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Post by westtexan on May 25, 2007 8:17:49 GMT -5
That's exactly what it will be...if the rumors are true...that dufus WT AD Mikey McBroom...wants WT to move out of Kimbrough...
and build a dinky little on-campus stadium...that will be SMALLER THAN D.ICK BIVINS STADIUM.
If this is true...then WTAMU is putting itself...underneath the local high schools.
Now...we know the true reason why McBroom was a lazy azz...and did not market or advertise WT football last season...and let the WT football attendance...fall bigtime from 2005 to 2006.
Apparently...some idiots want to forever slam the door on WT ever going back up to D1 or D1AA.
McBroom...get the hell out of Canyon...and don't the door hit you in the azz.
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Post by East-Texan on May 25, 2007 9:18:19 GMT -5
A smaller on campus stadium could be a great thing. The stands will be closer to capacity without having to give away tickets. I would think that luxury suites will be in the plans as well.
Some DI's do the same thing. SMU moved to a much smaller stadium on campus than where they were playing. Much nicer facility for them.
Good Job WTAM.
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Post by westtexan on May 25, 2007 9:40:44 GMT -5
Smaller than what the local Amarillo/Canyon high schools play in....sucks in my opinion.
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Post by East-Texan on May 25, 2007 9:57:38 GMT -5
How much smaller is attendance at SMU, TCU, UNT than a Southlake Carroll playoff game?
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Post by petiepanzer on May 27, 2007 9:33:02 GMT -5
west-texan, I am wondering if you have taken into consideration the considerable amount of difference in financial support necessary between a Division I and a Division II athletic program. To begin, we should first take a look at the scholarship limits between the 2 divisions: Division I Men Baseball 11.7 Cross Country/Track and Field 12.6 Fencing 4.5 Football (Division I-A) 85 Football (Division I-AA) 63 Golf 4.5 Gymnastics 6.3 Lacrosse 12.6 Rifle 3.6 Skiing 6.3 Soccer 9.9 Swimming and Diving 9.9 Tennis 4.5 Volleyball 4.5 Water Polo 4.5 Wrestling 9.9 Women Archery 5 Badminton 6 Bowling 5 Cross Country/Track and Field 18 Equestrian 15 Fencing 5 Field Hockey 12 Golf 6 Lacrosse 12 Rowing 20 Rugby 12 Skiing 7 Soccer 14 Softball 12 Squash 12 Swimming and Diving 14 Synchronized Swimming 5 Team Handball 10 Water Polo 8 Division II Men Baseball 9 Basketball 10 Cross Country/Track and Field 12.6 Fencing 4.5 Football 36 Golf 3.6 Gymnastics 5.4 Ice Hockey 13.5 Lacrosse 10.8 Rifle 3.6 Skiing 6.3 Soccer 9 Swimming and Diving 8.1 Tennis 4.5 Volleyball 4.5 Water Polo 4.5 Wrestling 9 Women Archery 9 Badminton 10 Basketball 10 Cross Country/Track and Field 12.6 Equestrian 15 Fencing 4.5 Field Hockey 6.3 Golf 5.4 Gymnastics 6 Ice Hockey 18 Lacrosse 9.9 Rowing 20 Rugby 12 Skiing 6.3 Soccer 9.9 Softball 7.2 Squash 9 Swimming and Diving 8.1 Synchronized Swimming 5 Team Handball 12 Tennis 6 Volleyball 8 Water Polo www.educationplanner.com/education_planner/paying_article.asp?sponsor=2859&articleName=NCAA_Scholarship_LimitsOK, just on football alone, there is a net difference of 49 and 27 scholarships between I-A, I-AA, and II, respectfully. Of course, there is a very important governing statute in College Athletics called Title IX. This means that for WTAMU to compete at the D-I level, they would have to create athletic scholarship opportunities for either 49 or 27 female athletes as well. So, in the end, it would require between 54 and 97 full ride scholarships, at least, to maintain Title IX complicity. Most likely, that is going to mean adding additional women's athletic teams. So, which sports do you pick up? Ok, so that hypothetical hurdle has been crossed. Well, guess what? To be able to effectively compete against other D-I universities, WTAMU is going to need to seriously upgrade their facilities. It would require a tremendous upgrade to the current stadium and arena, new coaching staff would need to be hired, and salaries are going to have to be raised. Even the HC dogs of DI make half a million a year and their staff are usually going to require some six figure salaries as well. They are going to need new training facilities, new weight rooms, new dorms just for the athletes, and a training table with both a dietician and several cooks on duty. Also, many DI athletes in the revenue earning sports tend to get into trouble, both academically and off the field, so a team of academic tutors and babysitters are going to need to be hired. I hate to admit it, but college athletics is one of the dirtiest businesses out there, and there is so much underhanded crap going on it isn't even funny. One of my roommates at CU had been on the football team there, so I know all about the sleazy things that go on behind the scenes. Let's just say that it is going to take a little extra cash to grease the wheels. Those guys get their butts kissed in a way the average DII athlete could never imagine. OK, those hurdles have been overcome, but what DI conference does WTAMU strike out to join? Maybe they could join the Big XII? No, I don't think they would be competitive with those guys. That is a BCS conference and they are very selective. OK, how about the MWC? Well, just a few years ago, they broke away from the WAC because a few of the small Texas schools were not pulling their weight and were hurting the bigger schools financially. Well, how about CUSA then? That is a pretty crappy conference and is on the verge of folding, because it has no strong fan following and their TV revenue is pretty dismal. Well, that leaves only 2 real possibilities: the WAC or the Sunbelt. Of the 2, the WAC looks to be the better. The MWC, however, seems pretty determined to get a seat at the BCS table and I would not be surprised if they were to seek expansion in the future in an attempt to bolster their chances. They take Fresno State and Boise State, with the possible exception of UTEP or Nevada, and that conference collapses quicker than an open space in a mosh pit. There is no way a conference could survive with teams like Idaho, NMSU, SJSU, Hawaii, and Utah State. Well, I guess that leaves the Scum Blet then. If a program is aspiring to be on the same plateau as North Texas, what is the point, really? UNT has gone full D-I and their attendance still sucks. In fact, Denton has been ranked as the worst sports town in America. Is that really what you want for your Alma Mater? I have a good friend who is an alum at the University of Wyoming. He was telling me that they are currently putting $36 million into their athletic program, just so that they can stay competitive. Now, this is not a BCS school. In fact, they are kind of a mid-major and not one of the more competitive ones at that. They do, however, have a lot of money coming from the energy boom taking place up there right now and they are the only university in the state. There hasn't been an energy boom like that in the Texas Panhandle for quite some time and I don't anticipate it happening any time in the near future. The legislature is not going to give WTAMU that kind of money like the Wyoming legislature gave to their athletic department. If it is taking them $36 million just to upgrade their current DI athletic facilities, it would most likely WTAMU at least $45 million just to successfully make the leap from DII to DI. As has been previously noted, that is a figure that is more than 3 times the size of their endowment. Let the DI dream go, west-texan. That ship sailed a long time ago. WT can be competitive at DII, but it is too much of a stretch to assume they could do the same at the DI level. Instead of obsessing over making the jump to DI, I think WTAMU would be better served by trying to upgrade the existing programs in their cupboard and perhaps trying to add 1 or 2 new sports. Seriously, I have a better chance of being adopted by Jack Nicholson than WTAMU has of going DI. |
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Post by traveler on May 27, 2007 11:38:21 GMT -5
Let the DI dream go, west-texan. That ship sailed a long time ago. WT can be competitive at DII, but it is too much of a stretch to assume they could do the same at the DI level. Instead of obsessing over making the jump to DI, I think WTAMU would be better served by trying to upgrade the existing programs in their cupboard and perhaps trying to add 1 or 2 new sports. Seriously, I have a better chance of being adopted by Jack Nicholson than WTAMU has of going DI. And there's no shame in fielding a competitive DII program. |
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Post by agbuffalo on May 28, 2007 0:18:12 GMT -5
Texas Tech specifically and other D-1 schools generally would never let WT move back to division 1. I would rather be a big fish in a little pond than eaten by the sharks in the big pond.
Buffalo bowl is a nice venue and has a great view, but it is very fan unfriendly. The concessions and restrooms are atrocious. From what I hear and just looking at it from a cost stand point it would be a nightmare to fix. It also is in no man's land, not in Amarillo, not in Canyon and most important it is not on campus. When I go to other schools I like going back to the alma mater and enjoying a game day experience. So many more opportunities for identity and traditions if the stadium is on campus. My opinion is if you are worried about getting a seat you will work harder at getting one and will plan accordingly. A full stadium of any size has a lot more enthusiasm than a larger one half full. Thumbs up in bringing back track and field. Other sports moving back on campus would be great too. Come to the campus of WTA&M and see college athletics featuring the Buffs, gee, what a novel idea.
I have no proof or confirmation if any of the rumors are true about facility upgrades but what I have read on the D-2 board is very exciting and I am all for it. I would be interested in donating to this project.
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jdnat
New Member
Posts: 27
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Post by jdnat on Jul 31, 2007 18:29:11 GMT -5
First of all, if Tech had the power to keep WT out of D1, they certainly would, but they don't. Maybe WT is better off in D2, but what is wrong with wanting your school to grow, progress and be better.
Maybe the stadium on campus is a great idea, but why build a stadium that would only hold the last two year's average attendance? Why would we want to limit ourselves to not being able to grow the attendance? I know they say that the stadium will be built so that it can be expanded, but let me assure you that once it is built, it will stay that way for many years.
Let's look past our noses and if we are going to build an on-campus stadium, let's build it at least as large as Kimbrough.
The word has been put out that it would cost approximately 90 million dollars to upgrade Kimbrough. I'm not an engineer, but I would bet that for $90,000,000, you could tear Kimbrough down and build another one in it's place.
If the on-campus stadium is what happens, I will still support WT and hope that it grows, progresses and becomes the finest University in this area.
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Post by sj on Jul 31, 2007 23:16:58 GMT -5
I don't design or built stadiums, but it seems to me an upgrade shared with Canyon ISD would be more cost effective on Kimbrough than constructing a structure on campus.
I kinda like seeing the Buffs play in Kimbrough...hope they continue to do so.
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Post by zebrarick on Aug 7, 2007 16:28:57 GMT -5
Nothing like the stench of dead field mice in the locker room!! At least they redid that part of Kimbrough. Changing facilities are much better than they were.
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Post by west-texan on Aug 10, 2007 7:21:29 GMT -5
I don't design or built stadiums, but it seems to me an upgrade shared with Canyon ISD would be more cost effective on Kimbrough than constructing a structure on campus. I kinda like seeing the Buffs play in Kimbrough...hope they continue to do so. From the way some clowns are acting over the secrecy surrounding this... I'm starting to think we are going to have to pull a Freedom Of Information Act to get this information... out of WTAMU and the Texas State Employees in Canyon.  I'm hearing rumors that $$$$$$ figure for a Kimbrough renovation....may be completely bogus. We need to find this out for sure....and I will pull an FOMI on WTAMU...if I need to. |
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