Another Top 25 Football Facilities List

[PS4814]

And Penn State isn’t on it.

https://247sports.com/LongFormArtic...io-State-LSU-Texas-Georgia-Florida-142838731/

Other B1G teams on the list
#4 OSU
#11 Illinois
#13 Michigan
#16 Northwestern

 

[BobPSU92]

Clearly Sandy's got this.

I can't wait for the add-on to Lasch that will include, for starters, an amusement park and shopping mall, complete with an IMAX multiplex movie theater and food court.

ARMS. RACE.

 

[Art]

PSU is in the process of upgrading football facilities to the tune of nearly $70mm

https://news.psu.edu/story/572798/2...ttee-endorses-design-team-football-facilities

 

[Art]

Clearly Sandy's got this.

I can't wait for the add-on to Lasch that will include, for starters, an amusement park and shopping mall, complete with an IMAX multiplex movie theater and food court.

ARMS. RACE.

Oh, Heck

 

[PSU Dave]

PSU is in the process of upgrading football facilities to the tune of nearly $70mm

https://news.psu.edu/story/572798/2...ttee-endorses-design-team-football-facilities

How are those fundraising efforts progressing?

 

[Nittany Security]

How are those fundraising efforts progressing?

Apparently very slowly.

 

[searay26]

I wonder who goes into every facility and what the criteria is for this comprehensive list?

 

[Art]

How are those fundraising efforts progressing?

Dunno.Send an e-mail to Junior.

Just love that picture. Inspires so much confidence.

 

[PSU Dave]

Apparently very slowly.

 

[BobPSU92]

Clearly Sandy's got this.

I can't wait for the add-on to Lasch that will include, for starters, an amusement park and shopping mall, complete with an IMAX multiplex movie theater and food court.

ARMS. RACE.

To be clear, the lavish facilities will not only be for the starters. Bench players, including walk-ons, will have access to the amusement park, etc.

The above facilities are just the starting point. Sandy’s so got this.

 

[BobPSU92]

Oh, Heck

 

[Art]

Show some respect. Junior is the SAAD in charge of the Master Plan

 

[Kiber]

They approved a design team. Hope it's not the same design team they used for the Beaver Stadium additions that do not match each other or the space pod mausoleum with horrible sight lines called the BJC. ........ If the design teams for any of those projects submits a bid, it should instantly be tossed in the toilet.

 

[LDandy]

I don't think people realize just how badly Joe let our facilities deteriorate in his last decade on the job. Staffers were still using video tapes to break down game film. The weight room resembled your local Curves, and paint was literally peeling off the walls in Lasch. The improvements have been non stop since BOB came aboard, and have ramped up since James took the helm.

The weight room, locker room, meeting rooms, players/recruiting lounge, training rooms, nutrition bar, and general façade of Lasch have all been greatly improved. We have over 70 million already pledged for additional improvements including VR Rooms, coach's offices, and improvements to Huluba if IIRC. We'll never be in the top 10 of facilities, but we are slowly clawing ourselves back to respectability. Top 25 will eventually be attainable.

 

[Art]

I don't think people realize just how badly Joe let our facilities deteriorate in his last decade on the job. Staffers were still using video tapes to break down game film. The weight room resembled your local Curves, and paint was literally peeling off the walls in Lasch. The improvements have been non stop since BOB came aboard, and have ramped up since James took the helm.

The weight room, locker room, meeting rooms, players/recruiting lounge, training rooms, nutrition bar, and general façade of Lasch have all been greatly improved. We have over 70 million already pledged for additional improvements including VR Rooms, coach's offices, and improvements to Huluba if IIRC. We'll never be in the top 10 of facilities, but we are slowly clawing ourselves back to respectability. Top 25 will eventually be attainable.

Doesn't matter what Joe dd or didn't do vis a vis facilities. Eventually a point is reached where what exists has to be completely torn out and replaced unless you want to look hopelessly dated.

AFAIK, PSU has not raised/had pledged the full $70mm. Last I read, it wasn't halfway there. If you have an update, would appreciate you sharing.

 

[PSULionsDub]

Did you guys see this quote from Ohio State's Head Coach in the linked article...

“Unbelievable,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said when he saw the finished, multimillion-dollar expansion to the Buckeyes' training facility Columbus prior to the season. “The new addition is huge for us. It’s really catapulting us in recruiting, which is really important. We say we give and create an environment which is one of the best in the country in terms of taking care of a student-athlete on the field, off the field, emotionally, and socially.

"Guys come in here, they can spend all day, play arcade, shoot baskets, play on the golf simulator, they can recover in the [cryogenic chamber]. We want them to feel like this is their home.”

Ohio State wants their players to spend ALL DAY in the Buckeyes training facility. What about going to class? Absolutely disgraceful.

 

[Art]

Did you guys see this quote from Ohio State's Head Coach in the linked article...

“Unbelievable,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said when he saw the finished, multimillion-dollar expansion to the Buckeyes' training facility Columbus prior to the season. “The new addition is huge for us. It’s really catapulting us in recruiting, which is really important. We say we give and create an environment which is one of the best in the country in terms of taking care of a student-athlete on the field, off the field, emotionally, and socially.

"Guys come in here, they can spend all day, play arcade, shoot baskets, play on the golf simulator, they can recover in the [cryogenic chamber]. We want them to feel like this is their home.”

Ohio State wants their players to spend ALL DAY in the Buckeyes training facility. What about going to class? Absolutely disgraceful.

Day must have a National Geographic subscription (see: Walsh, Bill).

 

[4rosco]

Did you guys see this quote from Ohio State's Head Coach in the linked article...

“Unbelievable,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said when he saw the finished, multimillion-dollar expansion to the Buckeyes' training facility Columbus prior to the season. “The new addition is huge for us. It’s really catapulting us in recruiting, which is really important. We say we give and create an environment which is one of the best in the country in terms of taking care of a student-athlete on the field, off the field, emotionally, and socially.

"Guys come in here, they can spend all day, play arcade, shoot baskets, play on the golf simulator, they can recover in the [cryogenic chamber]. We want them to feel like this is their home.”

Ohio State wants their players to spend ALL DAY in the Buckeyes training facility. What about going to class? Absolutely disgraceful.

On-line classes. I am sure more and more students/athletes will choose this path in the future

To manage his workload in his first season as Buckeyes starting quarterback, Fields signed up for online classes.

“I can spend more time on football and studying, stuff like that,” Fields said.

https://www.buckeyextra.com/sports/...terback-justin-fields-opts-for-online-courses

 

[PSUSignore]

How are those fundraising efforts progressing?

I've received 2 emails addressed from coach Franklin. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Art]

I've received 2 emails addressed from coach Franklin. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Junior must really be puttin' in the overtime.

 

[BobPSU92]

Did you guys see this quote from Ohio State's Head Coach in the linked article...

“Unbelievable,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said when he saw the finished, multimillion-dollar expansion to the Buckeyes' training facility Columbus prior to the season. “The new addition is huge for us. It’s really catapulting us in recruiting, which is really important. We say we give and create an environment which is one of the best in the country in terms of taking care of a student-athlete on the field, off the field, emotionally, and socially.

"Guys come in here, they can spend all day, play arcade, shoot baskets, play on the golf simulator, they can recover in the [cryogenic chamber]. We want them to feel like this is their home.”

Ohio State wants their players to spend ALL DAY in the Buckeyes training facility. What about going to class? Absolutely disgraceful.

THIS. IS. WHAT. WE’RE. UP. AGAINST.

Please take this opportunity to remember that Penn State has a culture problem.

 

[cvilleelkscoach]

Did you guys see this quote from Ohio State's Head Coach in the linked article...

“Unbelievable,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said when he saw the finished, multimillion-dollar expansion to the Buckeyes' training facility Columbus prior to the season. “The new addition is huge for us. It’s really catapulting us in recruiting, which is really important. We say we give and create an environment which is one of the best in the country in terms of taking care of a student-athlete on the field, off the field, emotionally, and socially.

"Guys come in here, they can spend all day, play arcade, shoot baskets, play on the golf simulator, they can recover in the [cryogenic chamber]. We want them to feel like this is their home.”

Ohio State wants their players to spend ALL DAY in the Buckeyes training facility. What about going to class? Absolutely disgraceful.

Lasch has many of the same now. Several PlayStation set ups, a golf simulator, pop a shots, pool tables, sleeping areas with stars on the ceiling, when I was in a few months ago they were working on the human performance lab. There is a ways to go. I think the training room needs updated as do the coaches offices. The position rooms are done and really nice. The team meeting room is done. They are going to build out the 2nd floor outdoor balcony for entertainment purposes. The $70 MM includes work in hulba and the practice fields too.

 

[Kiber]

Serious question... I often listen to an espnu show on Sirius called "Full Ride" featuring Chris Childers & Rick Nueheisel. They focus 100% on college athletics and about 90% of the time on college football..... Anyhow, they'll often discuss emerging programs such as Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Miss State and even Rutgers ... and mention how these programs are taking all their money from the BTN deal or the SEC Network deals and investing that money back into their programs building beautiful and state-of-art facilities. I could be wrong, but I thought I heard them say a few weeks back that Rutgers now is getting a full-share of the BTN deal and that's something like $50 million per year.....

So my question is, if all these programs are receiving financial windfalls by being in the B1G or the SEC thru TV deals, then why isn't Penn State simply using their share of these millions to improve their facilities??? Why does Penn State have to go thru the fund-raising process?

 

[LDandy]

Lasch has many of the same now. Several PlayStation set ups, a golf simulator, pop a shots, pool tables, sleeping areas with stars on the ceiling, when I was in a few months ago they were working on the human performance lab. There is a ways to go. I think the training room needs updated as do the coaches offices. The position rooms are done and really nice. The team meeting room is done. They are going to build out the 2nd floor outdoor balcony for entertainment purposes. The $70 MM includes work in hulba and the practice fields too.

Impossible. If you read this board we can't possibly have any of these things. We can't raise any money, never improve anything, and it doesn't really matter that Joe didn't give an F about anything regarding the program including recruiting or facilities improvements for 10+ years as long as he could stand on the sideline. We don't have to tear s*** down. We just needed someone to kick the program in the a** and get it into the 21st Century with the rest of college football.

 

[Kiber]

Penn State ICA is spending all that money on Operating Costs (like, the $$$$ to pay Barbour and her staff, among other things).

I've posted the ICA financials God-Knows-How-Many times on this site (and elsewhere).
It's not that complicated (or difficult to read the financials)

Not arguing with YOU, just asking questions ....

So about 10-20 years ago before the BTN, and before the mega-TV deals Penn State still had an operating budget. Sure, things were cheaper 10+ years ago. Joe was "only" making his $1 mil per season, Curley should have been making minimum wage, salaries for assistant coaches were far less.... But that still does not add up to $50 million per year. We still had Beaver Stadium to maintain, we still had football operating costs.... Let's say increased salaries and operating costs added up to $25 million more today than in 2000. That's still $25 extra million per year. .... It now costs $50 million more per season to operate & maintain PSU Athletics than it did pre-BTN deal circa 2000?

 

[Art]

Serious question... I often listen to an espnu show on Sirius called "Full Ride" featuring Chris Childers & Rick Nueheisel. They focus 100% on college athletics and about 90% of the time on college football..... Anyhow, they'll often discuss emerging programs such as Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Miss State and even Rutgers ... and mention how these programs are taking all their money from the BTN deal or the SEC Network deals and investing that money back into their programs building beautiful and state-of-art facilities. I could be wrong, but I thought I heard them say a few weeks back that Rutgers now is getting a full-share of the BTN deal and that's something like $50 million per year.....

So my question is, if all these programs are receiving financial windfalls by being in the B1G or the SEC thru TV deals, then why isn't Penn State simply using their share of these millions to improve their facilities??? Why does Penn State have to go thru the fund-raising process?

Couple of things:

a) Rutgers won't get a full-share of Big Ten revenue sharing until 2027;

b) any time folks like Childers and Weesie start talking about money, go make yourself a burger because they are clueless. Why isn't PSU spending money on it's TV deals to improve facilities. Because it's spending that money on something else. What else? Start with the obvious: Franklin is making a lot more than the HCs of the other schools you listed. Less obvious: PSU sponsors a shitload more money-losing sports than any of the other schools you listed, from seven to fifteen more (and baseball actually makes money at Miss State). Delving into the obscure: Big Ten revenue-distributions actually fund the money-losing operation of the men's basketball program, which make money many, if not most, other schools. More obscure, but not so much any more: Indiana Fats has started to raid the Athletic Department budget to fund construction of a new art museum.

So to quote the immortal word of the immortal Rodless Erickson, money is fungible, and it goes wherever the motherfvckers who have check-signing authority want it to go. Hard concept for a grad of MTSU (childers) to grasp.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Clemson is generally regarded as having one of the best football facilities in the country. If not *the* best (it has a f*cking slide yo! and a whiffle ball field!). So, I did a quick Google search to find out how they pay for it. The best I could find is from 2017-18, but this has basically been their business model since 2006 (with varying degrees of success - for example, in 2009 Clemson generated $31.9mm in revenue; in 2017, they generated $53.9mm). And they're on a roll....

Article from Greenville Online: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/st...-clemson-football-revenue-million/1736799001/

Clemson Football Revenue 2017-18

Ticket Sales: $24,856,086

Bowl Revenues: $2,891,254

Contributions: $5,220,176

In-Kind Car Leases: $42,828

Institutional Support: $1,551,104

Program Sales, concessions, novelty sales, parking: $1,268,336

Royalties, advertisements and sponsorships: $750,000

Endowment and Investment: $20,103

Sport camps: $919,005

ACC Distribution: $16,346,384

TOTAL: $53,865,276

Some highlights from the article I found:

Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich is often asked where all that money comes from. He frequently prefaces his response by explaining where it does not come from.

The Clemson athletic department is an official division of the university. However, financially, it operates without assistance from the university. The funds used for scholarships, coaches’ salaries and stadium upgrades come from a different collection plate than the funds used for professor salaries, research and dorm upgrades.

The program alone generates more money than three quarters of all 230 NCAA Division I public schools included in a database of college athletic revenues compiled by USA TODAY Sports.

That equips Clemson to reinvest into the football program with competitive salaries, comprehensive student wellness programs and immaculate facilities. It also equips Clemson to provide those same resources to nonrevenue sports on campus. Football revenue also helps Clemson operate in the black without any money from the school or the state.

So, it begs the question - what is Penn State doing wrong? OR, what is Clemson not telling us?

EDIT: Here is where Penn State is at in 2018:

Penn State's football program generated more than $100 million in revenue in fiscal 2018, the last year for which figures are available.

That's about a 32 percent revenue increase from 2014, when James Franklin was hired to coach the Nittany Lions. Revenues exceeded costs, in ’18, by more than $50 million.

That $50 million essentially funds Penn State’s athletic department, which prides itself on being financially self-sustaining.

 

[Nitt1300]

And Penn State isn’t on it.

https://247sports.com/LongFormArtic...io-State-LSU-Texas-Georgia-Florida-142838731/

Other B1G teams on the list
#4 OSU
#11 Illinois
#13 Michigan
#16 Northwestern

that's funny, because I didn't see Illinois, Michigan, or Northwestern finish in the top ten

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Couple of things:

a) Rutgers won't get a full-share of Big Ten revenue sharing until 2027;

b) any time folks like Childers and Weesie start talking about money, go make yourself a burger because they are clueless. Why isn't PSU spending money on it's TV deals to improve facilities. Because it's spending that money on something else. What else? Start with the obvious: Franklin is making a lot more than the HCs of the other schools you listed. Less obvious: PSU sponsors a shitload more money-losing sports than any of the other schools you listed, from seven to fifteen more (and baseball actually makes money at Miss State). Delving into the obscure: Big Ten revenue-distributions actually fund the money-losing operation of the men's basketball program, which make money many, if not most, other schools. More obscure, but not so much any more: Indiana Fats has started to raid the Athletic Department budget to fund construction of a new art museum.

So to quote the immortal word of the immortal Rodless Erickson, money is fungible, and it goes wherever the motherfvckers who have check-signing authority want it to go. Hard concept for a grad of MTSU (childers) to grasp.

I did a quick check on the number of varsity sports at Clemson vs. Penn State. Penn State has 29 men's/women's teams; Clemson has 17.

 

[Kiber]

Couple of things:

a) Rutgers won't get a full-share of Big Ten revenue sharing until 2027;

b) any time folks like Childers and Weesie start talking about money, go make yourself a burger because they are clueless. Why isn't PSU spending money on it's TV deals to improve facilities. Because it's spending that money on something else. What else? Start with the obvious: Franklin is making a lot more than the HCs of the other schools you listed. Less obvious: PSU sponsors a shitload more money-losing sports than any of the other schools you listed, from seven to fifteen more (and baseball actually makes money at Miss State). Delving into the obscure: Big Ten revenue-distributions actually fund the money-losing operation of the men's basketball program, which make money many, if not most, other schools. More obscure, but not so much any more: Indiana Fats has started to raid the Athletic Department budget to fund construction of a new art museum.

So to quote the immortal word of the immortal Rodless Erickson, money is fungible, and it goes wherever the motherfvckers who have check-signing authority want it to go. Hard concept for a grad of MTSU (childers) to grasp.

So is there ever going to be a time when PSU has the "hard talk" with the non-revenue producing sports and tells them they are cutting the programs? If Penn State is supporting on average 7-15 money losing sports, and this is causing them to have a hard time meeting budget, then it makes simple sense to cut them out. I'm sure Title 9 prohibits cutting of a women's sport if the same (or similar??) men's sport is not also cut. For example, there is no Men's Field Hockey, so if they cut Women's Field Hockey, I'm sure an equivalent men's sport would also face the ax........... But anyhow, not getting into specific sports/teams. An obvious position to take IMO, would be to get down to 17-18 ICA sports like some of these other schools.

 

[GulfCoastLion]

On-line classes. I am sure more and more students/athletes will choose this path in the future

To manage his workload in his first season as Buckeyes starting quarterback, Fields signed up for online classes.

“I can spend more time on football and studying, stuff like that,” Fields said.

https://www.buckeyextra.com/sports/...terback-justin-fields-opts-for-online-courses

And how do they monitor or control just who is performing the on-line class testing, etc. ? Honest question to the all knowing board

Do they have facial recognition technology ? Just wondering

 

[Raffycorn]

So is there ever going to be a time when PSU has the "hard talk" with the non-revenue producing sports and tells them they are cutting the programs? If Penn State is supporting on average 7-15 money losing sports, and this is causing them to have a hard time meeting budget, then it makes simple sense to cut them out. I'm sure Title 9 prohibits cutting of a women's sport if the same (or similar??) men's sport is not also cut. For example, there is no Men's Field Hockey, so if they cut Women's Field Hockey, I'm sure an equivalent men's sport would also face the ax........... But anyhow, not getting into specific sports/teams. An obvious position to take IMO, would be to get down to 17-18 ICA sports like some of these other schools.

Big problem there is that some of the biggest money losing sports at Penn State also happen to be sports that have a whole lot of people supporting them. You could cut a few of the sports that don’t have much support...but you aren’t losing too much money on them as it is right now.

 

[BobPSU92]

So is there ever going to be a time when PSU has the "hard talk" with the non-revenue producing sports and tells them they are cutting the programs? If Penn State is supporting on average 7-15 money losing sports, and this is causing them to have a hard time meeting budget, then it makes simple sense to cut them out. I'm sure Title 9 prohibits cutting of a women's sport if the same (or similar??) men's sport is not also cut. For example, there is no Men's Field Hockey, so if they cut Women's Field Hockey, I'm sure an equivalent men's sport would also face the ax........... But anyhow, not getting into specific sports/teams. An obvious position to take IMO, would be to get down to 17-18 ICA sports like some of these other schools.

I figure Sandy will add teams.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

I love these discussions. So what does the university get for it’s investment in upgraded facilities? Are they leveraging a higher academic ranking? Is the value of a PSU degree increased? What is the non-sports / academic return on such investment?

The answer, I think, is ask Clemson if it is worth it. They have an academic ranking nationally of 70 according to US News & World Report. PSU is #57 in the same publication.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

As the parent of a D1 student athlete I can tell you my #1 concern is not about the quality of the facilities but rather the value of my kid’s degree.

For sure. But not sure the same can be said for football players who aspire to be pro football players (and have a good chance to be).

 

[Art]

I did a quick check on the number of varsity sports at Clemson vs. Penn State. Penn State has 29 men's/women's teams; Clemson has 17.

Just an FYI, track typically counts as two, indoor and outdoor, though the members of the teams are largely the same. That put PSU at 31 (the oft quoted number) and Clemson at 19.

 

[Art]

So is there ever going to be a time when PSU has the "hard talk" with the non-revenue producing sports and tells them they are cutting the programs? If Penn State is supporting on average 7-15 money losing sports, and this is causing them to have a hard time meeting budget, then it makes simple sense to cut them out. I'm sure Title 9 prohibits cutting of a women's sport if the same (or similar??) men's sport is not also cut. For example, there is no Men's Field Hockey, so if they cut Women's Field Hockey, I'm sure an equivalent men's sport would also face the ax........... But anyhow, not getting into specific sports/teams. An obvious position to take IMO, would be to get down to 17-18 ICA sports like some of these other schools.

Who is going to have that "hard talk?" Barbour going to talk to herself in the mirror? You see where the problem lies.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

It’s a comment that is often made. Is it a valid reason to invest precious/limited resources to attract the 0.1% of student athletes who want to play at the pro level? I’m not being argumentative. I think it’s misguided.

It’s a good question. I don’t know the answer. But, there appears to be some relationship to the money spent/generated by football and success. In that the better you do, the more money you make/have. Is Penn State happy where it is? Not a lot to complain about, but if I’m a football player who gets an offer from PSU and Clemson, academic differences aren’t that significant.

 

[Art]

Big problem there is that some of the biggest money losing sports at Penn State also happen to be sports that have a whole lot of people supporting them. You could cut a few of the sports that don’t have much support...but you aren’t losing too much money on them as it is right now.

That's nice. So people support them with everything but money.

As far as not "losing too much money" on any given sport, you have a point. Quarter million here, half a million there, but before you know it you're talking serious change when it's 20-25 teams.

The 350 pound gorilla that no one seems to want to address is the opportunity cost of having a crappy men's basketball program. Maybe Pat will put together a good season and someone will wake up. I'm skeptical.

 

[Art]

It’s a good question. I don’t know the answer. But, there appears to be some relationship to the money spent/generated by football and success. In that the better you do, the more money you make/have. Is Penn State happy where it is? Not a lot to complain about, but if I’m a football player who gets an offer from PSU and Clemson, academic differences aren’t that significant.

Football justifies it's existence by generating a huge surplus. It's the rest of the Athletic Department that has to be addressed. Ms. Pantsuit ain't gonna do it.