Perhaps we will see some new ideas/programs and upgrading of game activities/promotions, etc with these new people in new positions in the Athletic Department. Along with our new President and A. D. let's hope these new faces and fresh ideas and will recognize the needs for athletic department facilities improvements and these improvements will be implemented with more urgency.
My guess is that any new athletic department staff, as well as the existing and/or prior staff, would love to see as much facility improvement as possible. These people are not the constraint. It is funds available from the university and donors. The points about news staff developing and implementing more effective marketing and promotion ideas, however, are very valid - but again these are limited to some degree by budget.
There's at least one person in the athletic department that needs to go. I bet if you asked the coaches, they'd agree whom should no longer be here.
Quote from: VUSupport on August 11, 2022, 04:01:32 PM
There's at least one person in the athletic department that needs to go. I bet if you asked the coaches, they'd agree whom should no longer be here.
I have no idea of the purpose of this vague post. The person is not identified and there is only speculation of what the coaches may think.
It's been widely known that a Sertain Person with a So What Attitude has had a negative influence on teams, especially Football and Men's Basketball for a few years now that needs to go.
VUSupport - repeating your post with different words, but the same level of vagueness, does not increase its validity.
Sorry that you can't decipher the posts. At least a few of you know whom I'm referring to.
Since his posts I've vaguely asked around and anyone in athletics immediately knew who the person was, very unfortunate this situation exists.
I guess the new hires got here too late to stop the new mascot program...2 'dogs"! Are you kidding me? First, we screw up the nickname, but wait! We're not done yet...we have the mascot program to mess with. And you say that the new mascots were a "no brainer"? Close, but the real no brainers were the folks that chose the new mascots! I find it hard to believe that our School can screw up 2 things that reach the public eye as much as the nickname and mascots. It's embarrassing! I can see it now...a new t-shirt design showing 2 dogs at the bottom of a lighthouse looking up and barking at a crusader stranded on top of the lighthouse. I'll take 2, please, size XL.
Quote from: valpo64 on August 15, 2022, 09:29:33 AM
I guess the new hires got here too late to stop the new mascot program...2 'dogs"! Are you kidding me? First, we screw up the nickname, but wait! We're not done yet...we have the mascot program to mess with. And you say that the new mascots were a "no brainer"? Close, but the real no brainers were the folks that chose the new mascots! I find it hard to believe that our School can screw up 2 things that reach the public eye as much as the nickname and mascots. It's embarrassing! I can see it now...a new t-shirt design showing 2 dogs at the bottom of a lighthouse looking up and barking at a crusader stranded on top of the lighthouse. I'll take 2, please, size XL.
Ugh! Not only is a dog mascot unoriginal, but this is a great way to invite even more of the "Alpo" jokes and insults! :crazy:
Quote from: valpo64 on August 15, 2022, 09:29:33 AM
I guess the new hires got here too late to stop the new mascot program...2 'dogs"! Are you kidding me? First, we screw up the nickname, but wait! We're not done yet...we have the mascot program to mess with. And you say that the new mascots were a "no brainer"? Close, but the real no brainers were the folks that chose the new mascots! I find it hard to believe that our School can screw up 2 things that reach the public eye as much as the nickname and mascots. It's embarrassing! I can see it now...a new t-shirt design showing 2 dogs at the bottom of a lighthouse looking up and barking at a crusader stranded on top of the lighthouse. I'll take 2, please, size XL.
Never happy.
I haven't seen any positive comments yet, vu72. But I bet there will be many more negative ones in the future.
I have been a big proponent of marketing sports more aggressively. They may or may not be indirect benefits to the larger school. We debated that endlessly.
What I can say is that expecting any promotional net revenue to impact a facility is folly. Every revenue stream for advertising, tickets, and promotion needs go into annual revenue to athletics and be sustained as much as possible.
No revenue under 7-figures cash in a single year will move the needle on the ARC.
for the love of God please tell me this is something from the Onion...
Quote from: NotBryceDrew on August 13, 2022, 09:20:35 AMSince his posts I've vaguely asked around and anyone in athletics immediately knew who the person was, very unfortunate this situation exists.
It's the dog mascot?
Quote from: valpo22 on August 17, 2022, 08:47:53 PMI'm mainly impressed that anybody today knew about the dog that lived in the 1903s. I never heard of George during my four years there. It is a decent way to incorporate both brown and yellow.
It's called legacy. My father introduced me to the gravestone of "George" the campus dog back when I was 9 years old.
What students touch/kiss the gravestone? I never heard of such a thing during my time on campus. Was that a few decades ago, and now more recently?
Quote from: valpotx on August 20, 2022, 02:33:26 PM
What students touch/kiss the gravestone? I never heard of such a thing during my time on campus. Was that a few decades ago, and now more recently?
I think that was WAY back, maybe in the 40's and 50's. I don't remember even seeing the grave stone in the late 60's early 70's.
Quote from: vu72 on August 20, 2022, 03:55:50 PM
Quote from: valpotx on August 20, 2022, 02:33:26 PM
What students touch/kiss the gravestone? I never heard of such a thing during my time on campus. Was that a few decades ago, and now more recently?
I think that was WAY back, maybe in the 40's and 50's. I don't remember even seeing the grave stone in the late 60's early 70's.
This is an obscure element of campus history from the 1930s and 1940s (dog died in 1947) that almost nobody remembers. I know those who have been on campus for decades yet have never seen the gravestone and don't know where it is. On August 11 the university posted on social media a history of this dog that died 75 years ago, as if it were a big thing and part of an established "tradition." It seemed an oddly timed post since nobody was on campus but it urged folks to "head down to Old Campus to visit George"; however, most comments responding to the post were by puzzled alums responding that they never even heard about the dog. Now, it is obvious the post was apparently planted as a way to usher in an unpopular mascot announcement, which happened four days later.
I definitely remember the gravestone and it's a pretty standard part of tours and things at least regarding tellng students about it. I think they also have done like campus tours to both this and the kissing bridge and some other things when students first come to campus. I think it's something that has become a bit "more" of a thing in the last 20 years or so. I had several friend that did it but it wasn't a thing I did.
Recently I have been viewing several posts about moving sports to Division 3. What is the push for this? With recent decisions there are forces that want Valpo to cease to exist. Someone needs to be held accountable.
(https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/nonpareilonline.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/bd/4bd4affc-ee65-11ec-9a37-17045a106428/62acbdc149210.image.jpg?resize=386%2C500)
I heard that George, the campus dog, that students were so moved to erect a gravestone for him when he died in 1947, looked a lot like this dog. Well, maybe not exactly but I really liked this dog's eyes.
Quote from: usc4valpo on August 21, 2022, 07:58:25 AM
Recently I have been viewing several posts about moving sports to Division 3. What is the push for this? With recent decisions there are forces that want Valpo to cease to exist. Someone needs to be held accountable.
Well we certainly wouldn't need a new ARC if we were D3. We'd draw about 150 to a game. Not even a remote chance of doing that.
Great to hear, but who are the clowns pushing D3 sports?
Despite VU72 certainty- it actually makes financial sense for us to go D3
Facilities and budget constraints are not going to improve- if the Drew family couldn't get us a new arena etc - you really think new people will?
No chance
Then again Valpo03 - would a dude working previously at Iowa State take an AD job here to see sports go to D3?
This is just idiotic, our division and current conference gives us great branding, marketing, and visibility. People need to stop being dumb/ignorant.
Quote from: usc4valpo on August 21, 2022, 05:31:24 PM
Then again Valpo03 - would a dude working previously at Iowa State take an AD job here to see sports go to D3?
Again
Where is the huge influx of money going to come from?
Is the new AD and President - with no relationships to anyone going to be able to raise it?
And the "dude" makes way more now I'm sure so.....
Quote from: usc4valpo on August 21, 2022, 01:53:26 PM
Great to hear, but who are the clowns pushing D3 sports?
There have always been a few faculty members at Valpo who have pushed for Valpo eliminating sports or dropping to D3. Frankly, there are a few faculty members at all schools who push for their schools to go to D3. These faculty members represent a small minority - Valpo is not dropping to D3.
As for Valpo03, you might say that a new stadium or renovation to the ARC is needed for Valpo to continue to be in D1. While these might offer a variety of benefits, they are - in no way - a pre-requisite for Valpo to remain in D1.
A Valpo move to D3 would be a death knell to the school even existing.
I feel like it raises it's head any time money is tight at the university which makes sense.
I also believe there are probably a few board members who wouldn't care if we moved back down either but it seems like they are outnumbered.
I don't understand where this conversation about moving to D3 is coming from. Read the latest strategic plan. The school is staying D1.
I am seeing the comments from the Facebook site and they are pretty bopld ion their comments. Why they feel that way is beyond me. Very narrow thinking.
Quote from: usc4valpo on August 22, 2022, 10:37:11 AMpretty bopld ion their comments
I may be older than most here but what is "pretty bopld ion their comments" mean?
This came up when I googled it
How to bold comments and captions in Instagram - CNET
NAIA and D3 schools succeed by building an atmosphere of student athletes. NAIA can still offer scholarships while D3 cannot. Concordia Ann Arbor is NAIA and is one of the fastest growing universities in enrollment in Michigan. Concordia Nebraska is NAIA and has a strong sports culture that builds on a strong academic background. The costs versus benefits of low-tier D1 schools is difficult to support without big TV money or success for the conference at March Madness.
What happened to Brittany Anderson? Did she leave the athletic department?
USC4Valpo says that the D3 option comes up on a Facebook site. Which site is that? The general VU one is as dead as a door nail.
I hate the thought, but pragmatically I don't think the minority D3 push goes away until athletics brings more gate dollars. Football student revenue is the indirect argument we use and is correct. But I have always said there is also something good about making the D-1 crawl line on football broadcasts even without having to pay for scholarships.
We now play D-1 for basketball and get best of both worlds as long as Drake etc stay the course with us.) On the other hand many strong engineering schools and major universities go the D-3 route like Rose-Hulman.
Not sure what I said other than some want to go 3. I say no of course, and with the latest moves Valpo has stepped up. The D3 discussion should be sacked.
What happened to Brittany Anderson? Did she leave the athletic department
Quote from: VUSupport on August 23, 2023, 07:31:40 PM
What happened to Brittany Anderson? Did she leave the athletic department
Brittany was hired by the NCAA. Great promotion for a two-sport athlete from Valpo.
Quote from: therevev on August 31, 2022, 07:08:17 PMNAIA can still offer scholarships while D3 cannot. Concordia Ann Arbor is NAIA and is one of the fastest growing universities in enrollment in Michigan.
Sure thing. Bet you are looking forward to watching their games on ESPN. Oh wait...never mind.
Quote from: vu84v2 on August 21, 2022, 09:30:51 PMThere have always been a few faculty members at Valpo who have pushed for Valpo eliminating sports
I shouldn't even bother responding to such nonsense but I will...22% of our incoming freshman class are athletes. None would be at Valpo if it weren't for sports and most wouldn't be at Valpo if it wasn't D1.
I might add that at the D-III level, all of the most respected (and selective) higher educational institutions in the country support (we're talking some athletic facility complexes that put larger universities to shame) anywhere from 20 to 30 varsity sports and cannot offer athletic scholarships to lure prospects. Yet they come, and these institutions' applicant pools are overflowing. Academically-driven high school athletes are prized prospects because while still pursuing athletic achievement, they are also career- and life-driven students who, once out in the real world, usually excel in their chosen fields and are positive reflections of their alma maters. And, thus, the cycle perpetuates itself.
An important aside: As a Valpo alum, I never miss an opportunity to proudly tell whomever (or is it whoever?) will listen about the incredible team GPAs that our athletic squads are producing. In truth, I see little difference between our D-I kids and those D-III kids I mentioned above - with one exception: our athletic talent, for the most part, exceeds most of those top ranked institutions. Many of our athletes could go to those colleges, but they chose Valpo. Why? Duh, we're D-I, that's why!
Namaste.
Valpo without D-1 sports equals a university that would soon close. The faculty that believe Valpo can survive without D-1 sports at this time, are completely delusional.
Major Addition:
http://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/news/2023-24/22221/poindexter-joins-valpo-athletics-as-senior-associate-ad-for-student-athlete-welfare-and-compliance/
Poindexter = Homerun Hire
Someone asked above who was going to be raising the money.
I took a look at the athletics site... is Jake the only fundraiser currently in athletics?
Quote from: KreitzerSTL on August 30, 2023, 03:31:24 PM
Someone asked above who was going to be raising the money.
I took a look at the athletics site... is Jake the only fundraiser currently in athletics?
Yes.
... should we be worried?
Update: looks like athletics is hiring a new fundraiser. https://jobs.silkroad.com/Valpo/Careers/jobs/990
The university is also hiring a director of annual giving: https://jobs.silkroad.com/Valpo/Careers/jobs/988