Last year, GA State was the absolute laughingstock of college football. This article makes a few good points:

Big moments helping Georgia State sports grow
By: Doug Roberson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
6:48 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015 | Filed in: Georgia State


Chris Schmidt grew up a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Even though he was enrolled at Georgia State, he didn’t care about the Panthers’ athletic programs.

And then R.J. Hunter and the Panthers defeated Baylor in the second round of the NCAA tournament. He started paying attention. And then the football team beat Georgia Southern to reach 6-6 and will play in the Cure Bowl on Saturday in Orlando. Schmidt now has more Georgia State T-shirts than he does Georgia.


The victory over Georgia Southern helped Georgia State clinch a spot in its first bowl game.

“I’m invested in Georgia State as a student,” he said. “I will always love the Bulldogs. That’s tradition and family. But Georgia State is me.”

Schmidt is an example of the students and Atlanta natives that Georgia State’s athletic department is trying to convert into merchandise-buying, ticket-purchasing, donation-giving fans.

“A lot of stories and a lot of possibilities come from a win like this, which is very similar to what happened in the Baylor game,” Georgia State athletic director Charlie Cobb said.

In the bookstore on Saturday, fans who would later walk across the street to attend a men’s basketball game against Old Dominion could he heard asking if there were any more T-shirts printed for the Georgia Southern game. Others were discussing travel plans to the Cure Bowl. Clothing and gift sales in the campus’ main bookstore have increased more than 30 percent each year-over-year, which Georgia State athletics said can be partially attributed to the success of the men’s basketball and football teams.

In cyberspace, the two biggest months for the the athletic department’s facebook page were March (975,298 impressions) and December (467,329 and counting). The average in other months is around 150,000.

These are the moments that Cobb and athletics are going to try build on in the first months of 2016. Cobb said one area of focus will be identifying and engaging more of those fans like Schmidt. Another will be discussions with all the stakeholders in athletics to identify and take action on the things that need to be done to keep the success growing across all 15 sports.

Using football as an example of what will be discussed to create sustainable success; Cobb said several things may be on the table, including increasing staffing for strength and conditioning, and adding a liaison to strengthen developing relationships with high schools in Atlanta.

“We went from hoping that we could compete with some teams to this year proving we can compete with upper echelon,” Cobb said. “Now it’s building a sustainable program. The Atlanta fan base will come with it.”

The excitement that Schmidt and others are feeling is similar to what happened to the supporters of Appalachian State as it turned into a FCS power in football with three national titles and the famous win over Michigan, said Rick Beasley, who was the Mountaineers development director during that spell and is now in a similar position at Georgia State.

Miles and Cobb said they have experienced first-hand the positive buzz on campus, with professors, provosts and others sharing their delight at the success sports is having.

“It’s the fun part of being at the bottom stage and seeing it develop and seeing the pride people are taking in football and the athletic department, all our programs,” football coach Trent Miles said. “It’s going to keep growing as Georgia State grows.”

But the winning can’t stop.

Cobb said it’s important that the football team win the Cure Bowl because a winning 7-6 record is better than a losing 6-7 record. If Georgia State can win that, and the other three Sun Belt teams that are playing in bowls can win their games, it will improve of the conference in the Group of Five standings.

A winning record will also continue the bump the football team is experiencing in recruiting with smiling faces replacing the ambivalence that came from the team’s 2-33 record the previous three seasons.

“It’s a viable program,” Cobb said. “A kid doesn’t need to drive 4, 5, 6 hours away to go to school. Mom can live where she lives and drive down and watch her son play.”

Winning is part of the key to sustaining the growth of the fan base.

Schmidt said he is considering buying season tickets for football next year because he is interested in watching the program goes.

But if the football team can’t sustain the success with another bowl game, his interest may wane.

“Anything less than five wins and this could be a one-hit wonder,” he said.

And winning is part of the key to the future success of the athletic department as it relates to whatever fund-raising will be needed should Georgia State win the bidding for Turner Field.

Cobb said that Turner Field will transform all of Georgia State’s athletics, another very large stepping stone that can be added to the win over Baylor, the appearance in the national championship tournament for beach volleyball, and the appearance in the Cure Bowl.

“I can’t overemphasize enough we have tremendous aspirations,” Cobb said.

Not sure if this would have been possible without their athletics success this past year tipping the balance for more investment in their favor. They can thank their coaches at least partially:

Turner Field to be sold to Georgia State and developer Carter
by: Katie Leslie and J. Scott Trubey
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2:24 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, 2015 | Filed in: Business


Turner Field is going to be sold to Atlanta-based real estate firm Carter and Georgia State University.

The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority board announced Monday that the Carter and Georgia State team has been chosen as the winning bidder for Turner Field. The board will begin negotiating a sale of the downtown baseball stadium and much of the surrounding parking lots.

The announcement comes just a little more than two months after the agency put the ballpark up for sale through a competitive bid process, and about two years after the Atlanta Braves announced their plans to move to a new ballpark in Cobb County.


Turner Field to be sold to Georgia State and developer Carter photo
The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority has voted to sell the ballpark and parking lots to a group headlined by Georgia State University and real estate firm Carter. That group wants to transform the site into student housing, apartments, retail, and converting The Ted into a football stadium. A neighborhood planning effort also is underway that residents hope will help steer development in an area where stadiums haven't fulfilled the promises of jobs and growth. Brant Sanderlin/STAFF

The Carter-Georgia State team plan involves a $300 million mix of student housing, apartments, retail and the conversion of Turner Field into a football stadium. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed publicly endorsed the Georgia State team when it first announced its interest in the site early last year.

In October, the authority listed 67 acres, including Turner Field, for sale under a competitive bid process. Only two other bidders, both little-known, made a play for the ballpark and surrounding parking lots, making it apparent to most observers that Carter and Georgia State would be the winner.

Many residents of the neighborhoods surrounding The Ted have urged the authority to wait in selling the land, but the authority has said a sale must happen quickly, as the Braves will leave the ballpark by the end of next year. After that point, stadium upkeep and security would be on the taxpayers.

But to help assuage residents, the request for proposals made it clear that the community’s input must be included in the development plans. The request for proposals requires the potential buyer to “demonstrate a commitment to incorporating” recommendations from a pending community development study.

“After a through review of all the proposals, including in person presentations, the Board of the City of Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority has a preferred bidder and will commence negotiations immediately,” board chairman William K Whitner said in a news release. “We will move forward expeditiously to ensure that we make meaningful progress toward determining the future of this historic neighborhood. AFCRA has been a long-time partner in this community and we fully appreciate the importance of negotiating with a developer that will have the community’s interest foremost in mind.”

Just like you suggest that winning helped Georgia State to improve their facilities, I think you've seen the impact winning can have on our own campus. The EZF became fully funded at the end of 2014 - one year after a conference championship and right before a third consecutive bowl game.

Winning cures all, so hopefully we can find out winning ways again next year. And at some point, hopefully we can move on from winning at the lower levels of the G5 to winning at the upper levels of P5.

I thought the stadium was a couple of miles south of downtown Atlanta. It was built next to the old Braves stadium which I had gone to a baseball series against the Astros. It should be easy enough to convert Turner to a football stadium since it started as a track stadium.

(12-21-2015 03:02 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Not sure if this would have been possible without their athletics success this past year tipping the balance for more investment in their favor. They can thank their coaches at least partially:

Turner Field to be sold to Georgia State and developer Carter
by: Katie Leslie and J. Scott Trubey
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2:24 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, 2015 | Filed in: Business


Turner Field is going to be sold to Atlanta-based real estate firm Carter and Georgia State University.

The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority board announced Monday that the Carter and Georgia State team has been chosen as the winning bidder for Turner Field. The board will begin negotiating a sale of the downtown baseball stadium and much of the surrounding parking lots.

The announcement comes just a little more than two months after the agency put the ballpark up for sale through a competitive bid process, and about two years after the Atlanta Braves announced their plans to move to a new ballpark in Cobb County.


Turner Field to be sold to Georgia State and developer Carter photo
The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority has voted to sell the ballpark and parking lots to a group headlined by Georgia State University and real estate firm Carter. That group wants to transform the site into student housing, apartments, retail, and converting The Ted into a football stadium. A neighborhood planning effort also is underway that residents hope will help steer development in an area where stadiums haven't fulfilled the promises of jobs and growth. Brant Sanderlin/STAFF

The Carter-Georgia State team plan involves a $300 million mix of student housing, apartments, retail and the conversion of Turner Field into a football stadium. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed publicly endorsed the Georgia State team when it first announced its interest in the site early last year.

In October, the authority listed 67 acres, including Turner Field, for sale under a competitive bid process. Only two other bidders, both little-known, made a play for the ballpark and surrounding parking lots, making it apparent to most observers that Carter and Georgia State would be the winner.

Many residents of the neighborhoods surrounding The Ted have urged the authority to wait in selling the land, but the authority has said a sale must happen quickly, as the Braves will leave the ballpark by the end of next year. After that point, stadium upkeep and security would be on the taxpayers.

But to help assuage residents, the request for proposals made it clear that the community’s input must be included in the development plans. The request for proposals requires the potential buyer to “demonstrate a commitment to incorporating” recommendations from a pending community development study.

“After a through review of all the proposals, including in person presentations, the Board of the City of Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority has a preferred bidder and will commence negotiations immediately,” board chairman William K Whitner said in a news release. “We will move forward expeditiously to ensure that we make meaningful progress toward determining the future of this historic neighborhood. AFCRA has been a long-time partner in this community and we fully appreciate the importance of negotiating with a developer that will have the community’s interest foremost in mind.”

(12-21-2015 03:16 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  Just like you suggest that winning helped Georgia State to improve their facilities, I think you've seen the impact winning can have on our own campus. The EZF became fully funded at the end of 2014 - one year after a conference championship and right before a third consecutive bowl game.

Winning cures all, so hopefully we can find out winning ways again next year. And at some point, hopefully we can move on from winning at the lower levels of the G5 to winning at the upper levels of P5.

Absolutely. Beating top 25 or brand P5 teams is what we all want, but going to bowl games and having winning seasons in the meantime helps a lot. In complaining about lack of big wins, I took having a game in December for granted. Hope we find a way back to any bowl next season.

Along the line of what winning will do for you. I copied this off of a Baylor board.


Since 2010, Baylor's entire athletic department has made their statement as a national-level contender in all sports, but most importantly, the success of Baylor's football program under Art Briles has propelled the entire department to become one of the most successful in all of college athletics.

As reported by Jon Solomon of CBSSports.com, in the 2014-2015 athletic year, Baylor's athletic department brought in $106.1 million, placing them No. 22 in the country for all of college athletics.

The total placed Baylor No. 3 in the Big 12 behind No. 1 Texas ($179.6 million) and No. 5 Oklahoma ($135.7 million). At No. 19, Texas A&M ($110.0) was the only other Texas school north of $100 million. Kansas ($103.3 million) was the only other Big 12 school above the mark.


This blew me away. Never, ever thought I would see Baylor in a virtual tie with a monster school like A&M in income.

On the other side of the coin, think about Kansas - that's some serious scratch for a school with a football program that may get the least contribution from their football operations (not sure if ISU or KSU would be higher or lower, but I swear those 2 have larger home crowds for football games).

(12-21-2015 03:02 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Not sure if this would have been possible without their athletics success this past year tipping the balance for more investment in their favor. They can thank their coaches at least partially:

Turner Field to be sold to Georgia State and developer Carter
by: Katie Leslie and J. Scott Trubey
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2:24 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, 2015 | Filed in: Business


Turner Field is going to be sold to Atlanta-based real estate firm Carter and Georgia State University.

The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority board announced Monday that the Carter and Georgia State team has been chosen as the winning bidder for Turner Field. The board will begin negotiating a sale of the downtown baseball stadium and much of the surrounding parking lots.

The announcement comes just a little more than two months after the agency put the ballpark up for sale through a competitive bid process, and about two years after the Atlanta Braves announced their plans to move to a new ballpark in Cobb County.


Turner Field to be sold to Georgia State and developer Carter photo
The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority has voted to sell the ballpark and parking lots to a group headlined by Georgia State University and real estate firm Carter. That group wants to transform the site into student housing, apartments, retail, and converting The Ted into a football stadium. A neighborhood planning effort also is underway that residents hope will help steer development in an area where stadiums haven't fulfilled the promises of jobs and growth. Brant Sanderlin/STAFF

The Carter-Georgia State team plan involves a $300 million mix of student housing, apartments, retail and the conversion of Turner Field into a football stadium. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed publicly endorsed the Georgia State team when it first announced its interest in the site early last year.

In October, the authority listed 67 acres, including Turner Field, for sale under a competitive bid process. Only two other bidders, both little-known, made a play for the ballpark and surrounding parking lots, making it apparent to most observers that Carter and Georgia State would be the winner.

Many residents of the neighborhoods surrounding The Ted have urged the authority to wait in selling the land, but the authority has said a sale must happen quickly, as the Braves will leave the ballpark by the end of next year. After that point, stadium upkeep and security would be on the taxpayers.

But to help assuage residents, the request for proposals made it clear that the community’s input must be included in the development plans. The request for proposals requires the potential buyer to “demonstrate a commitment to incorporating” recommendations from a pending community development study.

“After a through review of all the proposals, including in person presentations, the Board of the City of Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority has a preferred bidder and will commence negotiations immediately,” board chairman William K Whitner said in a news release. “We will move forward expeditiously to ensure that we make meaningful progress toward determining the future of this historic neighborhood. AFCRA has been a long-time partner in this community and we fully appreciate the importance of negotiating with a developer that will have the community’s interest foremost in mind.”

This was in the works and a lock before this season. The impact I think is that had Miles not won 6 games and gone to a bowl we would be introducing a new HC right now. But it has been an incredible year and we are definitely on an upward trajectory.

(12-22-2015 03:35 PM)panama Wrote:  This was in the works and a lock before this season. The impact I think is that had Miles not won 6 games and gone to a bowl we would be introducing a new HC right now. But it has been an incredible year and we are definitely on an upward trajectory.

So you're saying Ga State, a school which did not even have a football team a few years ago, would not have been satisfied with a 5-7 season from its head coach of only a few years; meanwhile, Rice is apparently pretty chipper about its wildly successful 5-7 season featuring wins over some of the very worst teams in college football this past season under its nine-year head coach. Pardon me while I barf , panama but I see more going on with GA State athletics in the last year than with our school, which is over 100 years old.

Kudos to your school's leadership, from GA State's President expanding the student base, to all the building and expansion of your increasingly impressive downtown campus (your brand new Law School building is beautiful and located on a historic park in downtown where tons of people can see it), to your just announced winning acquisition of Turner Field and its upcoming remodeling of that and the surrounding area into two stadiums for your football and baseball programs as well as numerous additional buildings next to these to house students and classrooms, etc... Combined with your national success in getting your football program quickly on its feet and going from worst to a bowl game under your recent head football coach in 1 year, as well as your Athletic Director Cobb, who enjoyed much success and a nationally-recognized (and still remembered) Signature win for that school on the road against Michigan in the Big House, your success in the NCAA basketball tournament this past season, you guys are really putting your school's name and image on the national map. GA State is an asset to Atlanta.

I know some people in the area who laughed when GA State said it was going to commit tons of dollars and resources to its athletic programs, and start a new football team, but ya'll have done wonders in just a few short years with financial commitment from the school and winning coaches. Ya'll won't be in the SunBelt forever, as you clearly get it, and you have the major-city location and growing student base to keep moving up.


GA State University's new Law School building in downtown Atlanta's historic Woodruff park area link: http://building.law.gsu.edu/
New GSU law school to be ‘showplace’ on key downtown block

Yeah, would not have been satisfied BECAUSE what happened yesterday was coming. The administration knew we were getting the Ted before we put in the bid. You have to sell suites and club seats and get donors which is not possible if people do not feel good about the direction of the program. And that law building is jaw drop astonishing. The pictures do not do it justice. Great time to be a Panther.

(12-22-2015 04:08 PM)panama Wrote:  Yeah, would not have been satisfied BECAUSE what happened yesterday was coming. The administration knew we were getting the Ted before we put in the bid. You have to sell suites and club seats and get donors which is not possible if people do not feel good about the direction of the program. And that law building is jaw drop astonishing. The pictures do not do it justice. Great time to be a Panther.

GA State's Law school is beautiful. Rice doesn't have one. We have a business school, but so do you. And ya'll are located right next to GA's biggest level 1 trauma center--I believe you have a pre-med program? Rice is located next to the country's largest medical center, yet does not have a pre-med program, although we did build a collaborative center that interfaces some with med center workers. We kicked the tires on merging with am ed school (Baylor College of medicine) a few years ago, but it did not seem like a good financial deal at the time so we declined. Don't know why we didn't keep looking right next door (literally across the street) for another partner, but maybe there were none others to be had?

Besides football, it is frustrating to watch from close-by a university that was formerly the night school program for Georgia Tech fly up out of nowhere and basically begin to pass a school like Rice by on so many levels right in front of my face. Rice is still academically rated higher than GA State, and Rice tons more dollars available than GA State probably ever will, but GA State is sure hitting on all cylinders these past few decades and has come a long way in a relatively short time.

What your university has done for downtown Atlanta is amazing, and I never would have believed it ten years ago. But then, I never would have believed your football coach would have recovered and destroyed GA Southern on the road in Statesboro to get to its first bowl so quickly. Once you get out of the Ga Dome and get Turner Field converted to your on-campus football stadium, you are going to really explode. Of course, looks like your head coach is not necessarily waiting for great facilities to start his winning tradition for your youthful program.

I wish our admin would invest in sports the way you guys have. Ga State's overall university brand is on an upward trajectory, same as I saw from a little commuter college in Orlando I lived nearby go from nothing to a better conference and national recognition: that would be UCF, who is renovating their football stadium with a very unique and innovative sports bar addition to lure even more non-alumns to its on-campus Saturday football games:

Former conference-mate UCF doing something interesting in their Stadium:

Time for Rice to put a Hooters in Rice Stadium to lure ticket-buyers and patrons?

Dr. Saturday
UCF stadium expansion includes new 10,000-square foot beach bar
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-s...38023.html
By Sam Cooper Monday, January 26, 2015

UCF announced Monday that it is expanding Bright House Networks Stadium with a new feature that will create one of the more unique environments in all of college football.

(via UCF athletics)

That new feature is the East Side Club (ESC), a “10,000 square-foot, Florida-themed social area and lounge located between the 30-yard lines.” According to a release, it will feature “chair-back stadium seating, as well as an open-air sun deck to enjoy the game.” Additionally, “refreshments, televisions, private restrooms and other amenities” will be available.

It is expected to be ready for the Knights’ first game on Sept. 5. Here’s what it will look like:

(via UCF athletics)

(via UCF athletics)

“The ESC gives us an opportunity to expand our premium experience offerings,” UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury said. “The Florida-themed ESC gives us an opportunity to reinforce our location, which I believe is a major asset. The ESC will provide a window into the UCF and Central Florida culture and personality to potential students, recruits, fans, friends and supporters.”

(via UCF athletics)

The ESC, which has a capacity of 950, will also feature “pre and post-game hours.” According to the Orlando Sentinel, club members who “pay premium access to the new beach bar” will be allowed to bring their alcoholic beverages to their seats, an amenity not available at the stadium since it opened in 2007.

Per the Sentinel, school officials say the project will cost $2.6 million.

For more UCF news, visit UCFSports.com.

Comments:

[Who Me] I thought you couldn't have alcohol in college stadiums. When did that rule change?

[Brandon] Not an NCAA rule. Institutional level. While most colleges don't allow it, there are a few that do.

[Who Me] Thanks, I didn't know that. I thought it was an NCAA rule.

GoodOwl, I agree with much of your post, but the least of Rice's problems is a pre-med program!! There are more pre-meds and wannabe pre-meds at Rice than 99% of schools.

I post stuff like my last few posts to show:

1. that winning big is possible for Rice
2. that Rice doesn't have to wait around for years and years
3. that the investment in athletics is worth it for the school's brand
4. that other lesser schools are doing it, and we are being passed in areas by schools that didn't even exist or have football for very long relative to Rice.


I get that JK, Leebron, et al have us on a long, slow path. That they believe what they are doing is good enough for now, and that these kind of transformational changes are not going to happen at Rice under the current leadership. But I'm not pulling my ideas of what Rice can do out of a hat or thin air--I'm watching other schools do it right in front of our faces.

Excellence takes leadership and commitment to get hard or 'impossible' (my quotes) things done. Same as JFK announcing the USA would put a man on the moon by the end of that decade when no one on earth had ever done it before and many thought it was surely impossible to do, especially so quickly.

If JFK had instead said "We are going to put a man on the moon someday, eventually, when the time is right and things are in order" how long do you think it would have taken us? Would we have been passed by Russia or China or someone else before we did it? It was as much the urgency of the deadline that JFK set 9and it was an artificial deadline, really) as the announcement of the goal itself that made the moon landings happen for the USA.

Rice has made the announcement, but is too chicken$*** to set a deadline and stick to it like Kennedy and the US did in the 60's. That more than anything is why GA State can come so far so fast, and Rice is still rebuilding its athletic success for some nebulous time in the future.

As Owl 69/70 has said hundreds of times, if you don't have a plan, any road will get you there. But maybe if you don't have a deadline you are unlikely to reach your goal without that kind of urgency.

Gop ahead and laugh at GA State and UCF if you want. I think UCF may well join a P5 before Rice, and GA State may be in CUSA with us, or maybe they'll be the ones to go to the AAC sooner rather than later. Maybe we can take their spot down in the Sunbelt.

(12-22-2015 04:38 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  GoodOwl, I agree with much of your post, but the least of Rice's problems is a pre-med program!! There are more pre-meds and wannabe pre-meds at Rice than 99% of schools.

I know we have many who graduate and go on to become doctors and med professionals. But location-wise, you'd think we'd leverage that into a formal program of our own. It would help boost our overall ratings back up.

(12-22-2015 02:32 PM)Converted Rice Wrote:  Along the line of what winning will do for you. I copied this off of a Baylor board.


Since 2010, Baylor's entire athletic department has made their statement as a national-level contender in all sports, but most importantly, the success of Baylor's football program under Art Briles has propelled the entire department to become one of the most successful in all of college athletics.

As reported by Jon Solomon of CBSSports.com, in the 2014-2015 athletic year, Baylor's athletic department brought in $106.1 million, placing them No. 22 in the country for all of college athletics.

The total placed Baylor No. 3 in the Big 12 behind No. 1 Texas ($179.6 million) and No. 5 Oklahoma ($135.7 million). At No. 19, Texas A&M ($110.0) was the only other Texas school north of $100 million. Kansas ($103.3 million) was the only other Big 12 school above the mark.


This blew me away. Never, ever thought I would see Baylor in a virtual tie with a monster school like A&M in income.

I agree with your observations. Back in the day, Baylor used to be as sad as us.

But we can not wait forever. Our fan base is diminishing due to not looking good in a mediocre conference. I might still go to games because I was around for the SWC days but I will not be around forever and the young alums might not be interested in replacing me.
Either we have to improve football soon or move the money to an academic area where we will excel.

(12-22-2015 04:51 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  I post stuff like my last few posts to show:

1. that winning big is possible for Rice
2. that Rice doesn't have to wait around for years and years
3. that the investment in athletics is worth it for the school's brand
4. that other lesser schools are doing it, and we are being passed in areas by schools that didn't even exist or have football for very long relative to Rice.


I get that JK, Leebron, et al have us on a long, slow path. That they believe what they are doing is good enough for now, and that these kind of transformational changes are not going to happen at Rice under the current leadership. But I'm not pulling my ideas of what Rice can do out of a hat or thin air--I'm watching other schools do it right in front of our faces.

Excellence takes leadership and commitment to get hard or 'impossible' (my quotes) things done. Same as JFK announcing the USA would put a man on the moon by the end of that decade when no one on earth had ever done it before and many thought it was surely impossible to do, especially so quickly.

If JFK had instead said "We are going to put a man on the moon someday, eventually, when the time is right and things are in order" how long do you think it would have taken us? Would we have been passed by Russia or China or someone else before we did it? It was as much the urgency of the deadline that JFK set 9and it was an artificial deadline, really) as the announcement of the goal itself that made the moon landings happen for the USA.

Rice has made the announcement, but is too chicken$*** to set a deadline and stick to it like Kennedy and the US did in the 60's. That more than anything is why GA State can come so far so fast, and Rice is still rebuilding its athletic success for some nebulous time in the future.

As Owl 69/70 has said hundreds of times, if you don't have a plan, any road will get you there. But maybe if you don't have a deadline you are unlikely to reach your goal without that kind of urgency.

Gop ahead and laugh at GA State and UCF if you want. I think UCF may well join a P5 before Rice, and GA State may be in CUSA with us, or maybe they'll be the ones to go to the AAC sooner rather than later. Maybe we can take their spot down in the Sunbelt.

(12-22-2015 06:06 PM)75src Wrote:  But we can not wait forever. Our fan base is diminishing due to not looking good in a mediocre conference. I might still go to games because I was around for the SWC days but I will not be around forever and the young alums might not be interested in replacing me.
Either we have to improve football soon or move the money to an academic area where we will excel.

(12-22-2015 04:51 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  I post stuff like my last few posts to show:

1. that winning big is possible for Rice
2. that Rice doesn't have to wait around for years and years
3. that the investment in athletics is worth it for the school's brand
4. that other lesser schools are doing it, and we are being passed in areas by schools that didn't even exist or have football for very long relative to Rice.


I get that JK, Leebron, et al have us on a long, slow path. That they believe what they are doing is good enough for now, and that these kind of transformational changes are not going to happen at Rice under the current leadership. But I'm not pulling my ideas of what Rice can do out of a hat or thin air--I'm watching other schools do it right in front of our faces.

Excellence takes leadership and commitment to get hard or 'impossible' (my quotes) things done. Same as JFK announcing the USA would put a man on the moon by the end of that decade when no one on earth had ever done it before and many thought it was surely impossible to do, especially so quickly.

If JFK had instead said "We are going to put a man on the moon someday, eventually, when the time is right and things are in order" how long do you think it would have taken us? Would we have been passed by Russia or China or someone else before we did it? It was as much the urgency of the deadline that JFK set 9and it was an artificial deadline, really) as the announcement of the goal itself that made the moon landings happen for the USA.

Rice has made the announcement, but is too chicken$*** to set a deadline and stick to it like Kennedy and the US did in the 60's. That more than anything is why GA State can come so far so fast, and Rice is still rebuilding its athletic success for some nebulous time in the future.

As Owl 69/70 has said hundreds of times, if you don't have a plan, any road will get you there. But maybe if you don't have a deadline you are unlikely to reach your goal without that kind of urgency.

Gop ahead and laugh at GA State and UCF if you want. I think UCF may well join a P5 before Rice, and GA State may be in CUSA with us, or maybe they'll be the ones to go to the AAC sooner rather than later. Maybe we can take their spot down in the Sunbelt.

It's not even a might not, it's an are not. Young alums dont care to watch Rice on average. There are a handful of people that graduated in the last decade that care - the vast majority that I know either don't care about Rice or don't care about sports.

Rice Stadium is a sea of gray hair (a very empty sea, but still gray). And a large number of the few young alumna you see are former athletes.

Unless we do something, we will have no fans left.

Its a heck of a dilemma for private schools because you will never have the large freshman classes that 5 years later will be gathering at Buffalo Wild Wings to drink beer and watch a Rice away game. So that just leaves sidewalk/Wal Mart fans,

Georgia State has 32,000+ students, and UCF is north of 60,000.

Much easier to reach a critical mass of student fans from those pools than from Rice's relatively paltry numbers.

Rice and SMU need to buy a school so we can get student fees