New UMKC arena

[Old Titan]

6 hours ago, Bogus Smith said:

It may be a great facility and students may come for the first couple of years, but when the team sucks because there is no NIL money and the team has no chance to seeing the upper divisions of a low-major conference, it will just be another debt that has to be serviced by the taxpayers.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer on this topic, but bring me a winner with prospects and a plan for future viability and I will have a different opinion.  Just like the MCAC, you have to have a winner that brings good, positive PR to the institution before you get bells and whistles that, in today's age of NIL, don't bring you anything than a nice building.

Bogus, I understand NIL has become a critical piece of the puzzle re: the procurement of donor/sponsor dollars, but it is frankly too ephemeral for some traditional donation sources to embrace. 

It's going to be awhile (if ever) for traditional non-profit foundations to feel comfortable writing big checks to be doled out to student-athletes just for pizza, gas, and jewelry. 

Brick and mortar - adorned with donor names for posterity - will continue to be the end result of most larger, institutional donations, satisfying not only the school's alumni but also the powers-that-be behind the donation decision.

[Bogus Smith]

3 hours ago, Old Titan said:

Bogus, I understand NIL has become a critical piece of the puzzle re: the procurement of donor/sponsor dollars, but it is frankly too ephemeral for some traditional donation sources to embrace. 

It's going to be awhile (if ever) for traditional non-profit foundations to feel comfortable writing big checks to be doled out to student-athletes just for pizza, gas, and jewelry. 

Brick and mortar - adorned with donor names for posterity - will continue to be the end result of most larger, institutional donations, satisfying not only the school's alumni but also the powers-that-be behind the donation decision.

OT, I agree that foundations and corporate donors are easily able to get behind brick-and-mortar facilities and other tangible projects. They like the naming rights and community notoriety.  

As a fan base, we should not get giddy about the building being what attracts young 18-year olds and disillusioned P5 players sitting on the bench to a new school.  As recently as 2-3 years ago, it was the trappings - i.e., nice arena, nice locker rooms, and culture. These are still important, but not as attractive as the dollars that they can sell their services for in the collegiate free agency.  Until the new NCAA president comes up with a plan to stabilize the movement of student-athletes each year, we will continue to have this push-pull of priorities for the competitiveness of collegiate athletics, especially in the mid-majors.  It's an athletics department's worst nightmare.

[ORUTerry]

With the addition of Hunter Dickinson, Kansas coach Bill Self loves his team but he’s not done yet

https://www.zagsblog.com/2023/05/17/with-the-addition-of-hunter-dickinson-kansas-coach-bill-self-loves-his-team-but-hes-not-done-yet/

Excerpt:

Still, landing Dickinson over Villanova, Maryland, Kentucky and Georgetown was huge for the Jayhawks. Dickinson has since indicated NIL played a huge role in his decision, while some industry sources say Kansas offered him $2 million annually.

“The people hating on me would leave their job right now for a $10,000 increase,” Dickinson said on his “Roundball” podcats. “I got, at Michigan, less than six figures. I got less than six figures at Michigan for the year.”

[MrsSmith]

26 minutes ago, ORUTerry said:

Still, landing Dickinson over Villanova, Maryland, Kentucky and Georgetown was huge for the Jayhawks. Dickinson has since indicated NIL played a huge role in his decision, while some industry sources say Kansas offered him $2 million annually.

“The people hating on me would leave their job right now for a $10,000 increase,” Dickinson said on his “Roundball” podcats. “I got, at Michigan, less than six figures. I got less than six figures at Michigan for the year.”

$2 million!!!!  That is so crazy.  

[Old Titan]

11 hours ago, ORUTerry said:

With the addition of Hunter Dickinson, Kansas coach Bill Self loves his team but he’s not done yet

https://www.zagsblog.com/2023/05/17/with-the-addition-of-hunter-dickinson-kansas-coach-bill-self-loves-his-team-but-hes-not-done-yet/

Excerpt:

Still, landing Dickinson over Villanova, Maryland, Kentucky and Georgetown was huge for the Jayhawks. Dickinson has since indicated NIL played a huge role in his decision, while some industry sources say Kansas offered him $2 million annually.

“The people hating on me would leave their job right now for a $10,000 increase,” Dickinson said on his “Roundball” podcats. “I got, at Michigan, less than six figures. I got less than six figures at Michigan for the year.”

North Carolina's Caleb Love on Wednesday backed out of his transfer to Michigan and is once again a free agent.

Have to wonder if he heard what Dickinson got at Kansas and felt that his NIL prospects with the Wolverines paled in comparison, and now he's once again simply shopping for a better deal.

Mr. and Mrs. Bogus are right:  it's crazy, AND it's a worst nightmare scenario for cash-strapped low-to-mid-majors.

ORU must now - more than ever - market the one thing they have to offer above all others:  food for the soul.  #WholePersonEducation  #BodyMindSpirit

[dave]

"ORU must now - more than ever - market the one thing they have to offer above all others:  food for the soul." 

Well said OT. I would  love to see a video montage of all the athletes who are playing and have played at ORU speaking of the value of attending the university and how it impacted them. I really believe there is no other place like ORU. A college that strives for excellence in all three fields of mind, body and spirit and is staying true to their purpose and calling. 

[nodak651]

A new arena will include new non-gameday facilities, it will help UMKC to build a better student/fan culture, and it will probably be used for many events other than basketball, such as graduations and concerts.  UMKC is using money to build a place that players want to go, rather than a place they need to be paid to go.  Also, UMKC has hardly any fan support, so an NIL collective wasn't ever a legitimate alternative.  

Arenas can make a huge difference.  Different sport, but extremely similar case study... look at Sacred Heart hockey - traditionally one of the bottom 5 or so in attendance, averaging 300-500ish fans a game, both at their local HS level arena and when they played games off campus at a minor league arena.  Built a new on campus arena, and they are now drawing 2-4K a game, and it completely changed the outlook of their program.  UMKC could probably get an MVC invite once that arena is built... with "NIL" money instead?   Aint happening...  Can't play that game when you have HS facilites. 

Edited May 18, 2023 by nodak651

[oruvoice]

17 hours ago, ORUTerry said:

With the addition of Hunter Dickinson, Kansas coach Bill Self loves his team but he’s not done yet

https://www.zagsblog.com/2023/05/17/with-the-addition-of-hunter-dickinson-kansas-coach-bill-self-loves-his-team-but-hes-not-done-yet/

Excerpt:

Still, landing Dickinson over Villanova, Maryland, Kentucky and Georgetown was huge for the Jayhawks. Dickinson has since indicated NIL played a huge role in his decision, while some industry sources say Kansas offered him $2 million annually.

“The people hating on me would leave their job right now for a $10,000 increase,” Dickinson said on his “Roundball” podcats. “I got, at Michigan, less than six figures. I got less than six figures at Michigan for the year.”

Reading stuff like that makes me not even want to watch college sports anymore.

[Dr. Cornelius]

$2M for Hunter Dickinson is insane.

Maybe Dickson was just sandbagging at Michigan last season but he looked terrible.

[tmh8286]

On 5/17/2023 at 7:14 AM, ORUalum said:

Baylor, coming off recent national championships in both men's and women's Bball is downsizing with their new arena.  Going from about 10,500 seats to around 7000 seats.

I was just talking this afternoon about this with my niece, who will be a junior at Baylor next year. The new UMKC arena was in the back of my mind as we talked. It's all about looking good for the cameras.