USD Reconsidering?

[Bisonguy]

This was posted by CoyoteFan on the D2football board:
LINK (http://www.usdcoyotes.com/sports/news/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=1216)
President James Abbott Appoints Committee to do Comprehensive Review of University of South Dakota Athletics

4/2/2003




VERMILLION, S.D. -- President James W. Abbott has announced today that an Athletics Review Committee will conduct a comprehensive review of all athletic programs at The University of South Dakota.

The committee, to be chaired by USD alumna Julie Ehret Greenfield, vice president and trust officer of First American Bank and Trust in Sioux Falls, S.D., includes current athletic staff, student athletes, alumni and members of the regional business community.

Members of the committee affiliated with the U include athletics faculty representative and business school professor Jack Powell; head track and field coach Dave Gottsleben, head softball coach Kim Zarling, as well as students Bill Gassen of Rapid City, S.D., and James Stapleton of South Sioux City, Neb.

Committee members from the business community include Cathleen Tobin, vice president and managing director of Dain Rauscher, Edina, MN; Jim Ahrendt, president of First Dakota Bank, Yankton, S.D.; and Kelby Krabbenhoft, chief executive officer of Sioux Valley Hospital & Health System in Sioux Falls, S.D.

"I'm confident that this knowledgeable committee will help the University think through the best course of action for our sports programs as we continue the strong tradition of Coyote Athletics," said President Abbott. "I'll be looking forward to receiving their recommendations."

According to President Abbott, the committee will review and submit a recommendation about the long-term programmatic and financial plan for athletics. Specifically, the committee will do the following:

~ Examine other NCAA Division II and Division I-AA athletic programs with the objective of comparing national and regional trends in varsity, club and recreational sports as well as finances and scholarships.

~Review and recommend possible changes to the U's athletic programs, based on recent developments in the North Central Conference.

~Recommend a long-term programmatic and financial plan that ensures a broad offering of competitive varsity, club and recreational sports programs that meet student demand. In addition, the committee will assess and make recommendations about fundraising strategies that will assist the University in meeting future resource needs.

South Dakota Athletics includes 18 programs, including 10 women’s (volleyball, softball, basketball, indoor track, outdoor track, cross country swimming and diving, golf, tennis and soccer) and eight men’s sports (football, basketball, baseball, cross country, indoor track, outdoor track, swimming and diving and golf).

About The University of South Dakota
Founded in 1862, The University of South Dakota is designated as the only public liberal arts university in the state and is home to a large College of Arts and Sciences, a School of Education and the state’s only Law School, Medical School, accredited Business School and College of Fine Arts. It has an enrollment of approximately 8,700 students taught by 400 faculty members. More information is available at www.usd.edu/urelations/news.

For more information, contact Michelle Lavallee, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, (605) 677-6116

If the Coyotes jump, this could spell trouble to the NCC.

[Charger]

That's a big surprise. Especially after the U said they were going to focus on academics and become the "ivy school of the plains" (what a joke). I like the tradition they have with SDSU so I guess it would be good to keep that rivalry. If they moved up I would expect UND to follow suit. I don't think USD will be as competitive as NDSU or SDSU because of their smaller athletic budget and lack of facilities (since the entire athletic program is in one building).

[tony]

I didn't want to say it on the DII board, but if USD goes DI, I could seem them going the Pioneer Football conference route and having football be non-scholarship. That's probably cheaper than being in the NCC. A DI NCC is still a possibility (5% chance) but if there's a scholarship limit, NDSU isn't going to be playing football in it.

In any event, it'd sure help NDSU's basketball schedule to have USD move up - a DI provisional school can only play TWO basketball games against non-DI opponents.

[SDSUFAN]

It certainly would be fun to be a fly on the wall of adminstrative offices in both Grand Forks and Vermillion.

I am wondering and speculating that UND has done something behind the scenes that indicates a serious reconsideration of D1. Something like that plus SDSU continuing to be serious about its move would have no doubt stirred the conscience of Jim Abbott, USD president.

Jim is a good guy and a sucessful business man before becoming president. Seeing the business possibilities of D1 are not difficult for him.

I think Abbotts unsucessful run for Governor of South Dakota kind of kept any consideration of D1 in check. Now that this political run is behind him, he can do what has been announced.

Its really interesting that during the campaign he was very silent about SDSU going D1. There are Democrats in Brookings and else where in the state who are SDSU Alums and it would have been very inappropriate to comment on this issue. He had problems enough with other issues.

On the Saturday before election, a reporter for the USD studnet newspaper interviewed Abbott at the USD-SDSU game about Fred Oien's imfamous comment about there no longer being a rivilries amongst the SD schools. Abbott *said that Oien was misquoted and in a way defended Oien. Oien of course was trying to *make the point that the most of SDSU ticket sales have been purchased by home fans and that the USD and Augie fans do not tip the scales in terms of ticket sales.

Another class thing about Abbott is he was at the North Central Regional Championship Women BB game wearing red and sitting with the students so they would not throw carrots on the floor. He wanted USD to win with class.
In my opinion Abbott is a class guy.

Hopefully they can get guys like Al Neuharth founder of USA Today who has millions if not billions, Tom Brokaw and Pat O Brien all USD alums interested and involved in raising funds. No doubt that is on the agenda.

[Bisonguy]

Here's The Forum's take on the issue:

Notice Roger Thomas and his ho-hum attitude-

Coyotes to discuss changes
By Jeff Kolpack
jkolpack@forumcomm.com
The Forum - 04/04/2003
Just several months after saying it is in NCAA Division II to stay, the University of South Dakota will review the future of its athletic program.

That doesn’t mean the school will look at Division I, USD athletic director Kelly Higgins said Thursday. But it is certain to spur that discussion again. Plus, it could open the door for the school to add hockey.

“That’s always a possibility,” Higgins said Thursday.

Higgins was asked about the prospect of the school adding hockey and playing in nearby Sioux Falls.

“That would be interesting, wouldn’t it?” he said. “I think that would be kind of neat.”

USD, South Dakota State, North Dakota State and Northern Colorado were four North Central Conference schools most active in the Division I talk last year. USD dropped out when the school issued a statement saying it was going to focus on Division II.

That was when school president Jim Abbott took a leave of absence and was running for governor. Abbott, who is considered a Division I proponent although not necessarily for USD, returned to the school after losing the election. Abbott said an Athletics Review Committee will conduct “a comprehensive review of all athletic programs.”

One of the committee’s tasks is to “examine other NCAA Division II and Division I-AA athletic programs with the objective of comparing national and regional trends in varsity ... sports as well as finances and scholarships.”

Higgins said that is simply to make a comparison to schools like NDSU, UNC and SDSU.

“In our market, we have to compare to them,” he said.

But, again, he said that doesn’t mean USD is looking at Division I.

University of North Dakota athletic director Roger Thomas reiterated UND’s pro-Division II stance on Thursday.

“It’s been a quiet issue around here,” Thomas said.

Thomas was asked if school boosters or alumni were putting pressure on the school to look at Division I.

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” he said. “There are people standing firm on both sides of the issue.”

Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546

[SDSUFAN]

The hockey talk and playing in Sioux Falls is spin. Just getting the money and the facility going in Vermillion is going to take some real money. By the time they get the Hockey up and running, they might have been better off going D1AA. Where would this hockey team practice on a daily basis? There is no ice facility in Vermillion that I know of. *In Brookings we at least have Larson Ice Arena. *Sounds much like a smoke screen to me. USD has not even had hockey as a club sport. So get real Higgins and is Al Neuharth going to build this facility?

[Charger]

USD doesn't have a chance at DI hockey. Hockey is a fairly new sport in South Dakota and doesn't get near the support as basketball or football. This would be a big mistake by USD. As a former youth hockey player in South Dakota I would love to see the sport become more popular and start producing players of the ND and MN caliber, but it's not possible at this time. Give it 10-20 years and maybe a team will pop up in Brookings (which is the best hockey town in SD especially with the new Larson Ice Center).

[JBB]

The USD athletic director says hockey is always a possibility.

[SDSUFAN]

JBB:
As I said above, Higgins is spinning the hockey talk and saying its a possiblity does not commit him or his dept to anything.
Charger knows more about hockey in South Dakota and I was not aware that Yankton was building an ice arena. Yankton being only 26 miles away has possiblities as a practice site. The Sioux Falls Arena is where the Stampede, a minor hockey club plays but so does the Sky Force the CBA basketball team. So between these two franchises, I dont see how USD would be able to play a home schedule, without a new ice facility.

Al Neuharth, USD ALUM, the owner of USA Today and Ganett Newspapers, has billions of dollars. AS pure speculation, Al Neuhharth could be USD's Ralph Englestad.

Neuharth started a weekly sports paper that covered high school and college basketball in the early 1950's. It was a small sized salmon colored newpaper and called SoDak Sports. I remember reading it as a 12 and 13 year old. It was a great newpaper.

Al went broke on this paper and just could not find enough adverizing to keep it running. It was his first venture. No doubt he likes sports, but I dont think he as done much in this line for USD.

Neuharth does sponsor a journalism award and has had such big names as George Will, Cokie Roberts and other big names win this award. I remember seeing Cokie Roberts on C-span accepting this award wearing yellow and blue, and this award was presented during Dakota Days week, home coming. I guess Cokie's aide had looked up the wrong South Dakota school for school colors.
If Neuharth has something like a big donation in mind then, I would believe it. Until he or some one from USD announces a major gift, hockey at USD is spin.

[Charger]

Anything is possible, but I really doubt this. *There's no way Sioux Falls could support a new college hockey team and the current USHL team. *They could play some games in Sioux Falls and maybe some in the new events center being completed in Sioux City, but I really think they need a home rink. *Practicing in Yankton would work, but for the student athlete to add in 45 minutes to an hour driving to practice time, lifting, and study hours would be very inconvenient. Ralph had strong ties with the hockey program since he was a former player. *What pride would USD's wealthy alums receive from a hockey program? * *None.

Also, does anyone know if the NCAA has regulations on the dimensions of the sheet of ice? *I know college teams usually have either NHL or Olympic dimensions, but the Sioux Falls arena is even smaller than the NHL standard. *This could also be a problem.

[SDSUFAN]

Charger:
My comments about Neuharth were pure speculation and nothing more. I sure they have talked to him about it but, maybe Neuharth like say feels no pride nor motivation to do anything along this line. Neuharth is not a a contractor either nor does he have a construction company to do the work like Englestad did.

*I was working right accross the river in Sioux City last week and had wondered what the construction was about going on at the Sioux City Auditorum. This additon appears to equal and maybe more than the current Auditorum Of course the Auditorum been there longer than I have been on earth.

I think we agree, that Higgins is spinning. Its amazing how much credibility these flippant comments by Higgins are given by UND hockey fans. *Go see at
Siouxsports.com

To modify Sen Bentsen quote from the presidental debates:
"I know Fred Oien, Kelly Higgins you are no Fred Oien"
LOL ;D

[BisonMav]

Suppose in theory USD does attempt to add hockey. How many fans does the Sioux City team get per night, or any other area team? If USD did play in a Sioux City or Sioux Falls arena, it would be smart to have a sheet of ice close to campus for practice. A practice sheet could be built a lot cheaper than an arena.
Hockey worked for Omaha because of the hockey tradition in Omaha. Omaha had the minor league Knights from way back, and then the Lancers, which sold out every night. I would put Omaha's hockey tradition up against Grand Forks any day.

[Charger]

The Omaha Lancers, who are in the same league as SF and SC, moved across the river into Council Bluffs after the addition of UNO hockey. I'm guessing schedule conflicts played a big roll in this since UNO now plays in their old home. I'm sure that the Sioux Falls Arena would have the same problem. I'm guessing a practice sheet close to campus would be afordable, even for USD. They might be able to make a deal with the city of Vermillion to help finance the project and add youth hockey (which I'm all for), but without a competition arena on or near campus you would have minimal student support and no real arena to call home. Who would want to come to USD to play hockey when they would be in some crap conference and every game would be an away game.

[BisonMav]

It would not be an ideal situation to have their home arena that far away. Would they make enough money playing 5-10 years in SF or SC to justify a new arena on campus in the future? The NCC is turning into a DII conference with DI hockey. Duluth is joining and Bemidji is lurking around the corner. USD and Auggie would be the only non-hockey schools.

[SDSUFAN]

BisonMav SAID:

Would they make enough money playing 5-10 years in SF or SC to justify a new arena on campus in the future? *

Having had the chance to read the Sioux City Journal on a daily basis for the past few weeks, you would think that this newspaper would be covering USD more in detail since Morningside left D2 and NCC. The USD coverage by the SCJ has not changed much. A blurb about USD here and there BUT THATS ALL. USD seems to be doing well in baseball, but is not getting much coverage. To convince the Newspaper to cover a D1 Hockey program, well maybe they could but it would take some real arm twisting. I don't see how they could make much money having it played some where else.

0ne thing I have noticed about UNO hockey and that is there may be empty seats, but the business community has bought the season tickets. I dont know if USD would be able to do something similar *with the business community of Sioux City. They(Sioux City Business Community) are kind of a funny bunch and to convince them to support an institution that is SD and not Iowa might be a big problem. I think a lot of their contributions go to Ames and Iowa City.

Your comments about the NCC seem to be true. USD will probably have to add hockey down the road. Its going to take a bunch of money, either by a major donor or an aggressive fund raising. I dont see the resources being available at USD for any move towards hockey in the near future. *

I think President Abbott smells the coffee and he feels they need to evaluate where they are and where they are going in terms of athletics.

[BisonMav]

Plus the Omaha Metro has a much larger population base. Over 700,000, that's more than in the whole state of North Dakota.

[Charger]

Even if they made money in SF or SC, moving to Vermillion in 5-10 years would cause them to lose most of their fanbase from these cities. Most of South Dakota is not exposed to hockey. There are only 8 youth hockey organizations in the state, and a couple are less than ten years old. I don't think having hockey will mater in the NCC even if Duluth and Bemidji come in. The hockey teams still play in multiple conferences and hockey is basically a seperate function from the rest of the athletic department. I think USD would be better putting the money towards moving to DI-AA. For hockey they would have to add 20 scholarships, build a practice facility, buy training equipment, pay for rent of SF Arena, and have increased travel cost. If they add around 20 scholarships on the men's side they would have take scholarships away from other men's sports or add 20 to the women's side. With all that money they could be close to the limit of 63 scholarships for DI-AA football. I think the hockey talk was just that......TALK.

[tony]

I think the hockey talk was just that......TALK.

You know, a lot of people said the same thing about NDSU and DI. *In this case though, USD never even mentioned hockey so it's not just talk, it's pure speculation. At any rate, being critical of their decision to pursue hockey seems very premature at best.

Be careful so you don't end up sounding like many Augustana and UND people did when NDSU announced they were looking at DI - not much danger of that unless you're going to make the case that USD deciding to add hockey is a moral outrage that could end civilization as we know it. Still... be careful.

They should be applauded for studying the issue. We might not agree with their conclusions but we all have our own universities to worry about, don't we?

[Charger]

In this case though, USD never even mentioned hockey so it's not just talk, it's pure speculation.


That doesn't mean the school will look at Division I, USD athletic director Kelly Higgins said Thursday. But it is certain to spur that discussion again. Plus, it could open the door for the school to add hockey.

"That's always a possibility," Higgins said Thursday.

Higgins was asked about the prospect of the school adding hockey and playing in nearby Sioux Falls.

"That would be interesting, wouldn't it?" he said. "I think that would be kind of neat."

USD did mention hockey so it's not "pure speculation". I'm not against them looking into adding hockey, i'm just giving my two cents on what I think. I think this is a little different than SDSU and NDSU moving up to DI. They both have well established programs with the facilities and support (fans and money) needed to make the move, something USD does not have. More power to them for looking deeper into their athletic department, I just hope they decide to move up to DI in their current sports, not hockey. I honestly do not believe they are even talking about hockey. I think that was just provoked by the Grand Forks journalist that wrote the article.

[SDSUFAN]

You know, a lot of people said the same thing about NDSU and DI. *In this case though, USD never even mentioned hockey so it's not just talk, it's pure speculation. At any rate, being critical of their decision to pursue hockey seems very premature at best.

Be careful so you don't end up sounding like many Augustana and UND people did when NDSU announced they were looking at DI - not much danger of that unless you're going to make the case that USD deciding to add hockey is a moral outrage that could end civilization as we know it. *Still... be careful.

They should be applauded for studying the issue. We might not agree with their conclusions but we all have our own universities to worry about, don't we?

Tony:
;D Not to be argumentive, but NDSU and the D1 move and USD and the possiblty of hockey are night and day in comparision.
USD has lagged behind SDSU for decades in athletics and leadership. Abbott is probably the first president other than the guy out at Idaho State(McGowen) *that has had some vision. The Dakota Dome happened when McGowen was there. *The Dome was good for the NCC and South Dakota since there was no high school football playoff prior to the Dome. It was good for USD athletics except they gave free tickets to all the big donors and they did not have to buy a season ticket for years. These giveaways have haunted them for a long time.

Amongst the USD ALUMS, there may be all sorts of sleeping giants in terms of donors, but no one seems to have found a big enough stick to poke the giant with.

Until some one finds that "big stick" I feel USD will just drift along. When you compare UND and USD there are differences. UND is by far much more progressive in athletic programs and alum support, even when you exclude Ralph. UND has used their influence in the legislature. Part of USD problem is that most of the South Dakota lawyers have went to SDSU for their undergraduate degree and dont have any sense of loyality to USD. They tend to support SDSU. With one law school in North Dakota, you may have some of that up there too.

This formation of a committee is the first step and maybe it will be that "big stick" that will wake the giants in the USD community. This thread will be influenced by new developements no doubt about that.

[tony]

My mistake, Higgins did say that they might look at hockey but, hey, if everything you are saying is true, then you've got nothing to worry about.

Like I said before, they should be given credit for taking a measured look now, even if it has only come after two false starts ("Hey, let's go DI!" "Hey, let's become the Harvard of the Southeastern SD!").

For my part, if I were a USD guy, I'd be looking at taking the Drake route and going DI with a non-scholarship football program unless they can get the funding to be a DI-AA power.

[SDSUFAN]

Like I said before, they should be given credit for taking a measured look now, even if it has only come after two false starts ("Hey, let's go DI!" "Hey, let's become the Harvard of the Southeastern SD!").

For my part, if I were a USD guy, I'd be looking at taking the Drake route and going DI with a non-scholarship football program unless they can get the funding to be a DI-AA power.

I agree, and I do give them credit for taking a look now. As I said, I think Abbott has woke up and smelled the coffee. The SDSU-USD rivalry in mens and womens basket ball has been good the past few years, but in other sports, SDSU is up and USD may be down or visa versa. Adding Augie and Northern to equation, the presence of those two, kind of dilutes the USD-SDSU rivalry. With Northern we did have a good rivalry going when Bob Olson was coach. The new coach is improving the program, but its not what was like when Mike Millers, brothers were playing for Northern.

I do hope USD will start to challenge us on a number of things. In my opinion I dont think USD gives us anything to worry about right now. Even after they stole Mandy Koupal and Schooley, we still win a national championship in women's basketball.

[Charger]

Do you know why Koupal decided to transfer to USD?

[SDSUFAN]

Koupal leaving SDSU has several undocumented stories.
One I heard was that her parents felt they did not want to drive to Brookings for every game. From Wagner to Brookings was something like 120-150 miles. *Vermillion is about 40 miles, and they were influencial in the transfer decision too. Another SDSU fan who is part of the Back of the Bus gang told me this after sitting by her parents on one trip.

The firing of the prior coach at USD and the replacement by Chuck Lavin was another factor. The prior coach was not doing a good job.Schooley father, a USD alum probably saw SDSU and Nancy Nieber as a better alternative then having their daughter play for a real loser. The name of that coach escapes me, but I would not want to post the stories I heard about her and her assistant if you get the drift. Those are ugly.

As it was publicly announced Mandy wanted to major in elementry education a program not available at SDSU. If that had been her goal out of high school, she should have gone directly to USD. On the other hand, being part of winning program, at SDSU, as opposed to one thats in the tank I think would affect most of us if we had the athletic talent that Mandy does.

Once Lavin showed up at USD, I think there was pressure for Mandy to transfer. With Schooley, Lavins appearence, transferring to USD was probably a no brainer. It was a dream come true. I think they started putting pressure on Mandy after the first season she played at SDSU ended.

I still dont understand Lavin giving up a good D1 job at Wyoming to come back to USD. He had a winning record at Wyoming so it kind of strange move if you ask me. Higgins may have given him a offer he could not refuse. Lavin, a Clear Lake native is apparently very loyal to USD. His sister-in-law sponsored the Anti-D1 petition and thats another story.

I personally feel Nancy *Nieber was having problems with nerves and maybe just plain burnt out. A health problem is not alway a subject for public discussion. These two transfers did help her at all. These transfers kind of made her look like a goat, but she probably could not controll these two ladies and what they wanted in life. Every coach has that problem. *I personally have a high opionion of NDSU'S mens coach Tim Miles, but he lost three players last week for various reasons. That has a way of setting your program back.

I guess to say USD robbed SDSU of these two players might be an overstatement, but everyone connected to USD that I know loves to bring the transfers up. Listen to Joe Van Gore sometime. He does the USD womens games. Joe used to be with Norm Hilson on WNAX. *Another long story.


I think the best thing that SDSU gained from having both on campus is that Aaron Johnston knows their weaknesses in terms of basketball skills. They seem to take to the hole when Mandy is on the court as she tends to commit defensive fouls in the paint. Once you get two or three fouls on her, its up to rest of their team to manufacture Koupal's offense. I think this will be more true next year since Nelson, Sudbeck and Iverson are gone. The Flynn gal from South Sioux City is an unbeliveable basketball player and she has signed at USD. She will be a challenge next year. *

It would be nice to have had both Schooley and Koupal this year, but I think we did just fine without them. ;D

[Charger]

I think a player like Koupal could have messed up our team unity. SDSU played as a team much more than USD does. We didn't have one person completely standout, and I think that keeps everyone playing hard and filling there role. USD basically won or loss on how Koupal played. SDSU won if the team played well.

[SDSUFAN]

Here is an editorial from this weeks USD student paper about the Dakota Dome. *It kind of points out were they are in terms of moving up to D1.

*
*
DakotaDome far from reaching potential; improvements needed

By Editorial Board
Finding the most efficient use of the DakotaDome is a tired issue. For years, students have complained about Dome hours and cramped conditions. And the issue is tired for a reason; needs aren't being addressed.

DakotaDome users suffer because of facility mismanagement.

The Dome is one of few recognizable landmarks in South Dakota. It practically defines Vermillion. The Dome is a magnificent building that athletes, students, faculty and community members should find accessible.

Unfortunately, shiny packaging (including a $12 million roof) fails to camouflage problems within.

Look past one of the finest indoor tracks in the nation and things go downhill. There are three basketball courts in the DakotaDome, but only one is in good condition. The other two, when not being used as storage space, would struggle to suffice for a YMCA Basketball Tournament.

The racquetball courts are crumbling and poorly maintained, and the equipment available for check-out is "broken in," to say the least.

But the biggest problems, and perhaps the most talked about, lie in the weight room.

By most high school standards, the DakotaDome weight room is a good size. But high school standards aren't sufficient in serving all USD athletes as well as a student body of 8,000.

Athletes, understandably, utilize the Dome facilities for a large chunk of the day. This, of course, prevents the average student from working out during that time. Unfortunately, the efficiency of those closed hours for athletes is questionable. The weight room hours were finally extended this semester to 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and 10 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But dead times, like 10 a.m. to noon, still exist and need to be addressed.

The feud for improved Dome hours is not one pitting students against student-athletes. The best case scenario for both sides is to create separate facilities. Athletes deserve their own weightroom as much as students deserve open, convenient hours to workout facilities.

It is now recommended that people get one hour of exercise each day, but the limit on the cardio machines in the Dome is 30 minutes. This policy, of course, is to let everyone have their turn. Could it be that supply is not meeting demand? Yes, by a long shot.

The student/treadmill ratio at USD is roughly 4,000:1. The less access students have to those treadmills, the more significant that ratio becomes.

There are talks of a wellness center being built onto the Dome, but that may not be constructed for 10 years. The problem is now. If a wellness center is not financially practical now, the small things should be adjusted to make do until then. Longer hours and better equipment could be just the beginning.

USD needs to make a commitment to the students that depend on the Dome for their fitness needs. Like anything else, finding money for renovations would be a major obstacle. For that, patience is necessary. But in regards to making the Dome more open to students, frankly, patience is understandably running dry.

[Charger]

I think USD would need to build a new basketball arena as well. Much like Northern Iowa is doing. Many of there problems sound similar to those at SDSU's HPER center, but we're building a new Student Rec Center within the next couple of years. It should be passed in next year's legislative session. As soon as a building is built specifically for the students, the HPER should be able to sufficiently acomodate the athletes. I would also like to see an indoor facility with an indoor track built at SDSU. This would provide a practice space to be used by the outdoor sports during the cold winter months. I know the soccer, baseball, and softball teams currently do early spring practices in the "Barn", which still has hard wood floors. A new practice space with turf would be a great addition for these teams as well as the football team.

[SDSUFAN]

Charger;
The Wellness Center has been on hold for nearly 10 years now. It's definitely a priority and a must. *Originally much of the 2 penny tax money from the City of Brookings was to go into the Wellness Project, but I believe the former Dean of Arts and Science, with the blessing of the President, I assume, made a shift to the Performing Arts Building. Not that it was a bad move, we need both. It just put the Wellness project on hold. I was told also by a close friend that this switch was almost necessary in order to get the voters of Brookings to pass the second penny tax ordinance. Its been while since this has happened.

*I have *been told they have not been able to find enough big donors to get it going. Maybe things have changed recently. Its been a while since I have talked to any one on campus that knows whats going on so I hope you are right that it is going to get going soon.
Maybe Governor Mike Rounds can help us get some funds equal to what USD got for the Dome Roof. *The State of South Dakota owes one to SDSU.

The Wellness Project and upgrade to Coughlin are a must if we want to reclassify to D1AA.

[Bison49]

SDSU Fan,

Why don't your students chip in and pay for the new Wellness Center completely like NDSU? NDSU students just passed to increase their student fees to pay for a large addition to our new Wellness Center. I don't understand why the city of Brookings should be asked to fund a building they can't use. It was a stupid idea to even ask them to pass a second penny sales tax to pay for the Wellness Center. I guess they have changed it, but if I was living there....there would be no way I would vote for it.

Just an observation.

[SDSUFAN]

Bison49:
The students are involved and did vote to contribute student fees for this purpose. The second penny sale tax idea came from Fargo ND, after the FargoDome was up and running. *The reason the city is involved and why people did vote it in is that there is no YMCA in Brookings. The high school facility is close to full capacity as far as local use and as I type, there are local citizens using the facilities available at Frost Arena. The intent is that the new wellness center would be available to any one who is willing to pay a user fee so it will get community use as well. There will still be about .5 million coming from sales tax, but prior to the building of the Performing Arts building the plan was to contribute about 3.5 million in sales tax towards the wellness center.

The students will also benefit in that the student health facilities or SICK Bay as we called it in the navy will be housed in the Wellness center so I was told long time ago.

I really dont know all the details that would explain why this *project has not gotten off the ground. There just has never been any real passion to build a facility like the Fargo Dome. So many people in Brookings look at the Dakota Dome in vermillion and see a big white elephant. *

The lack of passion *may also be because of the *50% sucessfull Staduim for State(Coughlin Alumni) fund raiser in the late 1950's. Thats a long story, but put in a short form, there were so many alumni made angry because the fund raisers would not accept small gifts, but insisted on long term pledges. Thats why Coughlin has no permanent seating on the east side of the field.
Charles Coughlin, a 1907 grad and football player donated $50,000 of the $300,000 spent in building Coughlin that opened in 1962. The alums gave the other 250,000, but the intent was to raise something like $700,000 and build an oval staduim that had track facilites under neath the permanent seating. Many of the orginal ideas for Coughlin where incorporated in the building of Frost Arena and the HPER building.


The wellness center is also to include and indoor practice facility as Charger mention in his last post. *That is also needed badly.
SDSU has its work cut out for them but I think things are going to start to moving here shortly.

[Bisonguy]

SDSUFAN,

I hope SDSU builds their wellness center big enough. NDSU students just approved a $15.5 million expansion to the fairly new wellness center. I think part of it is to move facilities out of the BSA, to make it a BB only facility. I heard there were between 3,000-4,000 memberships at the NDSU wellness center, so it gets used. Faculty and staff can use it, but have to pay a membership fee.

[NDSU_grad]

If I remember right, the NDSU wellness had been planned to be built in stages right from the start. The reasoning was that if a huge (and costly) facility was built from the get-go, students would never have approved such a large increase in student fees. This way you can spread the costs out, and impose more of the costs on current students who will get more benefit out of the facility

[SDSUFAN]

I posted this same article on D2 football, but apparently its too long for the Bisonville message board.

I am going to post the link to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. *This article tells a number of details about the USD Foundation and the fact that they have a 60 million dollar campaign that includes major upgrades to the School of Business and School of Medicine on going.
When you consider these major projects, its hard to drum up passion for athletic fund raising and I still feel this has been a major consideration in their quick announcement last fall about staying D2. USD big names are not coming forward with their big bucks, i.e Tom Brokaw, Pat Obrien and Al Neuharth.

http://www.argusleader.com/news/Tuesdayfeature.shtml