I was in Murfeesboro, Tenn., last week on business and I had a chance to go over and check out Middle Tennessee State's athletic facilities.
MTSU is a very urban institution. It is comparable in size to UT, about 23,000 students.
Here's the deal -- their facilities are superior to ours.
The stadium seats 31,000, basketball seats 11,520, and their strength & conditioning is easily double the size of ours.
It's time for the University of Toledo to make athletics a priority. We are on ESPN2 four times this year. When we make the MAC Championship and Bowl game, that will mark six games on national TV. That will be basically 18 hours of free air time marketing the University of Toledo. You can not put a price tag on that.
The time is now to capitalize on this momentum. It's time to get the basketball arena and indoor practice facility moving.
The administration needs to understand how important athletics really are to the University.
I looked at their athletic web site.
Here's what it said about the softball field:
Softball Field
Referred to as Observatory Park by many in the athletic department due to the location of the astrology department's observation tower behind the first base bleachers, the Lady Raider softball field was built in 1994.
[B]
The Glass Bowl is a gem. I hope within five or ten years someone will empty their pockets and a plan to expand the stadium along the south parking lot will come about. But I think we need a larger fan base first. What's the deal with Savage Hall? Any new news on that being renovated or rebuilt?
GO ROCKETS!
Folks, I'm with you all the way on making our facilities better, but it takes a lot of the stuff the U is very short on the last 5 or 6 years...CASH. With the capital campaign going on for the entire university, nothing is going to be done specifically for athletics until that campaign reaches or exceeds it's goal. In the meantime, check into this, is you haven't already: <a href='http://utrockets.collegesports.com/boosters/tol-boosters-RocketFund.html' target='_blank'>be a booster!</a>
To expand on what Karl said.......our gifts to the Rocket Fund is the only thing that is going to make updated facilities possible right now. Money is too tight at the University to expect improvements to the stadium or Larimer complex without it coming from outside donations from fans like us.
Now that it looks like we've got the Glass Bowl Rocket on its way toward being refurbished/repainted, perhaps it is time for "Rockets Anonymous" to start a grass roots effort toward getting a new Glass Bowl sound system??? We'll put that on the agenda for the August 26th meeting.
RangerRocket Wrote:perhaps it is time for "Rockets Anonymous" to start a grass roots effort toward getting a new Glass Bowl sound system???
I can only imagine the kind of ca$h that this would have to cost
Fellow Rockets:
Here's an article from August, 2003 about Western Kentucky University getting a new sound system for their stadium (which seats 17,500 according to the article). Said it cost the university $40,000. Assuming the Glass Bowl might require $80,000 that is 80 $1000 donations, 800 $100 donations, or 8000 $10 donations. I think we could do this!!! Heck, Touchdown Rrrrrooockets! is probably good for half of this!!!
<a href='http://www.wkuherald.com/news/2003/08/19/Sports/Football.Stadium.To.Get.New.Sound.System-450742.shtml' target='_blank'>Western Kentucky University Sound System</a>
To get an idea, call Bill Robinson at Great Lakes Sound. He knows his stuff, does high-end work, and has a very capable staff.
Even if it does cost 80K, that really isn't that bad. If we started working on getting donations now we could probably have the money and get this done for the 2005 season.
Thanks Oddball, I'll start with Bill.
RR
i agree with you that the stadium does need a new sound system`but i also know the school has a repair priority list-and i dont thing that is very high up on the list for some reason---and i believe that we should- and can make a larger effect by maybe doing landscaping around the glass bowl--we should sell bricks at an entrance or something like that, kind of make an nice entrance or small pavilion --but a sound system would be good--but i dont know that the university would be doing it right away if its not on their priority list--if they though---count me (my parents
)in for at least a hundred!
Beautiful idea. I'd chip in a few bucks for a new sound system. (And I do mean, a few - I'm very poor!) The current system hurts my ears - especially when it gets that crazy feedback which sounds like something extraterrestrial landing.
Fellow Rockets:
I sent an email to Dave Nottke, the Athletic Department Development Director (he runs the Rocket Fund) asking if he'd mind if we start a grass roots effort to generate funds for a new sound system. I'll pass on what he has to say.
Toledophisher I think the personalized brick idea is most excellent. I know a company in Maumee that does that, let me check with them to see what that would entail. Perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone (or in this case, one brick) -- an upgraded sound system and some landscaping.
We've got some great fans with great ideas. Let's make this happen!!!
RangerRocket
if you need any help with anything--just let me know--i would love to help you with contacts-pricing-whatever--also i am a current student on student government-so maybe in the fall-rockets anonymous could make a presentation at a student senate meeting--to propose some ideas--just to create a talk! feel free to email me---youenjoymyselfto@yahoo.com---my name is dave-----
also--last year i brought up at a meeting----that around carter field instead of the old chain link fence suurounding it now--we should look into a black iron fence---similar to the one that is around the rec.---we could put business names on the fence forhelp with costs and it would look less factoryish in that area---just a thought--it is being looked into at this time--that could be another great project for the UT sports scene--just thought i'd let you know---baby steps--i get excitied
RangerRocket Wrote:Heck, Touchdown Rrrrrooockets! is probably good for half of this!!!
I couldn't make half of this if I worked at it for the next 10 years with my bills. But yeah, if you guys think we could help, I'd be in.
Also, I am not trying to pimp any of your guys' websites, but just throwing out a question here: would it help or would you be interested in putting an advertisement for certain donating sponsors on your websites (Oddball, RF, etc.)? I am guessing that you all have some sort of way to track the number of hits you receive per [time period]. Like I said, I am just throwing out an idea though.
Sometime you hear about someone making a donation to the Rocket Fund with stipulations that it must go towards something in particular. I would think we could do something similar by creating a special "Sound Sytem" fund. It would be easier to get the University to handle this, but if they won't maybe it is possible to create the fund ourselves and then present it to the University with the stipulations of going towards a new sound system.
Touchdown Rrrrrooockets! Wrote:Also, I am not trying to pimp any of your guys' websites, but just throwing out a question here: would it help or would you be interested in putting an advertisement for certain donating sponsors on your websites (Oddball, RF, etc.)? I am guessing that you all have some sort of way to track the number of hits you receive per [time period]. Like I said, I am just throwing out an idea though.
I would definitely do it. In fact, I have already offered to do this for the body shop working on the Rocket refurbishing project.
Same here. After I get settled in Texas and get a few other things taken care of with the site, I may even be able to set it up to accept credit card and pay pal donations.
The sound system has been a pet peeve of mine for a long time. "Welcome to the Jungle", I assume, is supposed to be intimidating when the other team enters our stadium, but when it sounds like someone left their stereo in their car on a tad too loud, I'm guessing that no opponents are shaking in their boots.