Glad to see new Track facility. This has to be available to remove KU Relays and track from Memorial Sadium. Removal will then allow addition seating and lowering of the ifield of play and KU will finally be a Division I team as almost no BCS schools have a track around their FB Staidiums. This is so 60s look with the track around football field.
This indicates how far back KU football was before Lew appeared on the scene! KU Relays used to be part of the Texas - Kansas - Deake Relays cycle which were 2-3 weeks apart and spanned most of the track season and drew all the name teams in the Midwest. You had big name and rivalry dual/trianglure meets in between the big three Relays. Only Drake is anything close to big time no and they usually go head-to-head with Penn Relays, This was a passing of an era that ended about 15-30 years ago.
Yes there should be bathrooms at the softball and soccer fields. Yes the football team has vacated valuable space. Yes it hard to see the game if you sit near the fence at the football stadium. Yes, most schools have a seperate track and football venue.
However, multi-use is in line with midwestern values. $25 million in tough times? Construction cost are down. If you are good to do it now is the time.
But, when was the last time I heared Blake Hall, or Fraiser Hall, or Jayhawk Tower was getting renovated. KU Athletics is losing focus. Donors should call there degree programs that they graduated from and donate. I am sure that the old bathrooms and water lines could use a sponsor.
I am all for improving my alma mater. I graduated just 4 years ago. The change and improvement for the better is astonding. But, I am sticker shocked by the price tag.
LeBo is missing the point here. These facilities are an absolute must for an athletics department that claims they want to compete at the highest level of Division I athletics.
I would challenge anyone to go see a soccer or softball game and you will see just how much of an upgrade the facilities need. Some KC area high schools have better soccer facilities and I know for a fact that several high schools have better softball facilities because I've been to them.
I like the way Lew and the athletics department is little by little making us competitive in all sports. Giving the coaches and athletes exactly what they need to succeed, which allows all excuses for not being successful to go by the wayside.
Kansas Athletics is separate from the University's budget. I hope the donors continue to help out with the University as well, but the facts are there, healthy, competitive, and overachieving athletics teams help the University in immeasurable ways like increased enrollment, free exposure for the University on a national level (TV/Radio), and increased revenues from licensing and apparel.
GO LEW!!!!!! Continue making our athletics department the best in the Big XII and in the NATION!!!
I agree that these facilities are needed to compete at the highest level of Division I athletics. Even though these are non-money-earning sports, KU has put off these improvements for a long time.
My only problem is that from what I can gather from the overhead shot in the video, these renovations would eliminate a lot of valuable parking on campus. Some of you might scoff, but the parking situation is poor for a lot of students. If they are going to do these things, then they need to build more parking garages somewhere convenient. Even if they had a two-story garage in the Burge parking lot, I would be cool. Yes, it would destroy the view of the Fieldhouse from the Burge, but KU still needs to be functional for graduate students at the bottom of the hill.
Comments
FlaHawk (anonymous) says...
Glad to see new Track facility. This has to be available to remove KU Relays and track from Memorial Sadium. Removal will then allow addition seating and lowering of the ifield of play and KU will finally be a Division I team as almost no BCS schools have a track around their FB Staidiums. This is so 60s look with the track around football field.
This indicates how far back KU football was before Lew appeared on the scene! KU Relays used to be part of the Texas - Kansas - Deake Relays cycle which were 2-3 weeks apart and spanned most of the track season and drew all the name teams in the Midwest. You had big name and rivalry dual/trianglure meets in between the big three Relays. Only Drake is anything close to big time no and they usually go head-to-head with Penn Relays, This was a passing of an era that ended about 15-30 years ago.
go lew! go hawks!
March 26, 2009 at 5:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LeBo (anonymous) says...
Ok,
Yes there should be bathrooms at the softball and soccer fields. Yes the football team has vacated valuable space. Yes it hard to see the game if you sit near the fence at the football stadium. Yes, most schools have a seperate track and football venue.
However, multi-use is in line with midwestern values. $25 million in tough times? Construction cost are down. If you are good to do it now is the time.
But, when was the last time I heared Blake Hall, or Fraiser Hall, or Jayhawk Tower was getting renovated. KU Athletics is losing focus. Donors should call there degree programs that they graduated from and donate. I am sure that the old bathrooms and water lines could use a sponsor.
I am all for improving my alma mater. I graduated just 4 years ago. The change and improvement for the better is astonding. But, I am sticker shocked by the price tag.
My thoughts,
Proud Jayhawker!
March 26, 2009 at 9:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cshjhawk (anonymous) says...
There should be a paver program a la AFH to cover some of the capital costs. I'd put up some money!
March 26, 2009 at 10:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jayhawk2062 (anonymous) says...
LeBo is missing the point here. These facilities are an absolute must for an athletics department that claims they want to compete at the highest level of Division I athletics.
I would challenge anyone to go see a soccer or softball game and you will see just how much of an upgrade the facilities need. Some KC area high schools have better soccer facilities and I know for a fact that several high schools have better softball facilities because I've been to them.
I like the way Lew and the athletics department is little by little making us competitive in all sports. Giving the coaches and athletes exactly what they need to succeed, which allows all excuses for not being successful to go by the wayside.
Kansas Athletics is separate from the University's budget. I hope the donors continue to help out with the University as well, but the facts are there, healthy, competitive, and overachieving athletics teams help the University in immeasurable ways like increased enrollment, free exposure for the University on a national level (TV/Radio), and increased revenues from licensing and apparel.
GO LEW!!!!!! Continue making our athletics department the best in the Big XII and in the NATION!!!
March 26, 2009 at 10:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hardwick15 (anonymous) says...
I agree that these facilities are needed to compete at the highest level of Division I athletics. Even though these are non-money-earning sports, KU has put off these improvements for a long time.
My only problem is that from what I can gather from the overhead shot in the video, these renovations would eliminate a lot of valuable parking on campus. Some of you might scoff, but the parking situation is poor for a lot of students. If they are going to do these things, then they need to build more parking garages somewhere convenient. Even if they had a two-story garage in the Burge parking lot, I would be cool. Yes, it would destroy the view of the Fieldhouse from the Burge, but KU still needs to be functional for graduate students at the bottom of the hill.
March 26, 2009 at 1:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )