is how our ODAF contributions compare to other schools.

Assuming our next goal is to get to the AAC, we need to look like an AAC school. I suspect we fall short in that very important area but I can’t find the data to support that assumption.


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(01-20-2018 09:33 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(01-20-2018 08:51 AM)monarx Wrote:  Was just talking with a bud who works in fundraising at CNU. They were raving about how much success they were having in fundraising. Said the whole place was inspiring since they’ve only really been beyond a community college for 20 years. In their words “CNU is killing it in fundraising, academics and athletics”. I wish our students and employees spoke of ODU with the same pride and passion this person did. Then again, we haven’t had that type of progress that quickly. Perhaps Broderick could sit with Trible and learn some things from him. I always thought we should have tried to get him when Runte left anyway. Now we probably wouldn’t stand a chance. Perhaps he could mentor Broderick though and show him what he’s doing.

Their capital campaign started in 2011 and concluded in 2017. They raised 66 million. Great for them;
http://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-n...story.html

ODU just raised 57.3 in a single year.

CNU is (seemingly) much more successful in getting money out of Richmond however.

What are you basing that on? Just an assumption or the actual financials?

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(01-20-2018 10:15 AM)devyanks90 Wrote:  

(01-20-2018 09:33 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(01-20-2018 08:51 AM)monarx Wrote:  Was just talking with a bud who works in fundraising at CNU. They were raving about how much success they were having in fundraising. Said the whole place was inspiring since they’ve only really been beyond a community college for 20 years. In their words “CNU is killing it in fundraising, academics and athletics”. I wish our students and employees spoke of ODU with the same pride and passion this person did. Then again, we haven’t had that type of progress that quickly. Perhaps Broderick could sit with Trible and learn some things from him. I always thought we should have tried to get him when Runte left anyway. Now we probably wouldn’t stand a chance. Perhaps he could mentor Broderick though and show him what he’s doing.

Their capital campaign started in 2011 and concluded in 2017. They raised 66 million. Great for them;
http://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-n...story.html

ODU just raised 57.3 in a single year.

CNU is (seemingly) much more successful in getting money out of Richmond however.

Wonder why? Can you say Good old boy Paul Trible? not that there's anything wrong with that.

(01-20-2018 10:47 AM)Old Dominion Wrote:  

(01-20-2018 10:15 AM)devyanks90 Wrote:  

(01-20-2018 09:33 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(01-20-2018 08:51 AM)monarx Wrote:  Was just talking with a bud who works in fundraising at CNU. They were raving about how much success they were having in fundraising. Said the whole place was inspiring since they’ve only really been beyond a community college for 20 years. In their words “CNU is killing it in fundraising, academics and athletics”. I wish our students and employees spoke of ODU with the same pride and passion this person did. Then again, we haven’t had that type of progress that quickly. Perhaps Broderick could sit with Trible and learn some things from him. I always thought we should have tried to get him when Runte left anyway. Now we probably wouldn’t stand a chance. Perhaps he could mentor Broderick though and show him what he’s doing.

Their capital campaign started in 2011 and concluded in 2017. They raised 66 million. Great for them;
http://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-n...story.html

ODU just raised 57.3 in a single year.

CNU is (seemingly) much more successful in getting money out of Richmond however.

Wonder why? Can you say Good old boy Paul Trible? not that there's anything wrong with that.

Of course. But the fact remains that in terms of public perception of VA public schools ODU has dropped from somewhere around a three way tie for 6th (UVA, WM, VMI, VT, JMU then GMU,ODU, VCU) to basically a three way tie for 9th or 10th with Radford and Longwood. With public perception comes more grants, more prestigious professors, higher caliber HS students, more donations, more public support and more advantages recruiting student athletes. The state will put money where they think its getting a good ROI. The result of being leap frogged by at least three schools in the last 25 years is that many of what would normally be our higher achieving freshman who turn into higher giving donors are choosing to go elsewhere. Thats a huge problem. Top students who would hav chosen ODU 25 years ago now go to GMU, VCU and CNU. The only thing ODU seems to do to combat that is keep tuition as low as possible. Thats great, but it seems being known as the "cheap school with diversity" isn't quite as big a selling point to donors, prospective students or professors as being known as a "beautiful fun & exciting campus with great academics, innovation and opportunities, with great sports teams". People are willing to pay more (whether in tuition or donations) for a better product, and the perception (not saying its reality) is that too many other places offer a better product these days. This ties into fundraising because people want to give to a winner, a place on the rise. If we invest in ourselves, and the state sees the value of investing in ODU, and ODU acts like it belongs in the conversation of tier one institutions, and most importantly, actually pays that off, others will begin to as well. Thats on the administration. In my opinion hiring prestigious faculty, improving campus safety, campus beautification, and fiercely trying to recruit and enroll higher caliber students no matter what they look like, would pay off in a big way for ODU. Even if that means raising tuition to be more in line with CNU and VCU.