RU BB Facilities Question

[RUinPinehurst]

Lots of talk of late about the need for our BB facilities to be upgraded as a key to B1G competitiveness. But then there is Villanova, an example of a program whose success challenges the "need" for a premium facility. The Pavilion is a modest 6,500-seat arena. And yet Villanova succeeds. So what gives?
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[PatrickRU92]

Its not just the game site. it's the practice facilities (or in our case the lack thereof).

 

[RUinPinehurst]

So Villanova has premium practice facilities? And that makes all the difference?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[bac2therac]

Its start at the top

Villanova has simply invested...people keep getting caught up in the argument..."look see they play in a dump if they can do it we can"....no it does not work that way, practice facilities do not make you win, it makes you get into the game. Villanova has a first class sparkling practice facility. If you do not even have a practice facility to start out with you are basically doomed as it is the biggest symptom of not investing in a basketball program, there are others but its huge, I keep reading a few people trying to poo poo facilities and I am not sure why. It matters. Trust me. People far more knowledgable than I am have said it.

Villanova has a committment to winning college basketball

Villanova spends on college basketball

Villanova does not have to spend on football as much so they can concentrate on basketball as their bread and butter

Villanova has built their program infrastructure for years

Villanova has a first class and first rate coach

Villanova has first rate recruiting

Villanova does not have scandals or poor hires dogging them

Villanova does not fight a perception problem that the school does not care about college basketball

Villanova has Wells Fargo as a nice selling point to recruits

Villanova can sell championships, NCAA appearances, NBA players to their recruits

Villanova does not worry about what the newspaper or politicians will say if they dare borrow money to increase athletic spending.

in short, Villanova cares about competing in basketball, RU does not.

 

[Knight_Light]

Originally posted by RUinPinehurst:
So Villanova has premium practice facilities? And that makes all the difference?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

You could read up on scores of threads or even hundreds of articles online that discuss and show why practice facilities are so important in college hoops recruiting. (Hint: Players will spend 200-250 plus days inside these 24/7 facilities each year).

Here's a video from a few years ago that gives a tour of Nova's 55,000 sq ft Basketball Practice Facility (built from private donations).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgHzpL6wDwk


Also, Nova generally plays half or more of their home conf games (plus other big non-conf games) at the NBA/NHL's Well Fargo Center:

This post was edited on 3/18 11:27 AM by Knight_Light

 

[rutgersal]

Originally posted by RUinPinehurst:
So Villanova has premium practice facilities? And that makes all the difference?

Posted from Rivals Mobile

the practice facilities along with a top notch coach signals to the world that villanova is committed to being the best.
When one takes a look at Rutgers facilities, one does not get the same impression.

 

[srru86]

Originally posted by Knight_Light:

Here's a video from a few years ago that gives a tour of Nova's 55,000 sq ft Basketball Practice Facility (built from private donations).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgHzpL6wDwk

Also, Nova generally plays half or more of their home conf games (plus other big non-conf games) at the NBA/NHL's Well Fargo Center:

So Villanova has a dedicated practice facility, plus the (used to be Dupont) Pavilion can be used as an auxiliary practice facility floor when they feel like it. Meanwhile their " A" game court is NBA spiffy.

But let's go with the notion that their physical plant is comparable to ours and our outdated digs are not part of the problem. Right.

Again, the folks with the "not a penny for upgrades, but millions to hire a new coach" agenda really have to do some home work.



This post was edited on 3/18 11:52 AM by srru86

 

[bac2therac]

Originally posted by srru86:

Originally posted by Knight_Light:

Here's a video from a few years ago that gives a tour of Nova's 55,000 sq ft Basketball Practice Facility (built from private donations).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgHzpL6wDwk

Also, Nova generally plays half or more of their home conf games (plus other big non-conf games) at the NBA/NHL's Well Fargo Center:

So Villanova has a dedicated practice facility, plus the (used to be Dupont) Pavilion can be used as an auxiliary practice facility floor when they feel like it. Meanwhile their " A" game court is NBA spiffy.

But let's go with the notion that their physical plant is comparable to ours and our outdated digs are not part of the problem. Right.

Again, the folks with the "not a penny for upgrades, but millions to hire a new coach" agenda really have to do some home work.




This post was edited on 3/18 11:52 AM by srru86

well there is that one guy on the round table who refuses to believe that facilities and investment matter and wants to argue that transfers are the main reason and we can go 7-11 and make the NIT with poor facilities every year..not realizing that it would be our high point and everything including transfers and poor coaching hires stem from lack of faciliites and investment.

 

[bscharf]

BAC-- You seem to really be on top of your stuff when it comes to the financials behind the facilities and more importantly the politics.

My question is how can a school as big as Rutgers with the size of it's alumni base and notable grads not get the funds (or atleast the majority) raised through private donations? It seems like these other schools are getting the funds and they are these tiny mid major level programs.

It's also especially surprising that they couldn't partner with a JNJ or Bristol Meyers to help finance the building in exchange for naming rights or some type of split rehab/fitness center.

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

Originally posted by bscharf:
BAC-- You seem to really be on top of your stuff when it comes to the financials behind the facilities and more importantly the politics.

My question is how can a school as big as Rutgers with the size of it's alumni base and notable grads not get the funds (or atleast the majority) raised through private donations? It seems like these other schools are getting the funds and they are these tiny mid major level programs.

It's also especially surprising that they couldn't partner with a JNJ or Bristol Meyers to help finance the building in exchange for naming rights or some type of split rehab/fitness center.

The J&J Pillbox (HEY, WHATEVER WORKS)

 

[bac2therac]

Originally posted by bscharf:
BAC-- You seem to really be on top of your stuff when it comes to the financials behind the facilities and more importantly the politics.

My question is how can a school as big as Rutgers with the size of it's alumni base and notable grads not get the funds (or atleast the majority) raised through private donations? It seems like these other schools are getting the funds and they are these tiny mid major level programs.

It's also especially surprising that they couldn't partner with a JNJ or Bristol Meyers to help finance the building in exchange for naming rights or some type of split rehab/fitness center.

because I just do not think they have tried to do it with basketball

cue ru66 coming here and telling me I am bashing football....look the decision was made to go all in on football with investment and that's what Uncle Bob did and that's where fundraising and donations were directed toward

Basketball withered on the vine with Bob, so many bad hiring choices and contract extenstions that cost RU money even though he was trying to do it on the cheap...when you do stuff like that its always going to backfire and it did.

TP appeared to be taking interest in hoops so I will not judge him there but at the end of the day he was not gaining all that much traction on his fundraising. It does hurt that so much is directed toward football. We don't have Greg Brown giving us $5 million for hoops like he did with that recruiting lounge although arguably basketball needed it more to survive.

Its the job Julie has going forward. Unfortunately I think the directive from above is pay off the subsidies with any money you can get so I am not so sure that there has been an active fundraise for hoops simply because Julie has given an order on what she can do.

Hopefully this push from Lesniak can start something and can change the dynamics of what RU needs to do and when it needs to do it, which is much quicker than Barchi and the BOG would want it. If they give the okay with a plan, then Julie is going to be responsible for fundraising, no excuses there but I am not sure she has been given that go ahead yet

 

[Knight_Light]

Originally posted by bscharf:

It's also especially surprising that they couldn't partner with a JNJ or Bristol Meyers to help finance the building in exchange for naming rights or some type of split rehab/fitness center.

Many college hoop practice facilities are named after alumni and/or donors (generally the ones that offer up the largest donation) but most corporations would probably prefer to get a naming rights deal for an arena that has national TV games some 15 plus times a year (more bang for their buck).

While some practice facilities do have corp support, it just seems that most of them have alumni/donors named attached to them since that is where the largest gifts seem to come from for projects like these.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

If Johnson & Johnson came to Julie H. and said "We will donate $25 million for a basketball practice facility (I assume they would get some of tax write-off for this). We want permanent naming rights for the practice facility and RAC naming rights for the next 20 years. IF a new arena is built before then, J&J still gets the naming rights for the remaining time period, and when stadium naming rights come up,we want the first crack at them." Would Rutgers and Julie sign up for this ?

 

[RUinPinehurst]

Thanks all, for the short course on Villanova BB and its practice facility, which I believe was completed in 2007 or so. Prior to that, they did well, though--in terms of recruiting and winning, in spite of not having the Davis Center or an impressive on-campus arena.

RU surely needs an infusion of $ to put in place those caliber facilities, to compete for top talent these days. Those $ will not come from a bond initiative, will it? Nor will it come from a "tight" alum and fan base. But it takes more than facilities, anyway, to your point. Much more. As is, our emphasis remains locked on FB, awaiting some ROI to make possible those premium BB facilities and program enhancements. Until then, we muck along. And watch as other programs and their fans enjoy the post-season. Every. . . single. . . year.

I am somewhat familiar with the BB facilities at UNC, Duke, NCSU. NCSU began a $48 million renovation of Reynolds Coliseum, which is its "old" on-campus arena; it plays its men's BB just off campus at the RBC Center, the home of the Carolina Hurricanes. NCSU, of course, also has the Dail Basketball Center, its premiere men's BB practice facility. Needless to say, the Wolfies are dong well at finding funding, as of course are Duke and Carolina.

 

[Knight_Light]

At one non-P5 school, Memphis is in the middle of a $40 Million fundraising campaign to build new indoor football practice facility and a new basketball practice facility (to replace their current 31,000 sq ft basketball practice facility that they build back in 2000).

Here's a 3D video of their new indoor football practice facility/training table, etc...

https://vimeo.com/84253955

 

[Aggs]

Texas has an $80 million fundraising goal for a new basketball arena/facility.

 

[TDIrish1]

Not a fair comparison------at Texas that's 80 phone calls. :)

At Rutgers I have to think it's one of 2 things. Either their alum are cheap or they have had the wrong people doing their fundraising. I'm not close enough to the situation to know the answer but it's what logic would dictate.

 

[huskersalways]

Originally posted by TDIrish1:

Not a fair comparison------at Texas that's 80 phone calls. :)

At Rutgers I have to think it's one of 2 things. Either their alum are cheap or they have had the wrong people doing their fundraising. I'm not close enough to the situation to know the answer but it's what logic would dictate.

Probably closer to 40 phone calls. Ha

 

[rutgersguy1]

You're unlikely to get any of the pharma companies to plaster their name on it. I can't think of a big pharma with it's name on any sort of sports complex, tournament, etc...Sure they might make ad buys, banners, signage but I doubt they'd ever put their name on a sports related building.

I've always thought it might be more lucrative and possibly more feasible to get an international company to put their name on a building. A company like LG or Haier or maybe even a Samsung. Local companies are also a good but I wouldn't bet on the local big pharmas.

I've already posted this in another thread but just to put in perspective a school like Minnesota who I think should at least be on par with and isn't some big name like Michigan, OSU, Texas etc.. well they raised around at least 81M for their stadium from over 2000 donors. So that's an average donation of 40K, with likely many million dollar plus donations. Target, Best Buy and some other local corporations donated 2-3M each. General Mills donated as well. It would be nice if we could get some support like that from local corporations in NJ, unfortunately I've never seen big pharma get involved like that with athletics. We'd likely have to get support from other local corporations for naming rights.

For the sports complex they're looking to build they got around 70M in 10 months with a big 25M donation from Land O Lakes, also 6M and 9M from 2 alums.

 

[Upstream]

Originally posted by bscharf:


It's also especially surprising that they couldn't partner with a JNJ or Bristol Meyers to help finance the building in exchange for naming rights or some type of split rehab/fitness center.

There is a reason that no pharmaceutical company has purchased naming rights to any arena or stadium.

Banks, financial services, telecommunications, computer companies, retail companies, airlines, etc, buy naming rights. But I don't think you will ever see a pharmaceutical company buy naming rights.