Stadium

[CaneInHeelCountry]

I remember what Doak Campbell looked like in the early 80's. If you look at that place now you can see what consistent winning can do for a program. I think they are about to do another $250 million renovation. That's what being serious about football gets you. Bowl money, ACC money, imagine what the OB could've looked like now. It's just a shame how the whole situation at Miami has been ****ed up.
Take a look at what some college football teams are worth annually-
What's your college team worth.
Florida State isn't even in the top 20 and they are worth $68 million a year.

Bot, what the **** is so hard to understand about how much college football is worth? You idiots are sitting on a goldmine and you are ****ing it away. Pay attention dumbasses, just because you don't care about football doesn't mean the rest of the country doesn't. The U brand could be easy money.

You do know that the renovations at Doak were largely funded by state tax dollars, right? FSU uses the rooms inside Doak for administrative offices and classrooms, so they were able to claim it as an academic/administrative use facility and got funding from the state to do the reno.

Do you have a source for that? Most of what I've found is boosters and through the sale of bonds for the renovations they are doing now.

I was talking about the renos from what it was like in the 80s to now. Back then it looked like an erector set; when the put the brick exterior on it in the 90s, they put admin offices and classrooms on the inside.

Not sure about the latest renos; I'll look to see what I can find.

Exactly, stadium was disgusting back in the day. I read it cost $250k to build 65 years ago. I'm not full arguing about the funding, it's easily possible some of that money came from the state. But what they've done with that stadium is really nice. That program is worth a lot of money. I think they plan to fully fund all sport scholarships with interest from their 'war chest' before to long. Them boys up there take their football seriously. Miami should take a look at the money being made up there.

The Noles are good at fundraising, no doubt. But again, that gets to my point about the size of the donor base and the willingness of donors to fund football. Miami simply doesn't have the numbers that FSU does.

 

[Tad Footeball]

How convenient. The University of Miami's Football program made the University one of the biggest household brands in the country and created a lot of $ to attract students and raise buildings. Yet, when the Football program is in desperate need of support (stadium, coaches, etc.) the University washes its hands.

Miami may not have the "donors" but more importantly has lacked true leadership and a vision for the program.

The lack of donors is as much on the school over the years as it is on anything else. They choose and chose to go a different route in their fundraising efforts. They always default to the easy route of relying on a few "significant" donors/gifts in lieu of the hard work of cultivating thousands of smaller ones. Then when pressed they cite the smaller nature of our alumni base while conveniently never factoring in the the years of fundraising neglect on their end when they sat atop one of the hottest commodities in all of sports.

We can agree or disagree with Chuck Todd's political leanings but even he (as a non-alum that gives thousands per year) has spoken out about how they're content with only putting in the real fundraising work in relation to the "major" gifts. Btw, this doesn't absolve the university as a whole in relation to how they financially deal with the athletics dept but that's a whole other topic.

As part of the Momentum 2 fundraising drive, there was an option to give to athletics...as there always is for anyone who wants to donate. It was part and parcel of the larger fundraising effort. Of the ~2 billion raised between 2012 and now, I think a little over 100 mil was raised for athletics. So it took UM 3 years to raise 100 mil, out of a goal of 125 mil for athletics.

LINK

Meanwhile, Duke raised 144 mil for athletics in the first 9 months of their recent university-wide fundraising campaign.
And Tennessee's athletic department raised 48 mil in one year, without the benefit of a university-wide campaign--their average per-year giving to athletics is about 44 mil.

Bottom line is that UM has a smaller donor base than many schools, and the donors we DO have don'tt give to athletics in the same way that other schools do.

Agree with your last point completely. I just think there are reasons for that beyond general circumstance. I don't think the proper efforts have been made by the actual athletic department to monetize our previous success on a broad scale. Perhaps the university didn't provide the proper support to make those fundraising efforts or perhaps the department itself was incompetent but they really should have been able to turn our past football dominance into more widespread donations. If we had kids attracted to the school because of football then we should have been able to get money from them as alumni. A lot of this stuff pre-dates our friend Donna too. There seemingly has always been a notion to not want the football program to get too big but to still reap the rewards it provides.

 

[CaneInHeelCountry]

How convenient. The University of Miami's Football program made the University one of the biggest household brands in the country and created a lot of $ to attract students and raise buildings. Yet, when the Football program is in desperate need of support (stadium, coaches, etc.) the University washes its hands.

Miami may not have the "donors" but more importantly has lacked true leadership and a vision for the program.

The lack of donors is as much on the school over the years as it is on anything else. They choose and chose to go a different route in their fundraising efforts. They always default to the easy route of relying on a few "significant" donors/gifts in lieu of the hard work of cultivating thousands of smaller ones. Then when pressed they cite the smaller nature of our alumni base while conveniently never factoring in the the years of fundraising neglect on their end when they sat atop one of the hottest commodities in all of sports.

We can agree or disagree with Chuck Todd's political leanings but even he (as a non-alum that gives thousands per year) has spoken out about how they're content with only putting in the real fundraising work in relation to the "major" gifts. Btw, this doesn't absolve the university as a whole in relation to how they financially deal with the athletics dept but that's a whole other topic.

As part of the Momentum 2 fundraising drive, there was an option to give to athletics...as there always is for anyone who wants to donate. It was part and parcel of the larger fundraising effort. Of the ~2 billion raised between 2012 and now, I think a little over 100 mil was raised for athletics. So it took UM 3 years to raise 100 mil, out of a goal of 125 mil for athletics.

LINK

Meanwhile, Duke raised 144 mil for athletics in the first 9 months of their recent university-wide fundraising campaign.
And Tennessee's athletic department raised 48 mil in one year, without the benefit of a university-wide campaign--their average per-year giving to athletics is about 44 mil.

Bottom line is that UM has a smaller donor base than many schools, and the donors we DO have don'tt give to athletics in the same way that other schools do.

Agree with your last point completely. I just think there are reasons for that beyond general circumstance. I don't think the proper efforts have been made by the actual athletic department to monetize our previous success on a broad scale. Perhaps the university didn't provide the proper support to make those fundraising efforts or perhaps the department itself was incompetent but they really should have been able to turn our past football dominance into more widespread donations. If we had kids attracted to the school because of football then we should have been able to get money from them as alumni. A lot of this stuff pre-dates our friend Donna too. There seemingly has always been a notion to not want the football program to get too big but to still reap the rewards it provides.

I feel like it's a chicken/egg situation.

UM has always had a lot of bandwagon fans. We've always had problems filling the stands on a regular basis, even when we were winning. We've always had a small donor base and limited interest from fans in the community. The South Florida community is known around the country as a poor market for local sports teams--the Marlins, Heat, Fins, and Canes all struggle. So I'm not sure there's a lot that UM could do. The nature of So Fla makes it tough to get that dollar outta fan's pockets.

Between that and the fact that UM is a small private school with among the lowest enrollment of all Power 5 schools, UM is kinda caught between a rock and a hard place.

Could they be more aggressive in their marketing? maybe. Would it make a significant difference in terms of fundraising? I dunno.

 

[Rellyrell]

It's really freaking amazing how folks have forgotten or chosen to ignore how the city screwed UM. In the scramble to blame Shalala for everything, they've ignored that the city officials planned to push UM out the door from the beginning.

Let me ask you a question, why is it that anyone says something against Shalala you are the first to respond? You don't respond about the make of the team, you don't respond about Golden, you don't respond about w's and l's....only Shalala....what's up with that? And don't give no b/s answer about you're just making sure she's not lied upon...I want to know, seriously, why you defend her through tooth and nail. Are you related to her? Her love interest? Ex lover? Clinton? What's really going on w/ you?

Let me ask you something...why do you feel the need to insult instead of have a legit discussion? How old are you, 12?

IMO, there's nothing to respond to about Ws/Ls, the makeup of the team, etc. Everything's on hold till Golden gets out and we get a new coach; no sense in discussing Xs and Os till the next guy comes in. We all know Golden misuses talent, that D'Onofrio sucks, that Coley is questionable at best, etc, etc. We all know we shouldn't have lost to Cinci, that we let Cook kill us against FSU, that we looked like crap in the 2nd half of Nebraska, etc, etc, etc.

There were more things to talk about a few years ago, and I definitely talked more then. Since maybe the end of 2013, it's been one big ***** and moan fest around here, so I only post about things which we can still have legit arguments about.

I definitely have responded to other topics re: coaching searches and recruits.

FWIW, I'm not defending Shalala here. I'm pointing out the facts. The facts are that the city screwed UM and wanted to shut down the OB from the very beginning. That has been well established.

Usually when someone answers a ? w a ? implies guilt. Who insulted you?? Didn't call you out your name or anything. Slow down, re-read my questions. I'm asking you questions. So are you 12?

Pretty sure I answered your questions in full, chief.

Of course you didn't call me a name...you just alleged that I only post to defend Shalala, that I may be related to her, or may be her (*******) lover. Those are insults on the board.

Pretty sure I explained my posting history, and why and where I've posted.

Now it's your turn. Are you, in fact, 12? Or retarded? Or maybe just a little developmentally disabled? Or just a homophobic asshat who doesn't have the mental capacity to actually have a cogent discussion?

Again, reading is fundamental. Apparently, your comprehension skill level is that of a toddler. So let's breakdown your heathenish assumptions:
First you accused me of calling you a name, which apparently after re-reading, you had to re-track that statement.
Second, you accused me of calling you a *******...no where did i call you such.
Third, you contradicted your own your statement where you stated "why do i feel the need to insult, instead of having a legit discussion?" Not only did i NOT insult you, i didn't go on a kindergarten rampage, unlike yourself.

Who jokes about someone being "retarded?" As a matter of fact, who even uses that word in 2015? Who makes fun of those who may have mental challenges? Bet you wouldn't say that to Brandon Marshall, b/c Brandon Marshall would beat the breaks off of you. Who assumes someone is homophobic when sexuality was not being called into question? I know who, Canesinheelcountry does.

See, I've viewed a lot of your responses on this board, and the fact that you are so offended right now is b/c you know in your hearts of heart, you do truly defend Shalala any chance you get. That's cool, I just wanted to know why....but I get it, one of the above questions I had for you must've struck a nerve. Regardless you sound extremely stupid, ignorant, unintelligent, and immature.

Word of advice, don't throw stones when you live in a glass house.

 

[CaneInHeelCountry]

Let me ask you a question, why is it that anyone says something against Shalala you are the first to respond? You don't respond about the make of the team, you don't respond about Golden, you don't respond about w's and l's....only Shalala....what's up with that? And don't give no b/s answer about you're just making sure she's not lied upon...I want to know, seriously, why you defend her through tooth and nail. Are you related to her? Her love interest? Ex lover? Clinton? What's really going on w/ you?

Let me ask you something...why do you feel the need to insult instead of have a legit discussion? How old are you, 12?

IMO, there's nothing to respond to about Ws/Ls, the makeup of the team, etc. Everything's on hold till Golden gets out and we get a new coach; no sense in discussing Xs and Os till the next guy comes in. We all know Golden misuses talent, that D'Onofrio sucks, that Coley is questionable at best, etc, etc. We all know we shouldn't have lost to Cinci, that we let Cook kill us against FSU, that we looked like crap in the 2nd half of Nebraska, etc, etc, etc.

There were more things to talk about a few years ago, and I definitely talked more then. Since maybe the end of 2013, it's been one big ***** and moan fest around here, so I only post about things which we can still have legit arguments about.

I definitely have responded to other topics re: coaching searches and recruits.

FWIW, I'm not defending Shalala here. I'm pointing out the facts. The facts are that the city screwed UM and wanted to shut down the OB from the very beginning. That has been well established.

Usually when someone answers a ? w a ? implies guilt. Who insulted you?? Didn't call you out your name or anything. Slow down, re-read my questions. I'm asking you questions. So are you 12?

Pretty sure I answered your questions in full, chief.

Of course you didn't call me a name...you just alleged that I only post to defend Shalala, that I may be related to her, or may be her (*******) lover. Those are insults on the board.

Pretty sure I explained my posting history, and why and where I've posted.

Now it's your turn. Are you, in fact, 12? Or retarded? Or maybe just a little developmentally disabled? Or just a homophobic asshat who doesn't have the mental capacity to actually have a cogent discussion?

Again, reading is fundamental. Apparently, your comprehension skill level is that of a toddler. So let's breakdown your heathenish assumptions:
First you accused me of calling you a name, which apparently after re-reading, you had to re-track that statement.
Second, you accused me of calling you a *******...no where did i call you such.
Third, you contradicted your own your statement where you stated "why do i feel the need to insult, instead of having a legit discussion?" Not only did i NOT insult you, i didn't go on a kindergarten rampage, unlike yourself.

Who jokes about someone being "retarded?" As a matter of fact, who even uses that word in 2015? Who makes fun of those who may have mental challenges? Bet you wouldn't say that to Brandon Marshall, b/c Brandon Marshall would beat the breaks off of you. Who assumes someone is homophobic when sexuality was not being called into question? I know who, Canesinheelcountry does.

See, I've viewed a lot of your responses on this board, and the fact that you are so offended right now is b/c you know in your hearts of heart, you do truly defend Shalala any chance you get. That's cool, I just wanted to know why....but I get it, one of the above questions I had for you must've struck a nerve. Regardless you sound extremely stupid, ignorant, unintelligent, and immature.

Word of advice, don't throw stones when you live in a glass house.

Wow...the irony of you calling me out regarding reading comprehension is too rich.

I never accused you of calling me a name. I accused you of trying to insult me. Which was clearly your intent. You didn't want to engage in a serious discussion...you wanted to insinuate that I was somehow connected to Donna...eg, her " ex lover", "Clinton", etc. Those suggestions/allegations were not meant as serious, nor were they meant kindly.

Do you know the meaning of the word "insinuate"?

Go right ahead, chief...ignore what I actually said and continue with your nonsensical BS. talk about stupid, ignorant, and immature. LOL. you take the cake, buddy.

 

[Rellyrell]

Let me ask you something...why do you feel the need to insult instead of have a legit discussion? How old are you, 12?

IMO, there's nothing to respond to about Ws/Ls, the makeup of the team, etc. Everything's on hold till Golden gets out and we get a new coach; no sense in discussing Xs and Os till the next guy comes in. We all know Golden misuses talent, that D'Onofrio sucks, that Coley is questionable at best, etc, etc. We all know we shouldn't have lost to Cinci, that we let Cook kill us against FSU, that we looked like crap in the 2nd half of Nebraska, etc, etc, etc.

There were more things to talk about a few years ago, and I definitely talked more then. Since maybe the end of 2013, it's been one big ***** and moan fest around here, so I only post about things which we can still have legit arguments about.

I definitely have responded to other topics re: coaching searches and recruits.

FWIW, I'm not defending Shalala here. I'm pointing out the facts. The facts are that the city screwed UM and wanted to shut down the OB from the very beginning. That has been well established.

Usually when someone answers a ? w a ? implies guilt. Who insulted you?? Didn't call you out your name or anything. Slow down, re-read my questions. I'm asking you questions. So are you 12?

Pretty sure I answered your questions in full, chief.

Of course you didn't call me a name...you just alleged that I only post to defend Shalala, that I may be related to her, or may be her (*******) lover. Those are insults on the board.

Pretty sure I explained my posting history, and why and where I've posted.

Now it's your turn. Are you, in fact, 12? Or retarded? Or maybe just a little developmentally disabled? Or just a homophobic asshat who doesn't have the mental capacity to actually have a cogent discussion?

Again, reading is fundamental. Apparently, your comprehension skill level is that of a toddler. So let's breakdown your heathenish assumptions:
First you accused me of calling you a name, which apparently after re-reading, you had to re-track that statement.
Second, you accused me of calling you a *******...no where did i call you such.
Third, you contradicted your own your statement where you stated "why do i feel the need to insult, instead of having a legit discussion?" Not only did i NOT insult you, i didn't go on a kindergarten rampage, unlike yourself.

Who jokes about someone being "retarded?" As a matter of fact, who even uses that word in 2015? Who makes fun of those who may have mental challenges? Bet you wouldn't say that to Brandon Marshall, b/c Brandon Marshall would beat the breaks off of you. Who assumes someone is homophobic when sexuality was not being called into question? I know who, Canesinheelcountry does.

See, I've viewed a lot of your responses on this board, and the fact that you are so offended right now is b/c you know in your hearts of heart, you do truly defend Shalala any chance you get. That's cool, I just wanted to know why....but I get it, one of the above questions I had for you must've struck a nerve. Regardless you sound extremely stupid, ignorant, unintelligent, and immature.

Word of advice, don't throw stones when you live in a glass house.

Wow...the irony of you calling me out regarding reading comprehension is too rich.

I never accused you of calling me a name. I accused you of trying to insult me. Which was clearly your intent. You didn't want to engage in a serious discussion...you wanted to insinuate that I was somehow connected to Donna...eg, her " ex lover", "Clinton", etc. Those suggestions/allegations were not meant as serious, nor were they meant kindly.

Do you know the meaning of the word "insinuate"?

Go right ahead, chief...ignore what I actually said and continue with your nonsensical BS. talk about stupid, ignorant, and immature. LOL. you take the cake, buddy.

Lol....you're a funny dude or whatever gender u r. Stick to defending Shalala, chap. Ur more efficient w/ ur replies.

 

[ncncanes]

Might have got it done during the recession when land values were depressed in Miami --- not now..... not ever

 

[CaptJackSparrow]

The only chance UM has at getting a new stadium is in 5 years or so before the lease ends at SLS in 2026 we start a fund raising effort. Right now because we are not even half way done with our 20 year lease we have extreme apathy. Maybe nearing the end of the lease things would be different. If nothing else if we start a fund raising effort for a football stadium we could make scare the Dolphins into giving us a better deal on the next lease if we go that direction.

 

[ncncanes]

Btw - cant compare FSU - when they renovated a few years they added classrooms to the building to the STATE could help pay for teh renovation

 

[TexCane]

I have a question, I was looking at Baylor's and TCU's stadium both of their capacities is around 45-50K and the cost 250-300 Million. My first question is do you think Miami has the funds to build that kind of stadium? If they do, do you think they ever will? Next question if they did, do you think it needs to be bigger? Just asking...

Good questions. Miami is a relatively small school (10,000 undergrads.) The alumni base and overall fanbase is also relatively small. Baylor and TCU are about the same size schools in small and mid-size markets. Miami would be best served with a smaller stadium, seating 45-50,000 as close to the center of the university's culture in Coral Gables. Baylor is the perfect example of what Miami should do. Their new stadium is small (45,000) and intimate. It can also be expanded in the future to 50,000. Other school stadiums to look at are Oregon and Stamford. I believe Autzen has 54,000 seats and Stanford's is at 50,000. These schools know what the future holds for CFB. More TV, less crowds. Miami should build Baylor's stadium as close to the campus as possible. Will it happen? Yes it will in about five years. Tex

 

[OrangeCane]

The university is the biggest employer in south Florida, and they certainly have some pull within the Coral Gables city council. If they wanted to make a stadium happen, they have the clout to make it happen.

I don't want to get into the name-calling session that this thread has devolved into, but I'd like to comment on this point. While the university is the largest employer in Dade County and has some political pull, the City of Coral Gables is a different beast.

When I was a student (2003-07), I remember that City of Coral Gables police officers once shut down the UM Homecoming concert mid-song because it ran late and was too loud, violating city noise ordinances. Our basketball arena is 12-13 years old now and we're STILL not allowed to put in the last 1,000 seats that were planned for it because of the city. There's a bunch of concrete slabs behind the general admission section that has been roped off for over a decade because the city won't allow the seats to be put in. When the arena first opened, there were concrete slabs behind the student section, as well, and it took over 5 years to get the city to allow UM to put seats in there and to expand capacity from 7,000 to 8,000.

While one can never say never, the odds of the city allowing UM to build its own stadium on campus are quite slim. Even if they DID approve it, there's really nowhere to put the stadium that doesn't involve massively rearranging the university master plan and/or demolishing lots of buildings, and there's no way to handle the traffic flow. US 1, Ponce, and all the roads in and around the campus are parking lots after basketball games, and that's only with 8,000 in attendance. There's no parking to handle 50,000 people, and Coral Gables residents will likely not approve of cars parking on their lots (a la the old Orange Bowl, which also suffered from parking issues).

The only viable options for UM football to play that doesn't require massive amounts of land acquisitions are in their current location at Sun Life, paired with the new soccer stadium by Marlins Park, at Tropical Park, or in the middle of nowhere in empty land in the southwest of the county. All of them have their drawbacks and challenges, and none is ideal. This is not an easy problem to fix -- if it were just a matter of raising enough money, I have no doubt that we could do it (assuming the admin made it a priority, of course -- who knows if that would happen). The bottom line is that our stadium problem is one where fundraising is only part of the solution...

 

[Hurricane23]

I have a question, I was looking at Baylor's and TCU's stadium both of their capacities is around 45-50K and the cost 250-300 Million. My first question is do you think Miami has the funds to build that kind of stadium? If they do, do you think they ever will? Next question if they did, do you think it needs to be bigger? Just asking...

Good questions. Miami is a relatively small school (10,000 undergrads.) The alumni base and overall fanbase is also relatively small. Baylor and TCU are about the same size schools in small and mid-size markets. Miami would be best served with a smaller stadium, seating 45-50,000 as close to the center of the university's culture in Coral Gables. Baylor is the perfect example of what Miami should do. Their new stadium is small (45,000) and intimate. It can also be expanded in the future to 50,000. Other school stadiums to look at are Oregon and Stamford. I believe Autzen has 54,000 seats and Stanford's is at 50,000. These schools know what the future holds for CFB. More TV, less crowds. Miami should build Baylor's stadium as close to the campus as possible. Will it happen? Yes it will in about five years. Tex

Thanks for your knowledgeable input

 

[Hurricane23]

The university is the biggest employer in south Florida, and they certainly have some pull within the Coral Gables city council. If they wanted to make a stadium happen, they have the clout to make it happen.

I don't want to get into the name-calling session that this thread has devolved into, but I'd like to comment on this point. While the university is the largest employer in Dade County and has some political pull, the City of Coral Gables is a different beast.

When I was a student (2003-07), I remember that City of Coral Gables police officers once shut down the UM Homecoming concert mid-song because it ran late and was too loud, violating city noise ordinances. Our basketball arena is 12-13 years old now and we're STILL not allowed to put in the last 1,000 seats that were planned for it because of the city. There's a bunch of concrete slabs behind the general admission section that has been roped off for over a decade because the city won't allow the seats to be put in. When the arena first opened, there were concrete slabs behind the student section, as well, and it took over 5 years to get the city to allow UM to put seats in there and to expand capacity from 7,000 to 8,000.

While one can never say never, the odds of the city allowing UM to build its own stadium on campus are quite slim. Even if they DID approve it, there's really nowhere to put the stadium that doesn't involve massively rearranging the university master plan and/or demolishing lots of buildings, and there's no way to handle the traffic flow. US 1, Ponce, and all the roads in and around the campus are parking lots after basketball games, and that's only with 8,000 in attendance. There's no parking to handle 50,000 people, and Coral Gables residents will likely not approve of cars parking on their lots (a la the old Orange Bowl, which also suffered from parking issues).

The only viable options for UM football to play that doesn't require massive amounts of land acquisitions are in their current location at Sun Life, paired with the new soccer stadium by Marlins Park, at Tropical Park, or in the middle of nowhere in empty land in the southwest of the county. All of them have their drawbacks and challenges, and none is ideal. This is not an easy problem to fix -- if it were just a matter of raising enough money, I have no doubt that we could do it (assuming the admin made it a priority, of course -- who knows if that would happen). The bottom line is that our stadium problem is one where fundraising is only part of the solution...

Thanks for your knowledgeable input