Earnest T. Bass
Sophomore
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2016
- Messages
- 2,073
OriginalCanesCanesCanes said: But ***** wants to use that money to add crushed velvet lining to the lockers and full length mirrors with inlaid Swarovski crystals...that way we can land some bloodthirsty savages.
That thinking, if accepted, means other programs, who are smart and forward thinking, will gain an insurmountable advantage over the Canes. This is already in full swing as for example; the Gators are in the process of investing $100,000,000 (yes, one hundred million dollars) for construction of a new athletic compound and a standalone football facility.
Recently, a big topic of conversation has been Miami underclassman opting for the NFL draft (McIntosh and Norton). Some believe that due to the wealth these players see in the South Florida area it motivates them to leave early for the cash. Those people could be on to something. When you follow their reasoning to its logical conclusion those same type of players as recruits must also be enthralled when visiting the Clemson’s, Alabama’s, Oregon’s and a horde of other college football programs that have jaw dropping football facilities (video links below). Furthermore, not only have those facilities become a magnet for the best 5 star players in the country, but they may even play a role in retention of underclassman.
“A decade of rampant athletics construction across the country has redefined what it takes to field a competitive top-tier college sports program. Football stadiums and basketball arenas now must be complemented by practice facilities, professional-quality locker rooms, players' lounges with high-definition televisions and video game systems, and luxury suites to coax more money from boosters.”
“The University of Tennessee built a $45 million Training Center, a 145,000-square-foot home for its football team with a two-story weight room, hydrotherapy room, amphitheater-style team meeting room and a public entrance featuring a water wall and museum commemorating Volunteers football history.” I’ll save the naysayers the trouble of posting that those facilities have not paid off for Tennessee football…YET!!!
“Virginia and Rutgers, athletic departments both highly dependent on student fees, have new football headquarters on their wish lists. And at Maryland, the university is planning a $155 million project to convert Cole Field House, its former basketball arena, into an indoor football practice facility, new locker rooms and offices for football, a training center for all athletes and an "Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship" for students. University of South Florida has committed $45,000.000 towards football facilities”
“Clemson Athletic Director, Dan Radakovich, asked Dabo Swinney what he needed to take Clemson football to the next level. Swinney jotted down a few BIG ideas for a football headquarters. I really thought he would take that piece of paper and just laugh," Swinney said. "But he didn't. ... every dream starts with a dreamer."
To be clear; I deplore what big money has done to college football, and what it will do in the future, but if you are going to compete at the highest level then new state of the art athletic facilities will be the price of admission. And yes, I am fully aware of the challenges Miami faces in funding such ventures, but despite the wonderful new indoor practice facility the Canes are already significantly behind most all of the top football schools, which makes me worry for the future of the program.
Finally if you take a kid to a Four Season Hotel with extraordinary management and then take him to a Days Inn with comparable management, where will he elect to stay? Bring a 5 star player to a college with a state of the art athletic compound whose coaching staff is also 5 star, and then bring him to a college who isn’t in the same universe facility wise, but also has a 5 star coaching staff…where is he most likely to sign? By the way; it is those headwinds that make the job Mark Richt and his staff have done concerning the 2018 recruiting class nothing short of remarkable.
PHOTOS: Clemson's new $55 million football facility - Business Insider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lupS-rvh6Zw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMQ7eso_a8A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMvru1j4tp8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta_uTdXl-tE[/FONT]
That thinking, if accepted, means other programs, who are smart and forward thinking, will gain an insurmountable advantage over the Canes. This is already in full swing as for example; the Gators are in the process of investing $100,000,000 (yes, one hundred million dollars) for construction of a new athletic compound and a standalone football facility.
Recently, a big topic of conversation has been Miami underclassman opting for the NFL draft (McIntosh and Norton). Some believe that due to the wealth these players see in the South Florida area it motivates them to leave early for the cash. Those people could be on to something. When you follow their reasoning to its logical conclusion those same type of players as recruits must also be enthralled when visiting the Clemson’s, Alabama’s, Oregon’s and a horde of other college football programs that have jaw dropping football facilities (video links below). Furthermore, not only have those facilities become a magnet for the best 5 star players in the country, but they may even play a role in retention of underclassman.
“A decade of rampant athletics construction across the country has redefined what it takes to field a competitive top-tier college sports program. Football stadiums and basketball arenas now must be complemented by practice facilities, professional-quality locker rooms, players' lounges with high-definition televisions and video game systems, and luxury suites to coax more money from boosters.”
“The University of Tennessee built a $45 million Training Center, a 145,000-square-foot home for its football team with a two-story weight room, hydrotherapy room, amphitheater-style team meeting room and a public entrance featuring a water wall and museum commemorating Volunteers football history.” I’ll save the naysayers the trouble of posting that those facilities have not paid off for Tennessee football…YET!!!
“Virginia and Rutgers, athletic departments both highly dependent on student fees, have new football headquarters on their wish lists. And at Maryland, the university is planning a $155 million project to convert Cole Field House, its former basketball arena, into an indoor football practice facility, new locker rooms and offices for football, a training center for all athletes and an "Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship" for students. University of South Florida has committed $45,000.000 towards football facilities”
“Clemson Athletic Director, Dan Radakovich, asked Dabo Swinney what he needed to take Clemson football to the next level. Swinney jotted down a few BIG ideas for a football headquarters. I really thought he would take that piece of paper and just laugh," Swinney said. "But he didn't. ... every dream starts with a dreamer."
To be clear; I deplore what big money has done to college football, and what it will do in the future, but if you are going to compete at the highest level then new state of the art athletic facilities will be the price of admission. And yes, I am fully aware of the challenges Miami faces in funding such ventures, but despite the wonderful new indoor practice facility the Canes are already significantly behind most all of the top football schools, which makes me worry for the future of the program.
Finally if you take a kid to a Four Season Hotel with extraordinary management and then take him to a Days Inn with comparable management, where will he elect to stay? Bring a 5 star player to a college with a state of the art athletic compound whose coaching staff is also 5 star, and then bring him to a college who isn’t in the same universe facility wise, but also has a 5 star coaching staff…where is he most likely to sign? By the way; it is those headwinds that make the job Mark Richt and his staff have done concerning the 2018 recruiting class nothing short of remarkable.
PHOTOS: Clemson's new $55 million football facility - Business Insider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lupS-rvh6Zw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMQ7eso_a8A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMvru1j4tp8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta_uTdXl-tE[/FONT]