Interesting story in the Reno-Gazette Journal on ex-NIU / ex-Nevada AD Cary Groth.

https://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college...OKzoJg3UnU

I love Cary Groth. I keep having dreams that she comes back and replaces STF (who moves on to manage a used car lot). But, alas, it’s just a dream.

(12-08-2020 09:52 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  I love Cary Groth. I keep having dreams that she comes back and replaces STF (who moves on to manage a used car lot). But, alas, it’s just a dream.

Agree on both comments.

Agreed. Much more fan interaction to be sure. Only misstep was the design of the Convo. Not well thought out.

(12-08-2020 12:36 PM)HuskieJ Wrote:  Agreed. Much more fan interaction to be sure. Only misstep was the design of the Convo. Not well thought out.

You just hit on one of my pet b-m-c subjects ...

To be fair, the Convo was proposed in the heat of battle, at a time when acadmeics-vs-athletics was a really big deal dividing the campus (moreso than usual). The faculty opposed it. The Northern Star opposed it. And Groth was caught in the middle.

The project was cut back to reduce costs to make it more palatable, which explains a weather-exposed stairway, an incomplete concourse, small lobby, limited concession and restroom space, incomplete upper-deck ring, and lack of team facilities for all indoor sports (gymnastics and wrestling have practice facilities inside the Huskie Stadium west grandstand but compete in the Convo).

That's why the Sixth Man Grill isn't larger, you have to go trough the main seating bowl to get from one side to the other, and -- just being honest -- I doubt if the concession and restroom space can support a full stadium crowd.

The foundation for fixing all that is there. None of these defy correction, but the cost puts it out of reach.

If the $$ was there, I would also add a driveway off the west causeway serving a semi-sheltered campus bus port. MBB, WBB, gymnastics, wrestling and volleyball are winter sports, and what student is going to walk halfway across campus -- twice -- at night in February for an event?

If you want proof of the above, look at an aerial photograph. There are "missing" segments of the concourse on the east and west sides, but the angles at the ends of what is there line up to accept a completed concourse.

Note: the above is on the list of Convo projects in the 2014-15 master plan.

(12-08-2020 09:52 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  I love Cary Groth. I keep having dreams that she comes back and replaces STF (who moves on to manage a used car lot). But, alas, it’s just a dream.

^this...

I like the Convo. It is a good venue to watch a basketball game. Is it perfect? No, nothing is. But, I remember sitting on the bleachers at the games in Evans. A loud venue to be sure, but it was a glorified high school gym. I'll take the Convo with its great video board any day.

I heard the biggest design flaw at the Convo Center was the lack of refrigerated space to store hot dogs at the concession stands.

(12-08-2020 02:42 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  I heard the biggest design flaw at the Convo Center was the lack of refrigerated space to store hot dogs at the concession stands.

Ahh, so NOW we know the reason!!!

Same excuse for Huskie Stadium?

(12-08-2020 02:42 PM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  I heard the biggest design flaw at the Convo Center was the lack of refrigerated space to store hot dogs at the concession stands.

See, if the Grotto were still in business, they could truck over some of their famous foot-longers. They had an unusual shape, but they still tasted good.

(12-08-2020 01:52 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  I like the Convo. It is a good venue to watch a basketball game. Is it perfect? No, nothing is. But, I remember sitting on the bleachers at the games in Evans. A loud venue to be sure, but it was a glorified high school gym. I'll take the Convo with its great video board any day.

I like the inside of the Convo, feels like a min-NBA bowl-style stadium. Concourse and exterior could use improving, but as said above that isn't ruled out by design.

Great AD. I knew her brother when he was a gym teacher in early schooling and when he was an AD for local high school. Good people.

Cary had the unique ability to connect with fans and donors at all levels. She was outgoing and a people person who appreciated the support of all fans and all donors - no matter how much you gave. She made everyone feel important. I think she realized that today's small donor could become tomorrow's big donor, and she treated people that way. And today's fans who are not donors could become donors tomorrow. You would see her at football, basketball, and other games chatting with the fans and shaking hands. Emperor STF could certainly take a few lessons from her.