Something to consider regarding the state of Marshall athletics

[MARSHALL77]

Look around the country and then list the names of the schools that have very competitive football and basketball programs.

In most cases one program outshines the other i.e. Kentucky - its hoops not football that the masses are interested in even though the sell out most all of their home football games. Look at the Big East and then list the schools that year in and year out have both programs being very successful , same with the Big 12 , the SEC ( Florida comes to mind a number of years ago) but Bama football rules over the hoops , same with LSU , Georgia and on and on. ACC is no different with the exception of from time to time the new member Louisville.

We ( alums / graduates) have what appears to be unreal expectations with regards to our two major sports programs. We have never had both dominate any conference we have been in at the same time for a period of time that would enable us to make the case for domination.

We did well a few years in the So. Con ( hoops) but could not play football for years..then football rose to the top and hoops fell off , same with the time in the MAC ( football not hoops) Same with CUSA football (until this season) vs hoops (exception 2012)

Point is we need to pick one or the other and then as fans/alums/graduates ( especially with this forum) lay off the unreal expectation that a cash strapped university ( Marshall) is going to be a major player in both sports.

Pick your poison ( this includes me as well) when it comes to finding fault with one or the other programs as we are not ( not just CUSA ) going to be a major power on a national level in both sports. We do not have the $$$ to pour into both programs , the money it actually takes to have both competitive on a national level , nice school we are but poor when you look around the nation and see the $$$ that other schools have at their disposal.

Obvious program observations with trying to run two programs but not having the $$$ to adequately fund either.

Hoops - recruiting is horrible - facility is deplorable - coaching is questionable at best. Attendance could be much better but you have to be able to win on a consistent basis , not be blown out in OOC games and dominate a weak CUSA i.e. win the regular season or the conference championship. $$$ is the key $$$ we do not have.

Football - coaching is definitely questionable - facility needs some serious sprucing up as well as updating ( concessions / rest rooms / parking. Recruiting is far from what it should be. Just like hoops win the regular season or the conf title game be in the mix ( at the top) year in and year out.$$$ is the key $$$ we do not have.

But again pick your poison as well as set some realistic expectations with regards to both programs and keep in mind the financial limitations that we operate under. We are not going to be a major player ( nationally ) in both sports..and that needs to be understood by all of us. (includes me)

Carry on....lol

 

[dangerousdaneerfan]

Look around the country and then list the names of the schools that have very competitive football and basketball programs.

In most cases one program outshines the other i.e. Kentucky - its hoops not football that the masses are interested in even though the sell out most all of their home football games. Look at the Big East and then list the schools that year in and year out have both programs being very successful , same with the Big 12 , the SEC ( Florida comes to mind a number of years ago) but Bama football rules over the hoops , same with LSU , Georgia and on and on. ACC is no different with the exception of from time to time the new member Louisville.

We ( alums / graduates) have what appears to be unreal expectations with regards to our two major sports programs. We have never had both dominate any conference we have been in at the same time for a period of time that would enable us to make the case for domination.

We did well a few years in the So. Con ( hoops) but could not play football for years..then football rose to the top and hoops fell off , same with the time in the MAC ( football not hoops) Same with CUSA football (until this season) vs hoops (exception 2012)

Point is we need to pick one or the other and then as fans/alums/graduates ( especially with this forum) lay off the unreal expectation that a cash strapped university ( Marshall) is going to be a major player in both sports.

Pick your poison ( this includes me as well) when it comes to finding fault with one or the other programs as we are not ( not just CUSA ) going to be a major power on a national level in both sports. We do not have the $$$ to pour into both programs , the money it actually takes to have both competitive on a national level , nice school we are but poor when you look around the nation and see the $$$ that other schools have at their disposal.

Obvious program observations with trying to run two programs but not having the $$$ to adequately fund either.

Hoops - recruiting is horrible - facility is deplorable - coaching is questionable at best. Attendance could be much better but you have to be able to win on a consistent basis , not be blown out in OOC games and dominate a weak CUSA i.e. win the regular season or the conference championship. $$$ is the key $$$ we do not have.

Football - coaching is definitely questionable - facility needs some serious sprucing up as well as updating ( concessions / rest rooms / parking. Recruiting is far from what it should be. Just like hoops win the regular season or the conf title game be in the mix ( at the top) year in and year out.$$$ is the key $$$ we do not have.

But again pick your poison as well as set some realistic expectations with regards to both programs and keep in mind the financial limitations that we operate under. We are not going to be a major player ( nationally ) in both sports..and that needs to be understood by all of us. (includes me)

Carry on....lol

Football and basketball pay the bills. Marshall starts off with a deficit by only drawing 25K for a football game and 6K for a basketball game. A crappy TV deal with CUSA and budget issues in Charleston probably have some people in the Marshall AD office on edge.

 

[CarolinaHerdZilla22]

If MTSU can do a pretty nice job in both sports...WHY not Marshall? There are LOTS of alumni that do not send Marshall one dollar. Our Big Green Foundation membership (3500) is deplorable with the number of graduates we have. I am happy to get the new promotional material that I received this week. I plan to give a "little more" to get me to another level (Leaders). Congrats to John S. and Teddy K and their staff for the new promotional material.

What we need is a major push from alumni or supporters of Marshall University to get to the Green ($300) or Captains ($600) level annually. For the Love of John Marshall, $300 annually is only $25 Monthly. Most of Marshall fans spill [beer] that much at football tailgate parties.

Before I conclude...I take exception that you (77) state that our head coaches in Football & Basketball are questionable. Just who would you like to see in the "cat-bird seats"? Don't even go there with KEVIN KEATS @ UNC-Wilmington (basketball). Kevin makes over $500,000 annually guiding the Seahawks. I will wager that Keving will get a new job soon and place him in the 7-figure range. Dan is near the bottom of the heap in coaches salaries in CUSA.

Doc does a really good job. Our football team has one disappointing season and "arm chair quarterbacks" throw in the towel and start a "smear the coach" campaign. I hate the following expression...but I am compelled to use it. All of you nay-sayers===SUCK!

Give me an answer if you (77) were the AD for a 90-days....What (77) would you do to improve our situation?

Time to renew my football tickets...I am out of here.



HerdZilla22 (Gary Sweeney) In Charlotte

 

[herdit44]

If MTSU can do a pretty nice job in both sports...WHY not Marshall?

mtsu is 60-53 in the last decade with 0 conference championships, 0 division championships, and 5 bowl trips. that's not that good, well not good enough for us.

 

[CarolinaHerdZilla22]

mtsu is 60-53 in the last decade with 0 conference championships, 0 division championships, and 5 bowl trips. that's not that good, well not good enough for us.

I beg your pardon (44)...MTSU has two consecutive BASKETBALL championships and have beaten up on Marshall in the past few seasons in both hoops & football. Let's throw in our Rival===Western Kentucky. They do a nice job in both major sports.

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte

 

[herdit44]

I beg your pardon (44)...MTSU has two consecutive BASKETBALL championships and have beaten up on Marshall in the past few seasons in both hoops & football. Let's throw in our Rival===Western Kentucky. They do a nice job in both major sports.

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte

okay, but 5 bowls in 10 years and 0 division or conference championships isn't "a pretty nice job." especially with our standards.

 

[ARandomHerdFan]

I beg your pardon (44)...MTSU has two consecutive BASKETBALL championships and have beaten up on Marshall in the past few seasons in both hoops & football. Let's throw in our Rival===Western Kentucky. They do a nice job in both major sports.

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte

How exactly have they beaten up on us in football?

2013 - 2 point loss at their place
2014 - 24 point win at home
2015 - 3 point loss at their place in triple overtime
2016 - 25 point win at home

 

[Chris McLaughlin]

How exactly have they beaten up on us in football?

2013 - 2 point loss at their place
2014 - 24 point win at home
2015 - 3 point loss at their place in triple overtime
2016 - 25 point win at home

BECAUSE!

 

[goherd73]

You think the CAM is deplorable?

 

[andy4theherd]

mtsu is 60-53 in the last decade with 0 conference championships, 0 division championships, and 5 bowl trips. that's not that good, well not good enough for us.

to be fair we are 67-60 with 1 conference championship and 5 bowl trips over that same 10 year span...

and your numbers are a bit off. you have them with 113 games played which only comes out to 11 games per year.

 

[andy4theherd]

8-5
7-6
6-6
8-5
8-4
2-10
6-7
10-3
5-7
5-7

65-60

 

[herdit44]

8-5
7-6
6-6
8-5
8-4
2-10
6-7
10-3
5-7
5-7

65-60

that's what i get for doing math before having my morning coffee...

 

[andy4theherd]

football goes to us barley.
basketball goes to MTSU by a HUGE margin.

since 2011
27-7 NIT
28-6 NCAA
24-9
19-17 CIT
25-10 NCAA
30-4 NCAA

if you were an outsider ranking both programs based entirely on recent football AND basketball success you would probably pick MTSU. our argument would be 1 conference football title and a #22 finish in football. but after that, we only have 2 more wins than their football team over the last 10 years. we are 2-2 head to head. four seasons (out of the last 6) with 25+ wins, NIT, and NCAA x3 in basketball seems more impressive to me than our 1 conference football title...

 

[Jeepers Creepers]

Look around the country and then list the names of the schools that have very competitive football and basketball programs.

While this may or may not be an appropriate measuring stick, only 18 schools have at least 25 NCAA tournament appearances and 25 bowl appearances. BYU is the only school on the list that is not in a "Power 5" conference:

School......................................NCAA.....Bowls
UCLA...........................................49..........35
North Carolina..............................48..........33
Syracuse......................................38..........25
Notre Dame..................................36..........35
Texas............................................33..........53
Ohio State.....................................31..........47
Michigan State..............................31..........26
Arkansas.......................................31..........42
Oklahoma......................................30..........50
BYU...............................................29..........35
West Virginia.................................28..........35
Oklahoma State.............................28..........27
Maryland........................................27..........27
Michigan........................................27..........45
Pittsburgh......................................26..........33
NC State........................................26..........30
Missouri.........................................26..........31
Iowa...............................................25..........30

Some G5 schools of note:
Marshall..........................................5............12
Connecticut....................................33...........6
Temple...........................................32...........6
Cincinnati.......................................31..........16
Memphis.........................................26...........9
Utah State.......................................20.........10
Houston..........................................19..........25
New Mexico State...........................20..........3
Western Kentucky...........................23..........4
UTEP...............................................17..........14
Miami (OH)......................................17..........10
Tulsa................................................16..........20
Wyoming..........................................15..........14
New Mexico......................................15..........13
Ohio..................................................13..........10
SMU..................................................12..........15
Navy..................................................11..........22
San Diego State................................11..........11
Colorado State..................................10..........16
Boise State.........................................7...........17

 

[mlblack16.]

BECAUSE!

I like the cut of your jib

 

[caliherd]

Honestly as long as we play in this conference there is no reason we can't be good in both. our football and basketball venues are as good as any in the conference, they may not be better but they are hardly a dump.

Nobody is asking Marshall to be a national power in either sports. We are asking to contend for the championship of a one bid league in basketball that's ranked 23rd amongst all conferences and occasionally make the NCAA or NIT tournament (less than 30 years in between.) We expect to contend for the conference championship in football in a conference where consistently many of our conference teams finished ranked in the 100s including being ranked behind FCS schools.


If that's too much to ask then we need to move down to the WV conference.

 

[andy4theherd]

preach Cali!

 

[andy4theherd]

Sagarin's final conference football ratings have CUSA West at 18 and East at 19 (ahead of only the MAC East at 20).


19 Western Kentucky
74 Old Dominion
123 Middle Tennessee
144 Fla. International
158 Charlotte
160 Marshall
167 Florida Atlantic


59 Louisiana Tech
93 Southern Miss
100 UTSA
146 North Texas
162 UTEP
166 Rice

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

WKU has 20 titles since they have been in CUSA. We have 2.

 

[TheGreenhouseEffect]

I don't know what the point of this thread is but I'll say this MLB16s avatar is a really nice Marshall logo, I'd take this over the mad goat above the M anyday!

Nice work.

 

[mlblack16.]

I don't know what the point of this thread is but I'll say this MLB16s avatar is a really nice Marshall logo, I'd take this over the mad goat above the M anyday!

Nice work.

Someone on here years ago played around with the newer "M" combined with the old snortin' Marco. He even created with/without the sailor cap and (back then) Pantone 357 green or Kelly green. I loved the look of old school + new age stylized M.

 

[oldeherd]

Let me throw in a different factor in this discussion. One detrimental to MU's success, athletically speaking, has to be our ENROLLMENT. In case many of you may not be aware, BOTH MTSU and WKU have enrollments of OVER 20,000. MU is at 13,000 and change and has been STUCK at that level for a while. That's a lot of $$$$ from 7000 or so students that MU DOES NOT HAVE, for ANY USE, academic, athletic, etc. No wonder Dr. Gilbert's main thrust at MU is GROWING ENROLLMENT!!!!!!

Now I am not privy to the policies of the higher ed systems in Tenn. and KY., but I'll bet that those enrollments at BOTH MTSU and WKU pay every semester some form of student activity fees which, one way or another a certain percentage thereof finds its way to the Athletic Departments in Murfreesboro and Bowling Green. I do know that FCS football school James Madison's enrollment is also above 20,000, and that their across the board athletic facilities are first rate, and their total athletic budget is around $40 million, well above FBS Marshall's. The state of Virginia also has some of the highest in state tuition costs in the country, and, no doubt, much of that is utilized at schools like JMU for Athletic purposes. Finally, another FCS school that MU is familiar with, East Tenn. State, or ETSU, has brought back football, is building a brand new football stadium opening in September, and has seen in a few brief years their enrollment go from MU's level to around 16,000. They did a student survey and found that having a quality athletics program, INCLUDING FOOTBALL, was an important factor in students selecting a college. As for another conference school with 20,000 or more enrollment, perhaps Zilla would have some idea of how much the UNCC 49ers get from their students for athletics.

Oh, also ETSU's post season participation in the NIT and NCAA dwarfs that of MU. They're in 2nd season under current coach who has won 24 or more games each season, including ROAD wins over both ACC and SEC teams, and don't be too surprised if they kick some GATOR butt in the NCAA tourney.

To me, the same old complaint that MU "can't do this" and "can't do that" is a "WHINEY ASS COP OUT", or maybe just a residual of the sick city environment where MU resides: A city full of complaints but little tangible results and progress, and who has lost about half its population in last 50 years. Can't say the same about Bowling Green, KY, Middlesboro and Johnson City, TN, and Harrisonburg, VA, can we? Maybe it all comes down to the Huntington "defeatist" factor.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Let me throw in a different factor in this discussion. One detrimental to MU's success, athletically speaking, has to be our ENROLLMENT. In case many of you may not be aware, BOTH MTSU and WKU have enrollments of OVER 20,000. MU is at 13,000 and change and has been STUCK at that level for a while. That's a lot of $$$$ from 7000 or so students that MU DOES NOT HAVE, for ANY USE, academic, athletic, etc. No wonder Dr. Gilbert's main thrust at MU is GROWING ENROLLMENT!!!!!!

Now I am not privy to the policies of the higher ed systems in Tenn. and KY., but I'll bet that those enrollments at BOTH MTSU and WKU pay every semester some form of student activity fees which, one way or another a certain percentage thereof finds its way to the Athletic Departments in Murfreesboro and Bowling Green. I do know that FCS football school James Madison's enrollment is also above 20,000, and that their across the board athletic facilities are first rate, and their total athletic budget is around $40 million, well above FBS Marshall's. The state of Virginia also has some of the highest in state tuition costs in the country, and, no doubt, much of that is utilized at schools like JMU for Athletic purposes. Finally, another FCS school that MU is familiar with, East Tenn. State, or ETSU, has brought back football, is building a brand new football stadium opening in September, and has seen in a few brief years their enrollment go from MU's level to around 16,000. They did a student survey and found that having a quality athletics program, INCLUDING FOOTBALL, was an important factor in students selecting a college. As for another conference school with 20,000 or more enrollment, perhaps Zilla would have some idea of how much the UNCC 49ers get from their students for athletics.

Oh, also ETSU's post season participation in the NIT and NCAA dwarfs that of MU. They're in 2nd season under current coach who has won 24 or more games each season, including ROAD wins over both ACC and SEC teams, and don't be too surprised if they kick some GATOR butt in the NCAA tourney.

To me, the same old complaint that MU "can't do this" and "can't do that" is a "WHINEY ASS COP OUT", or maybe just a residual of the sick city environment where MU resides: A city full of complaints but little tangible results and progress, and who has lost about half its population in last 50 years. Can't say the same about Bowling Green, KY, Middlesboro and Johnson City, TN, and Harrisonburg, VA, can we? Maybe it all comes down to the Huntington "defeatist" factor.

I really don't think being in Huntington has anything to do with it. I think its a general feeling of contentment and complacency within Old Main and the Schewey. Those who work there know their jobs are relatively safe as long as they do nothing totally stupid. There is no pressure to improve or move forward. Status Quo. Glibert needs to shake it up and get the school growing again.

 

[TheGreenhouseEffect]

He even created with/without the sailor cap and (back then) Pantone 357 green or Kelly green. I loved the look of old school + new age stylized M.

Right, so it's a beanie , had to be worn by freshman I'm told in the old days of college, it a sailors cap. I'd like to see that look though too if you have it post it.

Why we keep the black stripe is beyond me, Kelly roman M or the helmet sticker is all we need, the nation knows that M by now.

Anyhow great avatar !!!!!

 

[TheGreenhouseEffect]

It's not a sailors cap I meant, spell ck

 

[MarshallManiac]

You think the CAM is deplorable?

If Marshall wants to be a player in basketball...yes. It needs some major upgrades.

 

[herdit44]

If Marshall wants to be a player in basketball...yes. It needs some major upgrades.

having been to many arenas in the last several years, the cam is by no means as nice as the yum center or value center arena, but it is better (much better in many cases) than most of our conference mates' arenas/gyms.

fau plays in basically a high school gymnasium:

ditto fiu (reminds me of barboursville high school's old gym):

halton arena reminds me very much of the cam:

mtsu's murphy center is pretty dated:

utsa plays in an old arena:

the cam could be nicer, and better, but it's far from a dump. especially comparing it to our peer arenas in cusa.

 

[herdalicious]

The awful part is that all of those arenas were paid for with money schools didn't have for programs they couldn't afford, whose costs are constantly rising. That formula doesn't bode well for continual maintenance or expansion, so they inevitably depreciate and get mocked as being inadequate.

I will say though that there's a lot of stuff Marshall could do to improve the state of its facilities, and many of them are of the "just GAF" variety. I'm a self-confessed curmudgeon, so I'm always looking for things in the universe to complain about, but I'm constantly befuddled by things I see in and around our athletic facilities, wondering how so many people could walk past them every day and they never get fixed.

 

[mlblack16.]

Right, so it's a beanie , had to be worn by freshman I'm told in the old days of college, it a sailors cap. I'd like to see that look though too if you have it post it.

Why we keep the black stripe is beyond me, Kelly roman M or the helmet sticker is all we need, the nation knows that M by now.

Anyhow great avatar !!!!!

PM me your email address and I can email the images I have so they would at least remain in current resolution (though they aren't high resolution to begin with).

 

[beefcake0520]

For the level we play at (non power school) we have very good facilities. They could be spruced up a bit and look better but money is money and for the moment we don't have it. As is, is much better than a good portion of G5 schools.

 

[dangerousdaneerfan]

having been to many arenas in the last several years, the cam is by no means as nice as the yum center or value center arena, but it is better (much better in many cases) than most of our conference mates' arenas/gyms.

fau plays in basically a high school gymnasium:

ditto fiu (reminds me of barboursville high school's old gym):

halton arena reminds me very much of the cam:

mtsu's murphy center is pretty dated:

utsa plays in an old arena:

the cam could be nicer, and better, but it's far from a dump. especially comparing it to our peer arenas in cusa.

Per Wikipedia, CHC was never finished right and due to budget cuts, seating capacity was dropped for 14K to 9K.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cam_Henderson_Center

 

[Raiderclyde]

Agree, our arena at MTSU has some age. It's exactly as pictured when Marshall played the NIT game here in 2012. But, the arena has held-up well for 45 years old. During 2013-14, Murphy Center had about $13.8 million in minor improvements--mainly to lighting, sound, restrooms, and more importantly HVAC units which were original to the building. The old HVAC never worked that well. Our facilities management had discovered improper installation when old unit was taken out...never ran more than 40-50% capacity I heard. Bleachers are now grayish hue and waffle ceiling tiles are now gone (fiberglass materials started to breakup and looked very dirty). The design of Murphy Center closely resembles Notre Dame's Joyce Center (built 1968).

Murphy Center used to get all the Nashville concert dates year in and out. During the 1970s through mid 1990's, entertainers such as REO Speedwagon, Kenny Rogers, Chicago, Huey Lewis, New Kids on the Block, The Judds, Heart, Crystal Gayle, .38 Special, Elvis, and a host of several others. Concert traffic changed when Bridgestone Arena (Nashville Predators) and Starwood Amphitheater (outdoor venue in Nashville that's now closed) both opened in the early to mid 1990's. Murphy Center's listed capacity is 11,520 while Bridgestone ranges from 17,900-19,200, depending on configuration. We continue to lack good skyboxes, that Western Kentucky added a few years ago. WKU's Diddle arena used to seat 13,000 with bleacher seats at the top. Seating is now 7,326 at Diddle with sky boxes and more chair back seats throughout the arena. Diddle Arena was built in 1963 and is even more dated in design.

Problem is: It is hard to justify hundreds of millions of dollars to expend for new arenas or heavily renovate that only 5,000-6,000 or so will show on any given night for a college basketball. There have been many MTSU games over the years when crowd was 1,800-2,500 or so, especially when we were in OVC and early Sun Belt days. Such venues have to have other money generators, such as concerts, high school tournaments, boat shows, home builder shows, bridal and wedding exposition shows, antique road shows, and a host of smaller events.

Even in 1989, it was something like $27 a semester or so for fees relating to Murphy Center that was used to pay bonds; it was a $6.5 million facility when built in 1971-72. Student activity fees are considerably more now for things like new student union (2013), rebuilt baseball stadium (2009), two parking garages (2013), student recreation center (1994), and a host of smaller projects.

Sounds like Marshall has almost the verbatim issues we face in Murfreesboro with scarce higher education dollars and funding athletics...it's uncannily similar!![/QUOTE]

 

[oldeherd]

Agree, our arena at MTSU has some age. It's exactly as pictured when Marshall played the NIT game here in 2012. But, the arena has held-up well for 45 years old. During 2013-14, Murphy Center had about $13.8 million in minor improvements--mainly to lighting, sound, restrooms, and more importantly HVAC units which were original to the building. The old HVAC never worked that well. Our facilities management had discovered improper installation when old unit was taken out...never ran more than 40-50% capacity I heard. Bleachers are now grayish hue and waffle ceiling tiles are now gone (fiberglass materials started to breakup and looked very dirty). The design of Murphy Center closely resembles Notre Dame's Joyce Center (built 1968).

Murphy Center used to get all the Nashville concert dates year in and out. During the 1970s through mid 1990's, entertainers such as REO Speedwagon, Kenny Rogers, Chicago, Huey Lewis, New Kids on the Block, The Judds, Heart, Crystal Gayle, .38 Special, Elvis, and a host of several others. Concert traffic changed when Bridgestone Arena (Nashville Predators) and Starwood Amphitheater (outdoor venue in Nashville that's now closed) both opened in the early to mid 1990's. Murphy Center's listed capacity is 11,520 while Bridgestone ranges from 17,900-19,200, depending on configuration. We continue to lack good skyboxes, that Western Kentucky added a few years ago. WKU's Diddle arena used to seat 13,000 with bleacher seats at the top. Seating is now 7,326 at Diddle with sky boxes and more chair back seats throughout the arena. Diddle Arena was built in 1963 and is even more dated in design.

Problem is: It is hard to justify hundreds of millions of dollars to expend for new arenas or heavily renovate that only 5,000-6,000 or so will show on any given night for a college basketball. There have been many MTSU games over the years when crowd was 1,800-2,500 or so, especially when we were in OVC and early Sun Belt days. Such venues have to have other money generators, such as concerts, high school tournaments, boat shows, home builder shows, bridal and wedding exposition shows, antique road shows, and a host of smaller events.

Even in 1989, it was something like $27 a semester or so for fees relating to Murphy Center that was used to pay bonds; it was a $6.5 million facility when built in 1971-72. Student activity fees are considerably more now for things like new student union (2013), rebuilt baseball stadium (2009), two parking garages (2013), student recreation center (1994), and a host of smaller projects.

Sounds like Marshall has almost the verbatim issues we face in Murfreesboro with scarce higher education dollars and funding athletics...it's uncannily similar!!

[/QUOTE]

Raiderclyde, looks to me like MTSU got a pretty good bargain for its initial $6.5 million in 71-72. MU's Henderson Center built about a decade later; cost ranged around $18-22 million, including some cost for land. Initially, it held about 10,250 for basketball, had a tartan floor, and retractable seats on the lower level. Soon, the floor cracked and was flawed; then the "retractable" seats wouldn't retract. There were, IIR, multiple lawsuits over the design and construction of the HC.

Oh,yeah, you guys got AC with your initial building. AC was deleted early on in the HC by state government "numbers" crunchers in Charleston as well as WVU cheerleaders posing as State Legislators. We still don't have any AC, some improvements to ventilation system have been made, although yet to be tested since we haven't had a capacity crowd, 9000+ in 4 seasons or so.

Biggest problem made initially with HC was to incorporate or attach it to an existing phys. ed. facility, Gullickson Hall. Instead of building a free standing building, like they did at a then fellow Southern Conference school, UT-Chattanooga. The Mocs ended up with a much nicer 10,000 seat facility, the Roundhouse, with better site lines, more chairback seats, et. We ended up with a weirdly designed facility dubbed by some as "the Big Butterfly". From Pic above the MTSU facility appears to have a lot more chairbacks also. Bet you guys don't have the fan amenities like we have at the HC: original plumbing, sinks, etc., etc., in the restrooms going on 40 years old!! Oh, well, that's the MU way: do it on the "cheap", follow up with minimal maintenance and upkeep, and pass the buck for decades on any renovations, and then wonder how some contemporaries end up with quality facilities.

 

[Herd Insider]

Subsidized tuition and 21st Century recruiting. The Promise Scholarship killed Marshall's enrollment trend. But it won't happen under Gilbert. He is a continuation of unimaginative administrators who work their way up the college administrative ladder at just a few years shy of retirement to serve as a trustee of a school and maintain its stats. He serves a few years to build up his retirement, then retires. Think in terms of a college football coach who wants to go big time. In order to do so he/she must build on all facets of the college to build a resume for the next larger school. Much more incentivized. This was a mediocre pick. No innovation, no energy, no next level aspirations. Just another administrator who had made it to "President."

 

[TheGreenhouseEffect]

I like the cut of your jib

PM me your email address and I can email the images I have so they would at least remain in current resolution (though they aren't high resolution to begin with).

 

[TheGreenhouseEffect]

Sorry I don't see anywhere to send you a PM email.

 

[TheGreenhouseEffect]

For the level we play at (non power school) we have very good facilities. They could be spruced up a bit and look better but money is money and for the moment we don't have it. As is, is much better than a good portion of G5 schools.

I'd agree with this statement. We have very good facilities for a mid major G5. Could we spruce them up, yes! I think each year we get better at managing them. This year I did notice they cleaned up the soot around the curbs prior to the games. I know money is tight but the stalls in the men's rooms could use a good sanding down or something the rusting looks terrible. Just that alone would really help the look of the restrooms.

 

[mlblack16.]

I'd agree with this statement. We have very good facilities for a mid major G5. Could we spruce them up, yes! I think each year we get better at managing them. This year I did notice they cleaned up the soot around the curbs prior to the games. I know money is tight but the stalls in the men's rooms could use a good sanding down or something the rusting looks terrible. Just that alone would really help the look of the restrooms.

Rivals must have removed the option...again. If you have a subscription I think the function is available.

 

[mlblack16.]

@TheGreenhouseEffect try shooting me an email to jackmeehoffredrocket@yahoo.com

Why yes, it is a junk email account, but I'm able to post that one, even if freaks like @GeauxHerd want to try and spam it.

 

[andy4theherd]

@TheGreenhouseEffect try shooting me an email to jackmeehoffredrocket@yahoo.com

Why yes, it is a junk email account, but I'm able to post that one, even if freaks like @GeauxHerd want to try and spam it.

"junk email".... riiiiiiiight... more like "work email"