Moody Renovation - $80 million

[hoopmanx]

I wouldn't sweat it...I don't see any scenario where we are marketable to them...

yea, I don't either. To be honest, I understand upgrading for expansion, but I've never had a clear understanding of a move that actually makes sense, either for us or any league

[RGV Pony]

from a bball standpoint, and I may catch hell for this, I actually like CUSA. I think our ceiling is higher than where UAB is. I think what Barbee and Gillispie and now Floyd have done at UTEP arent from the best that they're going to be. Someday it would be nice-provided Memphis doesnt jump ship-to be viewed as a conference where "it's Memphis and SMU and then everyone else." A long way off, but a whole lot closer than competing in a conference which produced this year's national champion-as its 9th place team

[lwjr]

Someone actually said the announcement of naming rates on their 135 million will coincide with a 60mil renovation of basketball arena...


amazing money trees on the UH campus...

Oil is over $100 a barrel, Houston is flush with cash for the most part

[skyscraper]

http://articles.philly.com/2011-03-30/s ... -condodina

This is the latest credible story I could find about Nova out there. It's from March 30.

On April 12, after a regularly scheduled meeting, the university's Board of Trustees is scheduled to announce its decision on whether the school will accept an invitation to join the Big East for football, the conference it has competed in for all other sports for the last 3 decades, and move up to Division I-A.

Aside from increased expenditures (and the possiblity of increased revenues), probably the biggest area of concern is the stadium issue. At the moment the most logical solution is PPL Park, the soccer stadium in Chester for the Union that seats 18,500 (with the possibility of additional capacity for football). Yet there has been speculation that the Big East and some of its schools might not be "comfortable" with that solution for a number of reasons, though you'd think that would have been addressed when the invitation was extended.
"I'm hearing things both ways, to be honest," Condodina said. "Quite frankly, I haven't really heard a ton of stuff. I hope [the stadium] doesn't stand in the way of the ultimate decision. That would be a shame. You think there has to be an answer for that . . .

[Mitch McConnell]

I wonder what plans are in store in that little area between the south side of Moody and Dedman Center. That's just walkways and plants. You would have to think there is a plan for that gap. Kind of a useless space anyway.

[lwjr]

http://articles.philly.com/2011-03-30/sports/29362373_1_football-program-stadium-issue-art-condodina

This is the latest credible story I could find about Nova out there. It's from March 30.

On April 12, after a regularly scheduled meeting, the university's Board of Trustees is scheduled to announce its decision on whether the school will accept an invitation to join the Big East for football, the conference it has competed in for all other sports for the last 3 decades, and move up to Division I-A.

Aside from increased expenditures (and the possiblity of increased revenues), probably the biggest area of concern is the stadium issue. At the moment the most logical solution is PPL Park, the soccer stadium in Chester for the Union that seats 18,500 (with the possibility of additional capacity for football). Yet there has been speculation that the Big East and some of its schools might not be "comfortable" with that solution for a number of reasons, though you'd think that would have been addressed when the invitation was extended.
"I'm hearing things both ways, to be honest," Condodina said. "Quite frankly, I haven't really heard a ton of stuff. I hope [the stadium] doesn't stand in the way of the ultimate decision. That would be a shame. You think there has to be an answer for that . . .

correct me if I am wrong, I believe the NCAA requires a minimum of 30K capacity for D-1 football stadiums, is that correct?

[Mitch McConnell]

http://articles.philly.com/2011-03-30/sports/29362373_1_football-program-stadium-issue-art-condodina

This is the latest credible story I could find about Nova out there. It's from March 30.

On April 12, after a regularly scheduled meeting, the university's Board of Trustees is scheduled to announce its decision on whether the school will accept an invitation to join the Big East for football, the conference it has competed in for all other sports for the last 3 decades, and move up to Division I-A.

Aside from increased expenditures (and the possiblity of increased revenues), probably the biggest area of concern is the stadium issue. At the moment the most logical solution is PPL Park, the soccer stadium in Chester for the Union that seats 18,500 (with the possibility of additional capacity for football). Yet there has been speculation that the Big East and some of its schools might not be "comfortable" with that solution for a number of reasons, though you'd think that would have been addressed when the invitation was extended.
"I'm hearing things both ways, to be honest," Condodina said. "Quite frankly, I haven't really heard a ton of stuff. I hope [the stadium] doesn't stand in the way of the ultimate decision. That would be a shame. You think there has to be an answer for that . . .

Could Villanova claim Lincoln Financial Field or does Temple have that? I guess sharing is out of the question because I'm sure the Eagles would have 40 fits over the field being overused.

[NickSMU17]

Anyone with a houston rivals account that wants to summarize....

http://houston.rivals.com/

[couch 'em]

Anyone with a houston rivals account that wants to summarize....

http://houston.rivals.com/

Found this on a free site, probably same article:

Update from this morning (from Sellers)

A little new info. I can share:

As I have been talking about for quite a while now it seems, ESPN is a big proponent of Houston gaining admittance into the Big East. For all of the obvious reasons it helps ESPN to have the Houston market involved and it also helps the Big East as negotiations are already underway for the new tv contract.
I am certain that since the negotiations are still likely in their preliminary stages both sides are discussing a couple different scenarios being that they are likely unsure of exactly how the Big East will look by the time the actual deal is finished.
One of the key scenarios though that I am told is being worked with between the Big East and ESPN is a deal involving the 12 team Big East including Villanova, Houston and......Navy as the 10, 11 and 12th teams.
Remember that previously in these threads Navy's name had come up as a name that had been floating around.

I also had some further talks about Dr. Khator's trip to New York during the Big East basketball tournament. I am told that she met with a group of the Big East presidents there and has spoken with the remaining presidents by phone. Houston is now believed to have the full support of all of the members except Louisville which is starting to come around.

I am told the athletic department remains very confident on where they currently stand in this process regardless of what Villanova decides in their meeting next week. If Villanova says no, Houston seems to have positioned themselves nicely as the front runner for number ten...if they say yes Houston also sits in front for number eleven.

As for the stadium funding, I am told that negotiations are still ongoing in regards to naming rights. I will share that from some of the conversations I have had I fell certain that the stadium will get done.
One other small tidbit that came up in discussions is that each conference allows it's members to operate at a set amount of debt which is why Houston has to work towards having a certain percent of the money needed for the new facilities before they can physically break ground. I am told that the Big East's members are allowed to operate at a higher debt level than Conference USA so technically depending on how the timing of it all plays out Houston could break ground quicker if it were to become publicly set to join the Big East. (I am trying to work on getting some clarification on this last part as it is something I am definitely not familiar with)

One more piece that I will throw in as yet more proof (as if I need more convincing) that Houston knows where it is heading is that I have spoken with a number of recruits over the last couple weeks that have confirmed discussions of both new facilities that are on the way as well as new destinations in regards to conference affiliation in the future.

That is all I have for you at the moment...I will pass along more as I get it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[couch 'em]

Suggesting Navy to BE destroys any credibility this article might otherwise have. Navy has repeatedly said they are not interested. Why would they be? Makes no sense.

[RGV Pony]

Suggesting Navy to BE destroys any credibility this article might otherwise have. Navy has repeatedly said they are not interested. Why would they be? Makes no sense.

well we can all hope that there's some truth to it and Navy can get the h#ll off of our football schedule because they'll be full with conference games, a game vs Notre Dame and their game vs Army

[NickSMU17]

I hope our Fox Deal doesn't bite us in the asz....

Seems like ESPN is negotiating all of this...

[RGV Pony]

if it bites us in the [deleted] then it takes a chunk out of Houston too

[The PonyGrad]

Navy's name had come up as a name that had been floating around.

LOL

[PonyKai]

I call total BS on the Houston to BE article "engineered" by ESPN simply because we all read the same crap except with SMU instead of Houston several months ago. Having said that, if Houston jumps and we're left behind, I will climb a clock tower because there's no way we should ever, ever finish second to a lower tier, commuter school with dilapidated facilities that employed Jack Pardee.