O.T. 80M in facilities upgrades???

[DiamondM]

Look, college basketball is probably my favorite sport. Efforts to fund the Moody renovation are ongoing, and I am glad they are, but the most immediate needs -- the things that Doherty most wanted as a condition of him coming and staying here -- have been addressed by the Crum center and the floor replacement. Doherty has repeatedly said he doesn't want tampering with the inside bowl of Moody; it is an asset to the program. That leaves the concourse ammenity issues as the outstanding items. Bad concessions, narrow concourses, and old bathrooms are not the reason fans are not showing up, and when the team begins to win as a result of better recruiting after shelling out for Doherty and the Crum center, people will forgive the quaintness of Moody. Improved fan accomodations are icing on the cake -- albeit very yummy icing.

I am certainly not saying put the kibosh on funding Moody upgrades, I'm just saying that if I had 7 figures to give, I'd make a substantial donation to funding basic facilities for swimming and soccer first. I'm sure the Athletic Department greatly welcomes your highly anticipated 7 figure donation to Moody improvements, as do I. When it happens, I'll even be okay with them naming the better bathrooms after you. "Stallion's Crapper" has a nice ring.

[LAPonyAir]

5. Indoor Tennis Center (which I actually think is one of the next projects) or, if it is actually even a slight possibility, Baseball and Softball Complex (if we add baseball, we should also add women's softball, and would need space for both facilities).

Didn't they just make those new outdoor ones connected to Crum? Is an indoor facility necessary?

[gostangs]

Tennis is a dying sport. Only Eastern europeans and frenchies play it.

I stand by my earlier ranking. Moody madness must come first - but Priority number Uno above all others is to get a dang bleacher that can pull out - we are risking looking like a bunch of aggies with a new floor that blocks our old bleachers. How crazy is that??

[DiamondM]

Having made vast improvements in those so-called "revenue" sports, it is now quite appropriate to focus some effort on funding basic adequate facilities for our higher profile Olympic sports with swimming and soccer being tops on that list.

"Vast improvements" in sports typically being judged by improved win-loss records, I think you're a bit premature here.

I'm sorry was not specific enough. We have made vast improvements in facilities, personnel, marketing and other expeditures for football and basketball in the past 10 years. An indoor practice facility would be nice, but the incremental benefit from spending more money on that is, I suspect, negligible compared to the yet-to-be-realized-but-expected benefit from the combination of building Ford and the accompanying lockeroom/weightroom/etc., hiring Orsini, hiring Jones, actually having a marketing plan, spending money on personnel dedicated to recruiting, marketing, fund raising, ticket sales, etc.

If someone can point to a genuine example of a key (or any) recruit who would have otherwise happily agreed to come play as a Mustang at Ford for Junes Jones, but went somewhere else because he would have to practice outside here, I will happily change my tune and donate some hypothetical cash to such facility.

[DiamondM]

Priority number Uno above all others is to get a dang bleacher that can pull out - we are risking looking like a bunch of aggies with a new floor that blocks our old bleachers. How crazy is that??

Agreed. When I asked about that last year I was told there was already a plan to fix that problem, they just had to hurry to get the floor down for the season so this issue was put off until later.

[CalallenStang]

The Mustang Band has a greater need for a new band hall.

I agree. Over the years, the Mustang Band is SMU's most consistent winner. Seems like a band hall could have been creatively incorporated into the new parking garage - but I guess it will probably be attached to the new natatorium in some form or fashion.

The new band hall, once enough money is raised for it, will be in the lower level of the Dedman Center.

[East Coast Mustang]

1. Moody renovations
2. Indoor FB facility
3. Baseball???

Rule of thumb: If EA Sports doesn't make a video game for it, then don't bother ponying up $$$ for it.

[HB Pony Dad]

Tennis is a dying sport. Only Eastern europeans and frenchies play it.

SMU still thinks Tennis is alive and so do I after Wimbledon.

SMU To Be New Home For The Stanford Championships:

http://www.tennisgrandstand.com/archives/1406

[centexstang]

Racquet Industry Sports has an article that lists tennis growth revival @ 30% plus over the last 5 years. Of the traditional sports, only golf, baseball and fishing had increases and each was at 3% and under. UIL leaders also have stated that high school tennis has grown. Hope all SMU venues are raised to top 25.

[abezontar]

1. Moody renovations
2. Indoor FB facility
3. Baseball???

Rule of thumb: If EA Sports doesn't make a video game for it, then don't bother ponying up $$$ for it.

Does that mean SMU needs to get involved in NASCAR, boxing and hockey?

[SMU Hockey 2010]

1. Moody renovations
2. Indoor FB facility
3. Baseball???

Rule of thumb: If EA Sports doesn't make a video game for it, then don't bother ponying up $$$ for it.

Does that mean SMU needs to get involved in NASCAR, boxing and hockey?

YES!!!!!

[East Coast Mustang]

Does that mean SMU needs to get involved in NASCAR, boxing and hockey?

Rugby, too.

But seriously, swimming and track and soccer are all well and good, but no one really gives a rat's [deleted] about them in the long run. Football and basketball is where it's at, and college baseball is coming on as well. NEVER in my four years at SMU have I ever heard of anyone going to a swimming meet. To put money into that "program" before Moody renovations is ludicrous. I don't even know one person on the swim team. If it wasn't for this board, I wouldn't even know the swim team existed. No disrespect, I'm just being realistic here. If we want our athletic program to raise the school's national profile, then pouring money into a new swimming stadium, or natatorium, or whatever the hell they're called, isn't the best start. Likewise for soccer, and I know we have a top-ranked soccer program, but people just don't get that excited about it.

Renovate Moody, make it top-notch. A Top 25 program on ESPN's "Big Monday" against Memphis or Texas or A&M in 3-5 years is perfectly feasible, and would be awesome for the school.

An indoor FB practice facility would be good too. Talk about great for recruiting...

A baseball program, IMO, should be another long term goal

[smu diamond m]

The Mustang Band has a greater need for a new band hall.

I agree. Over the years, the Mustang Band is SMU's most consistent winner. Seems like a band hall could have been creatively incorporated into the new parking garage - but I guess it will probably be attached to the new natatorium in some form or fashion.

The new band hall, once enough money is raised for it, will be in the lower level of the Dedman Center.

PONY UP

[couch 'em]

Likewise for soccer, and I know we have a top-ranked soccer program, but people just don't get that excited about it.

This infuriates me. We should be mining every last Dollar and/or peso out of the large mexican community in Dallas! They have no team to go watch unless they want to drive all the way out to Frisco. I'd love to see tons of crazy drunk mexican soccer fans in Wescott wearing the SMU gear they bought and eating the concessions!

[PonyKai]

1. Moody renovations
2. Indoor FB facility
3. Baseball???

Rule of thumb: If EA Sports doesn't make a video game for it, then don't bother ponying up $$$ for it.

Does that mean SMU needs to get involved in NASCAR, boxing and hockey?

YES!!!!!

Double Yes.