Jeff Towers Donation

[Clearscreen25]

This is a hybrid. This is a cross bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, featherbed bent, and northern California sinsemilla. The amazing stuff about this is that you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt at night on this stuff.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Great stuff! Thank you to the Towers'!

 

[sct1111]

slightly less rich than her ex.

So we talking billions with a B?

 

[vkj91]

So we talking billions with a B?

Yuppers

 

[RU#1fan]

Thank you again for your support of Rutgers Football Mr. and Mrs. Towers !

 

[TRU2RU]

So we talking billions with a B?

Yes with the B, no with the S

 

[sct1111]

Yes with the B, no with the S

Still very cool to have such a rich donor. Let's get another billionaire on board.

 

[vkj91]

They are going to be grass. The article says new grass fields I think three times. And yeah, Rutgers has the best Turf Management program in the country, so I would imagine at the very least they will maintain the fields even if they're not installing them

No it's doesn't, article makes it sound like its some new field surface that is easy to maintain. People keep quoting ash as not liking Turf but he is talking about the turf in the bubble. Why would we have all grass practice fields when 90% of our games are on turf, weather here sucks, and it's harder to maintain? Simply doesn't make sense.

 

[czxqa]

No it's doesn't, article makes it sound like its some new field surface that is easy to maintain. People keep quoting ash as not liking Turf but he is talking about the turf in the bubble. Why would we have all grass practice fields when 90% of our games are on turf, weather here sucks, and it's harder to maintain? Simply doesn't make sense.

Dude, it totally does.

"Rutgers will replace the two grass practice fields outside of the Hale Center with best-in-class grass surfaces featuring the latest technology in maintenance and care"

"The two upgraded grass fields will be a part of a fenced-in remodeling of the entire practice complex"

The caption under the small picture says "Rutgers football will have two new grass practice fields next training camp as part of a privately funded remodeling of its complex"

They quote Ash as telling them in February: "The grass fields that we have don't have the proper drainage, so if we get a huge downpour, we're probably not going to be on that grass field much."

Then for training camp, they were bused over to Livingston for practice on the grass field there.

How many times do they have to say grass before folks see the word? My take, fwiw, is that OP said turf and folks just kind of read that pre-disposition into the piece.

 

[demauroj]

I don't' understand this BS about how grass can't be used in this climate.

There are many grass fields in this country that look great and have a ton of Football played on them.

Heinz Field 8 Pro & 7 College
The Linc - 8 Pro & 7 College
Michigan State
Arrowhead Stadium
Lambeau Field
First Energy Stadium in Cleveland

It is udder BS and a misnomer about Natral Playing surfaces.

We have a World Renowned Turf Management department that has not only grown, but developed grass for all kinds of climates primarily in the Golf Industry. There is no excuse for us not being able to maintain Grass Surfaces, and IMO This includes INSIDE OUR STADIUM eventually.

 

[sct1111]

I understand having a grass field is beneficial but they play 90 percent of the games on turf. You would think they would want to practice on the same surface they play on.

 

[RutgersMO]

Thank you to the Towers.

Towers of Power....Very Hip!
MO

 

[iReC89]

Nice job Towers - well done!

 

[newwavedave1]

Thanks to the Towers, but we need more people/alums with deep pockets to step up.

 

[mildone]

Dude, it totally does.

"Rutgers will replace the two grass practice fields outside of the Hale Center with best-in-class grass surfaces featuring the latest technology in maintenance and care"

"The two upgraded grass fields will be a part of a fenced-in remodeling of the entire practice complex"

The caption under the small picture says "Rutgers football will have two new grass practice fields next training camp as part of a privately funded remodeling of its complex"

They quote Ash as telling them in February: "The grass fields that we have don't have the proper drainage, so if we get a huge downpour, we're probably not going to be on that grass field much."

Then for training camp, they were bused over to Livingston for practice on the grass field there.

How many times do they have to say grass before folks see the word? My take, fwiw, is that OP said turf and folks just kind of read that pre-disposition into the piece.

Yeah, yeah, but what makes you think it will be a grass field?

















:D

 

[bitnez]

Wow, largest single private gift ever. Me thinks it's more then just grass. Probably new lights and bleachers as well. Great stuff.

I heard about this project a couple months ago. Let's just say they are not just replacing the fields...

 

[RU#1fan]

I heard about this project a couple months ago. Let's just say they are not just replacing the fields...

What else can you share ?

 

[MrsScrew]

And for anyone who has not yet donated to the Build Fund it's not too late to get involved. I know I sound like a broken record about this but Hobbs has proven he is serious about making facility changes at Rutgers and needs the funds to make it all happen.

The Fund is currently $33M from it's goal of $100M and 8300 short of it's number of donors goal of 10,000 You can be a part of it by making a one time donation or you can commit to a monthly donation for 5 years for as little as $10 a month.
With the holidays upon us if you don't know what to get the person who has everything a donation to the Build Fund in their honor is a nice way to go.

email me or message me and join #TeamMegg

 

[Scarlet Haze]

I understand having a grass field is beneficial but they play 90 percent of the games on turf. You would think they would want to practice on the same surface they play on.

The reason they want to practice on grass is that it is easier to get injured on artificial turf. They spend a lot more times practicing than they do playing, so why get additional wear on tear on their bodies and have an increased chance of injury. That is one of the main reasons for practising on grass.

 

[RUich]

We tried the real grass route during the Graber years and we used Cook College experts at the time - it was a disaster and resulted with the field coming up on National TV. Gotta go with the artificial stuff in the northeast.

God, I remember that game. Huge chunks were everywhere.

 

[SleepingGiantIsAwake]

Thank you to the Towers!!!

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

It gets better folks, this will be a complete overhaul of their outdoor practice facilities.

Check out the details and photos at the link, It looks really nice!

http://www.scarletknights.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120816aad.html

“Rutgers athletes deserve no less than the best in facilities when preparing to compete for championships in the best athletic conference in America and on the country’s biggest stage,” said Jeff and Amy Towers. “This best-in-class football practice complex will help recruit and develop Rutgers football players to do just that for many years to come.”

The upgraded practice complex will feature two new grass fields; complete with rebuilt drainage and a new irrigation system as well as a state-of-the-art LED lighting system.

“This practice complex will be one of the best in college football,” said Rutgers head football coach Chris Ash. “This new facility will help with player safety, player development and our efforts in recruiting. These improvements demonstrate Rutgers’ commitment to building a first-class football program in the best conference in the country.”

New football goal posts and two permanent film towers will be constructed in the complex along with a new video board, two scoreboards and six game clocks. A 3,000 square foot storage unit, new maintenance equipment and permanent restrooms are also included in the upgrades.

In addition to the functional improvements, the practice complex will also undergo several aesthetical changes, including a new entranceway, fencing around the perimeter and redesigned landscaping throughout the facility.

 

[sct1111]

While I don't have any problems with the bubble, do we think an indoor facility is in the works? Or maybe an upgrade to the bubble? The one thing I would say is the bubble has a full 100 yard field while most permanent indoor facilities have 80 yard fields. I visited Austin Texas recently and saw that University of Texas also has a bubble. It's also much smaller than ours.

 

[e5fdny]

I don't' understand this BS about how grass can't be used in this climate.

There are many grass fields in this country that look great and have a ton of Football played on them.

Heinz Field 8 Pro & 7 College
The Linc - 8 Pro & 7 College
Michigan State
Arrowhead Stadium
Lambeau Field
First Energy Stadium in Cleveland

It is udder BS and a misnomer about Natral Playing surfaces.

We have a World Renowned Turf Management department that has not only grown, but developed grass for all kinds of climates primarily in the Golf Industry. There is no excuse for us not being able to maintain Grass Surfaces, and IMO This includes INSIDE OUR STADIUM eventually.

Add Penn State to your list as well.

I understand having a grass field is beneficial but they play 90 percent of the games on turf. You would think they would want to practice on the same surface they play on.

With 7 home games (or one at Yankee Stadium - ugh!) on grass + away games at Temple/Miami/UCLA, PSU and Sparty it might not add up to 90% but it's close enough....

 

[demauroj]

Add Penn State to your list as well.

With 7 home games (or one at Yankee Stadium - ugh!) on grass + away games at Temple/Miami/UCLA, PSU and Sparty it might not add up to 90% but it's close enough....

Let me add that I just got back from Toronto and the MLS Cup in 9 degree weather and the grass was gorgeous.

In Toronto's BMO Field they have piping under the field with an alcohol . ixture to prevent freezing amd they keep the grass at 65 degrees so it does not go into hibernation.

Not toentire all the grass soccer pitches through England which is in a similar climate.

It is just excuses, and while I get it is more expensive to maintain, I am also a form believer that artificial turf fields create more injury than they prevent

 

[RUBeta]

What field/profession are the Towers in? I'm not familiar with their background.

 

[vkj91]

What field/profession are the Towers in? I'm not familiar with their background.

Towers wife divorced a billionaire.

 

[vkj91]

While I don't have any problems with the bubble, do we think an indoor facility is in the works? Or maybe an upgrade to the bubble? The one thing I would say is the bubble has a full 100 yard field while most permanent indoor facilities have 80 yard fields. I visited Austin Texas recently and saw that University of Texas also has a bubble. It's also much smaller than ours.

It's far down the list. Bubble is ugly but serves its purpose. Any new facility would have to be connected to the Hale

 

[RUBeta]

Towers wife divorced a billionaire.

Thanks. Who was the billionaire?

 

[Knight Shift]

Towers wife divorced a billionaire.

That's a profession?

 

[WhiteBus]

We can always talk about us diehards giving an extra hundred beyond our minimum. But we need more Towers giving big money. It nice to beg the little people giving a little bit more but they add up to pennies compared to big donations like this. I'm not saying we should sit back and give nothing but to become a big time program we need big time donors. And currently we don't have but a few.

 

[rutgersguy1]

That's a profession?

IIRC she co-founded a hedge fund (Glenview Capital) with her ex husband. I think she was part of the management too.

I don't know if it would be the same as David Tepper (Appaloosa Management), worth 10 billion or so and his wife RU alum Marlene Tepper getting divorced. They were rumored to be split some time ago not sure whatever happen to that and if they ever officially got divorced.

 

[rutgersguy1]

We can always talk about us diehards giving an extra hundred beyond our minimum. But we need more Towers giving big money. It nice to beg the little people giving a little bit more but they add up to pennies compared to big donations like this. I'm not saying we should sit back and give nothing but to become a big time program we need big time donors. And currently we don't have but a few.

I've said the same in the past here. It's usually the big checks that move the needle in most fund raising. There are instances where a bunch of small donations add up to large numbers but I don't know that it usually works that way in practice. To do it that way I've said you have to make it as easy, painless and mindless as possible and then you may have a chance. Almost something similar to the way a 401K can be built.

I've posted numbers in the past from Minnesota's and I think Northwestern's athletic projects and they got a handful of huge donations which moved the needle a lot.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

Northwestern has lots of ultra rich Alums which pay for everything. With donations in the $10 million, $40 million and a lot more than that.

Since this is the 1st time Rutgers has been is a real big time conference are alums are just not used to this type of thing. It will take time for this culture change to happen. Our AD is already doing a great job with this but we are really behind everyone else, but I like the progress that we are making. Just have to keep it up!

 

[rutgersguy1]

Northwestern has lots of ultra rich Alums which pay for everything. With donations in the $10 million, $40 million and a lot more than that.

Since this is the 1st time Rutgers has been is a real big time conference are alums are just not used to this type of thing. It will take time for this culture change to happen. Our AD is already doing a great job with this but we are really behind everyone else, but I like the progress that we are making. Just have to keep it up!

Minnesota got some big corporate donations. We just one from RWJ and hopefully we can build on that with area corporations as well. It doesn't have to be exclusively private citizens.

 

[e5fdny]

Minnesota got some big corporate donations. We just one from RWJ and hopefully we can build on that with area corporations as well. It doesn't have to be exclusively private citizens.

Is this where a "University of New Jersey" vs. Rutgers hurts us?

Just thinking out loud here.

 

[MrsScrew]

We can always talk about us diehards giving an extra hundred beyond our minimum. But we need more Towers giving big money. It nice to beg the little people giving a little bit more but they add up to pennies compared to big donations like this. I'm not saying we should sit back and give nothing but to become a big time program we need big time donors. And currently we don't have but a few.

We have had a dozen people give $1m. And 100 people give $25k....40 of those were first time donors. If I did the math right (which is always doubtful)

Of the $67m we have pledged so far:

$25 m is the state tax money
$10m is the RWJB money
$12m is the dozen donors of $1m each
$2.5m is the 100 donors @$25k each
which leaves $17.5m from the rest of us.

there are 1788 donors total, if you subtract the 112 bigger donors that leaves 1676 donors who have donated an average of $10.5k each. which does not seem awful, just that we need a lot more of them. I fear, however, I have screwed this math up somewhere.