Bring Back the Renovations!

[MACMAN]

when the stroh center plans were announced they said that a dual purpose would be too expensive.

Probably very expensive to maintain...

So let me get this straight - the ice arena is the reason they are considering dropping the program? I see some cosmetic issues that need to be addressed, but I don't see why those can't be addressed incrementally. I mean, a new coat of paint would do that place wonders. What about a "buy a chair" donation to improve the reserved seating? The CCHA school and Olympic Flags could be replaced with newer, fresher designs. None of those things would be horribly expensive.

No the rink facility is not why. The team itself is expensive. Look at it like this, if BG decieded to drop D1 hockey, they would in all likely hood not drop it totaly. They would most likely drop to DIII (there is no D2 in college hockey) What does this in simple terms do. 1. No Scholar ship athlets, our team would be just like the team we played to start the year Wilfredlaur, or Adrian College.
2. our Schedual would be 10% shorter
3. We would still be paying for a coach.
that is a HUGE budget cut.
Now I am not in support of that at all.
The key is to reduce the teams defict and thus the teams exposure to cuts. Two ways to do that are buy tickets. filling the rink at about 3500-4000 seats is enough over the season to more than cover all scholarships for the season. OVer 4000 avg for the year and the that 750k number now looks like about 50k +_.
this year we avg 2200. We need a big increase in attendance.

[bgwheelhorse]

The ice arena also needs another sheet of ice. With another sheet in place, you have flexibility in scheduling and you can attract things like hockey tournaments and figure skating competitions.

It seems like broomball is huge at Miami and generates a lot of use for their ice. Has broomball ever been tried at BG?

[rood]

Can you play down in a sport? Looking at the list of DIII hockey schools it doesn't look like any of them are DI schools.

I agree that ticket sales/attendance are a big key to continued survival. We're buying season tickets in the fall even though we won't make it to more than half the games. We'll be giving away/selling the ones we can't use. Large crowds will also do wonders for recruiting. I know I'd rather play in front of 4000 screaming fans than 1500 quiet ones.

[pdt1081]

No the rink facility is not why. The team itself is expensive. Look at it like this, if BG decieded to drop D1 hockey, they would in all likely hood not drop it totaly. They would most likely drop to DIII (there is no D2 in college hockey) What does this in simple terms do. 1. No Scholar ship athlets, our team would be just like the team we played to start the year Wilfredlaur, or Adrian College.
2. our Schedual would be 10% shorter
3. We would still be paying for a coach.
that is a HUGE budget cut.
Now I am not in support of that at all.
The key is to reduce the teams defict and thus the teams exposure to cuts. Two ways to do that are buy tickets. filling the rink at about 3500-4000 seats is enough over the season to more than cover all scholarships for the season. OVer 4000 avg for the year and the that 750k number now looks like about 50k +_.
this year we avg 2200. We need a big increase in attendance.

Correction, BG could not play DIII hockey. If dropped a level, it would be to Club status only. Seeing how we already have Club players who try out for the Varsity team, not much would change with where they are now.

[ziggy z]

The money that would not come in would probably offset the money we are "saving" which would be absolutely pointless.

If we could somehow figure out a way to sell 3000 tickets a game, we would probably see most of our problems go away.

[MACMAN]

No the rink facility is not why. The team itself is expensive. Look at it like this, if BG decieded to drop D1 hockey, they would in all likely hood not drop it totaly. They would most likely drop to DIII (there is no D2 in college hockey) What does this in simple terms do. 1. No Scholar ship athlets, our team would be just like the team we played to start the year Wilfredlaur, or Adrian College.
2. our Schedual would be 10% shorter
3. We would still be paying for a coach.
that is a HUGE budget cut.
Now I am not in support of that at all.
The key is to reduce the teams defict and thus the teams exposure to cuts. Two ways to do that are buy tickets. filling the rink at about 3500-4000 seats is enough over the season to more than cover all scholarships for the season. OVer 4000 avg for the year and the that 750k number now looks like about 50k +_.
this year we avg 2200. We need a big increase in attendance.

Correction, BG could not play DIII hockey. If dropped a level, it would be to Club status only. Seeing how we already have Club players who try out for the Varsity team, not much would change with where they are now.

Not necessarily BG could Drop to DIII via an accepted waiver by the governance of DIII and by the hockey league in DIII to which BG applied. more information on how this process works is avail from noon to 5pm at the NCAA member services office.

[NWLB]

Not necessarily BG could Drop to DIII via an accepted waiver by the governance of DIII and by the hockey league in DIII to which BG applied. more information on how this process works is avail from noon to 5pm at the NCAA member services office.

The point is moot since BGSU should not drop to a lower division, and the continued drivel to that effect isn't welcome by the majority here and beyond.

[dstubb]

They can throw a million into it to repair all of its issues and you would never tell by looking at it. The compressors have NEVER been replaced and are kept running using bailing wire and hand made parts because no one makes parts for them anymore. The roof leaks like a sieve, there are some structural issues, etc., etc.

After that we get to those other items that are a concern such as the sound system and lighting. (Anyone notice that they're now replacing those nice, high intensity fluorescent bulbs at center ice with standard fluorescent bulbs....so much for that small improvement).

There is a lot that is in desperate need of repair in the ice arena and needs to be addressed before any aesthetic changes can even be considered.

Wow...I had no idea it was so bad.

[MACMAN]

No the rink facility is not why. The team itself is expensive. Look at it like this, if BG decieded to drop D1 hockey, they would in all likely hood not drop it totaly. They would most likely drop to DIII (there is no D2 in college hockey) What does this in simple terms do. 1. No Scholar ship athlets, our team would be just like the team we played to start the year Wilfredlaur, or Adrian College.
2. our Schedual would be 10% shorter
3. We would still be paying for a coach.
that is a HUGE budget cut.
Now I am not in support of that at all.
The key is to reduce the teams defict and thus the teams exposure to cuts. Two ways to do that are buy tickets. filling the rink at about 3500-4000 seats is enough over the season to more than cover all scholarships for the season. OVer 4000 avg for the year and the that 750k number now looks like about 50k +_.
this year we avg 2200. We need a big increase in attendance.

Correction, BG could not play DIII hockey. If dropped a level, it would be to Club status only. Seeing how we already have Club players who try out for the Varsity team, not much would change with where they are now.

Not necessarily BG could Drop to DIII via an accepted waiver by the governance of DIII and by the hockey league in DIII to which BG applied. more information on how this process works is avail from noon to 5pm at the NCAA member services office.

Just to clarify I was partly wrong, BGSU would not need any waivers to reclassify the hockey program to DIII with the NCAA or any DIII hockey conference. BG would only need waivers from them to avoid a DIII probationary period and to be eligible from the first year for the DIII post season play and National Championship.

Again you are right, the key is to keep hockey D1 and all the programs.
I would think with the clear budget shortfall issue, that the proceeding with the building of Stroh Center a bad idea. When that action and from I understand seems to come increased student Fees, at a time when students are being budget conscious as well. Then couple University funds to go along with My Stroh's Generous donation, it is clear that we can not afford to build new at this time.
The University made commitments to make repairs and updates to the rink an existing facility that has been in need of these repairs and updates for some time. Reason and sound fiscal responsibilty dictate that should we have funds to build new we should first have the funds to properly maintain that which we already have. Should that mean delaying new construction plans then so be it, we need to maintain all ready existing facilities first and those programs dependent on those facilities. to build new quite simply means that you have already met those existing obligations.

[Peregrinner]

I would think with the clear budget shortfall issue, that the proceeding with the building of Stroh Center a bad idea. When that action and from I understand seems to come increased student Fees, at a time when students are being budget conscious as well. Then couple University funds to go along with My Stroh's Generous donation, it is clear that we can not afford to build new at this time.

MACMAN, as I understand it, at this point the Stroh Center construction stands to be funded by $14 million in private donations and $23 million in debt service repaid by student fees. All in all, the University isn't doing major spending on the construction of the new arena, at least not in the sense that they'll have to wait for the building to "pay for itself" through revenue to make up the cost.

Of course, those numbers are also not taking into account potential future donations between now and the beginning or completion of the building's construction.

I may be wrong, but I've been up to my ears in Stroh Center facts and fiction for the past month.

[MACMAN]

Yea I admittedly do not know all of those details of the proposed facility aside from some basics that x was donated and the University is coming up with Y to get it done
. I am saying no matter what, that when you have more pressing issues on existing facilities, that they need to be addressed before the University spends any of its money or takes on any debt on anything before taking care of whats already standing, and that is what they will be doing.
Its like you have a car that needs repair, your uncle dies and leaves you 10k for your kids education and you need a new roof on your house and your behing on the mort. you take the money and most will try in Ernest to follow those wishes, but you wont go out and assume more debt to pay for their college when there are other issues of great importance. not the ideal example but it gets the gist across. The University by suspending rink repairs has in effect tossed them at the Stroh and that is not acceptable, existing facilities need to take priority. Anyone who thinks for a min that rink funds are not going toward the stroh are fooling themselves.
and to be clear Im not dissing basketball or the new facility, Im just saying that the U has other more pressing issues to deal wiht first with U funds, since the U is putting up funds on the project.

[dstubb]

The unfortunate thing for me is the short-sightedness this whole debacle. The economy WILL recover. Tuition WILL rise again. Fans WILL come back when the program starts winning again. I can't believe GC, the Board, the President would allow us to drop from one of the top hockey conferences in the country where we compete head-to-head with Michigan, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Ohio State?? Hockey is a revenue sport - unlike baseball and softball and track. There must be a way to make this work.

I think more than hockey is at stake - the University's identity is at stake.