The no and can't and never WT Buffalo Club????????

[west-texan]

And right now the WT bottleneck appears to be the Buffalo Club board of directors.

They know talking D1 will attract a lot more donations and corporate sponsorships.

But they refuse to talk D1 in public.

And they refuse to say why they think WT should stay at D2.

When the small crowds usually suck big-time at WT games.

And the empty seats at D2 make WT no money.

So the big solution may be to clean house on the Buffalo Club board of directors.

We have got to get rid of the small thinkers who are holding WT back.

Why do these people refuse to start a fund-raising campaign for D1?

Big donors are not even going to think about WT at D2.

But they will consider giving if WT talks about going back to D1.

[willard]

"And right now the WT bottleneck appears to be the Buffalo Club board of directors." Quote from west-texan.

No. The "bottleneck" is west texan and others like him who talk a lot but provide no action....Money talks & BS walks.....
It's always the same old story with folks like west texan: If WT starts winning, they will support the program. No, wait a minute. If WT hires a new coach, they will support the program. No wait a minute. If WT moves to D-I, they will support the program. No, wait a minute. If WT schedules OU at home, they will support the program. No, wait a minute. If WT beats OU at home, they will support the program.....Just a bunch of BS!.....Never satisfied and never willing to pony up the dough to get something going....Always let the other guy do it....then complain when it's not what they wanted....

West texan, if you want to start a campaign, get after it!....Provide proof to the AD that there is enough support (not just BS--but real money) from 50-100 individuals (not just corporations) who are willing to commit $5000-10,000 a year for 10 years....That will get the AD's attention....But he is not going to plunge the athletic program into a financial hole like other colleges have dug by moving up. There is absolutely no guarantee that moving to DI increases attendance or revenue. The only guarantee is a huge increase in expenses....So get your guys together and go present a plan along with the financial commitments to the AD.....He will listen if you can provide proof....Don't always expect the other guy to do things for you....If you want it so bad, take the initiative....Remember money talks & BS walks!

[buffalorunning]

West Texan: do you provide any financial support to WT or WT athletics? I'm talking about real donations not buying an extra hot dog at a football game.

[west-texan]

Yes...I do support WT...but working in Amarillo means it's not a large amount.

But I notice that WT does not have a single sponsorship at all from any of the large national corporations that do big business in the Amarillo and Borger and Dumas area.

That is most likely because WT has never contacted these corporations:

1. Conoco Phillips with a huge refinery in Borger that employs hundreds.

2. Valero Energy Corporation with a huge refinery in Dumas that employs hundreds.

3. Tyson Foods that has a huge processing plant in Amarillo that employs thousands.

4. Cargill that has large facilities in several places in the Texas Panhandle.

5. Asarco that has the world's largest copper refinery in Amarillo.

6. Owens Corning that has a huge glass fiber plant in Amarillo that employs hundreds.

7. Xcel Energy that has 2 large power plants NE of Amarillo that employ hundreds.

8. Atmos Energy that employs hundreds in Amarillo.

9. AT&T that employs hundreds in Amarillo.

10. Bell Helicopter that employs hundreds in Amarillo.

11. BNSF that employs hundreds in Amarillo.

And because D2 gets very little interest for donations and sponsorships.

And you get into the chicken and egg thing...as far as which comes first.

Extra donations are not going to shop up for WT with D2.

And WT could get a lot more money by saying we want to go D1...and asking for more money.

But WT refuses to even talk about doing anything bigger better than D2.

Why will WT not even ask for extra money to go D1?

Don't moan about no money for D1...when WT will not even ask for extra money.

[west-texan]

And of course I'm not satisfied with D2 at WT.

It's very obvious that D2 is failing WT in many ways.

1. Low attendance at WT games = FAIL

2. Low interest in D2 in Amarillo = FAIL

3. Low interest in WT in Amarillo = FAIL

4. Not attracting more students to WT = FAIL

5. Not attracting more local and state interest in WT = FAIL

6. Not attracting more donations to WT = FAIL

7. Not attracting more alumni interest in WT = FAIL

8. Not attracting more student interest in WT games = FAIL

9. Not increasing school spirit for students and alumni = FAIL

10. Not making more money for WT = FAIL

11. Less students because of D2 means less state funding for WT = FAIL

12. Best students in Amarillo going to Texas Tech and not WT = FAIL

And what do you say about the failure in this picture?

Only 5317 bothered to show up for the last WT home game this year....FAILURE!

[willard]

"Yes...I do support WT...but working in Amarillo means it's not a large amount." West-texan quote.

What does working in Amarillo have to do with supporting WT in a large amount?.....Do you make real donations to the Buffalo Club, directly to the Athletic Department or to the University?.....Or do you consider your constant tirades against WT some form of support?....Man, you need a life!!

[west-texan]

Amarillo is below the national and Texas state averages for pay.

And anyone who can look at that picture and say D2 is good for WT.

Might need to get a life. ;D

It's very obvious that WT is getting little benefit from D2.

D2 is holding WT back as a university...and scares off students.

And I'm not the only one who thinks WT needs to move upward.

[buffalorunning]

Maybe WT can apologize to T Boone Pickens and get him back to supporting the University. His money built the Banana Building and the Presidents House. Maybe he can build us the T Boone Pickens Fieldhouse?

[west-texan]

I think WT president James Cornette had the Classroom Center building built in like 1967.

And when I started at WT in the early 80's...it still said UCS on the building.

UCS stood for University Complex South.

That was because WT was in a 40 yr growth trend...and they anticipated a University Complex North.

I think that building was most likely built with state appropriation funding.

Then in the mid-80's...Pickens gave money to the WT college of business.

That was all in the days of WTSU before WT joined the A&M System.

And yes...WT should definitely advertise in the DFW area and even downstate.

[west-texan]

For the WT fieldhouse.

They should really talk to that big Mueller Inc steel buildings manufacturer on Lakeside north of I-40.

Negotiate a construction discount and naming rights with that company name on the building.

Then have a public & corporate fund-raising drive to furnish the building & start raising money to go D1.

Fund-raising is not rocket science with a clear goal like D1.

And the WT Buffalo Club is just scratching the surface for fund-raising potential.

Skip the student fee and get the public and corporations involved in upgrading WT.

Valero Energy Kimbrough Memorial Stadium or Excel Energy Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.

Or Conoco-Phillips Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.

[willard]

ow about a new, modern stadium on campus across from the new Buffalo Sports Park if WT really wants to go D-I. KMS may be a great venue but it's a dump.....Engineering studies have already proven that a new stadium can be built for the same or less than refurbishing KMS....West texan hates that idea but it's the best for the growth of WT.

West-texan, since you have all the ideas (which I'm sure WT has never even thought of), why don't you lead the fund-raising drive to go D-I?.....That would give you a life and something to do....

[buffalorunning]

I'm a member of the Buffalo Club and I keep hearing about the buffalo club fund raining for a new field house. Where is the fund raising? How it is being tracked ? whats the goal? what the status of reaching the goal? How does one donate?

[willard]

The Buffalo Club raises funds for scholarships only and not facilities....Fund raising through private sources coordinated by the AD is being done now for a new facility to be located on the west side of the new Buffalo Sports Park....When fully completed, it will house athletic offices, training rooms, etc. and FB locker rooms.....Construction on the FB locker rooms is scheduled to begin in March according to what I've been told....Construction can't begin until at least half of the funds are raised....Not sure about total costs but I've heard $3.6 million and supposedly half has been raised I think....For details and donating info., contact Michael McBroom.

[buffalorunning]

The Buffalo Club is a cornerstone of WTAMU athletics, raising money to cover athletic costs such as scholarships, recruiting expenses, books, team travel, equipment, facilities and athletic training. With the escalating costs associated with higher education, the importance of the Buffalo Club to the improvement and development of WTAMU athletics cannot be overstated. Donors to the Buffalo Club champion this cause, recognizing the value of the student-athlete experience through their support of our students both on and off the playing fields.


The above mission statement is from the Buffalo Club link at gobuffsgo.com. It claims that the BC funds facilities. I heard that the fund raising for the new field house was at the direction of the BC, since the the field house was left off the 21 Million sports complex that the students fees paid.

[willard]

Buffalo Club has not directed or funded any of the new facilities.....Some BC board members and regular members may be donors and involved individually in the new field house, but BC, as an organization, is not.