Could ISU ever get a new practice facility..

[Jon99]

While what NIU has would be good enough, the goal needs to be to one up them (and the other directionals) when building facilities like an IPF, it solidifies our spot in the state even more. We are on a roll, lets capitalize on it!

 

[ricohill]

10 yrs ago - give or take - when Bowman and Zenger were in charge, they built momentum around the football program using a terrific economy of words. Bowman said he thought we should be competing at the FBS level. Zenger talked about how K-State was a model for ISU in the way that they filled a football void in the state of Kansas. Both of them said we would go to FBS when the fans demanded it.

Football attendance spiked on those words as fans assumed that all they needed to do was show up in FBS numbers. Three of the top 10 crowds in Hancock history came in 2006 as a result. The Redbird Renaissance drawings showed Hancock evolving into a 30K+ stadium. It felt like we were building something.

To me, the first sign that the financial support for FBS was not there happened when we could not raise private funds for the first three sections of the horseshoe when Hancock 2.0 went up. My recollection is that the price per section was pretty modest - $1.2M each. Financial crickets chirped.

Zenger left and Bowman retired. Leaders talking up an FBS future were gone. But we we told we were at a competitive disadvantage even at the FCS level due to the lack of an IPF. Funds would be raised - it was our #1 athletic priority in the $150M Redbird Rising campaign. We understood that ISU was going to exceed the $150M goal and hopes rose that ground would be broke on that IPF.

Then something confounding happened. $6M was raised for what looked to me like a frivolous expense compared to the IPF - new seats in the lower bowl of RA. This combined with a cone of silence around the status of the IPF, and it felt like leadership was not being consistent or even honest. It feels to me like we're no closer to FBS today than 10-15 yrs ago when Bowman/Zenger were saying it was a realistic goal. And Zenger said it might take 20 years.

The only realistic conclusion is that FBS football at ISU will be driven entirely by success on the field. Perhaps that's the way it should be. Sorry for the dissertation...

nice post ... the conclusion I have been slower than many to reach is that AD Lyons is not the guy to take us anywhere. He has completely alienated the donor base .. I have heard other stories about how he has reneged on certain commitments to certain levels of the donor base on some of the future perks/benefits promised if they donated.

AD Lyons has no real conviction about this IPF project despite his very public comments and commitments made in the Redbird Rising 150m promo video ... and by his own actions multiple times. His word is not to be trusted. You can bet this alienates some of the current donor base and scares away potential future donors. Some people donated because of this. Apparently not enough in his eyes. So his strategy and position on this changed ... and he told no one.

But he keeps his job simply because he is a "go along" guy when it comes to budgetary matters ... even at the expense of the team, as that St Xavier (NAIA game) debacle will prove. He refused to even try to cancel/reshedule because he had to have his home game. WIU did just that just 1 year prior with same St Xavier team - found another FCS team and canceled their STX game.

The really pathetic part is he must have been so relieved when we finished 6-5 instead of 7-4 ... it let him off the hook for the backlash that would have happened if we had finished 7-4 which is just 6-4 in eyes of committee .. this would have happened had we beat ISUb. Instead, they stayed home from playoffs at 6-4.

Now imagine if what happened to ISUb had been us instead last year with playoff snub ... AD Lyons would have gotten crucified for playing a meaningless game because he needed to make budget.

Quite simply ... AD Lyons is not THE guy. He is an impediment to advancing ISU athletics and needs to go. The donor base does not trust or respect him. Put him in finance/accouting office in charge of managing budgets ... he is not an AD.

So I've been saying for awhile that an IPF is our highest priority. I'd like to amend that and say firing AD Lyons is our highest priority. Bring in someone who represents and advocates athletics. Bring in someone that knows how to raise money and earn the trust of our donor base.

:text-+1: :text-+1: :text-+1: :text-+1: :text-+1: :text-+1:

Just awesome. Been saying it for some time. Lyons and most of the staff need to go. The athletic department is a cesspool of mediocrity right now. Need someone to come in and bring people that come from successful athletic departments. No more just hiring the GA because it's easier mode they are in.

 

[JHBird]

NIU had one donor donate $3M, which was close to half of the amount needed. that is what we need to get this project done

Wow. I would have thought that place would have cost way more than 6 or 7 million. I didn't get to look inside it though.

It's a big pole barn and more than good enough.

Yeah, I like that more than a bubble.

I thought they wanted 35 million for ours. If that's true they really need to have a detailed design, with a virtual walk thru to get people excited about it. It needs to be 'visualized'. Right now it seems worse than a pipe dream.

 

[StLRedbird]

nice post ... the conclusion I have been slower than many to reach is that AD Lyons is not the guy to take us anywhere. He has completely alienated the donor base .. I have heard other stories about how he has reneged on certain commitments to certain levels of the donor base on some of the future perks/benefits promised if they donated.

AD Lyons has no real conviction about this IPF project despite his very public comments and commitments made in the Redbird Rising 150m promo video ... and by his own actions multiple times. His word is not to be trusted. You can bet this alienates some of the current donor base and scares away potential future donors. Some people donated because of this. Apparently not enough in his eyes. So his strategy and position on this changed ... and he told no one.

But he keeps his job simply because he is a "go along" guy when it comes to budgetary matters ... even at the expense of the team, as that St Xavier (NAIA game) debacle will prove. He refused to even try to cancel/reshedule because he had to have his home game. WIU did just that just 1 year prior with same St Xavier team - found another FCS team and canceled their STX game.

The really pathetic part is he must have been so relieved when we finished 6-5 instead of 7-4 ... it let him off the hook for the backlash that would have happened if we had finished 7-4 which is just 6-4 in eyes of committee .. this would have happened had we beat ISUb. Instead, they stayed home from playoffs at 6-4.

Now imagine if what happened to ISUb had been us instead last year with playoff snub ... AD Lyons would have gotten crucified for playing a meaningless game because he needed to make budget.

Quite simply ... AD Lyons is not THE guy. He is an impediment to advancing ISU athletics and needs to go. The donor base does not trust or respect him. Put him in finance/accouting office in charge of managing budgets ... he is not an AD.

So I've been saying for awhile that an IPF is our highest priority. I'd like to amend that and say firing AD Lyons is our highest priority. Bring in someone who represents and advocates athletics. Bring in someone that knows how to raise money and earn the trust of our donor base.

You know how I look at this, fourth? I recall when ISU had an institutional effort underway to get all of it's athletics programs into the Valley, which was not eager to admit us. We were give a laundry list of facilities improvements that were necessary for us to be considered. The leadership of the school prioritized the improvements and we were admitted to conference in a close vote. Happy to be corrected if any of those recollections are off base.

When Bowman & Zenger were here, I thought we had the leadership needed to slowly rally the institution toward a goal of FBS on the same magnitude. I believe they understood the importance of the Chicago alumni base could be to the school if it could just get a moderately successful FBS-level football operation in place. Conference doors would open that are currently closed.

Anyway, the only way it happens is if we get the ball rollin' again on the field. On to Eastern...

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

nice post ... the conclusion I have been slower than many to reach is that AD Lyons is not the guy to take us anywhere. He has completely alienated the donor base .. I have heard other stories about how he has reneged on certain commitments to certain levels of the donor base on some of the future perks/benefits promised if they donated.

AD Lyons has no real conviction about this IPF project despite his very public comments and commitments made in the Redbird Rising 150m promo video ... and by his own actions multiple times. His word is not to be trusted. You can bet this alienates some of the current donor base and scares away potential future donors. Some people donated because of this. Apparently not enough in his eyes. So his strategy and position on this changed ... and he told no one.

But he keeps his job simply because he is a "go along" guy when it comes to budgetary matters ... even at the expense of the team, as that St Xavier (NAIA game) debacle will prove. He refused to even try to cancel/reshedule because he had to have his home game. WIU did just that just 1 year prior with same St Xavier team - found another FCS team and canceled their STX game.

The really pathetic part is he must have been so relieved when we finished 6-5 instead of 7-4 ... it let him off the hook for the backlash that would have happened if we had finished 7-4 which is just 6-4 in eyes of committee .. this would have happened had we beat ISUb. Instead, they stayed home from playoffs at 6-4.

Now imagine if what happened to ISUb had been us instead last year with playoff snub ... AD Lyons would have gotten crucified for playing a meaningless game because he needed to make budget.

Quite simply ... AD Lyons is not THE guy. He is an impediment to advancing ISU athletics and needs to go. The donor base does not trust or respect him. Put him in finance/accouting office in charge of managing budgets ... he is not an AD.

So I've been saying for awhile that an IPF is our highest priority. I'd like to amend that and say firing AD Lyons is our highest priority. Bring in someone who represents and advocates athletics. Bring in someone that knows how to raise money and earn the trust of our donor base.

You know how I look at this, fourth? I recall when ISU had an institutional effort underway to get all of it's athletics programs into the Valley, which was not eager to admit us. We were give a laundry list of facilities improvements that were necessary for us to be considered. The leadership of the school prioritized the improvements and we were admitted to conference in a close vote. Happy to be corrected if any of those recollections are off base.

When Bowman & Zenger were here, I thought we had the leadership needed to slowly rally the institution toward a goal of FBS on the same magnitude. I believe they understood the importance of the Chicago alumni base could be to the school if it could just get a moderately successful FBS-level football operation in place. Conference doors would open that are currently closed.

Anyway, the only way it happens is if we get the ball rollin' again on the field. On to Eastern...

:text-+1: ISU Leadership, esp the President, needs to be actively engaged in order for anything material to happen with ISU athletics. Dietz does not seem too interested in athletics. Lyons is likely a decent administrator of day to day activities but far from a leader or an individual that is going to drive
any meaningful change or make anything of substance happen, IMO

 

[normalbird]

I may be mistaken, but I believe Matt Lyons talked us into making a 5-figure pledge to a multi-sport IPF with a $30-$35 million price tag.

Since then, I have heard almost nothing officially, but the “number” seemed to drop to $25 million. Then rumors started that a $10 million inflatable type facility was being considered.

I suggested two years ago that donors/pledgers should get an update, as some of us might not want our dollars going toward a makeshift IPF. I was told that was a good idea. Since then, nothing.........

 

[ricohill]

I may be mistaken, but I believe Matt Lyons talked us into making a 5-figure pledge to a multi-sport IPF with a $30-$35 million price tag.

Since then, I have heard almost nothing officially, but the “number” seemed to drop to $25 million. Then rumors started that a $10 million inflatable type facility was being considered.

I suggested two years ago that donors/pledgers should get an update, as some of us might not want our dollars going toward a makeshift IPF. I was told that was a good idea. Since then, nothing.........

I’d say that is unbelievable, but it’s ISU so that seems 100 percent what they would do. Unacceptable. That gives you a good idea of how bad things are in the athletic department.

 

[Redbirds100]

Can someone ask the Coach at the Schooners Thursday Show, or ask Larry at one of tailgates before the game(I have seen Him around) for a status, so we know..........?